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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/03/18 Anaheim Ducks Dallas Stars 1118864 Aberg's two goals in 3rd lift Ducks to 6-5 surprise over 1118896 Meet the Ivy League engineer, and the one-time AHL Capitals tryout helping to save the Stars season 1118865 Ducks goalie Ryan Miller comes through in relief after 1118897 Alexander Radulov has gone bananas John Gibson is pulled 1118866 Ducks rally improbably from a 4-goal deficit to defeat Detroit Red Wings Capitals, end trip 4-1 1118898 Detroit Red Wings lose to Colorado Avalanche, but win 1118867 Have the Ducks finally found their identity? The first both fights lengthy road trip has become a revealing one 1118899 Detroit Red Wings, Avalanche fight like old times in Colorado's 2-0 win Arizona Coyotes 1118900 Why Detroit Red Wings winning at Boston matters beyond 1118868 5 things we learned from Arizona Coyotes' decisive win two points over St. Louis Blues 1118901 Game thread: Red Wings shut out by Avs, 2-0 1118869 Michael Grabner shows gory eye day after taking stick to 1118902 DeKeyser reaches 'impressive' milestone with Wings face 1118903 'We battled': Wings show fight, miss chances to beat Avalanche Boston Bruins 1118904 Red Wings run out of steam in 2-0 loss to Colorado 1118870 Charlie McAvoy in good spirits while recovering from 1118905 Red Wings, Avalanche rolling heading into tonight's game concussion 1118871 Colby Cave is making the most of his opportunity with the Edmonton Oilers Bruins 1118906 Mikko Koskinen in top 10 in NHL save percentage 1118872 Ryan Donato makes progress with Bruins 1118907 Connor McDavid might not win scoring title but playoffs 1118873 Ryan Donato looking like his offensive swagger is back more important after AHL stint 1118908 Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Spooner plays hero for a 1118874 Not-Your-Typical NHL Power Rankings: Sabres hot on night with game-winner Lightning's trail 1118909 JONES: In the Zone – Edmonton Oilers don't want to be 1118875 Bruins need to do something as they keep getting punked bumped from division by Seattle expansion by other teams 1118910 Oilers farm team in Bakersfield coming to a boil with 1118876 McAvoy's "spirits are high" as he battles back from a quality prospects concussion Florida Panthers Buffalo Sabres 1118911 Despite tough stretch, Florida’s offense clicking. And now 1118877 Ryan Miller ties John Vanbiesbrouck for most wins by Panthers get a needed rest American-born goaltender 1118878 Dahlin Effect is helping Sabres' defense pump up their Los Angeles Kings numbers 1118912 Quick, Martinez step up as Kings show signs of life 1118879 Sabres Notebook: As Predators deal with injury bug, 1118913 Kings claim Nikita Scherbak off waivers with Ilya Jason Pominville added to Buffalo's list Kovalchuk to have ankle surgery 1118914 Alec Martinez’s late goal helps Kings in shutout victory Calgary Flames 1118915 More passion not yet producing many wins for Kings 1118880 Smith's scorpion-style save preserves victory for Flames 1118916 Kings F Kovalchuk out 4 weeks after ankle surgery in Chicago 1118917 DECEMBER 2 RAPID REACTION (FEAT. JOHN 1118881 GameDay: 5 storylines for Flames at Blackhawks HOVEN): KINGS 2, HURRICANES 0 1118918 FINAL – ONTARIO 5, TUCSON 4 (OT) Chicago Blackhawks 1118919 GAME 27: LOS ANGELES VS CAROLINA 1118882 Blackhawks show more fight but still drop 4th straight, 3-2 1118920 SCOUTING REPORTS AND NOTES ON NIKITA to Flames SCHERBAK 1118883 The Blackhawks' 5-foot-7 Alex DeBrincat is no stranger to 1118921 DECEMBER 2: PROJECTED LINEUP; YOUNG BOTTOM on-ice tussles SIX; HOW CAN THE PK IMPROVE? 1118884 Blackhawks drop 4th straight as snowball gets bigger 1118922 KOVALCHUK UNDERGOES ANKLE BURSECTOMY; 1118885 Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton says veterans have EXPECTED TO MISS FOUR WEEKS right attitude 1118923 PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. TUCSON, 12/2 1118886 Hawks lose 3-2 as Flames take advantage of Kunitz 1118924 KINGS CLAIM SCHERBAK OFF WAIVERS penalty 1118887 Even when they're down, Blackhawks are sticking up for Minnesota Wild each other 1118925 Wild hit road feeling OK despite first three-game skid of 1118888 Four takeaways: Blackhawks show fight, but can’t season overcome five-minute kill 1118889 'Enough's enough': Blackhawks running out of ways to explain poor starts Colorado Avalanche 1118890 Semyon Varlamov makes 24 saves as Colorado Avalanche shut out Detroit Red Wings 1118891 Avalanche shut out Red Wings 2-0, renew heated rivalry 1118892 Five takeaways from the Avs’ 2-0 shutout of the Red Wings 1118893 Takeaways from Avalanche’s shutout victory in Detroit 1118894 Avs-Red Wings player grades: Revisiting hate Columbus Blue Jackets 1118895 Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 2: Five takeaways Montreal Canadiens San Jose Sharks 1118926 Martin Jones makes 39 saves as Sharks top Canadiens to 1118960 Takeaways: Sharks respond after closed-door meetings snap losing skid with coach and GM 1118927 Weber scores twice as Canadiens rout Rangers 1118961 Sharks stop the bleeding in Montreal, snap four-game skid 1118928 In the Habs' Room: Sharks have Montreal's number — 12 1118962 Sharks extend mastery of Canadiens wins in 13 tries 1118963 Sharks cut down on odd-man rushes in first road win since 1118929 Sharks rip Canadiens 3-1 despite third-period barrage by October the home team 1118964 Sharks takeaways: What we learned from win that ended 1118930 Stu Cowan: Former Canadien Nikita Scherbak gets a four-game losing streak fresh start in L.A. 1118965 Sharks vs. Canadiens live stream: How to watch NHL 1118931 Canadiens Game Day: Habs get caught in another Shark game on MyTeams attack 1118966 Sharks vs. Canadiens watch guide: Projected lines and 1118932 San Jose Sharks at Montreal Canadiens: Five things you defensive pairs should know 1118967 Sharks respond after a morning meeting with general 1118933 How Claude Julien navigated the stages of grief after a manager Doug Wilson Canadiens loss until he finally landed on acceptance 1118934 Shots on goal are nice, but a slow start and a passive St Louis Blues attack kept the Canadiens out of the game 1118968 As Blues flounder, injuries mount 1118935 The Neutral Zone: Galchenyuk’s future at center, Hill’s NHL future, Kempe’s odyssey Tampa Bay Lightning 1118969 Lightning recalls goalie Eddie Pasquale, returns Connor Nashville Predators Ingram to Syracuse 1118936 Decimated by injuries, the patchwork Predators find a 1118970 Lighting-Panthers: Rewinding Tampa Bay’s overtime win blueprint for success Toronto Maple Leafs New York Islanders 1118971 Teammates ‘really excited’ about Nylander’s return to 1118937 Islanders buoyed by raucous Coliseum, success in close Maple Leafs games 1118972 Maple Leafs might win, but Nylander already has 1118973 How the final minutes of the Leafs’ William Nylander New York Rangers showdown played out 1118938 Rangers honor Vic Hadfield by retiring his No. 11 before 1118974 Harder, heavier element Babcock's desire as Leafs losing to Jets in OT shootout continue to pile up victories 1118939 Who’s next now that Rangers honored Vic Hadfield? 1118975 Hyman drumming up much respect in Maple Leafs 1118940 Brady Skjei benched but David Quinn insists it’s not dressing room punishment 1118976 After a heart scare, Marlies’ late-blooming Adam Brooks is 1118941 Henrik Lundqvist stands alone in remarkable Vic Hadfield grabbing hold of increased role tribute 1118977 LeBrun: Which side won the Nylander deal? NHL 1118942 Rangers squander 3-0 lead, lose to Winnipeg Jets in a executives and agents on the impact on the market shootout 1118943 Vic Hadfield's jersey raised to the rafters at Madison Vancouver Canucks Square Garden 1118989 Ed Willes: Horvat is the captain of the Vancouver Canucks 1118944 Lundqvist is spectacular, but it’s not enough as the 1118990 Ben Kuzma: Leipsic waived, Gaudette stays, trio has its Rangers turn conservative Super Skills way 1118991 The Mathletties: The Bo Horvat contract debate, a 2016 NHL throwback and gold mining 1118945 More than the Metropolitans: Ahead of NHL vote, a comprehensive Seattle hockey history Vegas Golden Knights 1118946 NHL Board of Governors to vote on Seattle expansion 1118978 Golden Knights see positives on road trip despite loss 1118947 To 32 and beyond: Seattle may not be end of NHL expansion Washington Capitals 1118979 Capitals collapse in stunning fashion, snapping seven- Ottawa Senators game winning streak 1118948 The mad Christmas rush awaits the Senators 1118980 T.J. Oshie making progress on concussion recovery but 1118949 Newest Senator Justin Falk quickly finds his place in the won’t travel with Capitals on road trip lineup 1118981 Capitals blow four-goal lead, snap winning streak 1118982 Capitals try to forget historic loss with a trip to Vegas Philadelphia Flyers 1118983 Capitals blow a four-goal lead for the first time since 2013 1118950 Flyers rally to top Penguins after a tough week in a 6-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks 1118951 Flyers weekly observations: GM search, Dave Hakstol's 1118984 Kuzy's fancy goal strikingly similar to one he had in 2015 fate, more 1118985 Holtby, Gibson square off in an elite goalie battle Sunday 1118952 Flyers 'not taking any s---' from Penguins 1118953 Flyers 5 takeaways: Wayne Simmonds ‘a big spark’ in win Websites over Penguins 1118992 The Athletic / Which side won the Nylander deal? NHL 1118954 Wayne Simmonds still has some fight in him, but will it be executives and agents on the impact on the market for Flyers? 1118993 Sportsnet.ca / Seasoned Sharks serve up key lesson to 1118955 Flyers 4, Penguins 2: 10 things we learned from an young Canadiens impressive road rivalry win 1118994 Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: What we learned about Dubas during Nylander saga Pittsburgh Penguins 1118995 Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing what William Nylander brings to 1118956 Numbers add up to struggles for Penguins Maple Leafs 1118957 Analysis: There’s a clear-cut reason the Penguins have 1118996 Sportsnet.ca / Cap comparables: Did Nylander get fair lost their division edge deal from Maple Leafs? 1118958 Short-handed goals continue to sink the Penguins 1118959 Discussion – Flyers at Penguins Winnipeg Jets 1118986 Maurice bites his tongue over iffy officiating 1118987 Jets on right side of blown lead with 4-3 comeback win in New York 1118988 Jets finally solve Lundqvist, storm back for shootout win over Rangers SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1118864 Anaheim Ducks

Aberg's two goals in 3rd lift Ducks to 6-5 surprise over Capitals

Staff Report By ASSOCIATED PRESS

DEC 02, 2018 | 4:20 PM

WASHINGTON

Trailing the defending Stanley Cup champions by four in the second period, the Anaheim Ducks believed they had a chance.

They were right.

Pontus Aberg scored twice in the third, including the go-ahead goal with 5:05 remaining, and the Ducks stopped Washington's seven-game win streak with a 6-5 victory over the Capitals on Sunday.

“It's hockey,” Aberg said. “Anything can happen.”

The Ducks trailed 5-1 before rallying for their fourth consecutive victory. Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and two assists and Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist in the finale of a five-game trip.

“Believe me, there wasn't anybody on that bench accepting where we were just because we'd had success previously in winning three in a row,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “That wasn't even in their minds. They're in the moment now, and it's our job to keep them in that moment.”

Anaheim became the first NHL team to overcome a four-goal deficit on the road to win in regulation since Colorado accomplished the feat against Florida on March 3, 1999. It was the second time in franchise history that the Ducks overcame a four-goal deficit to win in any fashion, joining a 5-4 overtime victory against Winnipeg on March 31, 2014.

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Chandler Stephenson each had a goal and an assist for Washington, which chased John Gibson after scoring three times in the first part of the first period.

“You really can't fault him on it,” Carlyle said of Gibson. “But they had three goals on (11) shots, and as a coach you've got a decision to make for the rest of your team, not him.”

It was Anaheim's highest scoring game of the season. Ryan Miller stopped 19 of 21 shots for the win.

“I can't remember anything like that honestly,” Miller said. “We had half the game to kind of get ourselves back, and we did it.”

Aberg's ninth goal of the season came moments after Anaheim killed off Washington's fifth power play, and resulted from a turnover in the neutral zone.

Kiefer Sherwood took the puck into the right corner of the Ducks' attacking zone and tried to feed Getzlaf in front. With Caps goaltender Braden Holtby coming out of his crease, Getzlaf failed to make solid contact.

Aberg was first to the loose puck, where he easily guided it into an open goal from a few feet out.

“I just tried to be patient, not to rush it, because I didn't want to miss that one,” he said.

Down 5-1, Andrew Cogliano and Rakell scored even-strength goals 55 seconds apart in the second period. Aberg and Hampus Lindholm then converted on back-to-back power plays 1:45 apart to tie it at 5 midway through the third.

Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and Nic Dowd also scored for the Capitals, and John Carlson had two assists. Holtby made 19 saves.

“We got too passive I think,” Backstrom said. “When we were up 5-1 we should have been more aggressive than we were. It's our fault.”

LA Times: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118865 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks goalie Ryan Miller comes through in relief after John Gibson is pulled

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 7:38 pm | UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 7:38 PM

WASHINGTON — The opening minutes of the first period unfolded in nightmarish fashion for goaltender John Gibson and his Ducks teammates Sunday afternoon at Capital One Arena. It was one thing after another, and none of it was very good.

First, the Ducks got trapped up the ice and gave up a two-on-one rush that the Washington Capitals’ Nicklas Backstrom capped with a one- timed shot past a helpless Gibson off a cross-ice pass from Alex Ovechkin only 41 seconds into the game.

Then there was a shot that was intended to be a pass from Washington’s Chandler Stephenson that ricocheted off the skate of Ducks defenseman Jake Dotchin and into the back of Gibson’s net, giving the Capitals a 2-0 lead at the 6:08 mark.

Then there was a shot off Gibson’s noggin that loosened his mask and infuriated him when play wasn’t whistled down, as per the NHL’s rule to protect goalies. Gibson banged his stick on the ice and then had an animated discussion with referee Garrett Rank after play was finally halted.

Then there was a debatable boarding call against Rickard Rakell, who knocked down the Capitals’ Matt Niskanen, that led to Tom Wilson’s power-play goal less than four minutes after Ryan Getzlaf had given the Ducks a jolt of energy with a goal that made it 2-1 at 9:24 of the first.

Coach Randy Carlyle pulled Gibson after Wilson deflected a perimeter shot from Capitals defenseman John Carlson to give Washington a 3-1 lead at 13:19. Ryan Miller replaced Gibson, and blanked the Capitals for the rest of the period. Gibson gave up three goals on 11 shots.

Miller gave up two goals on 21 shots.

“With ‘Gibby,’ I think he was a little upset the referee didn’t give him the call when the shot hit him in the mask,” Carlyle would later say when asked about replacing Gibson with Miller despite facing only a two-goal deficit. “He seemed to be a little too involved in that.

“As a coach, you have to make a decision about the rest of your team, not him.”

BATTLING OVECHKIN

The Ducks managed to prevent Ovechkin from scoring and adding to his team-leading total of 19 goals. Ovechkin led the Capitals with six shots on net, but he couldn’t send one past Gibson or Miller, including while Washington was on a late power play and looking for the tying goal.

It’s always an accomplishment to blank Ovechkin, according to Miller.

“He’s going to get his shot,” Miller said, referring to Ovechkin’s one-timed shots from the left faceoff circle whenever the Capitals have a man- advantage opportunity. “You’ve got to get there and get set. Everyone knows what’s coming. You just hope he doesn’t hit the perfect shot.

“You just try to get there and be as set as possible. If he connects and it’s hard, you’re not going to catch up to it. If he hits the general corners and the post region and you’re not quite perfect, it’s going to go in. It’s just too heavy. It’s like a pitcher throwing some junk. It tails away from you sometimes.”

Miller improved to 18-14-0 lifetime against the Capitals.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118866 Anaheim Ducks “As you could see, it took some scoring, some defense and some resolve.”

Ducks rally improbably from a 4-goal deficit to defeat Capitals, end trip 4- 1 Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2018

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 2:58 pm | UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 4:51 PM

WASHINGTON — To find the source of the biggest regulation comeback in the Ducks’ 25-year history in the NHL, you had to rewind to that point in the second period when diminutive left wing Andrew Cogliano barged into Braden Holtby’s crease and muscled a loose puck into the net.

The Ducks trailed the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals by four goals before Cogliano darted toward the net, followed up his own rebound and, with Tom Wilson cross-checking him from behind, scored what seemed at the time to be nothing more than a consolation prize.

In the final analysis, though, it was the play that sent the Ducks rocketing toward an improbable comeback and a 6-5 victory Sunday over the Capitals in the final game of their five-game cross-country trip. It was the Ducks’ fourth consecutive win and gave them a 4-1 mark on their trek.

It also ended the Capitals’ seven-game winning streak.

The Ducks erased a four-goal deficit to win only one other time in their history, when they rallied to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in overtime March 31, 2014. They also were the first team to rally to win from a four- goal deficit on the road since Colorado beat Florida on March 9, 1999.

“We kept grinding,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. “We found a way to take that second period and start turning things our way. We battled in that first period through some penalties and some adversity. We found a way in that second period to turn the tide and play the way we wanted to play.”

Cogliano’s goal cut the Ducks’ deficit to 5-2, and it seemed to reinforce their belief in their puck-possession game. Actually, they had been living in the Capitals’ end of the ice for several minutes, even before Nic Dowd had given Washington a 5-1 lead at 13:30 of the second period.

The Ducks’ faith was tested in the first period, when everything seemed to go haywire.

It was rewarded in the latter part of the second and in the third, though.

“I think it gave us some energy to say, ‘If we stick with this we can give ourselves a chance,’” Coach Randy Carlyle said after Cogliano ended a 22-game drought by scoring his second goal of the season and his first since Oct. 14 against the St. Louis Blues.

“It just gives you a chance. It doesn’t say you’re going to win.”

No, there were still plenty of reasons to think the Ducks’ winning streak would end after victories over Tampa Bay, Florida and Carolina. They were badly outplayed in the first period by the Capitals, trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes, and then chased the game in the first half of the second.

Cogliano and Rickard Rakell scored to pull the Ducks within 5-3 before the end of the middle period, goaltender Ryan Miller blanked the Capitals in the third and then Pontus Aberg scored twice and Hampus Lindholm once to complete the comeback.

Aberg put the Ducks ahead to stay with an even-strength goal with 5:05 remaining. Miller made 19 saves in a relief appearance after starter John Gibson gave up three goals on 11 shots in 13:06 in the first period. Miller was credited with his 374th career victory, tying the record by a U.S.-born goalie.

“It’s a wild game to have it happen,” Miller said of matching the mark of fellow Michigan native John Vanbiesbrouck, set in a 20-year career from 1981-82 to 2001-02. “I think it’s probably the right way to do it. If you play long enough, it directly reflects the teams and having good teammates. 1118867 Anaheim Ducks Not long after he put away his winner and high-fived each of his teammates as they skated off the ice, Getzlaf could poke fun at his team “playing terrible” in the first period and that “everyone was rested except Have the Ducks finally found their identity? The first lengthy road trip has our goalie.” But the identity and consistency that they’ve repeatedly become a revealing one talked about finding might now be emerging even if they’ve occasionally gotten lost on the path looking for both.

“I think we’re kind of understanding what we have to do and the way we By Eric Stephens play,” Gibson said. “Obviously, we’re not scoring a ton of goals, so we got to play well defensively and win tight games. Now we’re finding ways Dec 2, 2018 to win tight games and learning how to play with leads. … I think everything is trending up right now.”

RALEIGH, N.C. – Once Ryan Getzlaf went in alone on Curtis McElhinney Surveying the Ice and sized up his long-ago Ducks teammate before getting the goalie to • Gibson’s first eight starts were Vezina Trophy-like, with a 1.92 goals- shift ever so slightly to his right so he had the space available to beat him against average and .949 save percentage. His next 12 were not terrible, cleanly with a shot high off the post and in, his team grabbed its fourth but the 3.00 GAA and .908 SV% didn’t approach the sky-high numbers win in five games and its third straight on its first lengthy road trip this he had posted in the first three weeks. season. Following a strong 42-save performance against Florida, Gibson had 33 And, with a 13-10-5 record, it had first place in the Pacific Division on more against the Hurricanes. The bulk of his work came in a first period Friday night. that Carolina completely dominated. There were 21 shots for the Canes First place? to the Ducks’ six. Twenty-nine shot attempts to Anaheim’s eight. Eight of those shots on goal came off two power plays. First place. And the very best chances didn’t come off those power plays. Gibson’s This is no cause to throw a party. Not when it only became December on very best save in the opening 20 minutes was a follow-up rebound stick Saturday. Not when the Ducks have been through that division-winning stop near the handle on Jordan Martinook after Warren Foegele was thing several times over and seen that it guarantees absolutely nothing denied on the initial rush under pressure from the Ducks’ Hampus when it comes to playing into June. Besides, their hold on first lasted all Lindholm. of 71 minutes until Calgary grabbed it back with a win over the Kings. “He’s one hell of a goalie,” Lindholm said. “Obviously, (Friday) we were But when it comes to measuring whether some sort of progress is being lucky to have him in our net because otherwise we’d probably wouldn’t made for a team that needed to show some progress was being made, be in overtime and getting that win.” the signpost that is the division lead is always a welcome sight. Sure, the Pacific is a tire fire right now and it might keep on burning throughout the The Ducks know that they’ve got a game-changer in net. Perhaps they season. Like that matters to a group still finding its way. know too well, given their tendency to rely on his acrobatics too much. But they were far better in the second and third periods, with underlying The Ducks aren’t going to win any beauty contests. They’re not going to numbers suggesting that there was a decisive advantage. Carolina is make many appearances in the nightly top-10 highlights. The times in long known for its possession prowess, and Natural Stat Trick has them which they’re being thoroughly outplayed like the case of the first period first in the NHL. But on Friday, Anaheim had 56.34-43.66 percent Corsi- Friday at PNC Arena give you instant pause when you begin to wonder if For edge. The Corsi-For numbers were dominant for the second they are still just a losing streak away from going nowhere this season. (70.83%) and third (57.14%) Its high-danger chances 13-7 in their favor. And by the time Getzlaf beat McElhinney, the shot discrepancy dwindled But then there is the road trip that’s already a winning one heading into to 34-29 in the Hurricanes’ favor. Sunday afternoon’s conclusion in Washington. The three wins in a row – which haven’t occurred since the opening week of the season – where Still, there was Gibson keeping his team in the lead with his best save of the Ducks delivered clutch goals in the third period of each. They’ve been the night – a larcenous glove robbery of Phil di Giuseppe as he was of the greasy variety, with an insurance backhand here (Carter Rowney making a bracing, protective retreat toward his net. in Tampa Bay), a late forward there (Nick Ritchie in Florida) and swinging bats out of the air (Ritchie in Tampa Bay and Pontus Aberg in Carolina). “Obviously, we were overwhelmed in the first period,” Carlyle said. “We just didn’t do – we were slow with everything. They had the puck. It was It has been fitting. The Ducks have never been able to put tic together one puck, and they wouldn’t give it to us. Luckily enough, our goaltender with tac or toe. Their 30th-ranked offense might remain scattershot as stood on his head and kept us to a one-goal game. And then we kind of they generate the fewest shots on goal per game. Just Vancouver, got our feet underneath us. Played a lot better second and third. And he Chicago and Los Angeles have worse goal differentials in the Western still was called upon to make some big stops for us.” Conference, and all three are out of the playoff picture. For goalies who have made 13 or more starts, Gibson’s .929 save Yet there is this growing acceptance that this might be just who they are percentage puts him only behind Boston’s Jaroslav Halak, Nashville’s between the occasional goal outbursts they get and occasional blowouts Pekka Rinne and Toronto’s Frederik Andersen. The only goalie who has to bounce back from. A team that has to play well defensively, get stellar made more saves or faced more shots is Ottawa’s Craig Anderson. He goaltending and hang around long enough to be opportunistic when it’s has 10 wins but might be challenging Andersen’s league-leading 15 if he time to be. had more offensive support.

“We’re OK with not scoring five goals a night,” Getzlaf said. All of it is further evidence that Gibson is one of the NHL’s very best.

They’re fine with the celebrations like Friday night, where the captain was “He established that last year, I think, when he played the way he did,” mobbed by his teammates after their 2-1 win backed up coach Randy Getzlaf said. “And this year, he’s just carrying it over to being that No. 1 Carlyle’s belief that they can win those types of low-scoring games guy that’s given us a chance every night. We’re lucky enough to have a consistently. Just as they did on Black Friday against Edmonton before tandem (with Ryan Miller) like that.” hitting the road. • Lindholm played 26:09 in his first game back from missing six contests “It kind of seemed like at the beginning of the year, we were finding ways due to a lower-body injury. Carlyle put him back with Brandon Montour as to lose,” Ducks goalie John Gibson said. “Now, we’re starting to turn. one defensive pairing while keeping together Jacob Larsson and Josh You’ve been here long enough to know we have a knack of finding ways Manson and Marcus Pettersson and Jake Dotchin. to come back and winning some games that maybe we thought we were out of and we shouldn’t have won. But we’re finding ways to win. “Felt pretty good,” Lindholm said. “I must say that jump was back in my stride, I thought. Obviously, when we play the way we did in the first “I think it says a lot about our team and the character that we overcome period, defend that much and so many penalty kills, it always drains you rough patches and rough starts. Still be able to hold on and find ways to a little bit. I think that was a thing with the whole team. Otherwise, I felt win.” pretty good out there.” It was Lindholm who snapped a long saucer pass by Carolina’s Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov to Getzlaf in stride that gave his center the opportunity to win the game. His plan is to keep his head and spot a teammate breaking into the free.

“Because it’s 3-on-3, as soon as you get a step on someone or something, it’s really dangerous,” Lindholm said. “If you can tire that team out or if you can make him lose their guy, that’s what you want to do. I think the more you pass it around to each other — just pass, pass, pass — I think it’s easier that something bad is going to happen. That puck’s going to wobble, or the other guy gets a stick on it.

“So, I think if you can get guys running around a little bit, and I thought we had some good changes there. Kept the puck on our team. We never really gave them the puck. I think that’s why we scored in the end.”

The Ducks have long struggled in the 3-on-3 and addressed that by taking the tact of being exceedingly patient, sometimes playing at a snail’s pace instead of engaging in track meets on the ice. On Friday, the crowd at PNC Arena began to boo when the Ducks kept bringing the puck back toward their net instead of engaging.

That’s fine with them. They’ll engage when the time is right.

“It’s the opposition’s building,” Carlyle said. “They can boo all they want. That’s our plan. Win the draw and hold onto possession of the puck and strike when you have an opportunity.”

Said Lindholm: “They’re booing for a reason. They’re booing because their team doesn’t have the puck. I mean, that’s a good sign. I don’t mind that.”

• McElhinney has had a vagabond NHL career, operating as a backup for seven teams. He played in 31 games for Anaheim over the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. The Hurricanes are his latest franchise, and he has their net for the moment, with Scott Darling and Petr Mrazek being wildly inconsistent.

“He’s great,” Getzlaf said. “Mac, when he was here, obviously, he was our backup. A great, professional guy that everybody loved. Really happy to see him get an opportunity to start for a hockey team right now.”

And finally …

The heat was being applied to Carlyle as the Ducks went through a stretch in which they won only three of 16 games, though there wasn’t any sign that general manager Bob Murray was considering a coaching change.

Though there has been little artistic value with their victories, that aspect has little value with Carlyle. The Ducks aren’t going to blow teams out, but that does not matter to him.

“You got to win,” he said. “We got to find ways to win games. We got to find ways to get points. And that’s all we’re trying to do. We’re trying to stay with the pack. We’ve got some key personnel (out). We got a big boost tonight with Hampus coming back. Our forward group is minus two veteran players in (Corey) Perry and (Patrick) Eaves. But, again, right now we’re more settled than we’ve ever been with our team, if you add Hampus back.

“And then we’re waiting on Cam Fowler, who obviously is a big part of our defense. But we’re going to have to extend that with this group. It’s allowing the growth of Montour. Allowing the growth of Larsson. Allowing Dotchin to get into the lineup. All those things are hidden pluses. And we still have to find ways to win games.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118868 Arizona Coyotes One bit of negative news on the Coyotes’ side was regarding Michael Grabner, who exited Saturday’s game after taking a stick to the face in the third period.

5 things we learned from Arizona Coyotes' decisive win over St. Louis Grabner would not return to the game and the Coyotes did not provide Blues any further information regarding his status, other than the fact he was removed due to an “upper-body injury.”

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Coyotes' Michael Grabner (40) is helped off the ice after a Blues high- sticking during the first period at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. on Published 7:00 a.m. MT Dec. 2, 2018 | Updated 11:40 a.m. MT Dec. 2, December 1, 2018. 2018 Coyotes' Michael Grabner (40) is helped off the ice after a Blues high- sticking during the first period at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. on December 1, 2018. (Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic) Here are five things we learned from the Arizona Coyotes' 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at Gila River Arena: It appeared that Grabner caught the end of Sammy Blais’ stick between his right eye and the bridge of his nose on a follow-through. Grabner 1. Adin Hill continues to be huge immediately hit the ice and, laying on his stomach, was kicking his legs in Without either of their top two goaltenders for a third period on the road in visible pain. Minnesota (trailing 3-1), a road game in Nashville and a subsequent Grabner is tied for third in the team lead in goals with six this season. He home bout with the St. Louis Blues, how many wins were expected of the has captained the Coyotes’ league-best penalty kill, which would have a Coyotes? major hole if Grabner is forced to miss significant time. They got wins in all three games, and so, too, did Adin Hill. The 22-year- 5. Chychrun, Fischer snap droughts old picked up his first career shutout on Thursday in Nashville. He stopped 24 of 25 shots in Saturday’s 6-1 win over the Blues. And he held Not only did the Coyotes get strong production from their top forwards down the fort as the Coyotes rallied for three third-period goals in their (Keller, Schmaltz, Derek Stepan) on Saturday, but they received drought- comeback win vs. the Wild. breaking goals from Jakob Chychrun and Christian Fischer.

Hill has stopped 69 of 70 shots over seven periods of work as the After missing the 18 of the team’s first 24 games, Chychrun tallied his Coyotes appear to be taking flight as a team. In relief of Antti Raanta and first of the season on the power play for the Coyotes’ first of six goals. It Darcy Kuemper, both of whom remain day-to-day with lower-body came when the Blues failed the clear the puck and Keller found injuries, Hill’s excellent performances cannot be understated as the Chychrun all alone in the slot. Coyotes have ridden him to a three-game win streak. Fischer also scored his first since his hat trick on Oct. 23, a span of 17 Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet remarked after Saturday’s game on games. Both Fischer and Chychrun are playing significant minutes, so it’s the improvement of Hill’s demeanor in net from this season to last. And important they regain a scoring touch. while it remains to be seen how long Hill will be called upon, the Coyotes are counting on him to keep it up.

2. Clayton Keller is galvanized Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.03.2018

Although the Coyotes’ trade for Nick Schmaltz meant the newcomer would be reunited with several former teammates from his past, perhaps no one was happier for his arrival than Clayton Keller.

After tallying just three points in the eight games before Schmaltz’s arrival, Keller has registered four in the three games he’s played on a line with Schmaltz, who also has four points in his three games with Arizona.

Keller appears to have found another step alongside Schmaltz, whose playmaking ability has visibly complemented both Keller and winger Alex Galchenyuk.

The Coyotes’ new top line also comprises the three forwards on the team’s top power-play unit, a group that has showed greater fluidity since Schmaltz’s arrival and dominated puck possession on Saturday.

3. Schmaltz fitting in perfectly

As mentioned previously, Schmaltz’s arrival and the Coyotes’ sudden spurt of offensive success is not a complete coincidence. Yes, there are other factors, but Schmaltz has been extremely effective in his three games in Arizona.

Schmaltz has looked dangerous each time he’s carried the puck. His decisions always seem to be smart ones. He always seems to be in the right place in offensive and defensive situations alike. Right now, he’s just making a difference, and that’s something that other players on the Coyotes hadn’t been doing.

Four points in three games isn’t a world-breaking pace, but it’s a rate of production that doesn’t seem unfathomable for Schmaltz to maintain. He’s not getting the points because of puck luck; he’s getting them because of his proficient decision-making.

In a world where hockey fans obsess over the winners and losers of trades, it’s impossible to say that one team fleeced the other less than a week after the transaction. You can say with conviction, however, that Schmaltz seems to fit the Coyotes’ system like a glove.

4. Jury still out on Grabner injury 1118869 Arizona Coyotes

Michael Grabner shows gory eye day after taking stick to face

BY MATT LAYMAN

DECEMBER 2, 2018 AT 5:35 PM

UPDATED: DECEMBER 2, 2018 AT 6:29 PM

The day after Arizona Coyotes forward Michael Grabner was forced to leave a hockey game after taking an opposing player’s stick to the face, he provided a gory update.

If you’re squeamish, you’ll want to look away.

Grabner posted a story Sunday to his Instagram of his right eye, which was closed shut and surrounded by blood.

The Coyotes announced Sunday Grabner would be out indefinitely.

The incident happened with 5:36 remaining in the first period and Arizona leading the St. Louis Blues 1-0.

Grabner was along the wall in his own zone near the Coyotes bench and as Blues forward Sammy Blais took a swing at the puck, his stick hit Grabner sharply in the face, near the eye.

Blais received a 4-minute double minor penalty for the high-sticking incident.

Grabner has had a big season so far in his first campaign with Arizona, scoring six goals — four of them shorthanded, which is the most in the NHL — with five assists. He’s also been a critical piece of the team’s penalty kill, which was the top PK unit in the league entering play on Saturday.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118870 Boston Bruins Saturday’s game was yet another in which McAvoy’s services were needed.

“Part of our breakouts,” Cassidy said. “Usually plays with the Krech Charlie McAvoy in good spirits while recovering from concussion [David Krejci] or Bergeron — well in this case [Brad] Marchand — line. He gets them the puck in good places, so I think we’ll be a better attacking team. Plays against the top line every night, defends well, plays By Matt Porter hard, game like tonight where the temperature of the game goes up he tends to be a better player in those games, so he would’ve been a factor. DECEMBER 2, 2018 We miss him.

“Listen, I don’t like going down that road. We’ve got good players in the Told that Charlie McAvoy had a chat with reporters Saturday, Bruins room. We’re hanging in there. We’re playing good, hard hockey, and of coach Bruce Cassidy perked up. course we’re going to miss our best players. We miss Z, we miss Bergy, we miss them all.” “How did it go?” he asked, with a note of intrigue.

It was a playful moment in a news conference, but if any new information was forthcoming about his young star’s condition, the coach was all ears. Boston Globe LOADED: 12.03.2018

McAvoy wishes he could share more. The 20-year-old defenseman, considered among the NHL’s brightest young talents, is not certain when he will again play. Last seen in uniform Oct. 18, he has been recovering from his first known concussion.

Speaking between periods of the Bruins’ 4-2 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday, McAvoy chose not to focus on the befuddling symptoms, though he noted they were “overwhelming” him in Edmonton last month, when he informed the team he was unwell, and waning.

McAvoy, who has missed 19 games since, expressed optimism for a timely return, gratitude to those who have helped him, and several lessons about life with a brain injury.

One of them: “Take it a day at a time and really just try and stay positive with these things, because it can definitely bring you down,” he said. “Everyone has been good with keeping me up and keeping me in good spirits, and we’re getting there.”

After more than three weeks off skates, McAvoy returned to the ice Nov. 9. He rejoined the team two weeks ago, though he had not cleared the hurdle of physical contact as of Saturday.

Another lesson: “It’s not always a hit that, say, knocks a player unconscious on the ice,” McAvoy said. “It can be just a little blindside hit with the same effect and sometimes worse.”

He couldn’t pinpoint a particular knock from the Oct. 18 game in Edmonton. The NHL’s play-by-play report shows he was hit five times, by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Ty Rattie, Milan Lucic, Tobias Rieder, and Zack Kassian. He had an assist in that night’s 3-2 overtime loss, but was on the ice for two goals against, including Leon Draisaitl’s OT winner. Typically upbeat even after defeats, he appeared low.

McAvoy — who had issues with his vestibular system in the preseason, according to general manager Don Sweeney — missed one of Boston’s two preseason games in China with an unspecified illness, played in the first seven games of the year and posted a 1-5—6 line, offering hope he would be building on his All-Rookie season, when he finished fifth in the Calder Trophy voting.

The extended absence of a young Bruins star recalls what turned stomachs here 11 years ago, when Philadelphia defenseman Randy Jones smashed Patrice Bergeron, then 22, into the end boards. Unconscious and motionless for several minutes before being stretchered away, Bergeron’s severe (Grade 3) concussion dimmed the young star’s wattage in a manner too familiar to so many in hockey, and other high-level contact sports.

Bergeron, who did not play again that 2007-08 season, has suited up for 743 games since. Currently shelved with a shoulder/rib injury, he is 18 games shy of 1,000 in a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He has been a valued resource for McAvoy, helping him navigate the unfamiliar fog.

“There’s days when you feel good, and there’s days when you feel bad,” McAvoy said. “Like I said, I’m really learning a lot about my own brain, kind of the way things function when you have a concussion.

“I guess I’m now fortunate to have this life experience. Hopefully, it never happens again, but I’ll be able to take these things with me the next time

As Cassidy awaits the all clear from McAvoy and the Bruins’ medical staff, he tries not to consider the myriad ways writing No. 73 into his lineup would help his team, which is 14-8-4 amid a rough run of injuries. 1118871 Boston Bruins call him a disappointment, but it’s also fair to say “JFK” has not made good on several glowing opportunities: He was handed the No. 3 center job in camp, and had a run there, plus as Marchand and Pastrnak’s pivot, Colby Cave is making the most of his opportunity with the Bruins during his recent recall (2-0—2).

A player with his potential and pedigree will get another look. Cave must work harder to prove he’s not a career minor leaguer. By Matt Porter “Some of the habits you have to teach young guys, he had them right DECEMBER 2, 2018 away,” Cassidy recalled. “It was just a matter of, ‘Will he have the ability to play, in time?’ I think the jury’s still out on that.”

Cave admitted feeling nervous in camp — when he was a late addition to The hardest work on Allan Cave’s cattle ranch, in hilly North Battleford, the Bruins’ China trip with David Krejci being kept home — but no longer. Saskatchewan, is done in the winter — all of it by himself. “I can’t have any excuses anymore,” he said. “I’ve been here 3½ years Depending on the time of year, the lifelong cattleman tends to a herd of now. It’s about time I step up and start making an impact.” between 300 and 600. In the summer they graze, get branded, and vaccinated. When the temperature plummets far below zero, they must Providence general manager John Ferguson Jr. knows him well. As San be fed and kept warm, day after frigid day. Jose’s pro scouting director, he noticed a draft-eligible Cave when he was scouting his Swift Current teammate, Jake DeBrusk. When “It doesn’t matter if it’s minus-40,” said his wife, Jennifer Cave, Ferguson joined Boston in 2015, he vouched for Cave as a free agent. referencing the point where the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales meet, conditions not unfamiliar to the area. “You still have to go out and do your When Cave got the call to Boston, moving with fiancee Emily Gill into the job.” team’s downtown apartment housing, Ferguson sent him a text.

Their 23-year-old son, Colby, feels grateful — with a twinge of guilt — “I don’t want to see you back here,” it read. that his parents have encouraged him to follow his hockey dreams for so long, sparing him the grunt work of the Central Saskatchewan winter. So The reply came back quickly: he returns as soon as he can. “Don’t count on it.”

“When he comes home in the summertime, he’s eager to get his hands dirty,” Jennifer Cave said. “He really enjoys it.” Boston Globe LOADED: 12.03.2018 If Colby remains in Boston until late spring, the Caves will happily make do.

Though he was no higher than fourth on the organizational depth chart for center prospects entering the season, the square-jawed redhead earned enough trust to serve as a fill-in for Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins’ injured No. 1 center, for the last two games.

A two-year captain of WHL Swift Current who signed as an undrafted free agent in April 2015, Cave was leading AHL Providence in scoring (6- 12—18) at the time of his Nov. 20 recall.

Cave was twice passed over in the NHL Draft (2013, 2014) and departed from summer camps in San Jose (2013) and Arizona (2014) without employment. He does not take this opportunity lightly.

“If you’d have told me five years ago I’d be playing on the first line in the NHL,” he said, “I’d have told you you were full of it.

“That’s all in the past now. I feel like I’ve put my foot in the door. Now it’s about getting all the way through.”

Cave, expected to play in his ninth NHL game Tuesday when the Bruins meet the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., made an impact there during last spring’s three-game stint. His hard, clean hit on Aleksander Barkov left the Florida star with a shoulder injury.

His rugged frame (6 foot 1 inch, 200 pounds) and defensive game were his ticket to the NHL. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, who oversaw part of Cave’s development when he coached the P-Bruins, believes he has more to give offensively.

Asked how Cave’s run at the top is going, Cassidy said first-line wingers David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand “know that they’ll have a centerman who will get to the net for them,” he said. “He’s done that very well. It hasn’t shown up on the scoresheet, but he’s going to the net for those guys. It allows them more movement in the O-zone. He’s been reliable defensively. I’d like a longer sample size.

“We’re going to keep it the same,” Cassidy said before Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Detroit, during which Cave picked up his first NHL point, an assist on David Backes’s goal. “Usually if you keep it the same, it’s functioning at least up to what we’re hoping for, for now. We want to see growth, but I think he’s done a good job.”

He stands in contrast to a younger rookie center, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson. The Bruins, displeased at the yield of competitive juice they’ve squeezed from him so far, sent the former No. 45 overall pick back to the AHL on Sunday.

Forsbacka Karlsson was a healthy scratch the last two games, after a nine-game stretch of inconsistent play. It’s far too early in his career to 1118872 Boston Bruins

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.03.2018

Ryan Donato makes progress with Bruins

Steve Conroy

Sunday, December 02, 2018

Ryan Donato’s brief time in Providence did not magically yield the perfect 200-foot player. In the Bruins’ 4-2 loss to Detroit on Saturday, he did have a hand in the Red Wings’ tying goal in the second period, getting checked off the puck along the wall.

But progress, it certainly seems, was made in his 10 games down on the farm. In his first game back up with the big club against the Islanders on Thursday, he did just about everything as the B’s grinded their way to a 1-1 tie then won the shootout on Donato’s pretty deke.

And while he didn’t have as clean a game against the Red Wings, he put the B’s in good position to grab at least a point when he tied it up in the third on the power play.

The progress must continue for Donato, who’s still looking for his first even-strength NHL goal of the season.

“Hopefully (the young players in general) are going to learn from it and realize that it’s a 60-minute game and it’s an 82-game league, so we’ve got to bring it every night,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. after Saturday’s game. “We’ve talked about that with some of the players we’ve sat out that are young. Ryan bounced back. He wasn’t great on the walls. These are some of the things people ask: ‘Why is he down there when he can score?’

“Well he’s down there to work on those things. It’s about keeping the puck out of your net, and how do you do that, as much as getting it in their net. I thought he did a real good job in the third trying to atone. ... That’s what we want, and we’re going to work him through his weaknesses, deficiencies.”

The B’s need players like Donato in the lineup, players who can “shoot it past the goalie” as Cassidy often puts it. Not only is Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup, but Brad Marchand has not been scoring at even strength on a regular basis while Danton Heinen is enduring an epic sophomore slump. In the past three games, the B’s have just two even-strength goals, and one was David Backes’ fluky tally. They need all the top-six skill they can muster.

And even if Donato’s complete game hasn’t allowed him to play full-time on the top two lines, it certainly looks like his skill — especially his shot — could make him that kind of player soon.

But he can’t be a liability in his own zone. It’s a work in progress.

“I think at the beginning of the game, I was fine with the board battles, but during the second period, sometimes it just doesn’t go your way,” Donato said. “I was bearing down, doing all the same things that I did in the first period and in the third period. ... Sometimes it bounces the wrong way or you have a good player that makes a nice play, and definitely there are things to work on on the board battles and that’s something that I have been trying to work on.”

Donato looks more ready to help this team than he was before he was sent down to Providence. He’s starting to believe he can do the job at both ends of the ice.

“I personally believe I’ve always had my confidence,” Donato said. “It’s just getting those chances, you know. So again, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t, and I mean I’ve always kept that intensity and effort level, and there’s just some of the details that maybe I learned in the AHL that maybe make me look or appear more confident, but I’ve always had confidence in my offensive abilities, and now my defense abilities are starting to grow.”

The Bruins sent Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson to Providence. In nine games, he scored two goals with a minus-2 rating. He’d been a healthy scratch the past two games. ...

Bergeron and his wife Stephanie welcomed the couple’s second child, another boy, team president Cam Neely announced. 1118873 Boston Bruins

Ryan Donato looking like his offensive swagger is back after AHL stint

By Joe Haggerty

December 02, 2018 2:00 PM

BOSTON – Two games into Ryan Donato’s second stint with the Bruins this season, it sure looks like whatever message he needed has been successfully transmitted.

The 22-year-old left a little to be desired with his work on the walls early in the game on a goal scored against the Bruins, but he also was one of the offensive highlights in Boston’s 4-2 loss with a power play goal and an active, attacking game. Donato led the Bruins with a season-high six shots on net while making certain he was active in the offensive zone, and in the past two games has nine shots on net after managing just 12 shots on net in 11 games during the month of October prior to his AHL demotion.

Some of that was a byproduct of Donato getting dropped to the fourth line when the goals weren’t coming after scoring in the second game of the season, but some of it was also a player that didn’t look at his swaggering best out on the ice.

So whatever was needed in the minors it would appear that Donato has now found it while basking in his strength as an impact player at the offensive end of the ice. Donato maintains that the confidence never wavered, but whatever the case it’s coming through now in plays being made, scoring chances, and laser beam wrist shots under the bar like Saturday night’s power play strike.

“There are certain things that you get confident just having the puck on your stick. I personally believe I’ve always had my confidence. It’s just getting those chances, you know. So like again, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t,” said Donato, who was perfect finishing off the third period score on the PP after David Pastrnak won a puck battle with Niklas Kronwall before sliding it over his way cross-ice.

“I mean I’ve always kept that intensity and effort level. There are just some of the details that maybe I learned in the AHL that maybe make me look or appear more confident, but I’ve always had confidence in my offensive abilities. Now my defensive abilities are starting to grow as well.”

With both Anders Bjork and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson now back in the minor leagues, it looks like Donato is going to get a run for a while, and even better it appears he’s now ready for that after looking a little unsure back in the first month of the season. Perhaps now the skilled young winger will start living up to the preseason hype that had him as a potential Calder Trophy candidate for the Bruins after last season’s impressive late year debut.

The Bruins will just gladly take steady offense and goal production from Donato at a time when the undermanned roster needs every goal that they can muster.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118874 Boston Bruins

Not-Your-Typical NHL Power Rankings: Sabres hot on Lightning's trail

By Joe Haggerty

December 02, 2018 2:00 PM

BOSTON – Two games into Ryan Donato’s second stint with the Bruins this season, it sure looks like whatever message he needed has been successfully transmitted.

The Bruins will just gladly take steady offense and goal production from Donato at a time when the undermanned roster needs every goal that they can muster.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118875 Boston Bruins immediately address the situation, but he would certainly come at a hefty price.

They also could use a player on the fourth line that’s more fearsome than Bruins need to do something as they keep getting punked by other teams gritty and gutty, and could bring a Shawn Thornton-type element to this team. Ideally it would be a Ryan Reaves-type player that could actually serve a role while taking care of business when players like Krejci have By Joe Haggerty the misfortune of finding themselves in the other team’s crosshairs. This obviously isn’t the NHL of 10 years ago where every team has an December 02, 2018 10:08 AM enforcer, but there are still tough guys that exist out there that can both play and drop the gloves.

BOSTON – At a certain point, one would think the Bruins would react to Who knows? what’s happening on the ice. Maybe they could ask John Scott to come out of retirement for a few Sure they are still winning their share of games and the Black and Gold months for the NHL minimum to keep the peace on the TD Garden ice? are still in the top wild card spot with 32 points on the season after their It would come at a price by downgrading their current fourth line, but let’s 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at TD Garden. be honest: it’s not exactly the Merlot Line that we’re talking about But the Bruins have been losing players at an alarming rate to injuries all changing either. season, and have been increasingly been getting bullied on the ice when The worst thing the Bruins could do is nothing and watch as somebody they were once the Big Bad Bruins pushing other teams around. The 98- takes out Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak without any fear of paying a pound weakling dynamic has been exacerbated in recent weeks by the price. Because that fear isn’t there right now and the B’s need to do losses of Boston’s biggest and toughest hombres, Zdeno Chara and something about it before the situation gets any worse than it already is. Kevan Miller, with both of them out for a significant period of time.

So opponents aren’t afraid of taking liberties with the B’s, and that’s been apparent over the last few games as David Krejci has been absolutely Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 steam-rolled in two straight games with big neutral zone hits. There was no real reaction from the B’s when it happened on Thursday night against the Islanders at the end of a period, and it took roughly a minute before Joakim Nordstrom finally stepped up and dropped the gloves with Luke Witkowski after he drilled Krejci on Saturday.

Later in the game Luke Glendening threw a cheap, dirty hip check on Matt Grzelcyk that was away from the puck as the Red Wings forward was headed back to the Detroit bench. It’s the kind of stuff that routinely doesn’t happen when the Bruins have their warrior D-men in the lineup, and it’s something that almost never happened back in the 2011 Stanley Cup era when they were the ones doing the pushing around.

It’s also worth noting that there was no Chara or Miller in the B’s lineup when Radek Faksa ran Patrice Bergeron shoulder-first into the boards with an injury that also put him out for over a month. Some of them might be written off as “hockey plays” that happen from time to time, but you can bet teams are taking note that they’re not paying much of a price for taking runs at Boston’s best players right now.

Is Bruce Cassidy noticing that other NHL teams are punking the Bruins with no Miller or Chara in the lineup for the next month or so?

“[It] could be. It could very well be. We still feel we have guys in the lineup that will answer the bell.

Sometimes that…psychologically the group looks at the board and it’s not as hard to come in when you’re missing Zee or Miller, is it? But, we still have to find way to stick up for one and other,” said Cassidy. “I thought Nordy [Joakim Nordstrom] is not a guy that certainly is going to do that, tried to show that he’ll stick up for one of his teammates. What you want to do is then get physical with their skill.

“I thought our guys tried to do that. [Noel] Acciari, [Chris] Wagner certainly tried to get out there and bang bodies. I thought after some of that took place that we actually played some good hockey after that. It kind of woke us – I don’t want to say wake us up -- but get our dander up, so off we went. I thought in the third we did a good job. We just couldn’t score in their end, and they got a good deflection.”

Certainly the Bruins have shown heart and resiliency in this stretch while dealing with a critical mass injury situation, but nobody is going to mistake this team for a modern day version of the Big Bad Bruins. The Bruins actually lead the NHL with eight fighting majors, but half of them are from the three smallest guys on the team (Brad Marchand, Noel Acciari and Torey Krug) being asked to do something they weren’t built for.

So, what are they to do?

Well, they still very much need a top-6 forward that can score, throw around his body and put the fear into opponents the way Chara and Miller do on the back end. The way things are going in Philly, a player like Wayne Simmonds could make a great short term Bruin that could 1118876 Boston Bruins

McAvoy's "spirits are high" as he battles back from a concussion

By Joe Haggerty

December 02, 2018 1:09 AM

BOSTON -- It’s been more than six weeks that 20-year-old Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy has been out of the Bruins lineup with concussion symptoms that have dogged the talented young player.

McAvoy has played only seven games for the Bruins this season while dealing with the first concussion of his hockey career, and only this week rejoined the B’s for a practice while still wearing the no-contact jersey.

There’s no timetable for his return even now all this time later and McAvoy said he’s learned a lot about patience through the process that will hopefully return him to the ice sooner than later.

“I think it’s one of those things you don’t really expect anything. That’s one of the things I’ve learned is you just take it a day at a time and really just try and stay positive with these things,” said McAvoy. “It can definitely bring you down. Everyone has been good with keeping me up and keeping me in good spirits and we’re getting there.

“My spirits are high, and I’m optimistic. Things are going well, and I’m starting to skate more and integrate with the team. That’s the best part for me, because they’ve been doing a heck of a job. It’s so good to see them all again and to be skating with them back with the group. As this process has gone, as I’ve worked with the trainers and the doctors, really doing concussion rehab, [the symptoms] have started to slowly fade away. Obviously, I would have loved for it to happen faster, but this is where we’re at. Staying patient and staying positive is something that I’m trying to do my best with.”

RED WINGS 4, BRUINS 2

Though McAvoy is clearly feeling better, there are still some vague aspects to his concussion diagnosis and recovery. The second-year defenseman wasn’t able to pinpoint one specific hit that gave him the concussion in the first place, but that might not even really matter at this point as he continues to leave the symptoms behind.

Instead it’s about getting McAvoy back on the ice for a long stretch of time where he can develop into the No. 1 defenseman that Boston believes he can be. That’s been impossible to do over the last two seasons while McAvoy has battled a heart condition, a knee injury and now the concussion problems that have caused him to miss pockets of playing time.

Just as it’s a good sign that McAvoy was on the ice with his teammates this week, it was also a good sign that the young D-man was talking about his concussion recovery for the first time. With him getting closer than he’s been to a return at any point since the initial injury, the next few steps will be important ones for both McAvoy and for a Bruins team that desperately needs him back while missing so many players to injuries.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118877 Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo News LOADED: 12.03.2018

Ryan Miller ties John Vanbiesbrouck for most wins by American-born goaltender

By Staff

Published Sun, Dec 2, 2018

Ryan Miller was born in East Lansing, Mich. He played junior hockey in Michigan. He went on to become a standout at Michigan State after the Buffalo Sabres made him their fifth-round draft pick (138th overall) in 1999. He started his professional career in 2002-03.

It’s a familiar story for many American-born hockey players.

After all, he wasn’t the only member of his family to take a similar route from humble roots to the pro ranks. His brother Drew played for 10 seasons in the NHL. Miller’s cousins Kelly (15 years), Kevin (13) and Kip (12) also had extended careers in the league.

Over the course of his career, Ryan Miller has set himself apart from his family members, from his fellow Michigan hockey natives, and from every American-born goaltender but one.

Now, Miller and John Vanbiesbrouck can share that pedestal.

Miller came in relief of John Gibson on Sunday to earn his 374th NHL victory in 745 games as Anaheim rallied to beat the Washington Capitals, 6-5. Miller gave up two goals in 21 shots.

“It’s a wild game to have it happen,” Miller said. “I think it’s probably the right way to do it. If you play long enough, it directly reflects the teams and having good teammates.

“As you could see, it took some scoring, some defense and some resolve.”

Miller’s victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday moved him past Andy Moog into sole possession of 17th place on the league’s all- time list for all goalies.

“It’s probably a post-career thing, but I’m definitely aware of it,” Miller said before the game of chasing Vanbiesbrouck. “I definitely know it’s there, but I’m trying to approach every game as I always do, which is to not get too far ahead of myself. But it would be something important to me if it happens.”

Miller and Vanbiesbrouck share common ground beyond their status as two of the greatest American-born goalies. Vanbiesbrouck is a Detroit native and played his junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, in the Canadian twin city of the Michigan town.

Each played extensively with U.S. national teams during his career. Miller was a member of Olympic teams in 2010 in Vancouver and in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Vanbiesbrouck was a member of the Olympic team in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, when NHL players participated for the first time.

“I always treasured my chances to play with USA Hockey,” Miller said. “I got a few chances to play in the world championships when I was young. It added a great element to my game, something kind of different. It definitely helped lead me into other situations in pro hockey, and the Olympics.”

After 11 years with the Sabres (and 284 of his 374 victories), part of one with the St. Louis Blues and three with the Vancouver Canucks, Miller signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Ducks on July 1, 2017. He has served as a backup and mentor to John Gibson, a Pittsburgh native.

Overall, Miller has a 16-8-7 record in 36 games, including 27 starts, in his short tenure with the Ducks.

“He’s been in the league for a while, been in the Olympics, been involved in everything,” Gibson, 25, said of Miller, 38. “He’s definitely someone you think of when you think of USA goaltending. He’s up there with the best. I think he’ll be the best.

“Not to take anything away from the other guys, but if you look at everything he’s done, and not just the Olympics, but the whole package, the body of work he’s put in, the seasons he’s done and the games he’s played, I think it speaks for itself.” 1118878 Buffalo Sabres The Sabres have gone slow with Dahlin. Housley and assistant coach Steve Smith have monitored his minutes, letting him go over 20 just four times in the season's first 18 games. Dahlin has exceeded 20 minutes Dahlin Effect is helping Sabres' defense pump up their numbers eight times in the last nine.

"If I play good, I get more minutes," Dahlin said. "They had a plan and they've done a great job and I thank them." By Mike Harrington "He's really adjusted well to the North American game," Housley said. Published Sun, Dec 2, 2018 | Updated Sun, Dec 2, 2018 "That's what we were thinking about when he came to development camp and training camp. He's done a good job playing with different

partners, adjusting to that, playing on the left side and the right side. And NASHVILLE – Rasmus Dahlin's influence is growing. The 18-year-old it's good to get somebody from our team recognized, too. It's been well was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month on Saturday and it's no earned by him." coincidence the Buffalo Sabres' defense corps has made a huge leap in Sabres Notebook: As Predators deal with injury bug, Pominville is added productivity this year with the No. 1 overall pick in the lineup. to Buffalo's list "I'm getting more comfortable with the puck and better in the D zone too," Getting Dahlin in the draft lottery was a boon for Housley, who had Dahlin said here Sunday. "I take steps every game. I think more offense defensemen releasing to create goals at will when he was an assistant because I'm more comfortable with the puck. If you're comfortable, it's with the Predators and couldn't get much out of the Sabres last season. easier to have confidence." Even with the injured P.K. Subban out of the lineup, the Predators still After a four-point October, Dahlin had 10 points in 15 games in lead the NHL this year with 71 points from their defense. November. He currently leads all rookie defensemen with 14 points this "We really wanted to improve in those areas and 'Smitty' has been a season (two goals, 12 assists). calming influence back there," Beaulieu said of Smith, a three-time "It's affected our group immensely," coach Phil Housley said after Stanley Cup champion in Edmonton. "He played a long time and practice at Centennial Sportsplex near Vanderbilt University. "Not only so understands mistakes will be made. Now we're not so worried about much from the scoring aspect, but just our breakouts are a lot cleaner. making them. We're capitalizing on opportunities. We all skate so well He can make a play in tight areas which allows us to get out of our zone and the game is so much about skating nowadays. He's had that quickly and that's the biggest thing I think this year is different from our influence on us and that's helped a lot." defense." "Mistakes will happen," Dahlin said. "If I make a mistake keep looking The Sabres have gotten plenty of offense from their blue line. Heading forward and it will get better." into Monday night's game against the Nashville Predators in Bridgestone Housley has liked how the defense has been breaking down the ice in Arena, Buffalo defensemen have 14 goals and 61 points this season. the rush and even joining cycles down low in the offensive zone. They entered Sunday tied for fifth in the NHL in goals and eighth in points Beaulieu has capitalized on open ice, getting right to the goalmouth for – after finishing dead last in both categories last year. two of his goals. He burned San Jose on Tuesday, tapping home a pass NO REST ON DEFENSE from Sam Reinhart after streaking down the left wing from center ice all the way to the crease. Team leaders among NHL defensemen "I've been watching a lot of video and I just want to try to get my offensive (Not including Sunday) flair back finding holes and seeing where opportunities present themselves," Beaulieu said. "Seeing that much ice ahead of me and Goals knowing I'd be able to get there was great. You know what was going to Ottawa 23 happen from the neutral zone going wide. Breaking down video has been big for me." Minnesota 20

Dallas 17 Buffalo News LOADED: 12.03.2018 Toronto 15

Buffalo 14

St. Louis 14

Nashville among 6 at 13

Points

Nashville 71

Ottawa 70

Tampa Bay 69

Columbus 65

Washington 64

Minnesota 63

Toronto 62

Buffalo 61

Source: Buffalo News research, NHL.com

"Night in and night out, the 'D' have been huge contributors, scored some big goals and ultimately helped win some big games," said Nathan Beaulieu, who has three goals to tie Rasmus Ristolainen for tops among the Buffalo blueliners. "Bringing in someone young like him has given us a spark, helps us forget about last year and not worry about making mistakes. We're all good offensively. Just go out and play with swagger." 1118879 Buffalo Sabres Skinner had 15 goals in November to join Rick Martin (1972-73) as the only Sabre to enter December with 20 goals. When Alexander Mogilny scored a franchise-record 76 goals for Buffalo during the 1992-93 Sabres Notebook: As Predators deal with injury bug, Jason Pominville season, he entered December with 16. added to Buffalo's list

Buffalo News LOADED: 12.03.2018 By Mike Harrington

Published Sun, Dec 2, 2018 | Updated Sun, Dec 2, 2018

NASHVILLE – There will be plenty of talent on the ice Monday night in Bridgestone Arena but who will be missing is going to be a major subplot to the Buffalo Sabres' game against the Nashville Predators.

The Predators are riddled with injuries. Both of their top-line wingers, Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg, are going to be out weeks with upper-body ailments while there's also no clear timetable for center Kyle Turris or defenseman P.K. Subban to return to the lineup. Forward Nick Bonino has also been out with an illness.

The Sabres, meanwhile, will be without winger Jason Pominville for Monday's game and will continue to be minus defensemen Marco Scandella and Jake McCabe. Lawrence Pilut is expected to make his second straight appearance in the lineup.

Pominville, who turned 36 on Friday, was hit from behind by Florida defenseman Alex Petrovic during the third period of the overtime loss to the Panthers and went into the boards. He appeared to brace his fall with his hand and arm and that was where the injury took place. Pominville quickly got up and skated briskly off the ice and down the tunnel favoring his arm. He has returned to Buffalo for evaluation.

"He went back to get looked it. That's as far as I know," coach Phil Housley said Sunday. "We'll get more in the next day or two."

Monday's game will be Pominville's first miss of the season and thus end his chance at a ninth career season of playing all 82 games. He did that last year, the sixth time he did with it Buffalo. He also played two full schedules with Minnesota.

Rasmus Ristolainen sat out practice here Sunday for what Housley termed a maintenance day. He's likely nursing a leg problem after blocking a Steven Stamkos shot Thursday at Tampa Bay. The one bit of good news for the Sabres is that winger Conor Sheary is likely to return after missing two games with an upper body injury. Sheary practiced fully Sunday and Housley expects both Sheary and Ristolainen to play Monday.

Dahlin Effect is helping Sabres' defense pump up their numbers

The Predators beat Chicago, 5-2, here Saturday night with a patchwork lineup filled with AHL callups. In fact, eight of their 12 forwards were making less than $1 million on the cap and the five players who sat out counted more than $29 million against it.

"It’s part of the game. Obviously it's a big part right now," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of the injuries after the win. "It’s different when you lose one. When it was just (Arvidsson), it was ‘All right, well, we’ll juggle it up a little bit.’ But I still think that there was a real belief that we were going to be successful."

"We’ve got to step up,” added center Ryan Johansen, who has an eight- game point streak against the Sabres. “Guys need to step up, including myself, including (goaltender Pekka Rinne and defenseman Roman Josi). Throughout our whole lineup, we need everyone stepping up right now. That’ll be motivation every game.”

The road team has won the last six meetings in the series, with the last home win a 3-0 victory by the Predators here on March 21, 2015. The Sabres have won three straight games in Bridgestone Arena, including a 7-4 victory on March 31 that marked Housley's return to the Music City after he served as an assistant on the Preds' 2017 Stanley Cup finalists.

The Sabres' 11-3-1 record in November produced a .767 points percentage, their best for a full month since they were 8-2-1 in October 2009 (.773). At 17-7-3 entering December, they're at their highest point this deep in a season since they were 19-3-2 (.833) in 2006-07.

Sabres forward Jeff Skinner enters the game second in the NHL in goals with 20, one behind Winnipeg's Patrik Laine. He's also second to Laine in road goals with 12 while the Winnipeg sharpshooter has 15. 1118880 Calgary Flames Trade acquisition Dylan Strome wasn’t quite all alone, but he had also snuck behind the Flames’ defence when he provided Chicago’s other tally on the power-play.

Smith's scorpion-style save preserves victory for Flames in Chicago Smith’s early-season struggles were a popular storyline in Calgary, but the 36-year-old has now won back-to-back-to-back starts, allowing a grand total of four goals in that hat-trick of triumphs. Wes Gilbertson His dad never doubted that a turnaround was coming. December 2, 2018 9:56 PM MST “Something gets a little bit off and it’s just like a golfer — golfers struggle sometimes and they have to get their game back,” Ron said. “He still believed in himself, and that’s half the battle — when you don’t lose your CHICAGO — Every guy on the Calgary Flames’ bench, every one of confidence. So I knew he would get it back together. their proud fathers in attendance at United Center, every fan watching in high-def back home, must have been wondering aloud the same thing … “And we talk a lot through those times. Obviously, I encourage him and I just remind him of the past, when he has been through these kind of ‘How in the heck did he stop that?’ things. So just keep being positive and it will come back. And he’s always Simple. had a really good work ethic, and I’m a believer that if you work really hard in practice, that will get your game back together.” “Big feet,” grinned Flames goaltender Mike Smith, the hero in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the home-standing Chicago Blackhawks. For a few seconds Sunday evening, it seemed Smith might treat the road-tripping Fathers-of-the-Flames to some old-fashioned excitement. Big feet. During a second-period scrum around the home crease, Crawford was Huge save. trading shoves with Flames rookie Rasmus Andersson. Crawford seemed keen to find a dance partner and Smith cruised nearly 100 feet With about five minutes remaining in what was turning into a nail-biter for to the centre-line, where he was being shooed back toward his usual the out-of-town team on the first stop of their Dad’s Trip, a sprawled-on- hangout by a referee as cooler heads prevailed. his-belly Smith somehow stopped Artem Anisimov’s close-range attempt with his right skate. What would Ron have been thinking in that moment?

Perched in a private box at the opposite end of the arena, Ron Smith was “He’s probably going, ‘Stop there,’ ” Mike chuckled. “He has seen enough … like the rest of us … stunned by the scorpion-style save. games at this point to realize that (fighting) is part of the game, but he’d rather see me stay in my net.” “I thought the puck was in,” Smith’s father admitted post-game. “Because I saw that he was a bit out of position and with an open net and the guy It’s a good thing he did. shooting, my split-second reaction was ‘They scored.’ But it didn’t go in the net, and I really didn’t know if he stopped it or if it hit the post or what, Those big feet really came in handy. until one of the dads said, ‘Did you see him stop that with the back of his POINT TO PROVE skate?!?’ I said, ‘I didn’t even realize he stopped it. I thought it was a goal.’ Andrew Mangiapane recently reached triple digits in career points in the American Hockey League. “For sure, that was a desperation save. He would probably tell you that.” He’s proven he can produce. Pure desperation, indeed. Now, he needs to show it on the biggest stage. In fact, with the Calgary Police Service cowboy-hat atop his sweaty lid, Mike Smith admitted he too was surprised when the puck bonked his “Hitting that milestone was pretty special. It was definitely a nice feeling,” boot. said Mangiapane, who required only 117 outings in the minors for his speedy ascent to the 100-point plateau. “But the real goal is for me to be “Especially in a tight game like that where every save matters and it’s a here obviously, and to do that up here. one-goal game … It’s an important time in the game and a gaping net and I was kind of a fish out water there, just kicking my feet,” Smith said. “This was my goal coming into camp — to be in the NHL. So when I was “Fortunately, it got a piece of me.” sent down, I was a little disappointed but you have to just stick with it and wait for your opportunity, and it will come. Now, I have to make the most John Monahan’s son, Mikael Lindholm’s son and Tim Ryan’s son each of it.” tickled twine for the Flames in the Windy City, but Ron’s boy was the key contributor in Sunday’s victory. The latest call-up from the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the 22-year-old Mangiapane certainly made a positive impression in his season debut for Offensively, the obvious turning point came after Blackhawks forward the Flames at United Center, although he is still stuck with zeroes on his Chris Kunitz bloodied Travis Hamonic’s beak with an elbow in the second stat-sheet. period, earning himself a major penalty and sending the Flames to a five- minute man-advantage. He was a victim of Corey Crawford’s glove-hand robbery in the first.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford snagged Elias Lindholm’s shot from He beat Crawford in the middle stanza, only to clank the post on the the slot just a half-dozen seconds into the power-play, but the Flames short-side. seemed to immediately know the truth and a video review showed that his glove had been beyond the goal-line for what wasn’t a save after all. He earned the praise of head coach Bill Peters, who said the recent arrival in No. 88 — now with a grand total of 11 NHL appearances on his Calgary’s second unit also cashed in, with Derek Ryan sizzling a low shot resume — was “relentless on pucks” and provided a jolt of speed for through a screen. Calgary’s third line, which also features centre Derek Ryan and right- winger James Neal. “Dumb play, dumb hit, so it’s nice to be able to capitalize and make them pay — get two on the major,” said Hamonic, who figures his nose is likely “Last year when I came up, I was pretty nervous,” Mangiapane admitted broken. “That was the turning point, I guess. We get those two and we after Sunday’s morning skate. “But this time, coming up, I have more were able to hold on.” confidence in my game. I feel like I know a lot of the guys here — most of them played in Stockton, right? So I’ve played with all these guys before, Smith made sure of it with a 22-save showing. I know everyone here, and that’s a big thing for my confidence. He faced breakaways from three of the Blackhawks’ most dangerous “I just have to play my game, do what works down in Stockton and bring marksmen — Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat. that here. I have to be a tenacious player. I have to forecheck hard. Toews squeezed a shot through his five-hole, the others were denied. That’s really my game. The points will come, I think, if I do that.” AROUND THE BOARDS The list of special guests for the Dad’s Trip includes the fathers of 15 players, plus Travis Hamonic’s brother and Rasmus Andersson’s uncle. Ten team staffers also brought along plus-ones, with Flames general manager Brad Treliving flanked by his high-profile pops Jim, of Boston Pizza and Dragon’s Den fame … According to Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau, seeing the fathers marvel at the perks of big-league employment reminds him of his own eye-opening arrival at the highest level. “It definitely brings your first couple of weeks in the NHL back a little bit,” said Gaudreau, the son of Guy. “They get to see how we live, how we travel, how we eat and just how fortunate we are to get to play hockey for our job. And we wouldn’t be here without them, so we’re going to try to make sure they enjoy it as much as they can” … Spotted at Sunday’s morning skate: One of the dads, dressed in jeans, spinning the wheels on a stationary bike, apparently hoping to shake the after-effects of a few pints from the previous evening. Was the impromptu workout a success? We’ll know if we see a full roster of fathers on the bikes at Monday’s practice in Columbus. The Flames will wrap this two-game trek Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.

OFF THE GLASS

With just two ticks left on clock, there was Hamonic — his nose likely broken, blood still spattered on his gear from that second-period elbow from Hawks winger Chris Kunitz — hitting the deck to block Alex DeBrincat’s shot from close range. No surprise. “You know what Hammer is all about — he’s a real salt-of-the-earth, blue-collar guy, plays the right way. He’s fearless,” Peters said. “He’s blocking shots, dinged up, has the chin-guard on and it doesn’t change the way he plays. He’s a real vital guy for us, an important piece” … Could Flames alternate captain Sean Monahan score 40? With 15 lamp-lightings already and two-thirds of the schedule ahead, the 24-year-old is setting a torrid pace … For any hockey fan, the anthem at United Center is bucket-list material. Guaranteed goosebumps.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118881 Calgary Flames Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018

GameDay: 5 storylines for Flames at Blackhawks

Wes Gilbertson

December 2, 2018 12:25 PM MST

THE BIG MATCHUP

Flames LW Ryan Lomberg vs. C Dylan Strome

Their impact will be measured in much different ways, but both of these guys are determined to make a positive impression. The 23-year-old Lomberg certainly didn’t go unnoticed in his season debut for the Flames. Skating as the fourth-line left-winger, the sandpaper-y sparkplug racked up a team-high six hits in 8:14 of icetime in a 4-1 home victory against the Kings. “He’s got that great energy. He’s infectious,” praised Flames coach Bill Peters of the recent call-up. Strome, meanwhile, is trying to jump-start his career after being traded to Chicago. The third-overall pick of the Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old centre registered a goal and assist in his first outing with the Hawks but then was minus-4 in his encore.

FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME

DO IT FOR THE DADS

The Flames have some of their biggest fans in tow for this two-game junket to Chicago and Columbus, with a grand total of 27 fathers, uncles or brothers of players and team staff tagging along. Guy Gaudreau and John Monahan will be expecting some goals from their sharpshooting sons. Paul Giordano should see first-hand why his boy is being billed as an early Norris Trophy candidate. Whoever is between the pipes, Ron Smith and David Rittich Sr. would like to witness some big saves. Let’s see if the kids can deliver.

FRESH FACES

The Blackhawks have made major changes since a Nov. 3 loss at the Saddledome. They fired longtime coach Joel Quenneville just three days later, then welcomed forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes. The new guy behind the bench is 33- year-old Jeremy Colliton, who toiled for four winters with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, twice represented Canada at the world juniors — settling for silver in 2004 and winning gold the next year — and helped the Bentley Generals to an Allan Cup crown in 2013.

WORN-OUT OPPONENTS

For the third consecutive contest, the Flames are facing an opponent on the second half of a back-to-back set. While they dined with their dads in the Windy City, the Blackhawks were just stepping on the ice in Nashville for Saturday’s late date against the Predators. It wasn’t always pretty, but the Flames managed three of four possible points against tired teams during a two-game homestand — a 4-3 overtime loss to the Stars, followed by a 4-1 victory over the Kings. Both visitors had been in action in Edmonton the previous night.

BACKS IN BUSINESS

Flames centre Mikael Backlund potted a pair against the Kings, scoring on the first shift of the night and later sealing the win with an empty- netter. That snapped the 29-year-old pivot out of a 10-game dry-spell. Backlund’s impact goes far beyond goals and assists, but Friday’s three- point performance should provide a shot of offensive swagger for a guy who had only three tallies to show for his first 25 appearances this season.

THIS N’ THAT

The Flames have been victorious in their past four clashes against the Blackhawks, including a pair of overtime triumphs … Heading into Saturday’s action, Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat was riding a four- game point streak … Flames forward up-and-comer Dillon Dube didn’t waste time pouting about his demotion. In his first game Friday since being assigned to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat, the 20- year-old collected two assists.

1118882 Chicago Blackhawks The fight was there. The results were not.

Blackhawks show more fight but still drop 4th straight, 3-2 to Flames Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2018

Shannon Ryan

Before Sunday’s game against the Flames, Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton described how he envisions a potential future version of his team. “Relentless, never give up, play for the team, put individual priorities aside for team success, moving the puck forward, forcing them to make plays under pressure, play in the offensive zone,” he said. The Hawks aren’t there yet. The Blackhawks avoided their tiresome trends of an onslaught of first- period goals and a lack of fight that has plagued them for several games before this weekend. But the scoreboard still showed redundancy: another loss. The Hawks fell 3-2 to the Flames at the United Center, extending their losing streak to four games. Their sixth loss in seven games puts them at 9-14-5 and 3-8-2 since Colliton was named Joel Quenneville’s replacement. “A lot of little things seemed to go wrong,” captain Jonathan Toews said. It’s not for lack of effort. It’s one of those things we’re stuck in right now, snowballing in the wrong direction. It’s tough. We have to keep working. There’s nothing else we can do.” The Hawks allowed six Flames power plays, and while they killed four of them, they were still fighting from behind. They fired away in desperation toward the end of the third period and killed two penalties in the frame but could not mount a comeback. It was their seventh straight game allowing the opponent to score first, but the Hawks finally pushed back. After Sean Monahan put the Flames up 1-0, Toews tied it with a breakaway wrist shot. “I thought tonight was better, so we have to tell the truth about that,” Colliton said. “Regardless of the results, we don’t control the results, we control our performance, so let’s start playing better and then those things will take care of itself. That’s what we’ll deal with.” The barrage of opponent goals didn’t arrive as typically scheduled. But it did arrive. The Flames took advantage of a five-minute power play with goals from Elias Lindholm and Derek Ryan for a 3-1 lead. Both came after a critical and unnecessary penalty by Chris Kunitz at the 7:08 mark of the second period. Kunitz was ejected for a game misconduct, one day after Duncan Keith was ejected and the Hawks were put in position to kill off seven minutes. Kunitz elbowed Travis Hamonic, who crashed to the ice and appeared to have a bloody nose that had stained his white jersey when he stood. The Hawks were short a man for 11 minutes total. “We’d love to argue with the officials on how they came up with those decisions, but it is what it is,” Toews said. “It’s unfortunate we got those calls, but we’d like to think it’s just another one of those things that seem to be piling on with what's going wrong. “It’s unfortunate, but we need to find ways to kill those penalties off and be better, including myself.” The Hawks answered with their own power-play goal when Dylan Strome’s backhanded shot off a feed from Alex DeBrincat pulled them within 3-2 with 4:15 left in the second period. Goaltender Corey Crawford also was rewarded an assist on the play — his second of the season. The Flames’ James Neal earned the goalie interference penalty after he ran into the Hawks’ net, then rolled over Crawford, essentially tackling him and pinning him to the ice. Crawford made 38 saves on a night when the Hawks were outshot 41-24. A night after Keith and DeBrincat mixed it up with fights against the Predators in a 5-2 loss, the Hawks saw some more feistiness. Brandon Manning threw his mitts to the ice to tussle with the Flames’ Garnet Hathaway in third period, the crowd cheering when Manning took Hathaway to the ice. “We have to feed off that and respond as a team,” Toews said. 1118883 Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks' 5-foot-7 Alex DeBrincat is no stranger to on-ice tussles

Shannon Ryan

At 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, Alex DeBrincat isn’t necessarily known to Blackhawks fans as a brawler. Well, he wasn’t until Saturday night, when he came to veteran defenseman Duncan Keith’s defense. Keith was boarded by the Predators’ Miikka Salomaki and started fighting. DeBrincat, 20, saw the ruckus and jumped into the tussle to fight with Matt Irwin, a 31-year-old who stands 6-1 and weighs 207 pounds. “Just tried to hang in there and not get beat up,” DeBrincat said with a smirk. The willingness to jump into the fray impressed his teammates, including Keith and Jonathan Toews, who praised him after the game. DeBrincat said sometimes an on-ice fight can spark a team — not that that was his intention. “It kind of fired them up a little bit,” he said. “I was just going over there. It wasn’t a very clean hit on Duncs. I wasn’t planning on doing it leading into that but sometimes you need to do some things. Guys respect it. They want to see some kind of (competing) when the game isn’t going the right way. Anytime someone gets in a fight it fires up the guys. You just have to pick the right time.” That wasn’t always the case for the scrappy DeBrincat. Despite always being one of the smallest players on the ice, intimidation was never a factor for him. “If you ask any of my teammates from when I was younger, I was always in the mix,” he said. “I’m pretty competitive, so any time something happens like that, I want to get in there. I got suspended a few times in minor hockey.” In 2013, he was suspended for a fight as a member of the team at Lake Forest Academy. “I’m always the smallest one, so it’s hard not to (go against bigger opponents).” New blood: Coach Jeremy Colliton has been seeking answers for the Hawks’ misfortunes. On Sunday against the Flames, he experimented with lineups. Chris Kunitz, Alexandre Fortin and Jan Rutta moved into the lineup. Andreas Martinsen, John Hayden and Erik Gustafsson were healthy scratches. “The chances of keeping the lineup the same when things are going well are higher,” Colliton said. “We do need to play better. Hopefully we get some new energy.” Kunitz, Fortin and Rutta have all played in 21 of the Hawks’ 28 games. Kunitz has two assists, Fortin has three goals and three assists, and Rutta has two goals and four assists. Gustafsson had a three-game point streak from Nov. 24-29, scoring a winning goal in overtime on Nov. 24 at the Panthers. New line: Colliton continued to tinker with lines against the Flames. Dominik Kahun and David Kampf were paired again, but for the first time they joined the second line with Patrick Kane. They combined for six points in the previous four games, prompting Colliton to think they could create some production with Kane.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118884 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.03.2018

Blackhawks drop 4th straight as snowball gets bigger

Tom Musick

Jonathan Toews sat at his locker and braced for another round of uncomfortable questions from reporters. A few minutes earlier, the Blackhawks had fallen short 3-2 at home against the Calgary Flames. It was their fourth loss in a row and sixth in the last seven games. The team dropped to 3-12-3 since Oct. 27. “It’s a lot of little things that seem to go wrong,” Toews said. “It’s not for lack of trying. The effort is there. “It’s one of those things we’re stuck in right now. It’s snowballing in the wrong direction. It’s tough.” The next question is whether the Blackhawks can push back against the snowball and save their season. For what it’s worth, some positive signs emerged in Sunday’s game. Toews flashed a burst of speed on a breakaway goal, and Dylan Strome ended a lengthy power-play drought with a backhand goal — his second in four games with the team. Corey Crawford was solid in net, as well, making 38 saves to keep the score tight. But the Blackhawks’ margin for error is slim. One or two mistakes can doom an otherwise decent game. A mistake like, say, drawing a five-minute major and a game misconduct to put your team on a lengthy penalty kill. That mistake belonged to veteran forward Chris Kunitz, who was ejected in the second period after he drilled Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic with an elbow near the boards. Hamonic bled from the bridge of his nose as Kunitz left the ice. The game was tied at 1 when the play occurred at 7:08 of the second period. By the end of the major, the Flames led 3-1. It was the second lengthy penalty kill in as many days for the Blackhawks, who lost Duncan Keith to a misconduct on Saturday. “I think last night was seven minutes,” Strome said. “So a seven-minute power play and a five-minute power play aren’t easy to kill off. They scored one in Nashville and scored two tonight. “Our killers have been doing a great job blocking shots and the ‘D’ have been getting pucks out and I think our kill’s been great. It’s a long time to kill, and they’re going to get chances. A lot of skill guys on the other team.” The Blackhawks coughed up the opening goal for the seventh consecutive game. The Flames had nine of the game’s first 10 shots before scoring 10:07 into the first period. That counted as progress for a Blackhawks team that had allowed at least one goal in the first six minutes of each of its previous six games. Eighty-six seconds later, Toews scored to even the score at 1. He sprinted out of the defensive zone, chipped a pass to himself off the side boards and buried a forehand shot for his 12th goal in 28 games. The Blackhawks’ captain is on pace to score 35 goals. He scored a career-low 20 goals in 74 games last season. Brandon Saad had a terrific opportunity to give the Hawks a lead at the end of the first period, but his backhand shot went off the crossbar as time expired. Saad watched in frustration as the puck glanced away. Artem Anisimov had an opportunity to tie the game late in the third period but could not finish from point-blank range. “It was an OK game all around, but OK’s not going to get you many places in this league,” Strome said. The Blackhawks will travel west to face the Ducks on Wednesday. “They had some life,” coach Jeremy Colliton said of his team. “I thought we showed a little response. So let’s build on that now.”

1118885 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton says veterans have right attitude

Tom Musick

Jeremy Colliton is not happy with the performance of his veterans — or any other Blackhawks player, for that matter. But when it comes to their attitude, Colliton stands firmly behind his group of core veterans. He responded quickly when asked about the locker-room leadership among the players who have won three Stanley Cup championships in Chicago. “They care a lot,” Colliton said. “They want to win.” Yet wanting to win and actually winning are two different things. The Blackhawks entered Sunday’s game against the Flames with a minus-26 goal differential, which was tied with the Kings for the worst mark in the NHL. Since Colliton took over for Joel Quenneville, the Blackhawks are 3-8-2. They have allowed four-plus goals in eight of 13 games. Patrick Kane leads the group of core veterans with 13 goals and 17 assists, but he has a minus-8 rating. Jonathan Toews is second on the team with 12 goals and 10 assists. Veteran defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have experienced their share of gaffes along with the team. “No one’s happy with where we are,” Colliton said. “There’s a hunger within the group. Everyone’s miserable when you’re playing in this situation, so we’ve got to find a way to turn it around. “The results are important, but it’s the performance. If the performance is better, the results will come. So that’s our focus.” Colliton replaced three players one day after the Blackhawks’ 5-2 loss to the Predators. Erik Gustafsson was a healthy scratch Sunday for the first time this season. Also out were John Hayden and Andreas Martinsen. Chris Kunitz returned after a four-game stint as a healthy scratch but drew a five-minute elbowing major and a game misconduct in the second period. Alexandre Fortin returned after two games out, and Jan Rutta replaced Gustafsson on the blue line. The Blackhawks’ recent struggles increased the coach’s willingness to mix and match different players on different nights. “The chances of keeping the lineup the same if things are going well are higher, yes,” Colliton said. “But I wouldn’t say with each player that it’s the same. But we do need to play better. That’s it. Hopefully, we get some new energy.” Heavy workload Defenseman Gustav Forsling has earned more significant playing time in the past week. The 22-year-old played nearly half the game against the Predators as he logged a career-high 28:49 of ice time. He played nearly 24 minutes in the previous contest against the Jets, which marked a season high until the Nashville game. “He’s a young player who I think has taken big steps in the last 12 months,” Colliton said. “We need him. We need him to continue to improve. He’s one of many. But he’s got all the tools to be a great player.” Forsling entered Sunday with one goal and four assists in nine games. He made his season debut Nov. 14 after sitting out the first six weeks as he recovered from offseason surgery on his wrist.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118886 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks lose 3-2 as Flames take advantage of Kunitz penalty

John Dietz

This is Chris Kunitz's 14th season in the NHL. Every previous team he's been on has reached the postseason, and four of them won the Stanley Cup. Before Sunday's game against Calgary at the United Center, the 39-year- old veteran was asked if this downward spiral he's experiencing with the Blackhawks has been the most challenging of his career. "By far. Hands down," Kunitz said. "But that being said, it's new territory for all of us. A lot of these guys have had success. We just have to be able to rally around each other in the room and go out there with the work ethic that we can get better every single day." Unfortunately for Kunitz -- who was in the lineup for just the second time in the last eight games -- things didn't get any better as he drew a game misconduct penalty in the second period that helped spearhead Calgary to a 3-2 victory. The infraction occurred at 7:08 of the second period when Kunitz elbowed defenseman Travis Hamonic in the head while chasing down a puck near the side boards. Three Flames immediately surrounded Kunitz while Hamonic knelt on the ice. It took Elias Lindholm just 10 seconds to snap a 1-1 tie, and Derek Ryan made it 3-1 at 8:44. "Dumb play. Dumb hit," Hamonic said. "It's nice to be able to capitalize and make them pay. Get two (goals) on the major and that was obviously the turning point." Kunitz was not in the dressing room afterward. This was the Hawks' second game misconduct in as many nights. Duncan Keith also received one for jumping Nashville's Miikka Salomaki in the first period of a 5-2 loss Saturday. Winning has been hard enough for coach Jeremy Colliton's team, but considering the Hawks have been short-handed for 17 minutes and 17 seconds the last two games, it's almost a miracle they were in either contest. "It's unfortunate, but we need to find ways to kill those penalties off and be better," said Jonathan Toews. "Including myself." Toews' goal at 11:33 of the first period tied the contest at 1-1. It was his 12th of the season. Dylan Strome, acquired from Arizona along with Brendan Perlini last week, made it 3-2 at 15:45 of the second. The Hawks had plenty of opportunities to tie it in the third, with one of the best chances coming from Alex DeBrincat in the waning seconds. But just as DeBrincat fired from point-blank range, Hamonic slid and blocked the shot with his right leg. The season is rapidly getting away from the Hawks, who are 9-14-5 overall and 3-11-3 since their 6-2-2 start. Tough as it is, Toews is doing his best to stay positive. "There's a lot of great guys in this room. Good players," Toews said. "We've got to keep that belief in each other and continue to look at the big picture. "Try and improve. Try and work on our individual games, and try and improve our overall team game every single day. … "We've got to find ways to be grateful for what we're doing -- playing the game that we love and coming to the rink with a good attitude, even though we're on a heckuva slide right now."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118887 Chicago Blackhawks

Even when they're down, Blackhawks are sticking up for each other

John Dietz

With the slumping Chicago Blackhawks facing a 3-0 first-period deficit in Nashville on Saturday, Duncan Keith was sent sprawling into the boards by the Predators' Miikka Salomaki. And for Keith, that was the last straw. The frustrations from all the losses, poor starts and lack of fire and compete bubbled to the surface. "At some point," Keith told reporters after the Hawks' 5-2 defeat, "some sort of response is needed." So Keith and the 5-foot-7, 165-pound Alex DeBrincat delivered one. DeBrincat went toe-to-toe with the 6-1, 207-pound Matt Irwin -- getting in three haymakers before being flung to the ice -- and Keith then jumped Salomaki. Keith earned an ejection and racked up a whopping 29 penalty minutes, DeBrincat was given his second fighting penalty of the season, and Nashville ended up with a seven-minute power play. "(I would) rather our guys show some emotion and stick up for each other than not," Jonathan Toews said. "It's really nice to see (DeBrincat) drop his gloves like that. It's obviously highly unnecessary for that guy to be taking on that role. … Good on him for sticking up for Duncs." Said Keith: "I don't expect that, but I'll remember that." Identity theft: Before Sunday's game against Calgary at the United Center, Jeremy Colliton was asked what he wants the Blackhawks to eventually look like. Said Colliton: "Relentless. Never give up. Play for the team. Put individual priorities aside for team success. Moving the puck forward. Forcing them to make plays under pressure. Play in the offensive zone." But does he have the players to do that? "Yeah, we do," Colliton said. Slap shots: The Blackhawks have allowed the first goal in seven straight games and have been outscored 18-5 in the first period over that time. … Gustav Forsling's 28 minutes, 49 seconds of ice time against Nashville on Saturday was the most by a Blackhawk this season. Heading into Sunday, the Hawks were 0-for-12 on the power play in their previous six games. They converted on their fourth attempt against the Flames, however, when Dylan Strome scored at 15:45 of the second period to cut Calgary's lead to 3-2. Corey Crawford registered his second assist of the season and seventh of his career on the play. John Hayden, Andreas Martinsen and Erik Gustafsson were scratched against the Flames. It was Gustafsson's first healthy scratch of the season. Chris Kunitz played for just the second time in eight games.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118888 Chicago Blackhawks "We've got to keep that belief in each other and continue to look at the big picture," Toews said. "Try and improve, try and work on our individual games and try and improve our overall team game every single day Four takeaways: Blackhawks show fight, but can’t overcome five-minute regardless of what's happening in the standings or if we're getting points kill as a team or not. We've got to find ways to be grateful for what we're doing – playing the game that we love and coming to the rink with a good attitude, even though we're on a heck of a slide right now. We've got to keep working through it get over the (hump) right now." By Charlie Roumeliotis

December 02, 2018 9:44 PM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018

Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Sunday: 1. Blackhawks salvage first period On the second leg of a back-to-back and third game in four days, it appeared that the Blackhawks were headed for another clunker in the first period. The Flames came out flying by recording the first nine shots on goal, but thanks to Corey Crawford had nothing to show for it. Then Sean Monahan broke the tie by scoring at the 10:07 mark, to which the 21,074 United Center fans could be heard muttering under their breath "here we go again." But Jonathan Toews said not so fast. Just 1:27 later, the Blackhawks captain evened it up at 1-1 with a terrific individual effort by banking his own pass off the boards in the neutral zone, blowing past a Flames defender and muscling his way to a breakaway goal on Mike Smith. It was a much-needed quick response. "Thought we played a pretty good game tonight, actually," Dylan Strome said. "Didn’t have the best first period but we held in there and Corey was unreal for us in the beginning and throughout the whole game obviously. In the beginning I think he made 15-16 saves in the first period, so that was obviously important for us to get out of there with a 1-1 tie. We were the better team for the last two periods, but they got the two points. Gotta find a way to break out of it and get the win here." 2. Ejection puts Blackhawks in tough spot For the second straight game, the Blackhawks found themselves playing shorthanded because of a game misconduct and it put them in a tough spot. Chris Kunitz, who re-entered the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past four games, was ejected in the second period for elbowing Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic. The Blackhawks were forced to kill off a five-minute penalty, but the Flames scored two goals in the first 1:36 — including 10 seconds in — to go up 3-1. And it turned out to be the difference in the game. "We'd love to argue with the officials on how they came up with those decisions, but it is what it is," Toews said. "Sometimes when you're standing up for a teammate or your standing up for yourself – it's just a little bit of fight that we want to see in our guys. We'll find a way to kill off those penalties. It's unfortunate we got those calls, but we'd like to think it's just another one of those things that seem to be piling on with what's going wrong. It's unfortunate, but we need to find ways to kill those penalties off and be better, including myself." 3. Power play ups and downs Going into Sunday's matchup, the Blackhawks were 0-for-13 on the power play in their last six games. It hasn't been effective. They had five opportunities with the man advantage against the Flames, and cashed in on the third one off the rush when Strome backhanded a shot past Smith late in the second period to make it 3-2. But the Blackhawks had zero shots on goal in their first two attempts, which was demoralizing and wasted chances in the opening frame. "We had a couple looks," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "Structurally we can still do more, I think just making a few more plays. But we did win some battles and out of that we created a few chances. Nice to get one off the rush there, we had another chance off the rush there in the third, too, so those count also. We wouldn't mind creating a few more of those." 4. Sticking up for each other If Duncan Keith's ejection in Nashville proved one thing, it's that the Blackhawks have been lacking bite all season long. They've been pushed around for a while and haven't done much about it. It was different against Calgary. The Blackhawks didn't back down from a fight. They pushed back. They stood up for one another. You saw it when Corey Crawford got involved and Brandon Manning dropped the gloves. Perhaps it will serve as a turning point in the group coming together. 1118889 Chicago Blackhawks

'Enough's enough': Blackhawks running out of ways to explain poor starts

By Charlie Roumeliotis December 01, 2018 11:00 PM

NASHVILLE — The Blackhawks have been talking about starting on time for a while now. It's putting them way behind the 8-ball because they're not just going down one goal. They're giving up two or three in a short amount of time, and it's snowballing. It happened again on Saturday night in Nashville after allowing three goals in the opening 4:11, marking the sixth game in a row the Blackhawks have failed to score first. And they're running out of ways to explain why that keeps happening. "I don’t even know how to explain," Jonathan Toews said following a 5-2 loss to the Predators. "I feel like we’re talking about it, we’re aware, we’re trying to have better starts. I don’t know how to explain that one tonight. I don’t know if it’s lack of effort again or if it’s just mistakes that we can’t be making, but we seem to correct the course the rest of the game. I think it’s a bunch of different things. So we’re trying to figure it out and continue to try our best to have better starts. It’s clearly what’s hurting us lately. " Duncan Keith was so frustrated about what was developing that he let his emotions spill over after taking exception to a hit he didn't like from Miikka Salomaki that got him ejected. "At the end of the day we're down 3-0 not even five minutes into the game," Keith said. "Enough's enough. ... We've talked about having good starts and it wasn't a good start tonight. At the end of the day you can talk and talk, but it's about actions and we all have to be better. That's the bottom line." It's now 362:32 minutes and counting since the Blackhawks last held a lead in a game. You just can't win with that formula, and the Blackhawks saw it again why. "I think game to game has been different situations that have come up that have hurt us," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "When you drill down, defensively we got to compete harder. Let's give ourselves a chance. It's so hard to dig yourself out of those types of holes especially on the road. We play hard, but teams clamp down and it's tough to generate offense. Especially the third, they buckled down there and we're getting frustrated. It's like, what do you expect? It's going to be hard, so we got to find a way to give ourselves a chance to win." It starts with scoring the first goal. Once you get it, it changes the feeling of the game and you can better evaluate yourself as a group. Until that happens, the struggles will continue.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118890 Colorado Avalanche

Semyon Varlamov makes 24 saves as Colorado Avalanche shut out Detroit Red Wings

By PAUL HARRIS | The Associated Press PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 8:15 pm | UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 9:45 PM

DETROIT — The Colorado Avalanche stayed hot on the ice and kept their cool when things got physical. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for his 24th career shutout and first of the season in Colorado’s 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night. The Avalanche stretched their point streak to 11 games (9-0-2) and have won seven of their last eight. “They got off to a good start, but our defense really picked it up after that,” Varlamov said. “We knew they were going to come out flying, but they only got five shots in the third. That shows you what a great job our defense was doing. They played smart and took away Detroit’s speed.” The third period — which featured several big hits, two fights and a scrum along the boards next to the Red Wings bench — evoked memories of the intense rivalry between the teams from the mid-1990s to early 2000s. “When a game gets physical like that, you have to play smart hockey,” Colorado defenseman Ian Cole said. “There are times where you get punched in the face and you have to take it, because you can’t give up a power play when you are protecting a 1-0 lead in the third period.” Cole fought Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi early in the second period after laying a big hit on Andreas Athanasiou. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Gabriel Landeskog also scored. Jonathan Bernier stopped 27 shots for Detroit. “I thought our effort was really good and we were physical,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I thought we created chances, but we didn’t put any of them away.” The NHL’s top scorer combined with the league’s second-leading point producer for a power-play goal to give the Avalanche a 1-0 advantage 4:54 into the second. Mikko Rantanen set up MacKinnon in the slot and he ripped a one-timer past Bernier. MacKinnon has 19 goals and 43 points. Rantanen has 44 points. The goal came six seconds after Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson went off for holding. Nathan MacKinnon’s 2 goals lead Avalanche past Predators 3-2 Landeskog, who plays with MacKinnon and Rantanen on perhaps the most dangerous line in the NHL, added an empty-net goal in the final minute. It was his 16th goal. It was the second of back-to-back games for the Red Wings, who won 4- 2 in Boston on Saturday night. NOTES: Colorado was without D Tyson Barrie because of a lower-body injury. … MacKinnon was the NHL’s Second Star for November with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists). … Detroit D Trevor Daley did not play due to a lower-body injury. … Detroit outshot Colorado 13-7 in the first period.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118891 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche shut out Red Wings 2-0, renew heated rivalry

By DJ Stanec December 2, 2018

The Colorado Avalanche started their four-game road trip against former heated rivals Detroit Red Wings. These two teams used to be the worst of enemies in the late 90s, but in more recent years, the two have cooled off. It seemed the rivalry might be coming back on Sunday, however, as the Avalanche win a physical 2-0 game in Detroit. With Detroit playing in back-to-back nights, Colorado looked to use their speed early and often. Through most of the first period, the Red Wings did a good job limiting that speed and puck control from Colorado. This allowed the teams to head into the first intermission scoreless. Colorado didn’t find their way onto the scoring sheet until Ian Cole drew a holding penalty from Jonathan Ericsson, giving the top power play in the league a chance at going to work. It only took Nathan MacKinnon six seconds to give the Avalanche the one-goal advantage, on his 19th of the season, off a beautiful feed from Mikko Rantanen (33). The score would not change for the remainder of the period and the Avalanche would head into the locker room up 1-0. Despite the score not changing until late in the third, the physically ramped up, getting tempers to heat up on both sides. Both Ian Cole and Patrick Nemeth laid big checks on Red Wings players, which forced a retaliation from Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha respectively. Tempers continued to flare as Matt Calvert got his stick held from by Tyler Bertuzzi from inside the Detroit bench, causing Calvert to spear Bertuzzi and four other Red Wings players to grab and hold Calvert near the bench. Incredibly, no one was penalized. Gabe Landeskog would add an empty net goal late in the final frame putting the final nail in the coffin for the Red Wings. Semyon Varlamov finished the night perfect, saving all of the 24 shots he faced helping Colorado extend their point streak to 11 games. The Colorado Avalanche return to action Tuesday night in Pittsburgh to take on Sydney Crosby and the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 5:00 p.m. MT from PPG Paints Arena. milehighsports.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118892 Colorado Avalanche

Five takeaways from the Avs’ 2-0 shutout of the Red Wings

By Evan Rawal December 2, 2018

The Colorado Avalanche went into Detroit and shut out the Red Wings 2- 0, in what turned out to be a chippy game that gave you some very small flashbacks to the 90’s, when these two teams would battle several times a year. The win now means the Avs have collected points in 11 straight games, winning nine of them. What did we learn from this game? After the game against the Blues, when St. Louis physically took it to the Avs, the Avs showed some pushback on Sunday. Zadorov started it early with his usual physical play, but he was joined by Cole, Nemeth, and Calvert, among others. The Avs are very clearly a skill-first team, but showing some backbone when you need to isn’t a bad thing. Both Cole and Nemeth jumped for some clean hits, while the Red Wings didn’t want anything to do with Zadorov. Semyon Varlamov didn’t have to be spectacular by any means, but he picked up his first shutout of the year, and 24th of his career with steady play. He made a big mistake behind his own net with the puck in the second period, but ended up bailing himself out. That was about as close as the Red Wings got to scoring all night. Nathan MacKinnon was named the NHL’s 2nd star for November, and he started his December off right with the game-winning goal and an assist on an empty-netter. MacKinnon is on pace for over 50 goals, which would be something the Avalanche organization hasn’t seen in well over a decade. The Avs “shutdown” line of Matt Nieto/Carl Soderberg/Matt Calvert had arguably their best defensive effort of the season. Typically, they get out- possessed by the opposing team on a regular basis, but on Sunday, the trio was the Avs’ best possession line, with all three of them finishing above 60%. J.T. Compher was elevated to the second line, with Alex Kerfoot moved to the fourth line after a subpar effort against the Blues. The second line performed well, but were unable to finish any of their opportunities, including a breakaway chance for Tyson Jost in the third period. This will be something to watch on the road trip, as Compher has earned some more ice time. The Avs road trip continues on Tuesday night, when they head to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins. The game starts at 5 PM MST. milehighsports.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118893 Colorado Avalanche defensively. Detroit played well, but they didn’t get too many blue-chip chances. The forwards were better defensively than offensively.

The Avs miss Tyson Barrie. It’s been a little too hard getting the puck out Takeaways from Avalanche’s shutout victory in Detroit of the zone lately, and Barrie’s absence explains a lot of it. Tyson Jost was demoted again, this time to left wing on the second line, By Adrian Dater centered by J.T. Compher. The experiment didn’t go well. I don’t know why Jared Bednar is so tough on Jost at times. His numbers lately didn’t Posted on December 2, 2018 warrant a change in scenery. And yet, I get why he does it, too. Jost can frustrate you, because he has so much talent, yet it just seems like something is just. … missing with him. I meditated today, for about 15 minutes. In part of my “recovery” from life I’m glad the Avs didn’t trade for William Nylander. I don’t like seeing guys in general, I was told over and over again to just focus on the moment at that have barely accomplished anything being rewarded for greedy hand, and nothing else. No future, no past. Just the present. Namaste. behavior. If he were brought in, at the salary he has now ($6.9 million, 600k than Nathan MacKinnon making now and the next handful of years) And yet, I felt a lot of emotions tonight watching the Avalanche and Red I think you would have brought major chemistry issues into the Avs’ Wings play, a game in Detroit in which the Avs won 2-0. Most of them room. Maple Leaf teammates now are the ones who have to sit next to had to do with the past, but maybe informed a future in which it mostly Nylander and wonder why he got so much money for such minimal can be described as dystopian in its chances to become anything close accomplishments. to reality. There’s zero chance, 0.0, that a rivalry between the current or future Avs and Red Wings will equal the intensity of the past. That’s what made tonight’s game so much fun to watch – even though it BSN DENVER LOADED: 12.03.2018 was actually a bit of a dull and maddening game to watch in other aspects. I saw cheap shots and huge hits and fights and dirty play again tonight in Detroit. It was as if it was 1996 all over again and I was just trying to keep up with the outrage. Yet, it ended in kind of a whimper. Avs win 2-0, get the empty-netter, on to Pittsburgh. I won’t make too much of the “this reminded me of the past” stuff from what I saw tonight. Still, come on; A fight between an Avs player (Ian Cole) and a Bertuzzi family member (Tyler) happened in this thing. It was something of a hybrid mashup of the past and future, if there is to be another RIVALRY between these teams. These are my other takeaways from the game: Come on, Matt Calvert had every right to do what he did at the end. The guy gets his stick held by players on the Wings bench (penalty, or should have been), then when he gets tired of it and throws a glove punch at Wings bench, he gets jumped by three or four guys just throwing haymakers from their piney abode. And yet, no call from the zebras on anything. My two most overriding emotions from watching this game are: 1. The Avs were pretty awful at times and got away with this win and 2. The Avs were screwed at every turn by a horribly officiated game. I think both observations are probably overblown. But I really didn’t love how the Avs played tonight. They were too fancy way too many times, were sloppy with the puck too often and were out-worked in some key areas, especially on the forecheck. And yet, the Avs win 2-0. That’s what’s great about being a fan of a really good team, isn’t it? Your team doesn’t have to be very good sometimes, but it’ll still win based on talent alone. That first goal, by Nathan MacKinnon on the power play just a few seconds in, was ultimately the difference in the game, but also the difference between the Avs and many teams now. They can just beat you in a few minutes based on their top-line talent alone. A.J. Haefele is doing the player grades tonight, and I write this before having seen them, but I would give Ian Cole an A+ tonight. He was a real leader out there, fighting Bertuzzi and doing yeoman work in his own end. He also is the NHL blocked shots leader right now. Superb addition to the Avs. Such great tic-tac-toe passing on that MacK PP goal, wasn’t it? I was driven crazy by the Avs’ being too fancy in the first two periods. They passed up good chance after good chance in favor of the exras pass. But, in the end, they got away with it. Semyon Varlamov gave us all a heart attack with his puck-handling abilities in the second period, but the guy got a shutout in the end. Detroit played a really solid game, other than being able to score. Their forecheck was really strong, and it seemed like the Avs never had any real time with the puck when they did get it. But, the Wings just don’t have the offensive finishers of the past. We won’t be in Pittsburgh, but I’ll be in Florida and Tampa Bay to close out the road trip. Any BSN subscribers from those two cities want to meet up at one of the games, let me know. While the Avs’ forwards were too fancy with the puck, they were a collection of 12 truck drivers without the puck. They worked hard 1118894 Colorado Avalanche Carl Soderberg (B) – I liked Soderberg a lot in this game. He looked like he was constantly half a step from creating a ton of offense. He was really good defensively, though, and tonight that was his line’s biggest Avs-Red Wings player grades: Revisiting hate contribution. Semyon Varlamov (A+) – Couldn’t have picked a better team to post the first shutout of the season against. AJ Haefele Colin Wilson (C) – I really didn’t notice him at all in this game. Apparently he played nearly 12 minutes. I believe you, NHL.com. Player grades from the Colorado Avalanche’s 2-0 win against the Detroit Nikita Zadorov (A) – He was one of the two Avs (next to Varlamov) who Red Wings. actually showed up for the first period. He showed up for the final two, as well. He was throwing huge hits again today and getting after fools. His Mark Alt (C) – He was definitely better today than against St. Louis a best play of the game was easily his breakup of a potential Athanasiou couple nights ago. He still played limited minutes so as long as he’s breakaway. AA had the step on him but Zadorov’s reach was superior limiting mistakes, he’s doing his job. and he slapped the puck away before it turned into a real problem. His response to his benching continues to prove why it happened in the first Sven Andrighetto (C-) – He was okay. I liked his aggressive shooting place – it works with big Z. He’s been awesome the last few games. mentality, especially on a night where the Avalanche were trying too hard to find the perfect shot. Gabriel Bourque (C-) – There were some close moments on offense but BSN DENVER LOADED: 12.03.2018 the shot metrics were heavily tilted in the favor of Detroit while he was out there. The Kamenev benching should be short-lived. Matt Calvert (B-) – I thought Calvert played a rock solid game tonight. While there wasn’t much offensively, there was even less for Detroit when Calvert was out there. He was also involved in the kind of moment that gets everyone real fired up. He had his stick held by several Detroit players on the bench and he definitely went back to try to spear one of them but getting grabbed and punched by players not on the ice is the kind of thing that should result in an easy suspension. Ian Cole (B) – The shot metrics weren’t great for Cole but him being on the ice late as the Red Wings pulled the goalie slanted them just a bit. He was rock solid throughout and him standing up for himself after another huge hit is a big reason his teammates love him. He brings an edge to this team that they definitely needed. J.T. Compher (C+) – Compher was quiet tonight but moved around the lineup quite a bit. It was an interesting role for him tonight but I think Bednar’s love for Compher is showing more and more with each passing game. Samuel Girard (B) – He was really good both offensively and defensively. The shot metrics were big in Colorado’s favor with Girard out there and that’s a really good sign as he continues to make progress on becoming Colorado’s top defender. Erik Johnson (C+) – I thought Johnson’s game was a bit of a mixed bag. There were some really good moments and some real frustrations all jumbled in there, sometimes even on the same shift. Ultimately, he was a positive for the Avalanche in this one but it could have gone very differently. Tyson Jost (B) – I thought he was one of Colorado’s best forwards tonight. He was rock solid and nearly got another goal on a breakaway but he missed the net. A solid outing overall. Alexander Kerfoot (C-) – Very quietly, Bednar dropped Kerfoot to the 4C slot tonight and then played him as such. His game wasn’t a great response to the demotion. It will be interesting to see what happens moving forward with Kerfoot. Gabriel Landeskog (A) – I really didn’t think this line played a very good game overall but they were responsible for both goals. Their PP goal was absolute perfection. Nathan MacKinnon (A) – MacKinnon’s game-winning goal was a great example of how talented and lethal the top line is. MacKinnon got bailed out in the first minute of the game when he inexplicably missed a puck that turned into a three-man passing drill in front of Varlamov. Luckily, Detroit is terrible and botched what would have been the easiest goal of the year. Patrik Nemeth (C+) – Nemeth was rock solid tonight and avoided a lot of the silly pitfalls that crop up in his game so frequently. I have no idea how there wasn’t an instigator penalty when Mantha jumped him after what appeared to be a perfectly clean hit on Larkin. Matt Nieto (B-) – Nieto’s strong run of play continued tonight but he didn’t generate any grade-A scoring chances like he had been and he took a reckless high-sticking penalty early on. He’s really settled into a nice groove. Mikko Rantanen (A) – There were some hair-pulling moments when Rantanen was caught trying to do a little too much. And yet, here we are giving him another A grade and adding two more assists to his league- leading total. This line is a cheat code. 1118895 Columbus Blue Jackets a 2-on-1 odd-man rush the other direction. Foligno tried cutting around Beauvillier to chase down the puck, but didn’t see Werenski gliding backward. Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 2: Five takeaways Beauvillier beat goalie Sergei Bobrovsky between the pads on a quick rebound attempt off his own shot and tied the game, 2-2. Brian Hedger Foligno was also involved in Cizikas’ game-winner in the third, negating a Blue Jackets power play just four seconds into it after a face-off against Cizikas in the offensive zone. UNIONDALE, N.Y. — You knew what kind of night it would be the Foligno got tangled up with Cizikas after the draw, impeding his path to second the house lights dimmed Saturday at NYCB Live Nassau the puck, and the Islanders took a 3-2 lead during 4-on-4 that followed. Coliseum. On the goal, Werenski had coverage mishap that left Cizikas open in front of the net. His snap shot off a feed from Ryan Pulock beat As the sound of rapper Ohana Bam’s “All Roads Lead Home,” filled the Bobrovsky. cozy, renovated arena, the New York Islanders skated onto the ice to a booming, delirious welcome from their passionate fans. The place was “It’s just so frustrating in the two mistakes that cause that third goal,” Blue packed with folks clad in a sea of blue, orange and white, who’d been Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “Putting us into a 4-on-4 instead of a deprived of NHL hockey on Long Island the past three seasons - while power play and just an absolute blown coverage.” the Coliseum got its facelift and the Islanders played in Brooklyn. 3) The streak continues It was impossible not to feel the energy of the Islanders’ return home to a rink with a new car smell and tons of hockey history confined within its The Jackets’ first line produced another goal, scored by Dubois. The walls. primary assist went to Cam Atkinson for a nifty set-up feed from behind the net to give Columbus a 2-0 lead in the second period. Players and coaches from both teams felt it, from the ice to the benches in New York’s hard-hitting 3-2 victory. Fans felt it in every section. Even It was Atkinson’s 10th straight game with a point, which is a new NHL the media felt it up in the pressbox, along with a blustery current of frigid career-high streak that tops two previous nine-game streaks (Dec. 5-23, air pouring out of a giant air-conditioning vent above the heads of 2016 and Mar. 17 to April 5, 2018). He’s now tied for the second-longest reporters, broadcasters, scouts, public relations reps, coaches and point streak in franchise history with former Blue Jackets center Ryan scratched hockey players. Johansen (Oct. 9-31, 2014) and former forward R.J. Umberger (Nov. 10 to Dec. 1, 2010). “As soon as we saw the warmups and the crowd in their first game back in this building, we knew they were going to be a physical team – During the streak, Atkinson has 10 goals, six assists and 16 points. He especially their fourth-line,” said Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson, also has 27 points overall, on 16 goals and 11 assists, and is tied with who co-led Columbus with five hits along with Seth Jones. “We knew it Artemi Panarin (seven goals, 20 assists) for the team scoring lead. was coming. Both sides were pretty physical. It was really a hard-played 4) More fourth-line magic game out there.” The trio of Lukas Sedlak, Riley Nash and Markus Hannikainen continued It took all of six seconds for the first salvo to be launched, when New to log productive minutes for the Blue Jackets. Even though Sedlak York’s Casey Cizikas began a great night for him by dumping Booner wasn’t on the ice for it, Hannikainen scored his second goal in as many Jenner behind the Islanders’ net. He later dumped the Blue Jackets by games, fourth of the season and third in the past five games. scoring the game-winning goal in the third period, but more on that later. Hannikainen played 8:52 spread over 12 shifts, Sedlak finished with 9:32 Jenner returned the favor on the same shift, finishing a hit on Cizikas in on 11 shifts and Nash skated 10:11 on 12 shifts and recorded a plus-1 the neutral zone, and then it was Pierre-Luc Dubois’ turn. The Jackets’ plus/minus rating. They didn’t quit after the game, either, spotted on big, powerful 20-year old center saw a chance to light up Islanders stationary bikes working hard to get in their remaining postgame cardio forward Tom Kuhnhackl in the neutral zone and took it, spilling him to the work. ice with a hit that was ruled a trip and sent Dubois to the penalty box. 5) Memories of the old barn He became Public Enemy No. 1 for the Islanders and their fans, who booed Dubois off and on all game while New York players went after him Many of the Blue Jackets have at least some recollections of what the – looking for a scrap that never materialized. Nassau Coliseum used to be like before its renovation, which was completed in 2017. That’s what kind of night it was inside the new version of the old barn in Uniondale, which ended with the Islanders sending their fans home Columbus, in fact, defeated the Islanders 5-4 in a shootout in 2015 in the happy. last regular-season game at the Coliseum prior to its makeover. Brandon Dubinsky remembers that game, because it’s the game he had six teeth Here are five takeaways from the Blue Jackets’ narrow loss to the knocked out on his bottom row by his own teammate at the time, former Islanders: Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson. 1) Murray leaves early Dubinsky also remembers games he played against the Islanders as a The Blue Jackets played the final 11:53 with only five defensemen after member of the rival New York Rangers, which were always heated on Ryan Murray was struck on the left skate by the puck off a hard shot by the ice and usually in the stands too. Tortorella has those memories too, Islanders’ defenseman Johnny Boychuk. since he coached Dubinsky with the Rangers and in that game with Columbus. No update was given about Murray, who didn’t need assistance getting off the ice but was spotted limping into the training room after the game. Saturday morning, each got their first looks at the Coliseum post The injury happened almost one year to the day after Murray sustained a renovation, which jogged their memories – along with some prodding by back injury last season Nov. 27, 2017 in Montreal. reporters. That one caused him to miss 35 games. There’s no telling how long Here’s Dubinsky: Murray might be out this time, because we just don’t know the severity “It was a good building to play in. Obviously, it was older and stuff, but it yet. Stay tuned. had a lot of character and great fans and stuff like that. It was certainly a “He’s been through a lot,” said defenseman Seth Jones, who missed the much different atmosphere than it was at the Barclays the last few first seven games of this season with an MCL sprain. “He’s just got to years.” keep plugging away. We know he’s mentally strong, mentally tough. We “Yeah, it looks great. It’s different. It’s funny because, you know, don’t know what it is. It could be a bruise. We’re not sure, but we know everyone likes new (stuff) but, I mean, I enjoyed playing in the old he’s tough.” Coliseum the way it was. It’s interesting. It feels like a brand new (rink). 2) Tough night It’s nice. It looks like a brand-new rink, feels like a brand-new rink. It feels like kind of a foreign place, where there was a comfort level walking into This wasn’t the best game for Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno and this place (before). I’ve had some success in this place with the teams defenseman Zach Werenski, who were involved in the Islanders’ tying and individually, so it feels like a new building.” and winning goals. “I played my first game here, my first NHL game was played here. On the tying goal in the second period, scored by Anthony Beauvillier, There’s a lot of things. I witnessed the assault on Ryan Hollweg here Foligno accidentally plowed over Werenski in the offensive zone to spring (two-handed slash by Chris Simon, Mar. 8, 2007). Even my last game here … with the Blue Jackets, you know, we beat the Isles and knocked them out of home-ice advantage (in the playoffs). I happened to get six of my teeth knocked out in that game by my own teammate. Jack Johnson swung his stick backward and knocked six of my bottom teeth out. Most of the memories are Rangers-Islanders. You can just feel the mayhem in the stands and it’s really carried over on the ice, so I’ve had a lot of fun nights here on the island.” Here’s Tortorella: “I was with the Rangers for five or six years and we had some, I mean, the things that were going on in the stands were better than the game sometimes. And when other teams come in here, they don’t experience that - that Ranger-Islander (rivalry). The stuff going on in the stands was just incredible. There are passionate fans here. Hard cities, both New York and here, if you’re not playing well, but they’re behind you and they’re emotional about their team.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118896 Dallas Stars unloaded their belongings, but the homeowner soon put it on the market. So the Feduns found a different place in Rochester.

On Nov. 10, the Stars sent a conditional seventh-round pick to Buffalo for Meet the Ivy League engineer, and the one-time AHL tryout helping to Fedun, so he had to find a place in Austin. He did and borrowed Justin save the Stars season Dowling's truck to go furniture shopping Thanksgiving weekend. Then he was called up to Dallas. Matthew DeFranks "The season ends sometimes and you pack up your apartment and you don't know where you're going to be unpacking it next season," Fedun said. "It's tough. It's really tough, but it's part of the lifestyle and the situation that I've been in. You got to roll with the punches. ... We've done VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The first move is to figure out the a lot of moving and my wife's getting pretty good at it. I wouldn't say that essentials. There's the suitcase, the headphones, the phone charger, the we enjoy it by any means, but we've got it figured out at this point." computer, the Lululemon wardrobe and the favorite t-shirts. It's almost like clockwork figuring out what stays and what goes, and the packing Hanley is the Toronto-area native who simply wanted to play in the has become the easy part for a journeyman like Joel Hanley. Ontario Hockey League as a teenager. When he was 16 years old, he went to the London Knights' camp but couldn't make their roster. So he Hanley, the Stars defensemen, is used to the nomadic lifestyle of an AHL eyed the college route instead. player on constant one-year contracts. The summers are filled with uncertainty and nerves and moving trucks. In his career, Hanley has The 5-foot-11 defensemen attended UMass Amherst for four seasons never signed a multi-year contract. Only once in his career has he played before signing a professional tryout with the Portland Pirates of the AHL back-to-back seasons in the same organization. after his senior season. His story -- one of an undrafted four-year college letterman and career "I remember being super nervous, too," Hanley said. "I came from AHLer with limited NHL experience -- would typically be rare in the NHL. college and I remember calling my friends and girlfriend and just being But among the current Stars' defense corps, it's the most common story. really nervous to leave college and go play. I remember we were signing the contract, it was a PTO for like $40,000 prorated. I remember at the Hanley, Taylor Fedun and Gavin Bayreuther all fall in the same boat, and time, I was like 'This is unbelievable.' It wasn't much, but it felt like the they're the defensemen helping keep the Stars season afloat without four coolest thing." injured NHL defensemen, including John Klingberg. At one point, Hanley was demoted to the ECHL, which "was kind of a "I've been around for quite a while and you got to make the most of these moment where I'm like 'Shoot, I don't know what's going to happen next,'" opportunities because you can go a long time without getting them," Hanley said. Fedun said. "It's unfortunate that we're banged up on the back end, but it allows guys like me, Joel and Gavin to step up and play some minutes." He only spent three games with the Gwinnett Gladiators, and has played at least one NHL game in the four seasons since. When he plays his next At the beginning of the season, each was a relative unknown. game with the Stars, it'll be his 11th of the season, setting a new career- Bayreuther, because of his 24-year-old age and offensive skillset, figures high. most into the Stars' future plans. But Hanley, 27, and Fedun, 30, weren't counted on at all to contribute in the NHL. Like Fedun, Hanley is familiar with the ambiguity surrounding free agency, especially when teams typically solidify their NHL roster before Hanley was counted on mostly to add depth to AHL affiliate Texas after filling out their depth additions. playing in the Montreal and Arizona organizations. Fedun was languishing in Rochester in the Buffalo organization before a minor trade "They're really nerve-wracking," Hanley said. "It is stressful, but once you landed him with the Stars last month. sign, it's kind of like a sign of relief. You're not really stressing on the unknown, but one-year contracts are definitely tough. That's all I've Both are making the league minimum $650,000 in the NHL. Both are known, so you got to prove yourself every time you come to the rink, and unrestricted free agents after the season. Both could be waived when every year. Klingberg (hand), Connor Carrick (foot), Marc Methot (knee) or Stephen Johns (post-traumatic headaches) become available. "It's not easy, but I guess it's all I know." But it's nothing new for the pair, who have meandered minor-league hockey for years to get a shot with in the NHL. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.03.2018 "It just shows you that if you stay persistent and you keep working hard, you definitely need a couple breaks along the way, but I guess it proves it could happen to anyone," Hanley said. "That's kind of cool." Fedun is the Edmonton-born defenseman who initially wanted to play hockey to receive an education. When he was a kid, he didn't dream about playing in the NHL. He liked school and books and math, and viewed hockey as a way to further his education. "I think growing up, I was more of a realist," Fedun said. "I actually understand how few people get that opportunity. For me, the big part was getting through college. I don't want to say the rest is bonus, but as things have come tried to meet the challenges as they come." Fedun graduated from Princeton with a degree in mechanical engineering, and might be the only NHL defensemen carrying an engineering degree from an Ivy League institution. Why mechanical engineering? "When I was younger, I loved the sciences," he said. "I was always a math guy, enjoyed physics and chemistry. When I got to the university level, I really didn't enjoy writing essays. So one of the biggest things for me was I liked the math. Once I started to get into it, there was no turning back. I actually really enjoyed it." He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oilers, scored goals in his first two NHL games and then not again for another five years, when he potted a goal in his Stars debut Nov. 23 against Ottawa. In between NHL goals, Fedun played for teams in Oklahoma City, Worchester, Utica and Rochester. Even this season, Fedun has moved four times. Fedun and his wife moved from their offseason place in Pennsylvania to Rochester, where they hoped to rent the same house they did the previous season. They 1118897 Dallas Stars The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 Alexander Radulov has gone bananas

By Sean Shapiro Dec 2, 2018

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — “Banana!” At some point during any given game, Alexander Radulov will bark that order at the Stars equipment and training staff. The Stars forward is hungry and since he’s on the bench, what better time to have a snack? “You got to eat, you know?” Radulov said. “I just don’t eat much before the game. You start playing and the games are late and you kind of get starving.” “Just have a bite and leave it there, and when you want it more, you have more,” Radulov added. “Simple.” Radulov opens his bananas from the bottom, peeling from the opposite end of the stem to maximize the fruit. Opening it from the end with the stem provides a greater risk of bruising or making the fruit mushy. “That’s the way you do it,” Radulov said. “Why is this big deal?” It’s quite common for players to eat during games, but Radulov’s decision on where to eat the potassium loaded fruit is, well, bananas. According to Stars head equipment manager Steve Sumner, Radulov is the first player he’s ever seen open and eat a banana on the bench. When the forward joined the team before last season the Stars support staff had to plan for his banana intake. Typically head athletic trainer Dave Zeis will grab the banana and have it ready on the bench, but there are times where the fruit is forgotten and someone will have to make a quick dash to the locker room to grab it. In most arenas that’s a short trek, the locker rooms are typically behind the bench. But in some cases, the trip to the locker room is longer, requiring a sprint to fill Radulov’s order. The rest of the roster does most of their snacking inside the locker room. “Banana is fine if there is not the protein bars, but never like Rads (on the bench),” Esa Lindell said. “I eat between periods, like a protein bar that they have here. I try to eat a little bit between the periods to keep the energy up. Some chocolate flavor, I don’t like peanut butter that much.” “It’s hard to play on an empty stomach,” Jason Dickinson said. “If you’re feeling empty, even if you’ve eaten a good meal, you still feel empty on the ice. That’s not a good feeling because you don’t feel energetic, all you’re thinking is about that stomach growling. I’ve had to that a couple times, I’ve gone for like trail mix. The trainers will have trail mix, that’s about it. Not a banana, makes for good pictures I guess.” Ben Bishop couldn’t eat during the course of play even if he wanted to. Over the course of his career, he’s learned that the mid-game snack can be extremely valuable to durability. In each game he starts Bishop will eat a banana during the second intermission. Sometimes he’ll double down and eat one during the first intermission as well. “I used to cramp in Tampa, like late in games. I started eating bananas and I stopped cramping,” Bishop said. “You’ve seen that Kawasaki video or whatever? Monkey never cramp.” Sumner said the ways players fuel up before and during a game have changed with advancements in dietary technology. Power bars and power gels are common choices. Coffee used to be more common, and the Stars still travel with an espresso machine because Marc Methot drinks an espresso before each game. But most players opt for a Red Bull or other energy drinks. “Power bar or power gel. I’m usually eating before the third period, try to get some simple sugars in me,” Spezza said. “Guys go bananas if they are hungry. Because a banana can kind of fill you up, it’s one that is used more frequently.” And if you are going to go bananas, Radulov offered this piece of somewhat sage advice. “You got to watch out,” Radulov said. “You can’t eat too much because it could just stay in the stomach.” 1118898 Detroit Red Wings "It does give us confidence," Larkin said. "It gives us a swagger, I guess. We'll see. If teams want to play that way, we're not afraid and it shows.'

Detroit Red Wings lose to Colorado Avalanche, but win both fights Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2018

Dana Gauruder,

Published 11:33 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018

It's not often that a hockey team sends a message while being shut out.

That's what the Detroit Red Wings did, or at least attempted to do, while getting blanked for the first time this season Sunday.

They lost 2-0 to the Colorado Avalanche, but won both of their third- period fights, which were precipitated by hard hits to their top offensive players.

When Colorado defenseman Ian Cole delivered a big body blow at center ice against Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi sought out Cole. They fought in the Avs' zone and Bertuzzi got the better of the duel, though Cole also landed a couple of punches.

A few minutes later, it was Anthony Mantha's turn to play the role of guardian. Avs defenseman Patrik Nemeth shoved Dylan Larkin head first into the boards. Nemeth paid a price for that hit, as Mantha delivered a few blows to Nemeth's head before the officials stepped in.

The Wings (12-12-3) dropped back to .500 with the loss but felt like they won the battle, literally and figuratively. They want to establish themselves as a tough team that won't back down from anyone.

"We'll go a lot further sticking up for each other than any downside of losing guys (on fighting penalties)," coach Jeff Blashill said. "They're real good players but we're going to win in this room as a group and we're going to win fighting for each other, sticking up for each other. We said that from Day 1."

Their 4-2 victory in Boston on Saturday — their first there in over 5 years — was also marked by some fisticuffs. Luke Witkowski fought Joakim Nordstrom after the Bruins took exception to a clean blow Witkowski delivered on David Krejci.

That led to a bigger scrum with Bertuzzi playing the protagonist. Everyone on the ice dropped their gloves and the goalies had to be restrained from going at it.

Following a couple of quiet periods Sunday, the Wings were flashing their knuckles again.

"I thought we did a good job all night with the physical play," Larkin said. "We stuck up for each other. That's what we've got to do. We've got to play like that. It started last night with Whitter in Boston and it carried over to tonight."

Larkin was frustrated he was required to enter the concussion protocol after he put his hand to his head following Nemeth's hit.

"I was fine. I'm fine now," said Larkin, who returned later in the period. "I guess it's league protocol but it's not fair when he's off for 5 minutes for fighting but there's no discipline to him (for the hit). There's not a penalty on the ice, so I don't know why I have to go off. It makes me mad, it's a critical time in the game."

Larkin was mad at himself for wasting a chance to give the Wings a lead in the opening seconds. They had a rare 3-on-0 situation but Larkin misfired after Mantha slid the puck to him.

That turned out to be their best chance to score all game.

"Anthony made a great play to me and I've got to bury that," he said. "(If I score) we're up 1-0 in the first shift and we're feeling good about ourselves."

The Wings also had their only two power plays in the opening period. Witkowski and Danny DeKeyser were both the victims of high-sticking but the Wings didn't get much pressure on Avs goaltender Semyon Varlamov. They're 4-for-34 on the power play over the past 14 games.

The Wings must improve with the man advantage if they want to make an improbable playoff push. But in terms of establishing a reputation as a physical team, the Wings feel they're making inroads. 1118899 Detroit Red Wings Bernier didn't get much action in the early going as the Avs required nearly 8 minutes to get a shot on net.

Colorado's offense perked up in the second period as it challenged Detroit Red Wings, Avalanche fight like old times in Colorado's 2-0 win Bernier with 13 shots on goal, including MacKinnon's power-play tally. Later in the period, Bernier robbed MacKinnon on a 2-on-1 opportunity.

Dana Gauruder, Larkin's whiff

Published 9:52 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018 Larkin squandered a chance to give the Wings a quick lead.

Just seconds after the puck was dropped, they had a rare 3-on-0 situation but Larkin whiffed on a shot that surely would have beaten The Detroit Red Wings packed more punch with their gloves off Sunday Varlamov. than they did with sticks in their hands.

A chippy and fight-filled third period against an old nemesis, the Colorado Avalanche, woke up the crowd at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings' Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2018 offense remained dormant, as they were shut out for the first time this season, 2-0.

The last time the Wings were shutout was March 22 by Washington.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the game's lone goal until Gabriel Landeskog's empty-netter, as Colorado improved to 9-0-2 over its past 11 games. The Avs also own the league's best road record at 10-4-2.

The Wings were playing one night after their first win in Boston in over 5 years on Saturday night.

Fists fly, offense sags

The Wings had a mini-brawl with the Bruins during the second period but things were pretty tame against the Avs until early in the third period.

Colorado defenseman Ian Cole delivered a big hit at center ice against Andreas Athanasiou, and Tyler Bertuzzi stood up for his teammate. Bertuzzi landed several shots on Cole, who also delivered a couple of punches. Both were given 5-minute fighting penalties.

At the 4:38 mark of the period, Anthony Mantha and Patrik Nemeth squared off behind the Colorado goal. Mantha protected Dylan Larkin, who got shoved into the boards by Nemeth. Mantha delivered a few blows to Nemeth's head before the officials stepped in.

While the fighting increased the game's entertainment value, it failed to spark the offense. The Wings failed to get a shot on goal for the first 10 minutes of the period until Justin Abdelkader had a backhander stopped by Semyon Varlamov.

There were a couple more shoving matches but no more punches thrown.

Avs power play strikes again

The Avs came into the game with the league's most potent power play. They had scored on 31.4 percent of their opportunities.

"We're going to have to stay disciplined tonight," coach Jeff Blashill said pregame.

His players heeded those words in the first period as they stayed out of the penalty box. The Wings had a pair of first-period power plays as Colorado was whistled for two high-sticking infractions but they failed to put much heat on Varlamov.

Once the Avs finally got a man advantage early in the second period, it only took 6 seconds for them to convert. With Jonathan Ericsson in the box for holding, MacKinnon won the faceoff in the Wings' zone against Larkin.

The Avs quickly worked the puck to the back of the net, wheren Mikko Rantanen set up MacKinnon for a one-timer past Jonathan Bernier. That was Rantanen's league-high 33rd assist and MacKinnon's 19th goal.

Bernier battles former team

Bernier started on the second game of a back-to-back, and faced the team he played for last season.

Bernier had a 19-13-3 record in his lone season with the Avs, then signed a 3-year, $9 million contract with the Wings as a free agent this summer. 1118900 Detroit Red Wings

Why Detroit Red Wings winning at Boston matters beyond two points

Helene St. James,

Published 6:01 a.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018

BOSTON — That was a victory that will mean something long past its date on the schedule.

The Detroit Red Wings pushed back and punched back Saturday at TD Garden to earn their first victory in Boston in five years, a 4-2 final earned on the strength of a big open-ice hit and a fight from Luke Witkowski, and on the strength of Tyler Bertuzzi showing he can agitate as well as he can score goals.

“For us to come in here and get two points in regulation, that’s huge for us,” Jimmy Howard said after making 38 saves. “It’s a big confidence booster.”

REO Speedwagon’s “Roll with the changes” lyrics blared from the visitors locker room as the Wings quickly packed and readied themselves to play again Sunday vs. Colorado.

“Big hit by Witter and a great fight,” Frans Nielsen said. “I think everyone just followed his footsteps there.”

Witkowski leveled David Krejci in the second period, then fought Joakim Nordstrom. Howard looked like he might fight as he left his crease late in the second period because of a penalty being called on Boston. That came as Bertuzzi challenged Brad Marchand over a hit on Nick Jensen, jawing at Marchand as the two skated apart. Marchand’s linemate, Colby Cave, shoved Bertuzzi. He still had an eye on Marchand, and when Marchand slashed Howard, that was it for Bertuzzi — he grabbed Marchand by his sweater. Teammates and officials rushed in — one linesman restrained Howard while a referee restrained Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask.

“I was ready,” Howard said. “Even though Tuukka and I are friends. It would have been something. He’s a great guy. I’ve had a lot of fun with him along the way. I’m kind of happy it didn’t happen.”

Bertuzzi said he thought he “needed to step in. We got a power play out of it so it worked out in our favor.”

If the game was punctuated by fights and almost-fights, it was dictated by how well the Wings played, start to finish. They carried play early, didn’t get rattled when a funny bounce led to a Bruins goal in the waning seconds of the first period, and didn’t collapse when the Bruins made it 2- 2 in the third period.

The Wings added to the net-front goal by Bertuzzi and the power-play goal by Dylan Larkin with a goal from Nielsen, and sealed the victory with an empty net goal from Gustav Nyquist. The Bruins were missing Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara, but it was a close game, and a big win.

“I think what sparked us was Witter’s hit and Witter’s fight,” Bertuzzi said. “It was a big hit and that’s something we appreciate on this team.”

Coach Jeff Blashill called it a “good back-and-forth game. The hit raised the whole temperature of the game. We want to make sure we can be physically intimidating.

“The one thing I’d say that was real evident was our net presence. Being able to get in front of Tuukka’s eyes is a huge thing.”

One of the happiest guys in the locker room was Nielsen, whose first goal of the season stood as the game winner as the Wings won their first game at TD Garden since Oct. 14, 2013.

“It was nice to get it,” he said. “It was a big win. We’ve really struggled here in this building so it was a big confidence booster for the team to prove to ourselves we can win here.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118901 Detroit Red Wings

Game thread: Red Wings shut out by Avs, 2-0

Helene St. James

Published 5:58 a.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018

Updated 9:42 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018

Detroit Red Wings (12-11-3, 27 points) vs. Colorado Avalanche (15-6-5, 35 points)

When: 7 p.m. tonight.

Where: Little Caesars Arena.

TV: Fox Sports Detroit, ESPN+.

Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates).

Game notes

Avalanche warning: The Avalanche has points in 10 straight games (8-0- 2) and has not lost in regulation since Nov. 9. They were off Saturday. “It’ll be a good challenge,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Saturday night. “They’re a good team. We’re going to get back at a decent time, so let’s go and see what we’re all about. The whole team has been playing real fast so we’re going to have to make sure we do everything we can to slow them down.”

Sizing up the opponent: The Avalanche are tied for the NHL lead with an average of 3.73 goals per game, and allow an average of 2.77 goals per game. Their power play (31.4 percent) ranks first in the league and their penalty kill (80.4 percent) ranks 11th. Mikko Rantanen leads the team with 32 assists and 43 points. Nathan MacKinnon has a team-high 18 goals among 41 points. Gabriel Landeskog has 15 goals among 28 points. This is the first of a four-game road trip for Colorado.

Winged wheel WATCH: The Wings did not have a morning skate Sunday. Jonathan Bernier is expected to start. Defenseman Trevor Daley (lower body) are forward Darren Helm (shoulder) are out. The Red Wings enter off a thrilling 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118902 Detroit Red Wings Mantha appeared to suffer no ill effects, despite blasting his fist off a skull, repeatedly.

Blashill said he had no report of Mantha injuring his hand, which has DeKeyser reaches 'impressive' milestone with Wings helped deliver nine goals scored so far this season.

Gregg Krupa, Detroit News LOADED: 12.03.2018 Published 12:22 a.m. ET Dec. 3, 2018

Detroit — Danny DeKeyser played in his 400th game on Sunday, skating 20 minutes, 46 seconds, the second most time on ice among Red Wings defensemen (Mike Green, 24:06), while collecting two hits and blocking a shot.

DeKeyser contributed to holding one of the top lines in the NHL — Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen — to one goal, before Landeskog added an empty net tally at 19:01 of the third period in a 2-0 loss.

DeKeyser has played in 19 of the Wings' 27 games this season.

“I had him on the ice as a junior hockey player, and didn’t draft him in the next draft,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “That’s the reality in the USHL.

“He went to Sioux City, and then I got him at Western (Michigan). I didn’t know that he was going to be this great freshman until I saw him on the ice.

“The very first time I saw him on the ice, I was like, 'Holy smokes, he’s got some great attributes.' He’s just carried that forward.”

While the Wings have added Trevor Daley and Green, and Niklas Kronwall has persisted despite knee problems, the Red Wings’ defense is largely reliant on DeKeyser for shutting down the opponents’ best players, as the team continues to rebuild the lineup.

“When he came to the NHL, I thought he’d be a good player,” Blashill said. “He’s been even better than I thought.

“I think this year Danny’s played really, really good.

“He’s been one of the guys I think has really brought his game up to another level. I think his physicality has been real good. His consistency’s been good.

“So, the fact that he’s got himself to 400 is impressive.”

Familiar foe

Jonathan Bernier started against his old team, the Avalanche, on Sunday and said he felt a little bit more excitement than usual headed into the game.

“Yeah, I think there is always more challenge when you go into those games,” Bernier said. “You don’t want to get too high or too low. You just want to go in there and play your game.”

Bernier yielded one goal, on the power play. The Avalanche also scored into an empty net.

“It’s always a weird feeling playing against your old team,” said Bernier, who is now 3-6-0 on the season. “Obviously, we know their first line is really good. But, we did a good job most of the night to be on top of them.

“I thought they got a little frustrated. It was just one of those games where they were better than us on the power play.”

Bash bros

Both Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha gave good accounts of themselves in third-period fights against the Avalanche.

Bertuzzi landed a couple of clean lefts on Ian Cole, who had heavily body-checked Andreas Athanasiou in open ice moments before. And, then, Bertuzzi shifted his grip on Cole and his tactics in the fight and landed two hard uppercuts.

Mantha fired several right hands into the back of Patrik Nemeth’s head, one of which appeared to force a cry of pain from Nemeth, after the Avalanche defenseman hit Dylan Larkin high and hard against the boards. 1118903 Detroit Red Wings “So, if we play like that for the remainder of the games, or for a stretch, we’re going to have lots of success.”

It is the first time the Red Wings were shutout since March 22, with 'We battled': Wings show fight, miss chances to beat Avalanche Philipp Grubauer in net for the Capitals, in a 1-0 game.

The loss brings the Wings record to 11-5-1 since their 1-7-2 start.

Gregg Krupa The Red Wings got off to a fine start. They were the better team in the Published 9:53 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018 first period.

Updated 5:15 a.m. ET Dec. 3, 2018 The big line for the Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, opened the scoring.

The trio came into the game with a combined 112 points, and the Detroit — The Red Wings had a lot of fight in them but lost, 2-0, to the Avalanche had the best power play in the NHL (31.4 percent) and third- Avalanche Sunday at Little Caesars Arena, breaking their two-game best on the road (34.6 percent). winning streak and suffering their first shutout since March. Six seconds into the Wings first penalty of the game, to Jonathan After a strong first period, in which the Wings were the assertive team, Ericsson for holding at 4:46 of the second period, MacKinnon, Landeskog they got only 11 shots in the final two. and Rantanen combined for a goal, straight from the face-off.

The game that featured Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha winning big MacKinnon won the face-off and scored the goal, his 19th of the season. fights in the third period. It came with the Avalanche making a big push from the start of the But playing without both of their third-best goal scorers for five minutes, period. while their second-leading goal scorer Dylan Larkin also had to sit out until he cleared concussion protocol, the Wings surrendered some of After a big 4-2 win in Boston on Saturday night, the Red Wings were the their key offensive weapons when it was a one-goal game. assertive team throughout the first period. Off their first win in five years against the Bruins in TD Garden, the Wings were full of jump. “We certainly weren’t perfect,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We had a lot of good chances to score and didn’t score. The period also featured the first “Kronwalling” in some time, as Niklas Kronwall lined up Colin Wilson skating up the right wing in his own “But, I thought our compete level and our physicality was really good.” The Wings outshot the visitors, who practiced in Detroit Saturday and In the opening moments of the game, Mantha and Larkin broke in on a waited for the Sunday game, 13-7 in the first. two-on-one charge and Mantha deftly fed a pass across the goal mouth, but Larkin could not finish. But the Red Wings could have expected a big push from one of the best teams in the league in the second period, and they got it. Then, at about the nine-minute mark of the first period, Mantha got behind the Avalanche defense but could not score. By 1:18 of the second, the Avalanche were outshooting the Wings 3-1 in the period and went on to a 13-6 advantage in the period, turning the There were a couple of other occasions when it seemed like the Wings tables and tilting the ice on the previously assertive Red Wings. had the game on their sticks, especially with the Avalanche not tallying until 4:54 of the second period. Through 9:55 of the third period, the Wings had no shots on goal.

But, the Red Wings could not finish. Finally, Justin Abdelkader’s backhand shot, saved with comparative ease, became just the eighth shot by the Wings since the first period. They left little doubt, however, about who won the fights. But, with Jonathan Bernier solid against his old team, the Wings In scenes reminiscent of the Red Wings rivalry with the Avalanche for managed to limit the damage. about a decade, beginning in mid-1990s, scrappy play, heavy body- checking and some hard feelings led to gloves dropped and fists thrown. “I thought he was very good,” Blashill said. “He’s been good most of the year.” Mostly, Wings’ fists landed. They also continued their assertiveness, even without the shots. The trade-off between the team playing tough, asserting themselves physically, protecting each other and losing Mantha and Bertuzzi with After big body checks by the Avalanche on Andreas Athanasiou and fighting majors seemed just fine, to the coach. Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha both squared off against the checking opponents. “A hundred percent, a hundred percent,” Blashill said. “We’ll go a lot farther with us sticking up for each other than any downside of losing Both Bertuzzi and Mantha landed far more punches than either Ian Cole, some guys. who checked Athanasiou and had to fight Bertuzzi, or Patrik Nemeth, who checked Larkin and had to fight Mantha. “They’re real good players, but we’re going to win in this room as a group, and we’re going to win fighting for each other, sticking up for each The NHL told the Wings Larkin had to sit through concussion protocol other. We said that since Day 1. before he could return to action.

“That’s the way the game goes." “It was a hit to the head,” Larkin said. “Nemeth came to the corner, there.

Goals could have come from some shots the Wings passed up, Blashill “It’s tough,” he said, of having to sit during a critical juncture. “I don’t said. know. I was fine. I’m fine now. I guess it’s league protocol. It’s at a critical time of the game. Or, from the plays they made but could not finish. “It is what it is. But that was tough to be in the middle of the period, back- But, using 11 forwards and seven defenseman for the third straight game to-back (games) and it takes the wind out of your sails, right there, when and playing without the three key forwards for some big chunks of the you have to go in and sit for five minutes. third period did not help the cause, offensively, in a third period that remained 1-0, until the Avalanche scored into an empty net at 19:01. “Tough timing.”

“I thought we did a good job all night with the physical play,” said Larkin, The rest of the third period featured rough play, especially when Larkin who had three shots on goal in six attempts, and won 12 of 20 face-offs. leveled Rantanen at center ice with a vicious, open-ice hit. “That’s what we’ve got to do. Landeskog added an empty net goal at 19:01 of the third for his 16th tally “We’ve got to play like that. We’ve got to score. But, we stuck together. of the year. We battled. We had our chances.

Detroit News LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118904 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings run out of steam in 2-0 loss to Colorado

Updated December 3, 2018 at 3:19 AM;

Posted December 2, 2018 at 9:43 PM

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT - Jonathan Bernier turned in a solid effort in goal against his former team on Sunday.

But his current team didn't provide any offensive support.

Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal in the second period and Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves to lift the Colorado Avalanche past the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 at Little Caesars Arena.

Colorado (16-6-5) is 9-0-2 in its past 11 and moved into a tie with Nashville for the top spot in the Western Conference.

It is the first time the Red Wings (12-12-3) have been shut out since March 22 of last season, when Washington's Philipp Grubauer made 39 saves in a 1-0 victory at LCA.

It was Varlamov's 24th career shutout. Bernier made 27 saves.

Jeff Blashill, on Red Wings' effort and compete level vs. Colorado

Grabriel Landeskog sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

MacKinnon scored at 4:54 of the second period, just six seconds into Colorado's first and only power play of the game. He was in the slot when he one-timed a pass from Mikko Rantanen past Bernier.

Dylan Larkin glad to see Red Wings stick up for each other

The Avalanche entered the game with the NHL's top-ranked power play, converting at 31.4 percent.

The Red Wings seemed to run out of steam as the game progressed, registering six shots in the second period and five in the third.

Red Wings' Jonathan Bernier breaks down game against former Colorado teammates

The play got a little chippy in the third period.

Tyler Bertuzzi took exception to Ian Cole's hit on Andreas Athanasiou and engaged him in a fight. Shortly after, Anthony Mantha pounded Patrik Nemeth in a fight after the Avalanche defenseman leveled Dylan in the corner.

The Red Wings, despite playing the night before in Boston, got off to a strong start against the rested Avalanche. Detroit controlled much of the play in the first period, outshooting Colorado 13-7, but didn't convert on a pair of power plays.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118905 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings, Avalanche rolling heading into tonight's game

Updated December 2, 2018 at 1:07 PM;

Posted December 2, 2018 at 12:53 PM

By Ansar Khan

The Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche are both on a roll heading into tonight's game, sort of like the old days when these one- time bitter rivals were perennially among the NHL's best.

The Avalanche (15-6-5) are 8-0-2 in their past 10 and are second in the Western Conference, two points behind the Nashville Predators.

The Red Wings (12-11-3) are 11-4-1 in their past 16. They are just two points out of the final wild-card playoff spot, but also only four points away from the Eastern Conference basement, illustrating the closeness of teams.

The teams meet at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

The Red Wings are coming off a 4-2 victory Saturday in Boston, snapping an 11-game losing streak at TD Garden. Frans Nielsen broke a 2-2 tie at 11:53 of the third period with his first goal of the season and Jimmy Howard made 37 saves.

Jonathan Bernier (3-5-0, 3.63 goals-against average, .892 save percentage) is expected to start against his former team.

Colorado is led by the one-two punch of Mikko Rantanen (11 goals, 32 assists) and Nathan MacKinnon (18 goals, 23 assists). Semyon Varlamov is playing at an All-Star level in goal (9-5-3, 2.36 GAA, .927 save percentage).

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118906 Edmonton Oilers

Mikko Koskinen in top 10 in NHL save percentage

Jim Matheson,

December 2, 2018 4:05 PM MST

DALLAS — Mikko Koskinen never gets too high or too low – he’s got the perfect demeanour for either an NHL goalie or for a guy fixing your fridge – but his stats are really up there.

The Edmonton Oilers goalie, who has an 8-2-1 record in his 11 starts, has a .928 save percentage, stopping 323 of 348 shots to sit eighth best in the league. Jaro Halak is No. 1 at .936, just a shade better than Pekka Rinne at .934. Playing at home, Koskinen is 5-0 with a .967 save percentage.

On the road, he’s been more human at 3-2-1, obviously, but he’s got the hot hand so he’ll be in net Monday against the Stars. And Cam Talbot, who has been the No. 1 for three years, will keep sitting, still trying for his 100th Oilers win. As he keeps saying, he has to save the ones he should, and stop the ones he shouldn’t.

“He’s (Koskinen) feeling it and playing well,” said Milan Lucic, “but we have a lot of faith in Cam, too.”

Coach Ken Hitchcock won’t let the good soldier Talbot, who hasn’t won since Oct. 28 against Chicago, sit forever. But it’s a results-driven business.

“I thought Cam was great in L.A.,” Hitchcock said of Talbot’s last start, a 5-2 loss that featured two empty-netters.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118907 Edmonton Oilers some later draft candy. One of the third-round picks they used on Anton Slepyshev, and Fucale? Last we looked, he was playing in Fort Wayne in the East CHL so missing out on Fucale was a break.

Connor McDavid might not win scoring title but playoffs more important Zykov’s equipment was late arriving from Carolina after the Friday waiver claim, so he didn’t suit up against Vegas Sunday. And with the Oilers’ win over Vegas, maybe he sits in Dallas Monday, as well. But they like the Jim Matheson, right-shot left-winger.

December 2, 2018 3:42 PM MST “This is a perfect example of analytics, looking through that glass at what we need,” said Hitchcock. “He fits where we are weak. He’s strong and

scores from short range, he’s got a quick stick in close, he fights for DALLAS — Connor McDavid has two scoring titles and an MVP award, position and holds his ice. We need more help there.” but well into his fourth NHL season, he’s only been in the playoffs once.

So you know his nose is pressed up against the glass with a “let me in, Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018 let me in,” cry that values hockey in April and May just as much as trophies in June.

He’s eight points south of Mikko Rantanen (43), playing for a wide-open Colorado team alongside Nate MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, forming the best line in the league. McDavid is fifth in the scoring race with just seven points in the six games Ken Hitchcock has coached.

While that may be just fine for mere NHL mortals, it’s pretty pedestrian stuff for McDavid. So, maybe he won’t win a third Art Ross with Hitchcock’s grind-it-out game now, but he’ll learn to live with it if the Oilers finish in the top three in the Pac-8 Division.

Hitchcock isn’t playing him any less than former Oilers head coach Todd McLellan, so any talk of that is utter nonsense. He’s played at least 23 minutes in every Hitchcock-coached game with gusts up close to 25. And he’s been double-shifted on the fourth line.

Hitchcock has a different appreciation for McDavid now that he’s on his side. He was absolutely electric against Vegas and could have had a hat- trick, maybe five points. He surely deserved his 72nd multiple-point game, a league best since 2016-17.

But he only got the one goal on eight shots.

“I’ve never seen a player who can be two steps in front of a (back- peddling) defencemen and it’s full panic.” said Hitchcock. “To be that quick, to get off the mark that quickly … I mean, when he’s on a one-on- one with a player, you are in trouble.”

Like when McDavid blew around Brayden McNabb to score, stopping on a dime as he ripped across the crease and casually lifted a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury. Or later in the first, when Vegas’ best defenceman, Nate Schmidt, was grasping at air as McDavid went past him.

“Maybe Pavel Bure was like this but other than that, I don’t know … Connor is such an incredible player,” said Hitchcock, who didn’t get any argument from the Golden Knights.

“We were all over them (for the first six minutes) and McDavid makes a play out of nothing and scores on that one,” said Max Pacioretty. “He made about five or six of them that no one in the world has ever been able to do, except for him.”

HAPPY VALENTIN

Five years ago, Valentin Zykov edged McDavid to win the Canadia Hockey League’s rookie of the year.

Zykov had 40 goals and 75 points in Baie-Comeau in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Of course, the Russian winger was 17 and McDavid was only 15 and in his first Ontario Hockey League season with the Erie Otters on the way to a 66-point season), but Zykov, who is built more like The Tank, Andrei Kovalenko, than Nikita Kucherov, can score.

Or, he did in junior and he did last season with an American Hockey League-best 33 goals – all of which can be found on YouTube, for those inclined. The person who put them up obviously has more time on their hands than all of us.

Now, can Zykov score on the same Edmonton Oilers team as McDavid?

He may be a bit of a one-trick pony. A scorer but not fast. And a big pony.

At the 2013 draft, the Oilers wanted goalie Zach Fucale with their 37th overall pick but Montreal took him at 36, so they swapped 37 to L.A. for 1118908 Edmonton Oilers “J.J.’s a good player. I didn’t know much about him but he’s a solid player and Rattie? We were looking for something different (sitting out for Patrick Russell, now back in Bakersfield) but knew we could go back to Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Spooner plays hero for a night with Ty.” game-winner Spooner, who played 13 shifts, worked nicely with Rattie and Khaira.

“We played a north-south game. In this league, if you get cute, it doesn’t Jim Matheson, work out,” said Spooner.

December 2, 2018 3:10 PM MST Since he came in the deal for Strome, he has a longer leash than someone like Rattie, who was the best player on the line Saturday. He had four shots, drew a penalty and deserved an assist for pressuring Eakin into a mistake behind the net before the Spooner goal. DALLAS — Ryan Spooner is a man of few words and fewer points but he made his point Saturday against Vegas, his first as an Edmonton Oilers “I proved myself early in the season but things change and I have to do it forward. again. I had to do something or I would be the odd-man out,” said Rattie. “Our line had a good game.’’ He buried Jujhar Khaira’s feed for the game winner after linemate Ty Rattie had stripped the puck from Cody Eakin in the third period.

After seven games and nothing to show for it, Spooner made his mark by Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018 finding some open space and beating Marc-Andre Fleury. After the 2-1 victory, he was wearing relief on his face, a motorcycle helmet on his head and a vest around his chest as the team-voted him the Hero for a Night.

“It’s been a rough start for me here, it’s gotten into my head,” admitted Spooner, who came to the Oilers from the New York Rangers two weeks ago with a goal and an assist in 16 games for Ryan Strome, who was very popular in the dressing room, even if he was struggling (one goal, one assist) just as much as Spooner to get points.

It’s always tricky when you’re traded. You want to make a strong first impression, but while Strome has four points (two goals) in his eight Rangers games, playing 16 minutes a night, Spooner had been employed here, there and everywhere except finding his way to the press box. He played on the wing deep in the lineup for Todd McLellan for two games, then Ken Hitchcock had him on the wing with Connor McDavid for one game in Los Angeles, then the wing elsewhere, and at centre on what he keeps hoping is a 3-A line — a complement to the banging of Kyle Brodziak, Milan Lucic and Zack Kassian, always a staple of Hitchcock teams.

“He only got nine minutes (against Vegas). If the coach was a little smarter, he would have played him more,” kidded Hitchcock after another one-goal Oilers game, the modus operandi of the new coach.

Spooner, a quiet kid who’s not into blowing his own horn, wasn’t doing so after the winner, either. He was just happy to see his name on the stats sheet, to do something rather than put on No. 23.

“It’s been that kind of year, all over the place. Right wing, centre, left,” he said. “But again, I’m happy to play first line or fourth.”

“We’re looking for two third lines and if that’s the kind of game he can give us, that’s what we want,” said Hitchcock.

Scratching the surface with Spooner, the coach is trying to find a fit, unlike Strome, who didn’t provide the offensive juice they thought he would after they dumped Jordan Eberle’s $6-million salary to the New York Islanders.

“I like Spooner more at centre than on the wing. On the wing, he ends up on the outside of the rink, on the perimeter too much,” said the new coach, who wants his players to get inside the face-off dots. “In the middle, he’s a smart player, a good skater and we can use him on match- ups farther down the lineup. He can take some risks.”

Rattie, who has had to win over coaches at every NHL stop, knows that skill is one thing, but there’s also will. He knows what Spooner has been going through, especially with the pressure of an in-season trade, and no points.

“This game is so mental when things aren’t bouncing your way and the head starts growing. It can be a slippery slope,” said Rattie.

Hitchcock is really looking for three guys he can play every night on a different line from Brodziak & Co. Like Vegas, who has two contributing lines after their top-six forwards.

“We have a lot of guys in the mix … there’s going to be some really good competition for that line. Spooner, Khaira, Rattie, (waiver claim Valentin) Zykov, and (Tobias) Rieder will be coming back,” said Hitchcock. 1118909 Edmonton Oilers “What it would have done to television and the time when people were watching the games from the west coast … it would have been ridiculous.

JONES: In the Zone – Edmonton Oilers don't want to be bumped from “We’re happy we don’t have to deal with it. It didn’t happen.” division by Seattle expansion Nicholson said he’s been talking to key people around the league and he’s getting a strong sense that the people involved are going to have Terry Jones respect for the wishes of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver on this.

December 2, 2018 2:35 PM MST “The executive committee will make a recommendation and it will be discussed and finalized by the board.

“I’m relatively confident from the unofficial conversations that have gone There doesn’t appear to be much remaining doubt about Seattle entering on, so far. the National Hockey League as a 32nd franchise at board of governors meetings this week. ”I’m expecting it to be simple and that it will be Arizona that would move into the Central. If it gets more complicated than that, I think there would But there is a major question attached to it. be big debates.

Could the result of Seattle coming in mean Edmonton and Calgary move “We expect to stay where we are. I would think it would be Arizona that out of the Pacific Division into the Central Division in realignment? would move.”

Geographically, it would make all sorts of sense. Nicholson wouldn’t say it, nor likely will anybody else, but the Coyotes haven’t exactly been anchored in Arizona like the Oilers are in To keep the Oilers and Flames in the Pacific would likely mean Arizona Edmonton. The Phoenix franchise might eventually be on the move in would have to move to the Central — and Phoenix is in the Pacific time more than a set of standings. zone.

Phoenix is within afternoon driving distance — four to five-and-a-half hours — of Las Vegas, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2018 To move Edmonton and Calgary to the Central would require a team from that division to join Seattle in the Pacific, likely Colorado.

A portion of that Mountain time zone state is at least on the west side of the continental divide. But Denver is a one hour and 40 minute flight (or 12:38 hour drive) from the nearest team in the division.

You might think that the two Alberta teams would see some positives in such a move such as more TV games in prime time (6 p.m. starts in the Central time zone compared to 8 and 8:30 p.m. starts in the Pacific).

But think again.

‘Hell no! We don’t want to go!,’ say the Oilers.

“We want to stay in the Pacific. And we’re pretty strong about it,” insists Bob Nicholson, vice-chairman and CEO of the Oilers Entertainment Group. “Seattle is going to come into the league and when they do come in, we definitely do not want to move.

“We feel the rivalries are too strong for the NHL to do that to our franchise.

“The Calgary and the Vancouver rivalries are so strong. And two years ago in the playoffs, we built the rivalries up with Anaheim and San Jose.

“We will make strong statements about us staying, for sure,” added Nicholson in a cell phone interview on his way to the airport Sunday.

“I just believe we’ve been in the league a long time now and hopefully the league will respect our rivalries, especially the Calgary and Vancouver rivalries,” said the head of the team celebrating its 40th season since joining the NHL in the WHA merger.

You’d figure nobody would want to split up Edmonton and Calgary and the nice, compact travel flip between the two towns, if for no other reason.

“There’s a bit of a rivalry with Winnipeg but nothing compares to the Calgary rivalry and there’s no question that Vancouver wants both the Flames and Oilers to stay in their division and build rivalries with Seattle as well.

“I think all four teams involved can see the potential involved. We can have those four teams in the Northwest.

“Will our rivalry with Seattle become what it is with Vancouver? I think over time it will. I think that would be real important for all four franchises. We’d certainly view it as adding a rivalry for our fans in Edmonton.”

Nicholson said he’s just happy that Alberta didn’t bring in that insane idea of scrapping daylight savings time that had somehow gathered some momentum a few months ago, for what it could have meant in this situation. 1118910 Edmonton Oilers It’s fair to credit everyone in hockey ops from Peter Chiarelli down, while also giving accolades to Woodcroft for actually following through (that’s a big part of any chore). I also believe Keith Gretzky should be Oilers farm team in Bakersfield coming to a boil with quality prospects acknowledged; one of his early interviews included the quote, “I’ll do everything. Get to know what we have in the system. Spend some time in (AHL) Bakersfield. Get to know the team that we have in Edmonton, and overlook both the amateur and pro scouting departments.” By Allan Mitchell The aggressive procurement in college, undrafted CHL grads and Dec 2, 2018 European talent pools is contributing to this talent upsurge. Important to note it isn’t just in quantity, but also quality. Joel Persson is posting impressive numbers in Sweden, Kirill Maksimov has 16 goals in 23 OHL How many NHL players should the average minor-league team produce games, and Cooper Marody makes a difference in every AHL game he for its parent team each winter? It’s a difficult question to answer, but plays in. history can help us set a line in the sand. Edmonton’s first minor-league team, in 1979-80, played in Houston and was called the Apollos. From What does it all mean? that group, Edmonton graduated Charlie Huddy (undrafted, he would We can’t know which one or two (or three) of these prospects are going play over 1,000 NHL games); Tom Roulston (he posted a couple of 40- to blossom, and we certainly don’t know if we’ll ever see another Charlie point NHL seasons with the Oilers and Pittsburgh); plus Mark Messier, Huddy or Shawn Horcoff. What we do know is this: NHL teams that who was sent down for a few games after missing a team flight (he was procure quality and quantity when searching for minor-league prospects demoted as punishment, but apparently had a fabulous time enjoying have a far better chance of getting hits. Houston’s nightlife). If you look back at recent history, it’s easy to see what the Oilers were The 1981-82 Wichita Wind provided its parent team with goalie Andy doing wrong. The 2015-16 Condors featured leading scorer Matt Ford Moog (713 NHL games), Walt Poddubny (who would be used in a trade (30 at the time), Brad Hunt (27), Andrew Miller (26) and Ryan Hamilton by Glen Sather to acquire Laurie Boschman, Poddubny going on to (30), while prospects like Jujhar Khaira and others played secondary strong offensive seasons in Toronto, New York and Quebec City), plus roles. defenders Don Jackson (who had been kicking around for a time) and John Blum (who would catch on with the Boston Bruins). Chiarelli and Woodcroft appear to have changed all of that, with this season representing a breakthrough. The organization is doing a better Most seasons have produced at least one player of note: The 1982-83 job of procuring talent — both quality and quantity — while also playing Moncton Alpines, who delivered fine defenceman Steve Smith (804 NHL these kids heavily in the AHL right out of the box. games) are an example. The 1985-86 Nova Scotia Oilers boasted Esa Tikkanen (877), Marty McSorley (874) and Jeff Beukeboom (804), It’s a two-pronged approach to getting better in minor-league although Tikkanen and McSorley didn’t stay long in the minors that development. I believe this season is the first one in which all of the season. cannons are pointing in the right direction.

The 1994-95 Cape Breton Oilers produced Todd Marchant (1191), Miro Satan (1050), Greg DeVries (878), David Vyborny (543), David Oliver (233) — if you argued for that single season being the best in Oilers Allan Mitchell, minor-league history (in terms of developing useful talent), you might be right. The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 Oilers farm teams in the 2000s

Since the turn of the century, Edmonton’s farm teams have had a more difficult time, owing partly to some unusual decisions from ownership. The 2000-01 Hamilton Bulldogs delivered Shawn Horcoff (1,008 NHL games) and Fernando Pisani (462), that’s probably the strongest combination of players in the last two decades, although Daniel Cleary and Jason Chimera emerged from the 1999-00 Bulldogs.

The mature Condors

I think we’re reaching a point in Oilers history in which a spike in production from the minor-league pipeline will become a major factor, certainly the most impactful since the early 2000s. I also believe this edition of the Condors has a chance to produce more quality than we’ve seen in over a decade.

Why? Sheer numbers, plus a major tweak in usage. The numbers look like this: Edmonton’s minor-league roster currently features nine players who are 21 or younger. Many of those Condors are playing feature roles and having success. As an example, consider the defencemen and each man’s 5-on-5 goal differential so far this campaign:

The team’s three best prospects on the blue line (Bear, Jones and Lagesson) are all playing major minutes and having success. The two minor-league veterans, Ryan Stanton and Keegan Lowe, are part of the six regulars on the team but are not getting pushed ahead of the youngsters on the roster who should be considered possible future NHL players.

All information via Prospect-stats.com: A look at the current regular forwards shows even more aggressive usage of young players:

An impressive change in the weather under Jay Woodcroft at forward, with only one of the team’s top six scoring forwards an AHL veteran (Malone). In Marody, Benson and Hebig, Edmonton has three players who are flourishing in their rookie pro seasons and that’s a great sign for the future. I’ve written about Benson recently, with updates on Marody and Hebig on the way in the coming days. 1118911 Florida Panthers Mike Hoffman had one assist against Tampa Bay, and he has 24 points in his past 23 games.

Despite tough stretch, Florida’s offense clicking. And now Panthers get a needed rest Miami Herald LOADED: 12.03.2018

BY WALTER VILLA

December 02, 2018 10:43 AM

This was almost a great 24 hours for the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers had two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference standings land on their home schedule this weekend, and they beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in overtime on Friday and led the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Saturday.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Lightning scored four straight goals and prevailed 5-4 in overtime.

Brayden Point scored on a power play with 1:48 left in the extra session for Tampa Bay, but only after an interference call on Frank Vatrano gave the Lightning the man advantage.

“We know [Tampa Bay] is a good team, but we can’t let a lead like that go,” said Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau, who has six goals and 22 assists this season. “It was unfortunate, I think, the call in overtime.”

Huberdeau said he didn’t see what Vatrano did to get sent off.

“It’s hockey — it happens,” he said. “But it [stinks] to get a penalty in overtime.”

Here are four takeaways regarding the Panthers:

▪ 1: Closer needed: The Panthers have given up leads in each of their past three losses. Aside from Tampa Bay, they lost a 2-1 lead to the Anaheim Ducks, and they lost 2-0 and 4-2 leads to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Panthers coach Bob Boughner said Saturday’s loss was especially bitter.

“We were in full control,” he said. “We took a penalty in the [defensive] zone. Then we took a penalty 150 feet from our net in the neutral zone. It’s one thing we talked about — you can’t give [the Lightning] opportunities.”

▪ 2: Streak needed: The Panthers (10-10-5) haven’t won consecutive games all season except for a five-game win streak from Nov. 2-13.

The Panthers have just three more home games in this eight-contest stretch: the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday and the New York Rangers on Saturday. This would be a good time for the Panthers to start a win streak if they want to try to move up the standings.

▪ 3: Luck needed: Panthers goalie James Reimer gave up the tying goal Saturday on a fluke. Reimer stopped the original shot, but the rebound bounced in off the skates of Panthers forward Dryden Hunt.

Of the other four goals, two came on Tampa Bay power plays and another was the result of an ill-timed line change.

▪ 4: Rest needed: With no game Sunday or Monday, it’s the Panthers’ biggest break since they got back from Finland one month ago.

“It was our fifth game in eight days,” Boughner said of Saturday’s loss to the Lightning. “We started the week with a back to back, and we ended the week with a back to back. You could tell our tank was a little bit empty toward the end.”

▪ 5: Offense, don’t change a thing: Once the Panthers get back on the ice against the Bruins, they hope their offense continues to click, including a power play that has scored in 14 of their past 15 games.

Vatrano, Aleksander Barkov, Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadoov scored for the Panthers on Saturday, and Keith Yandle reached a milestone with career assist No. 400.

Huberdeau has a five-game, multi-point streak, and, during that run, he has two goals and nine assists. 1118912 Los Angeles Kings Quick made them impossible to score against on Sunday, but they owe him and their other goalies more support. Although their penalty killing was good enough to neutralize the Hurricanes’ five-on-three advantage, Quick, Martinez step up as Kings show signs of life the Kings’ own power play was blanked in four opportunities. Their power play ranks in the bottom five in the NHL and should be far more effective than it has been so far. That’s on the coaches as well as the players.

By HELENE ELLIOTT On Sunday, though, they found a way to win. They haven’t done that often enough to believe this will trigger a dramatic turnaround but it DEC 02, 2018 | 11:25 PM showed they have some life left in them.

Quick, Martinez step up as Kings show signs of life LA Times: LOADED: 12.03.2018 The Kings, who entered Sunday night’s game as the NHL’s lowest- scoring team, met the next-to-worst scoring team, the Carolina Hurricanes, and managed to claw out a 2-0 victory Sunday night at Staples Center thanks mainly to the superb goaltending of Jonathan Quick.

After the Kings won an offensive-zone faceoff, defenseman Alec Martinez drove to the net and redirected a pass from Jake Muzzin past Carolina goaltender Petr Mrazek with 2 minutes 13 seconds left in the third period. Kyle Clifford almost walked the puck into the empty net with 53 seconds left to clinch the victory, which was made possible by the sharp and confident performance from Quick.

The two-time Stanley Cup winner, who has been limited to six games this season because of knee surgery, kept the Kings in a plodding game by making 34 saves, highlighted by a nimble pad stop on Lucas Wallmark from point-blank range during the second period and strong work during a two-man advantage Carolina gained for 91 seconds in the third period. This was, remarkably, his first victory this season.

“He was incredible,” Martinez said after Quick’s first shutout of the season and the 50th of Quick’s career. “We wouldn’t have been in contention if not for him.”

The victory provided the Kings a happy ending to a day that began with news of more injuries. Winger Ilya Kovalchuk underwent an ankle bursectomy on Sunday, a procedure that removed the inflamed bursa sac in his foot, and he’s expected to be out for four weeks. He had five goals and 14 points in his first 14 games but had gone 11 games without a point and had been getting little ice time from interim coach Willie Desjardins. In addition, forward Adrian Kempe was scratched from Sunday’s lineup because of what was called an upper-body injury. He’s day to day. Desjardins used a lineup that included seven defensemen and 11 forwards, and the end result was the 19th time in 27 games this season the Kings had two goals or fewer.

Before the news about Kovalchuk and Kempe became public the Kings claimed winger Nikita Scherbak, a 2014 first-round draft pick, off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens. Intrigued by his speed and recognizing the team’s shortcomings in that area, general manager Rob Blake risked little by picking up the Russian winger, who will be 23 later this month. Scherbak was sent to the minor leagues after he couldn’t crack Montreal’s lineup out of training camp and he was on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury. It’s not clear when he will be able to join the Kings or when he will be fit to play.

“He’s a skill player, first-rounder one time,” Desjardins said after the morning skate. “He’s got some speed, so I think it gives us some chance to look at a guy.”

Young players should be given bigger roles, and soon. Clifford, Nate Thompson, and Dion Phaneuf aren’t part of the team’s long-term future, but Matt Luff, Austin Wagner and Paul LaDue might be part of the group that leads the Kings up from the depths they’re occupying now. If management is worried about selling tickets — a reasonable concern — sell the rebuilding process to fans as an emotional investment in the kids who will be the next generation of leaders here.

Sunday’s game was the first for the Kings in December and the first of a four-game homestand. Flipping the calendar apparently reinforced the dire nature of their situation. “We’re at that point where we have to win games just to stay alive,” Dustin Brown said after the morning skate. “This is the hole we put ourselves in so we’ve got to keep working to try to get ourselves out of it, and it’s going to take everybody.”

Defenseman Drew Doughty also recognized the urgency to take advantage of home ice. “This is huge for us,” he said. “We want to be a team that other teams don’t want to come into our arena and play us.” 1118913 Los Angeles Kings

Kings claim Nikita Scherbak off waivers with Ilya Kovalchuk to have ankle surgery

By HELENE ELLIOTT

DEC 02, 2018 | 12:15 PM

Kings claim Nikita Scherbak off waivers with Ilya Kovalchuk to have ankle surgery

The Kings claimed right wing Nikita Scherbak off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, hoping the former first-round draft pick can restart his career in new surroundings.

Russian-born Scherbak, who will be 23 later this month, was selected 26th overall by the Canadiens in 2014. He scored one goal in three games in the 2016-17 season and had four goals and six points in 26 games with Montreal this season. He played two seasons in the Western Hockey League and two seasons in the American Hockey League and so is familiar with North American rinks and the style of play.

The 6-2, 192-pouind winger, who shoots left, has been injured recently and will be examined by the Kings’ medical staff when he joins the team. The Kings rank last in the NHL in scoring at an average of 2.12 goals per game.

“He’s a skill player, first-rounder one time,” Kings coach Willie Desjardins said Sunday after the team practiced in advance of Sunday night’s game against Carolina at Staples Center. “He’s got some speed, so I think it gives us some chance to look at a guy. We’re still trying to find the right guys on the wing out of those young guys and he’s a young guy so it’s a good chance for us to look at a young player.”

He also said he hopes winger Ilya Kovalchuk will have a good influence on Scherbak. “It’s interesting him coming in too. Kovalchuk, him and I, I haven’t given him that ice time but I sure like his character and he’ll help with the young Russian coming in,” Desjardins said. “Kovalchuk’s got great character and he trains hard, so that will be good for a young guy coming in. He’ll be able to mentor [Scherbak] a little.”

Just past noon, the Kings announced that Kovalchuk had undergone an ankle bursectomy procedure Sunday morning and said the 35-year-old forward is expected to miss about four weeks.

Kovalchuk had started the season well, scoring five goals and 14 points in his first 14 games, but he had no points in his next 11 games and was demoted by Desjardins to the fourth line and to the second power-play unit.

In addition, Desjardins said the defense pairs he sent out for Sunday’s morning skate—Derek Forbort with Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin with Alec Martinez, and Dion Phaneuf with Oscar Fantenberg—were subject to change because the defense corps is “just banged up a bit here.” Paul LaDue would step in if one of the designated six can’t play.

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information about Kovalchuk’s injury.

This article was originally published at 11:50 a.m.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118914 Los Angeles Kings and had a couple of real good chances, but Mrazek was up to the challenge.

The Kings had another power-play chance early in the second period Alec Martinez’s late goal helps Kings in shutout victory when Justin Williams, a member of the Kings’ 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup-winning teams, was called for goalie interference at 1:42.

By ROBERT MORALES The Kings mustered little, getting just one shot on goal.

PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 10:29 pm Not long after, Derek Forbort of the Kings was called for holding at 4:48. The Kings did a good job of killing that penalty. UPDATED: December 3, 2018 at 12:02 am Calvin de Haan of Carolina was called for elbowing at 10:39 of the period. This time the Kings did not even get one shot on goal during the power play. LOS ANGELES – Hard work, great goaltending. Would the fourth time be the charm? Nope. Brock McGinn of Carolina That’s what the Kings had going Sunday, and it added up to a 2-0 victory was called for tripping at 16:55, but once again the Kings’ power-play did over the Carolina Hurricanes before 17,546 at Staples Center. not bear fruit, making them 0-for-4 through two periods. Having been turned away all game by Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek, Williams, who was with the Kings from 2008 through 2015, praised Quick who had several fine stops among his 33 saves, the Kings finally got and Mrazek. through when Alec Martinez scored at the 17:47 mark of the third period. Kyle Clifford got the other goal when he scored into an empty net at “Well, obviously, both great goalies,” Williams said. “Jonathan Quick is 19:07. It was No. 2 for Martinez, No. 4 for Clifford. just a great goalie.”

Quick made 34 saves, several of them notable. His teammates also killed The Kings suited up seven defensemen for this game and only 11 a 5-on-3 Carolina power-play midway through the third. forwards because Adrian Kempe was ruled out with an upper-body injury and Ilya Kovalchuk had an ankle bursectomy Sunday morning and will be The Kings (10-16-1, 21 points) entered with the worst record in the out four weeks. league, and were 1-2-0 on their just-concluded road trip. It was a big win, indeed. The Kings’ fourth line on paper consisted of rookie Sheldon Rempal and Nate Thompson. The Hurricanes are 12-10-4 (28 points). Next up for the Kings are the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night at 7:30 Martinez showed a lot of emotion after he scored his goal that was at Staples Center. assisted by Jake Muzzin and Dustin Brown.

“Obviously, points have been hard to come by for us thus far,” Martinez said. “We keep talking that we’ve gotta start climbing back in the Robert Morales standings. And I said it before the game, I think we’ve been doing a better job of playing more consistently.

“But that also has to translate into results and points and so, obviously, Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2018 that was a pretty emotional one. I think if anything, you wanted to do it for Quickie because, I mean, Jonathan Quick was simply outstanding.”

Martinez wanted to accentuate just how solid Quick was in earning his first victory of the season; he missed five weeks because of knee surgery and came in 0-4-1 with a goals-against-average of 4.24.

“I mean, I’ve seen that guy play a lot of great hockey and that game was certainly up there,” Martinez said.

Quick was asked what his first thought was when he saw Martinez’s goal break the scoreless deadlock so late in the game.

“We scored,” Quick said.

Quick liked the way his team put pressure on Mrazek.

“We created a lot of chances, we did a great job of getting chances,” he said. “Mrazek played great and kept his guys in it, so it’s just a big win there for us.”

The news wasn’t all good. The Kings, with one of the worst power-play success rates in the league – it was 15.2 percent before the game – went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Kings interim coach Willie Desjardins loved what he saw from Quick.

“Well, we had good chances, but Quick was equally as good at our end, for sure,” he said.

He admitted he was thrilled when he saw Martinez get one past Mrazek.

“It was exciting,” Desjardins said. “The guys played hard to try to get some points. It was great to see that one go in at that time. All the bench was excited with it.”

The Kings out-shot the Hurricanes 35-34.

There was no scoring in the first period. But Quick and Mrazek both had to come up with big saves during the period.

The Kings had the only power-play opportunity, which began 4:40 into the period when Carolina’s Justin Faulk was called for interference. The Kings did well to get several shots on goal during the man-advantage, 1118915 Los Angeles Kings Kovalchuk did not play at Calgary, missing his first game of the season. Desjardins said at the morning skate he would likely have an update on Kovalchuk later at the game, but the Kings issued an early afternoon More passion not yet producing many wins for Kings release about the procedure he had Sunday morning.

Kovalchuk, who signed a three-year, $18.75 million contract over the summer, got off to a quick start and at one point led the team with 14 By ROBERT MORALES points (5 goals, 9 assists). But he had gone the past 11 consecutive games without a point when his injury was revealed. PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 7:42 pm Kovalchuk last scored when he had a goal and an assist in a Nov. 6 win UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 7:43 PM over the Ducks.

His ice time was dwindling. LOS ANGELES – Lately the Kings have looked like a hungrier team on Kings claim Scherbak the ice. Their passion has been up, but they’re still not winning, defenseman Dion Phaneuf points out. The Kings announced Sunday they claimed forward Nikita Scherbak off waivers from Montreal. Scherbak, 22, has not played an NHL game this Adding more bad news to a team that has had plenty this season, the season, but has played in five AHL games. He has been on injured Kings on Sunday announced that forward Ilya Kovalchuk will miss about reserve with a lower-body injury, but apparently is close to being ready. four weeks after having an ankle bursectomy. Scherbak, out of Russia, played in 26 games for the Canadiens in ’17-’18 Phaneuf agrees the team is playing harder, but … and had four goals and two assists. “I think we’ve played better of late,” he said at the Sunday morning skate ahead of the team’s game against Carolina at Staples Center. “But with saying that, it’s about finding ways to win games. We’re obviously not Robert Morales happy with the results we’ve had, especially the last couple.

“But overall, I do think our game, we’ve been playing more consistent, we’ve been playing with more compete than we had and we’ve gotta Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2018 continue to get better because it’s about winning games.”

It was pointed out to Phaneuf that even though the team has only played roughly a third of its games, the playoff picture is an issue. Certainly, with the worst record in the league, getting further behind can’t be taken lightly.

Phaneuf didn’t disagree, but he said first things first.

“Really, you’ve gotta focus on the smaller picture rather than the big picture,” he said. “You’ve gotta focus on the process of finding your game and playing better and I think we’ve done a better job in a lot of areas.

“But there are a lot of areas we can improve on. So, obviously, where we’re sitting in the standings is not acceptable. We’re not happy about it, we realize where we’re at.”

The Kings are playing a bit better defensively, but their special teams rank near the bottom of the league. This is the area in which the Kings can help themselves.

The team, averaging a league-low 2.12 goals, before Sunday had a 15.2- percent success rate on the power play – 12 goals in 79 chances – tying it for 27th with Anaheim. The Kings were 29th in penalty-kill with a percentage of 72.7, having allowed 21 goals in 77 short-handed situations.

Forward Dustin Brown, who plays in all situations, agrees with Phaneuf that the team is playing harder these days.

“I think that’s part of the reason we’ve been able to hang in games, yeah,” he said.

However, he bemoaned the special-teams play.

“But at the end of the day, we haven’t been good enough lately,” said Brown, whose team went 1-2 on the just-concluded road trip to go 5-8-0 under interim coach Willie Desjardins. “It’s hard to win in this league, so you’ve gotta be going on all cylinders with everyone going. And our special teams need to be a lot better.

“We have good games and good shifts on the PK and then give up two power-play goals. Same thing on the power play. We’ll have a good game and then follow it up with a game where we’re not even getting a shot on goal. It’s up to those players on both those units – power-play and penalty-kill – to figure it out.”

Desjardins admitted his team ran out of gas in Friday’s 4-1 loss at Calgary on the second leg of a back-to-back. But he, too, believes his players are showing more passion.

“I think it’s been better,” he said.

Kovalchuk injury 1118916 Los Angeles Kings

Kings F Kovalchuk out 4 weeks after ankle surgery

By ROBERT MORALES

PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 1:27 pm

UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 1:35 PM

The struggling Kings can’t catch a break.

On Sunday, they announced forward Ilya Kovalchuk underwent an ankle bursectomy and will miss about four weeks.

Kovalchuk, signed to a three-year free-agent contract over the summer, got off to a quick start and at one point led the team with 14 points on five goals and nine assists.

But Kovalchuk has not had a point in his past 11 games and his ice time has dwindled.

Kovalchuk, 35, was a point-per-game player over 11 NHL seasons before going to play in his native Russia for five seasons ahead of signing with the Kings.

The Kings (9-16-1, 19 points) have the worst record in the NHL. They host the Carolina Panthers (12-9-4, 28 points) at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Staples Center.

Robert Morales

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118917 Los Angeles Kings I just thought as a team we were able to get a win and that’s what it comes down to. We’ve kind of dug ourselves a little bit of a hole here and we need to win games, so we were able to do that tonight. We’ve got a DECEMBER 2 RAPID REACTION (FEAT. JOHN HOVEN): KINGS 2, game in two days and we’re going to try to do that again in two days. HURRICANES 0 Alec Martinez, on what the feeling was after he scored:

I mean, I think obviously, points have been hard to come by thus far and JON ROSEN we keep talking that we’ve got to start climbing back into the standings and I said it before the game, I think that we’ve been doing a better job of DECEMBER 2, 20180 playing more consistently, but that also has to translate into results and points. Obviously that was a pretty emotional one. I think, if anything, you

wanted to do it for Quickie because Jonathan Quick was simply Willie Desjardins, on his first thoughts after Alec Martinez scored: outstanding. I’ve seen that guy play a lot of really good hockey and that game was certainly up there, so if for nothing else, do it for him. We had good chances, but Quick was equally good at our end, for sure. It was exciting. The guys played hard to try to get some points. It was Martinez, on whether he knew right off the faceoff that he was headed to great to see that one go in at that time. All the bench was excited with it. the net:

Desjardins, on what Los Angeles did well to limit Carolina’s possession Not really. It was somewhat of a set play, but I wasn’t really — somewhat strengths: of a set play, but it was kind of a hockey read off of a set play that we try to run sometimes. We watched them on video, and we know that they stretch a lot and their D join, so it had to be a matter where our defense was standing up, Martinez, on what they did to outshoot a Carolina team that has the best taking away their time with [inaudible], and we had guys tracking back to shot differential in the league: make sure their D didn’t jump in. I think for one, Jonathan Quick. Two, they’re a team they throw a lot on Desjardins, on how big of a victory this was: net. You saw them tonight, they try to create a lot of speed in neutral and send guys and do different outside-in routes and I think we did a fairly I don’t know, we’re going to have to get some victories as we go here. It good job of shutting them down in neutral and that obviously helps you in was nice to get it at home, play a good game at home. We hadn’t been your own end. as good at home as we would’ve liked to have been. It was nice to play a complete game here. And I said the effort’s here. The guys are playing Justin Williams, on what he saw in a tough loss: hard. Again, Quick, he was just outstanding tonight. He gave us a Well obviously both great goalies. Jonathan Quick is just a great goalie. chance, and we expect that every night that when he’s in there, we know We can just look at the obvious and how we were on a 5-on-3 for over a that we’ll have a chance. Got a big penalty kill, too, which was important. minute and not getting it done and bounced back, but that is just how it That five-on-three was a big kill. [Reporter: He was your best penalty seems to work. We had our opportunities to win the game and the guys killer, wasn’t he, on that five-on-three? He seemed very aggressive.] on the ice just could not get it done and we just had to fight. Yeah, Dave Lowry did a good job. He kind of designed the play for the faceoff, and his kills were good tonight. It was a good team effort, like all Post-game Notes those guys. Clifford blocking that shot late in the game, there were lots of guys selling out and blocking shots, and you need that to win. –With the win, Los Angeles improved to 38-30-10 all-time against the Carolina franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 24-12-3. The Desjardins, on Adrian Kempe not playing after taking warm-ups: Kings improved to 9-2-0 in the last 11 home games in the series. These teams will complete their season series on February 26 at PNC Arena. We’ll have to evaluate him again here tonight. I thought he might go. Obviously he’s close, but we’ll have to evaluate him again. –With the win, the Kings improved to 5-6-0 against the Eastern Conference, 3-2-0 against the Metropolitan Division, 3-4 in two-goal Desjardins, on differences between the first and second power play units: games, 9-2-0 when scoring first, 6-6-0 when tied after one period, 3-3-1 Yeah, I think it’s tough – we had different guys coming on and off that when tied after two periods and 3-6-0 when outshooting their opponent. power play unit. Kempe’s always a big part of it, so they had different –Los Angeles improved to 105-46-39 when tied after two periods since personnel, and I think that the first unit got quite a bit of the time. I was 2009-10. happy with the power play tonight, though. I thought Kopitar’s unit created quite a few chances, so that was good to see. –Jonathan Quick recorded his first shutout of the season and the 50th of his career. He is the 30th goalie in NHL history to record at least 50 Desjardins, on utilizing 11 forwards and seven defensemen: shutouts and is now tied with Chris Osgood for 29th place in that statistic. Kopitar played an awful lot tonight, and that’s what it did. The centermen Currently tied for 25th place with 51 shutouts are Rogie Vachon, Dave had to play more minutes. Kopitar was outstanding with the amount of Kerr, Tomas Vokoun and Marc-Andre Fleury. minutes he played and what he could log. That did change it up a little –Since departing Los Angeles prior to the 2015-16 season, Justin bit. Especially for Kopitar, he just got more minutes than we usually Williams has lost all four games (0-2-2) he has played at Staples Center. would like him to get. He has two assists in those four games. Jonathan Quick, on the 5-on-3 penalty kill: –Both of Alec Martinez’s goals this season have been game-winners PK unit did a great job tonight, especially on the 5-on-3. It takes a lot of (also 10/28/18 vs NYR). His two game-winning goals lead the team. courage blocking shots like those guys were doing and we got some –With his fifth assist of the season, Jake Muzzin (48-150=198) is just two clears on the 5-on-3 that were huge, just kind of releases the pressure a points shy of 200 in his career. little bit. We created a lot of chances. We did a great job getting chances and Mrazek played great on the other end and kept it zero-zero. So it –By assisting on Martinez’s game-winner, Dustin Brown now has seven was just a big win tonight too. points (5-2=7) in his last five games.

Quick, on what impressed him most about the team’s performance: –Anze Kopitar played a season-high 25:48. It was his most regular season ice time since he logged 27:01 in a 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville We scored more than them. We’ve got to win games and in order to do on November 4, 2017. It was his most ice time in a game decided in that, in order to win games, we’ve got to score more goals than the team regulation since a 26:44 outing in a 5-3 loss at Ottawa on December 14, we’re playing, so that’s what we did tonight. 2015. Quick, on his first thought after Martinez scored with just over two –Los Angeles won 36-of-72 faceoffs (50%). Michael Amadio won 1-of-3, minutes left to play: Anze Kopitar won 16-of-32, Alex Iafallo won 0-of-1, Nate Thompson won We scored. 5-of-11, Austin Wagner won 0-of-1 and Jeff Carter won 14-of-24.

Quick, on what he liked about his performance: –The Kings attempted 56 shots (35 on goal, 10 blocked, 11 missed). The Hurricanes attempted 69 shots (34 on goal, 20 blocked, 15 missed). Jeff Carter and Dougie Hamilton tied with a game-high six shots on goal.

The Kings are scheduled to hold an optional practice at Toyota Sports Center at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 3.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118918 Los Angeles Kings

FINAL – ONTARIO 5, TUCSON 4 (OT)

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 2, 20180

There’s something about a Sunday afternoon matchup between Ontario and Tucson that brings out the excitement……the two teams squared off in a high-offensive, overtime thriller for the second time in seven days, with Ontario once again coming away with the two points via a 5-4 victory on home ice.

The two teams traded goals throughout, ending in Philippe Maillet’s overtime winner, capping off the first hat trick of his professional career. With the victory, Ontario moved to 9-8-2-1 on the season, with eight wins from its last 12 games played.

While there were no four-goal comebacks to be had this afternoon, as was the case seven days prior, the game featured tie games at 1-1, 3-3 and 4-4, with four lead changes, including three the way of the Reign. Maillet’s hat trick marked a professional career high in goals and a season-high in points, while snapping a 17-game scoring drought in the process, his first goal since October 6.

Forward Zack Mitchell also broke a scoreless drought (eight games) with his fourth goal of the season. Defenseman Kurtis MacDermid had a multi-point game for the Reign as well, scoring a power-play goal on a sequence where he was stationed in front of the net as a forward, using his 6-5, 230-lb frame to screen the goaltender and re-direct an Alex Lintuniemi shot into the back of the net.

Also of note – All six Ontario blueliners factored into the scoring with an assist on the evening, with MacDermid (1-1-2) and Matt Roy (0-2-2) collecting multi-point games and defenseman Sean Walker extending his scoring streak to six games. Forward Gabe Vilardi, skating in his third pro game, collected his first professional point, the only assist on Maillet’s second goal, which put Ontario ahead 4-3 at the time in the third period.

Today’s contest also marked one of the chippier Ontario games this season – The teams combined for 52 penalty minutes and 10 total power plays and they will square off in a back-to-back set next weekend in Arizona, capping off a stretch of four games out of six for the Reign coming against the Roadrunners.

The Reign’s trip to Tucson this week marks the first time this season they have visited the Roadrunners, with the first of two games scheduled for Friday, December 7 at 6:05 Pacific.

Mike Stothers on whether he felt Tucson underestimated the Reign at all

Nope, we’re a good hockey team, that’d be a mistake, to ever underestimate us. Standings don’t mean much, there’s not much difference between where we are and where they are. We’re now one point closer.

Gabe Vilardi on doing the smaller things and feeling more comfortable

Definitely. It’s three games in now and I kind of have a sense now of where I need to be and I feel comfortable out there.

On coming off of the back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday

Stockton definitely was the toughest of the three games, back-to-back it’s hard, I hadn’t done that in a while. When I woke up I was fine, but it was definitely tiring during the game.

On playing with different linemates

I mean, I don’t pay too much attention to that. I play with good players whoever I’m with, whether I’m on the fourth line or the first line it doesn’t really matter. I think we had a lot of chances tonight, obviously we couldn’t bury as many as we’d like, but we won so that’s what matters.

*Note – Had some recording issues and wound up with only one of Stothers’ post-game quotes

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118919 Los Angeles Kings

GAME 27: LOS ANGELES VS CAROLINA

JESSI MCDONALD

DECEMBER 2, 20180

GAME THREADS

Los Angeles Kings 2, Carolina Hurricanes 0

Final score

Preview

Box Score

Ice Tracker

Fox Sports Live Stream

SOG: LAK – 35; CAR – 34

PP: LAK – 0/4; CAR – 0/3

First Period

No scoring

Second Period

No scoring

Third Period

LAK – Alec Martinez (2) (Jake Muzzin, Dustin Brown); 17:47

LAK ENG – Kyle Clifford (4) (Jeff Carter); 19:07

Los Angeles Kings (9-16-1) vs Carolina Hurricanes (12-9-4)

Sunday, December 2, 2018, 7:30 p.m. PT

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

Referees: #3 Chris Schlenker, #36 Dean Morton

Linesmen: #87 Devin Berg, #95 Jonny Murray

Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, LA Kings Audio Network

LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Derek Forbort, D Drew Doughty, LW Kyle Clifford, C Jeff Carter, RW Tyler Toffoli

LAK scratches: FWD Adrian Kempe, FWD Ilya Kovalchuk

CAR starters: G Petr Mrazek, D Jaccob Slavin, D Dougie Hamilton, LW Sebastian Aho, C, Jordan Staal, RW Teuvo Teravainen

CAR scratches: D Brett Pesce, FWD Micheal Ferland

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118920 Los Angeles Kings and he was a nice guy,” according to Wagner. “He works hard, so he’ll be a good addition.”

Wagner occasionally lined up opposite Scherbak when Regina faced SCOUTING REPORTS AND NOTES ON NIKITA SCHERBAK Saskatoon. “He’s a skilled player. He has a really good shot, good hands, and he can move, so I think it will be good to have him here,” he said.

JON ROSEN –Scouting reports elsewhere were consistent. When committed, Scherbak can be a very good player with a skill set aligned towards the DECEMBER 2, 20180 offensive zone, and a change of scenery could potentially do him good. He’s most dangerous on the rush and capable of using his feet to drive

wide before cutting towards the front of the net. Still, that speed is still Several notes on right wing Nikita Scherbak, claimed off waivers Sunday mostly straight line, up-and-down-the-ice speed. He has deceptive hands by the LA Kings: that give him good range and can be “tricky” with the puck on his stick; at the AHL level, he showed an ability to make plays from the half wall. The –Scherbak, who turns 23 on December 30, was selected 26th overall in Kings will look to combine these aspects of his game, and his offensive 2014. Montreal, who also took a long look at Adrian Kempe that draft zone playmaking, and see if he seizes an opportunity with the new cycle, opted for Scherbak three spots before Los Angeles drafted. Per surroundings. Lisa Dillman of The Athletic, immigration paperwork may take some time to work out. He has five goals in seven points in 29 NHL games and 28 goals and 95 points in 145 AHL games. Last season, he totaled seven LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 goals and 30 points in 26 games with AHL-Laval. “It’s good. He’s a skilled player, a first-rounder at one time. He’s got some speed, so it gives us a good chance to look at a guy,” Willie Desjardins said. “Right now, I think we’re still trying to find the right guys out of those young guys, and he’s a young guy, so it’s a good chance for us to look at a young player.”

Scherbak suffered a lower-body injury on November 9 while on a conditioning loan to Laval and hasn’t played since. As of now, per hockey operations, he remains on injured reserve. “I think he’s good. I haven’t seen him come in here,” Desjardins said when asked about his health. “Our guys are going to have to look at him.”

–This is, by all accounts, a no-cost, low-risk move to add additional depth in a player whose speed and skill are in line with what the team is trying to recruit, scout, draft and sign. Scherbak is a skilled forward who has not yet established consistency in his play away from the puck.

–More from Claude Julien, this time earlier today from the Montreal coach’s media availability: “He just didn’t have a great camp,” Julien said, as shared by Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. “We sent him to Laval, he was having a hard time finding his game. We had to make a decision based on our roster. Unfortunately, that’s what happens. Would we have liked to keep him and have an opportunity to send him to Laval? I’m sure we would have. But it happens. There’s guys claimed on waivers … there was more of them claimed this week. So it is part of the game, unfortunately. It’s part of the CBA and in the rules, so you live with it and you move on.”

Julien also noted that Scherbak hadn’t been able to push anyone else out of a lineup spot. “He’s still a young player but, unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity just to send him down to the minors without putting him on waivers,” he said, according to the Montreal Gazette.

–Desjardins thinks Ilya Kovalchuk, who will be out for approximately four weeks after undergoing an ankle bursectomy, will be a good role model for the young forward. “Kovalchuk, maybe I haven’t given him the ice time part, but I sure like his character,” he said. “He’ll help the young Russian coming in. Like, Kovalchuk’s got great character and he trains hard, so that’ll be good for a young guy coming in. He’ll be able to mentor him a little bit.”

–Loose possession stats based on a 29-game sample indicate that he’s been pushed back a bit. Last year, in 26 games, he was a -3.6 CF%Rel; overall in his NHL career, Montreal posted a 46.5% CF% when Scherbak was on the ice in five-on-five situations. He has 42 shots in 29 games while averaging over 13 minutes per game; his individual 5.5 Sh/60 is on pace with Anze Kopitar’s, and Kopitar has been encouraged to shoot more amidst heavier usage.

–Scherbak is a former Everett Silvertip, and several old pals who worked with him in the WHL praised his energy and personality but shared some caveats in line with what has been shared elsewhere. “Tools are there, but he had trouble playing within the system,” one source shared. If he suits up in one game for Los Angeles, he’d be the very first former Silvertip to play for the organization. Huzzah!

During his draft year, Scherbak played for Saskatoon and was a divisional rival of Austin Wagner. The two have also trained together in Calgary in the off-season. They weren’t in the same groups, but the two were familiar with each other, and “I saw him around the gym a little bit 1118921 Los Angeles Kings some of that, but at the end of the day, it’s just not good enough. We just have got to be better at it.”

It probably isn’t a coincidence this skid has coincided, almost entirely, DECEMBER 2: PROJECTED LINEUP; YOUNG BOTTOM SIX; HOW with Tanner Pearson’s trade to Pittsburgh, and the injuries to Trevor CAN THE PK IMPROVE? Lewis and Pearson’s replacement, Carl Hagelin. Both are among the most experienced and capable penalty killers in the league. But Los Angeles often used an eight-man forward rotation in their kill last season, JON ROSEN and as the reigning Jennings Trophy winners and a team whose identity has forged through strong defensive play, there should be other players DECEMBER 2, 20180 equipped to handle additional minutes in that role. Desjardins wasn’t looking at personnel as the main cause behind the fall, however.

MORNING SKATE NOTES “The thing that’s a little bit ironic is how good the penalty kill’s been in previous years, and we haven’t changed anything structurally-wise, or INSIDERS. A good afternoon to you. The LA Kings took the Toyota personnel-wise, either,” he said. “So, all of a sudden, why are we giving Sports Center ice shortly before 10:00 a.m. this morning and aligned up so much? We do have to look at it a little harder. We’ve got to analyze thusly: exactly what’s happening. Dave Lowry’s done that. He’s looked at it, he ran it last year, too. He has a good handle on it, but you’re right, we have Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown to be better in that area.” Clifford-Carter-Toffoli Perhaps we’ll see a kill with more aggression tonight, ready to pounce on Wagner-Kempe-Luff mishandles and mistakes.

Thompson-Amadio-Rempal “I think we can do a better job of being more aggressive at our own blue and not allowing entry and then having a mentality when you see one Forbort-Doughty guy, see guys’ numbers, see a bobbled puck, sometimes if a guy is on an entry, a guy can kind of be isolated,” Martinez said. “Recognizing that Muzzin-Martinez and kind of jumping up and trying to take away his time and space when Phaneuf-Fantenberg he doesn’t necessarily have the best outlet. I think when one guy jumps, we should all be jumping. So there’s quite a few different areas that you Notes! can be aggressive and I think that that’s something that when we’ve had –The vitals: Jonathan Quick was the first goalie to leave the ice and is success in the past. I want to say we had a top five PK for the past 10 expected to draw the start in net. In eight career appearances against years … and I think that that’s what we were doing when we were Carolina, he’s 5-3-0 with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .925 save successful.” percentage. Nikita Scherbak has not yet arrived and didn’t skate, nor did –Los Angeles is an older team, but that average age is coming down a Ilya Kovalchuk, who is expected to miss approximately four weeks after bit through injury and acquisition. When soon-to-be-23-year-old Nikita undergoing an ankle bursectomy. Paul LaDue, who played more than 15 Scherbak arrives, he’ll join a group that tonight will feature on its bottom minutes Friday for the first time this season, is a projected scratch, but six a 22-year-old (Kempe) centering a pair of 21-year-olds (Wagner, “that may change,” according to Willie Desjardins, who noted that a Luff), and veteran Nate Thompson centering a 22-year-old (Amadio) and player currently in the lineup is “banged up” and will draw some attention a 23-year-old (Rempal). before the game as to whether they’ll be able to go. Wait for the song, yada yada yada. These younger players have combined to accrue 217 NHL games, 184 of which come from Adrian Kempe and Michael Amadio. The NHL is not a –Their vitals: Carolina did not hold a morning skate as Staples Center developmental league, though, so these players, especially away from plays host to a Lakers matinee against Phoenix, so there are no updated Staples Center, are facing some challenging situations against world- lines and pairings. Before departing for Los Angeles, the Hurricanes class players. activated defensemen Brett Pesce (lower-body) and Haydn Fleury (concussion) and assigned defenseman Jake Bean to Charlotte. “Yeah, it’s harder on the road for sure to get the match-ups, and I thought “Hopefully they’ll both be ready to go,” Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour told they did a good job,” Desjardins said. “Like, sometimes we had to go Hurricanes Senior Web Producer Michael Smith. They’re healthy. The down to three lines to kind of load up that third line a little bit to watch structured Hurricanes, who have built a dynasty in the Corsi Hockey those match-ups, but overall, guys played hard. Luff and Kempe got hard League, again lead the NHL in possession, clocking in at 57.0 CF% match-ups all the time. Sometimes they were with Thompson, sometimes entering tonight. “They’re quick, really explosive, lots of stretch passes. they were with Wagner. I thought the guys did a good job with that.” They put up lots of shots. They’re a team known for that, for volume,” That they did. Kempe’s line often drew Connor McDavid’s line last Desjardins said. “But real quick transition, lots of long passes.” This will Thursday – both Matt Luff and Austin Wagner saw more five-on-five time be Los Angeles’ first look at the second overall pick from this past June, against McDavid than any other Edmonton forward – and were the Andrei Svechnikov. The 18-year-old Russian has six goals, 12 points and recipients of Vancouver’s skilled Goldobin-Pettersson-Boeser a plus-one rating while averaging 14:07 of ice time. 2014 Conn Smythe combination last Tuesday. Trophy winner and current Hurricanes captain Justin Williams ranks fourth on his team, just above Svechnikov, with 14 points (4-10=14). When not drawing the likes of McDavid and Elias Pettersson, they were Carolina will wear its red jerseys, Los Angeles its road whites. forechecking to get the team on the scoreboard Friday night against the Flames as Kempe finished off a pass from Wagner on a good hustle shift –The Kings’ penalty kill is hurting. They’re 19 for their last 32, having lost for his third goal of the season. games on back-to-back nights when they were unable to will out a late- game kill, and now rank 29th in the league with a 72.7% rate that’s “We split them up early [in Calgary], but I had liked that combination. It’s difficult to fathom. From 2010-11 through 2017-18, Los Angeles and St. scored in the past too for us,” Desjardins said. “They’ve got two guys that Louis are tied atop the league with a cumulative 83.9% rate. The last go pretty hard on the wing, Kempe’s a pretty good skater, and it’s nice time they were even below 80% was in 2007-08. when you’re a young line. When you’re all young, it’s not like you have to give anybody the puck, You don’t feel like you’re looking at one guy, so One area that Los Angeles could make a concerted shift to improve, they kind of just work as a unit a little better. They’ve been good.” according to Alec Martinez, is being more aggressive. “I’d rather be aggressive and get beat by good plays than be passive and get beat by –More to come shortly on Nikita Scherbak. Essentially, this is a low-risk, good plays. I think that we’ve talked about that as a group, and hopefully no-cost move to bring in another young player to provide depth whose things turn around going forward here,” he said. speed and skill-based package aligns with what the team is looking to find and cultivate. There are some shortcomings in his consistency and “I think if you look at Edmonton, what hurt us was that shot in the middle. play without the puck that he’ll strive to improve amidst the change of I think the game winner, Carts was standing right there and it just goes scenery, so they say. More to come on the team’s first ever Everett right through his legs on the ice, and with all the traffic in front, that’s a Silvertip later today. pretty tough save for Quickie to make because there’s at least three or four, maybe more, bodies in front of him. I think that we’ve addressed –I’ve joked with Cal Petersen that he’s becoming a good broadcaster with the number of times he’s joined us on the LA Kings Live post-game show recently. He’s down to earth and intelligent, and that comes through in this feature story by Deborah Lew of LAKings.com.

–Tonight’s officials are referees Dean Morton and Chris Schlenker and linesmen Devin Berg and Jonny Murray. Staff Sargeant Michael Polmanteer of the United States Army will perform tonight’s anthem. Let’s talk soon, Insiders.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118922 Los Angeles Kings

KOVALCHUK UNDERGOES ANKLE BURSECTOMY; EXPECTED TO MISS FOUR WEEKS

JON ROSEN

DECEMBER 2, 20180

Forward Ilya Kovalchuk has undergone an ankle bursectomy procedure and is expected to miss “about” four weeks, as shared by the LA Kings on Sunday.

Bursa sacs – fluid filled sacs that cushion areas of high friction such as joints – are located throughout the body and can become infected.

Kovalchuk, who has five goals and 14 points in 25 games, missed Friday’s game at Calgary with what was noted as an ankle injury by Kings coach Willie Desjardins. After the game, Desjardins added that it was an “infection” rather than any injury that occurred during the game the previous night in Edmonton. “It’s something that flared up,” he said.

Kovalchuk has not been placed on injured reserve and remains on Los Angeles’ active roster, which currently has 22 players, not including Nikita Scherbak, who was claimed off waivers this morning from Montreal, with whom he had been on injured reserve.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118923 Los Angeles Kings

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018

PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. TUCSON, 12/2

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 2, 20180

GAME PREVIEWONTARIO REIGN

WHO: Ontario Reign (8-8-2-1) vs. Tucson Roadrunners (11-5-1-1)

WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME

WHEN: Sunday, December 2, @ 3:00 PM

WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena – Ontario, CA

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign host the Tucson Roadrunners in a Sunday matinee at Citizens Business Bank Arena to kick off the month of December. Ontario enters tonight’s action at .500 for the season, coming off of a split earlier this week with a win in Bakersfield on Thursday, followed by a loss in Stockton on Friday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign return home following a back-to- back on the road on Thursday and Friday. Ontario enters tonight’s game fifth in the Pacific Division, with just six points separating Tucson, sitting in second place, from San Diego, which sits in seventh. The Reign enter today’s game with a 2-0-0 record on Sundays and a 3-0-0 record in morning and afternoon games this season. The Reign have been off the ice since their game in Stockton on Friday – Stay tuned later for updates regarding today’s lineup.

MEEP, MEEP: Ontario is currently in a stretch where it will faceoff four times against Tucson over a six-game span, including three consecutive meetings over the next seven days. The Reign began the stretch in thrilling fashion, with a 7-6 overtime victory over the Roadrunners last Sunday at the CBBA. Ontario trailed by four goals during the third period and overturned the deficit, before winning the game in overtime.

SEAN OF THE DEAD: Reign blueliner Sean Walker collected another assist in Friday’s loss in Stockton, his fifth straight game with a point, tying him for the second longest active scoring streak in the AHL by a defenseman. Walker has tallied eight points (1-7-8) over the five games, including three multi-point efforts. Entering today’s action, Walker ranks fourth in the league in points-per-game by a defenseman with at least 15 games played (0.94), is tied for fifth in goals scored (6) and eighth in points (16).

SAM I AM: Ontario got goals from forwards Sam Kurker and Sam Herr in Friday’s 4-2 defeat against the Heat. Kurker’s tally, which came in the first period, was his first goal in a Reign jersey and his fourth career goal at the AHL level. Herr’s goal marked his fourth tally and seventh point of the season. The Notre Dame alum has scored at a .37 point-per-game pace this season, the highest pace of his AHL career.

SPECIAL-TEAMS SUCCESS: The Reign have seen considerable improvement on both sides of special teams over their last eight games. Ontario has posted a 26.8% clip on the man advantage in that span, with goals in six of its last eight games, including three multi-goal efforts. The Reign have also killed off 27 of their last 30 power plays against, holding a perfect mark in six of their last eight games.

SO-CAL: Ontario alum Cal Petersen was named as a runner-up for the NHL’s Rookie of the Month award during November, after he was recalled from the Reign earlier in the month. Petersen posted a 4-4-0 record in his first month of NHL action and compiled a 2.41 goals against averaging addition to a .929 save percentage. Petersen also posted his first career NHL shutout, a 29-save effort against St. Louis on November 19.

NOVEMBER REIGN: Ontario concluded the month of November with a 7-4-0 record, helping to return the team to the .500 mark after a slow start during October. The Reign tied a franchise record with seven wins during the month, equalng the 2017-18 team. The Reign also posted a 4- 1-0 record on home ice during the month of November, and, overall this season, have now collected at least a point from seven of nine games in Ontario. 1118924 Los Angeles Kings

KINGS CLAIM SCHERBAK OFF WAIVERS

JON ROSEN

DECEMBER 2, 20180

ROSTER MOVES

The LA Kings have claimed former Montreal Canadiens forward Nikita Scherbak off waivers, as first reported by TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie. Scherbak, who has five goals and seven points in 29 career NHL games, was selected 26th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft and is on the final year of his entry-level contract. He is eligible to become a restricted free agent after the season and would have to clear waivers if the Kings attempted to assign him to AHL-Ontario.

Scherbak, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury but has been cleared to play per Montreal coach Claude Julien, has one goal in five games with AHL-Laval. Via Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette:

Julien was asked if there’s something specific about Scherbak’s game that kept him from cracking the Canadiens roster this season.

“It’s hard to kind of pinpoint one thing,” the coach said. “I think at the end of the day, anybody who saw him in Laval saw that his game just isn’t where it should be right now and we need him to get better.

“At the end of the day, you want him to be a good player,” Julien added. “He had an average camp and that’s everybody’s eyes. We couldn’t put him in our lineup. He went down to Laval and got injured and the few games he played wasn’t quite the Scherbak we know. We have to make decisions, we make decisions based on our situation. Selfishly, you hope that he clears so he can go to Laval and continue to develop because he’s a good young player. If he gets picked up, that happens. It’s the same thing around the league. Guys get put on waivers and get picked up. So at the end of the day, we’re going to see what’s going to happen tomorrow at noon.”

More to come throughout the day.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118925 Minnesota Wild

Wild hit road feeling OK despite first three-game skid of season

By BRIAN MURPHY | PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 9:57 am | UPDATED: December 2, 2018 at 5:23 PM

Not all three-game losing streaks look alike. They certainly do not feel the same. The Wild woke up Sunday morning at the business end of a bona fide skid, an unfortunate 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night that blemished their best effort of a losing week. They pumped 41 shots on goal and had several odd-man rushes but could not put the finishing touch on a go-ahead goal after rallying from a 2-0 deficit and forcing the Leafs to skate uphill in the second and third periods. More grating were the unlucky bounces Minnesota gagged down when two Toronto centering passes deflected off defenseman Nick Seeler into his own net. The Wild deserved better. But as Clint Eastwood memorably growled in “Unforgiven” before pumping Gene Hackman full of lead, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” “That’s what you think about when you’re staring at the ceiling at night, but that’s just the way this game goes sometimes,” said goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who absorbed his third straight defeat. “Sometimes they seem to all collect at once in one stretch.” The Wild were off Sunday as they prepare to hit the road again Monday for a three-game trek through western Canada — a mental health day for sure as they try to flush three markedly different losses that has them clinging to the final wild card spot in the Western Conference after starting the week in third place. There was a ghastly collapse at home to Arizona, a frustratingly uneven performance in Columbus and Saturday’s dominant loss. Play 10 more games like that against the high-powered Maple Leafs and Minnesota might win nine of them. At least that is what they told themselves afterward in the dressing room. “We’re happy with the way we played, we’re just not happy with the result,” said defenseman Jared Spurgeon. “You’re never happy when you lose, but I think we’re trending the right way. I think we had the better of the chances. We just didn’t put them in. There’s two pretty weird ones. The next game we play, that won’t happen. We can use that as a positive going on the road trip.” The Wild played their best hockey of this nascent season during a marathon seven-game, 15-day road stretch when they went 5-2. It was part of an overall streak in which they won 11 out of 13 in regulation to rocket up the standings in the ultra-competitive Central Division. One of their two losses was a lopsided 5-2 afterthought at Vancouver, where Minnesota plays again Tuesday night followed by back-to-back games at Calgary and Edmonton. “We’ll be hungry in Vancouver,” Dubnyk said. “We owe ’em one from last time there and it will be a good place to get the road trip started.” Against the Leafs, Dubnyk played decidedly better than he did while stopping just 10 of 14 shots against the Coyotes and insecurely surrendering four goals versus the Blue Jackets. Besides the friendly fire deflections he yielded the game’s first goal to Toronto superstar, Auston Matthews, who picked the short-side corner on a power-play like a superstar should, Dubnyk was solid. “I don’t think anybody in the world would have stopped Matthews’ shot in the first period, so he made the saves he had to make,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “When they got a goal, they came right back at one point and he made a great save on (John) Tavares — sort of stopped the flow of everything. He was like the rest of the guys. They played really good. “I think if you take this game out west, it’s good. If you don’t, it’s going to be an uphill climb.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118926 Montreal Canadiens Price, making his fourth consecutive start in goal, stopped 26-of-29 shots in defeat.

Notes: Radim Simek made his NHL debut. Timo Meier missed his third Martin Jones makes 39 saves as Sharks top Canadiens to snap losing straight game with an undisclosed injury. Former first-round draft pick skid Nikita Scherbak is no longer with the Montreal Canadiens after being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings earlier on Sunday. KELSEY PATTERSON Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.03.2018 THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2, 2018 UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO

A slow start for the Montreal Canadiens turned the game into an uphill battle. Backed by a 40-save effort by goalie Martin Jones, the San Jose Sharks snapped a four-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. San Jose scored two early goals in the first period and the Canadiens never recovered. “They were the better team in the first period,” said defenceman Jeff Petry, who scored the only goal for Montreal in the second. “We got better but that’s something we need to do from the start. We’ve won one in our last seven so there’s no reason we shouldn’t be desperate as well to get points and move up in the standings. “We need to go out and dictate the pace.” Montreal dropped to 1-3-0 on its current five-game homestand, which ends Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes. “They capitalized on a couple of early opportunities in the first period and that’s on us,” said Max Domi. “But when you run into a goalie like that, and he’s seeing everything, you have to make it hard for him. We managed to do that on Petry’s goal. Just not quite enough.” Both teams were playing a second game in as many nights. The Canadiens downed the New York Rangers 5-2 on Saturday while the Sharks lost 6-2 in Ottawa. San Jose showed no signs of fatigue though. The Sharks were imposing, fast and physical during the game – especially in the first and second periods – and Claude Julien’s men struggled to keep up. The visitors needed just 2:55 to find the back of the net, with Justin Braun beating Carey Price after a bad giveaway by Petry in his own end. With San Jose playing 5-on-3 hockey, Brent Burns made it 2-0 with a wrist shot from the slot at 10:29 to extend his point streak to four games. The Sharks finished 1 for 4 with the man advantage. “We didn’t start the game on time,” said Julien. “By the time we got going, the damage was done already and we couldn’t turn it around. “We just need to grow and become a better team as far as learning how to win and being ready to play every night from the drop of the puck.” The Sharks (13-10-5) have won seven straight, and 11 of their last 12, against Montreal. The Canadiens (12-10-5) were better in the third period, outshooting San Jose 22-7, but they couldn’t beat Jones. The Sharks goalie earned his 10th victory of the season while improving to 7-1-0 in his career against Montreal. San Jose was outscored 20-7 on its four-game losing streak coming into Sunday’s encounter. “We did a great job of eliminating those Grade-A chances and those odd- man rushes that have been causing us some problems,” said Jones, who made a season-high 40 saves. “It was much better tonight.” Down 2-0, Petry made up for his earlier turnover when he scored at 12:15 of the second to cut the deficit in half. Andrew Shaw had an assist on Petry’s goal for his 200th career NHL point. Joe Pavelski capped off a give-and-go with Burns and Logan Couture to make it 3-1 at 15:51 of the second, his team-leading 17th goal of the season. “They came back and got one but there wasn’t the sense of panic for us tonight,” said Pavelski. “Jones was fabulous. He did a good job.” 1118927 Montreal Canadiens

Weber scores twice as Canadiens rout Rangers

THE GLOBE AND MAIL PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO UPDATED DECEMBER 1, 2018

Shea Weber and Artturi Lehkonen both scored a pair of goals as the host Montreal Canadiens staked a four-goal lead and went on to beat the New York Rangers 5-2 Saturday night. Carey Price stopped 20 shots to backstop the Canadiens to their first victory in six games. Weber, playing just his second game of the season after missing the first 24 due to a knee injury which cost him nearly a calendar year, opened the scoring at the 3:53 mark of the first period with one of his patented point-shot blasts. Weber unloaded a one-timer set up by Jonathan Drouin for his first tally of the year and first since Dec. 5, 2017. Weber did not have to wait nearly as long to light the lamp again, as he doubled the lead with just 7.2 seconds left in the period. He created a turnover in his own zone, raced up ice to join the rush, took a feed from Tomas Tatar -- who was prone on the ice while he made a cross-ice pass -- and snapped a top-shelf goal. Lehkonen made it 3-0 at 2:04 of the second period when he elected to shoot on a three-on-one rush, firing a short-side snapper, and then added another at 5:29 by intercepting an ill-advised clearing attempt and then instantly ripping home his fourth goal of the season. Jimmy Vesey put the Rangers on the board at 8:10 of the middle frame when he took a feed in the high slot and fired a glove-side puck past Price, and then Vesey set up Ryan Strome’s power-play goal at 14:11 of the second period, an easy tap-in created on an odd-man rush. But New York’s comeback hopes were dashed when Tatar scored on the power play just past the midway point of the third period. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves for the Rangers, who have just one win in five outings. Mika Zibanejad collected a pair of assists for New York. Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118928 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: Sharks have Montreal's number — 12 wins in 13 tries

PAT HICKEY, Updated: December 2, 2018

May the more desperate team win. That was the script for Sunday’s matchup between the Canadiens and the San Jose Sharks, and it was the visitors who played with more desperation as they defeated the Canadiens 3-1. “We knew they were going to be hungry and they were better in the first period,” said defenceman Jeff Petry. “As the game went on, we got better, but we have to be better at the start. We had won one of out of six and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be desperate as well to get points and move up in the standings. For the record, the Canadiens now have one win in their last seven (1-4- 2) and they are clinging to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s because they beat the New York Rangers 5-2 Saturday. The Canadiens and the Rangers each have 29 points, but the Canadiens have the edge because they have played one fewer game. San Jose has won 12 of the last 13 games between these two teams. Petry scored the only Montreal goal, but he also contributed to the slow start, which saw Montreal being outshot 10-1 and trailing 2-0 midway through the first period. Justin Braun opened the scoring at 2:55 when he intercepted a cross-ice pass by Petry and went in alone on Carey Price. “It’s on me, it was my fault,” Petry said. “I kind of hesitated and the defenceman read the play. I took an extra split-second and he read it and stepped in front. When I looked at it, I guess I should have chipped it into the neutral zone, played it safe.” San Jose’s second goal came on a 5-on-3 power play and the patience shown by the Sharks illustrated Montreal coach Claude Julien’s observation the Sharks’ experience was the difference in this game. With a two-man advantage, most teams fire away and hunt for rebounds. But San Jose moved the puck around the Montreal zone for 40 seconds before Brent Burns found an opening in the high slot. Killing a 5-on-3 disadvantage at any time is a daunting task, but it’s made more difficult when you’re facing two Norris Trophy winners in Burns and Erik Karlsson and forwards Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. “When you look at tonight, I think if you take away the first period people are going to say you played a good second, played a good third,” Julien said. “We just need to grow and become a better team as far as learning how to win and being ready to play every night from the drop of the puck. They played yesterday (afternoon), they played in Ottawa, they travelled two hours to get here. We played here last night. There was no advantage for anybody tonight, none whatsoever. So it should have been a fair situation for both teams. “They came out much better than we did,” Julien added. “They’ve got an experienced team, guys that have been to the playoffs, to the finals and all that stuff. We need to learn to do those kind of things. We need to be ready to play just like they were and that’s part of the team I guess growing and becoming better. There’s a lot of young guys still and you hope that you can learn from those situations and become better at starting games like we should have tonight.” The most experienced player for the Canadiens, defenceman Shea Weber, did his part. He turned in another 25-minute performance and hasn’t been on the ice for an even-strength goal in the three games since he returned from foot and knee surgeries. And, while they’ve only been together for two games, it appears Brett Kulak has earned the right to play alongside Weber. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118929 Montreal Canadiens

Sharks rip Canadiens 3-1 despite third-period barrage by the home team

PAT HICKEY, Updated: December 2, 2018

Coach Claude Julien likes to split the workload for his goaltenders when the Canadiens play back-to-back games, but he deviated from that strategy Sunday when he decided to start Carey Price, who helped the Canadiens to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Julien’s reasoning was Price gave the best chance to win and the Canadiens need wins to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. It was the right decision and Price held up his end of the bargain. But he didn’t get a lot of help from his teammates as the Sharks posted a 3-1 victory at the Bell Centre. A 22-shot third-period allowed the Canadiens to outshoot the Sharks 40-29, but the visitors had a decided edge in Grade-A scoring chances. A mistake and penalties proved costly for the Canadiens as they fell behind 2-0 in the first period. Justin Braun opened the scoring at 2:55 when he picked off a cross-ice pass from Jeff Petry in the neutral zone and beat Price off the rush. The unassisted goal was his first of the season. The Canadiens found themselves short two men after Mike Reilly took a cross-checking penalty at 8:50 and Michael Chaput joined him in the box after a high-sticking penalty at 9:48. That gave San Jose a two-man advantage for 1:03. The Sharks were methodical as they moved the puck until defenceman Brent Burns scored from the high slot on San Jose’s first shot on the power play. Montreal was fortunate the hole wasn’t deeper. There was 1:19 left on the second penalty when Burns scored and the hockey gods smiled on the home team when Erik Karlsson’s shot hit a post. The Canadiens had a power play later in the first period. Shea Weber had the only shot that reached the net and he also elicited cheers when that shot took off a piece of goaltender Martin Jones’s stick and a second shot snapped Tomas Hertl’s stick in half. Petry offered the Canadiens a faint ray of hope when he scored his third goal at 12:15 of the second period. Jonathan Drouin sent a pass through a crowd of players in front of the net and Petry was on the far side of the crease for a tap-in. Andrew Shaw had the other assist on the goal for his 200th NHL point. Petry’s goal trimmed the San Jose lead to 2-1, but Joe Pavelski put the Sharks back up by two when he scored from the slot on a pass from Burns at 13:51. At that point, the score should have been 6-1. Price stopped Marcus Sorensen on a breakaway and made two big saves on Evander Kane to give the Canadiens a chance. The Sharks were 1-for-4 on the power play and the Canadiens’ penalty- killers have allowed 11 goals in their last 13 games. Montreal failed to score on its two power plays and only managed three shots on net. While the Canadiens came out of the weekend holding the second wild- card spot in the Eastern Conference, the loss left them with a 1-3-0 record on their current homestand that concludes Tuesday when the Ottawa Senators are in town. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118930 Montreal Canadiens past and you got to move on. I think it’s been quite a long time ago, so you have to kind of forget it and try to move on.”

Scherbak had started to lay down some roots in Montreal, getting Stu Cowan: Former Canadien Nikita Scherbak gets a fresh start in L.A. engaged this past summer to Laurie Legault, who he met at a restaurant, and they have been living together in Chambly. Scherbak said Legault is an “amazing cook” and was teaching him to speak French. STU COWAN Updated: December 2, 2018 When asked if he still likes Tim Hortons coffee, Scherbak said: “Sometimes. I’m more like a Starbucks or a Second Cup guy now.” Nikita Scherbak won’t have a problem finding some new coffee shops in Now, he’s also an L.A. guy. Los Angeles. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 The L.A. Kings acquired Scherbak on waivers Sunday, adding another name to the long list of first-round draft picks who haven’t worked out with the Canadiens. The Canadiens selected Scherbak in the first round (26th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft after he posted 28-50-78 totals in 65 games with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades during his first season in Canada after leaving Russia as a 17-year-old. His first real introduction to life in Canada came at a Tim Hortons coffee shop in Saskatoon. “It was my first Canadian experience,” Scherbak recalled during a training-camp interview this year. “I was so scared to go in because I couldn’t speak English, so I couldn’t order. So I had to point at what I wanted. Sometimes I wanted to have a coffee and they’d give me a smoothie. I’d be like: ‘All right, it’s fine, I guess I’m drinking a smoothie today.’ It was right by the billet’s house where I was staying, about a five- minute walk.” Scherbak quickly adjusted to life in Canada and by the time the Canadiens drafted him he was already comfortable being interviewed in English. Unfortunately, his adjustment to pro hockey wasn’t as smooth and he had only 5-2-7 totals in 29 games with the Canadiens over the last two seasons. He didn’t play a single game with the Canadiens this season and scored only one goal with no assists in five games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket before suffering a lower-body injury and then being placed on waivers. At the end of the 2015-16 season, I spent a week in St. John’s covering the IceCaps when Scherbak was playing his first year in the AHL. At the time, IceCaps coach Sylvain Lefebvre expressed some concerns about Scherbak, who finished that season with 7-16-23 totals in 48 games and was minus-26. “Nikita’s got lots of talent,” Lefebvre said. “He’s easy to coach, he wants to learn. He does a lot of homework … he’ll watch a lot of video. Where we want him to be more of a professional is practice habits, workout habits. He’s improved a lot, but he needs to improve even more. Maybe it’s not natural in him to go hard every time.” When I spoke one-on-one with Scherbak during training camp this season, I asked what’s the biggest lesson he had learned since his first NHL training camp. “You have to compete and got to play hard, show up every day, every shift and be consistent,” the 22-year-old said. “I think that’s what makes players succeed and I’m trying to work at it. Worth ethic, that’s the biggest thing, be professional about working hard every day no matter how you feel. I think that’s the main point that I learned. You have to be professional and work hard every day.” Now Scherbak will have a chance to work hard every day with the Kings, who are the worst team in the NHL with a 9-16-1 record and rank last in offence, scoring an average of 2.12 goals per game. The Kings can use any help they can get, especially after announcing Sunday that Ilya Kovalchuk will be out for four weeks with an ankle injury. Scherbak wasn’t able to produce offensively on a consistent basis with the Canadiens or in the AHL and his work ethic and defensive hockey smarts didn’t match the likes of Michael Chaput, Kenny Agostino and Nicolas Deslauriers to move ahead of them on the depth chart for a spot on the fourth line. Maybe a change of scenery and a new coaching staff will help Scherbak find his game in L.A., but I wouldn’t bet on it. Scherbak is the latest in a list of first-round draft picks from six consecutive years who didn’t work out with the Canadiens, including Mike McCarron (25th overall, 2013), Alex Galchenyuk (third, 2012), Nathan Beaulieu (17th, 2011), Jarred Tinordi (22nd, 2010) and Louis Leblanc (18th, 2009). If you want to know why the Canadiens have struggled in recent years — missing the playoffs in two of the last three seasons — there’s a big part of the answer. When I asked Scherbak at training camp this year if he felt added pressure as a first-round draft pick, he said: “Forget about it. It’s in the 1118931 Montreal Canadiens As for having only one win in the last seven games, Shaw said: “A lot of these games we’ve lost have been winnable, tight games. We’ve run into a few hot goalies, but I think it’s our starts that need to be better.” Canadiens Game Day: Habs get caught in another Shark attack Dans la défaite, Andrew Shaw a obtenu son 200e point en carrière. Andrew Shaw earned the 200th point of his career in the STU COWAN, Updated: December 3, 2018 loss.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/2dsm6Cb3oa— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 3, 2018

Another Man Mountain performance To say the San Jose Sharks have the Canadiens’ number would be putting it mildly. Canadiens captain Shea Weber, playing in his third game after being sidelined for almost a full year following foot and knee surgery, logged The Sharks beat the Canadiens 3-1 Sunday night at the Bell Centre, 25:07 of ice time against the Sharks with six hits, three shots and an which shouldn’t come as a surprise. It was the seventh straight win for even in plus/minus. He is averaging a point per game with 2-1-3 totals San Jose over the Canadiens and the Sharks are 11-1-0 in the last 12 and is plus-2 while averaging a team-high 24:48 of ice time. meetings between the two teams. “It’s as good as I’ve felt in a long time, for sure,” said Weber, who The last time the Canadiens beat the Sharks was on March 21, 2015 suffered a fractured left foot in the first game last season and played 26 when they won 2-0 at the Bell Centre. Carey Price stopped all 29 shots games on it before being shut down and requiring surgery to repair he faced that night for the shutout, while Antti Niemi stopped 27 of the 28 tendon damage in the foot, followed by off-season surgery to repair a shots he faced in the Sharks net. Tomas Plekanec and Brendan meniscal tear in his right knee. Gallagher (empty-netter) scored for the Canadiens. “I’m feeling better, for sure,” the captain said. “Definitely getting the Price, Gallagher and Jeff Petry are the only three players from that game speed down with a bit more quickness and making plays and trying to who are still with the Canadiens. Niemi is now Price’s backup with the analyze things and watch plays develop quickly over the last couple of Canadiens. games. … Just getting back into game situations. You practice … practices are good, you can do a lot of things and accomplish a lot of The Sharks came into Sunday night’s game on a four-game losing streak things. But until you get in those situations where you have to read and (0-3-1) after losing 6-2 to the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday and had react and use your instincts, it’s a little bit different.” been outscored 20-7 in those four games. The Man Mountain was asked if he has surprised himself by how well he Sunday’s game was the last of a five-game road trip for the Sharks and has played since returning to the lineup after such a long layoff. the Canadiens were the perfect tonic to end their slump. Justin Braun, Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski scored for the Sharks, while Petry replied “I put a lot of pressure on myself to be successful so, obviously, I wanted for the Canadiens. to come back in and be as good as I could be,” Weber said. “I obviously believe in myself and believe in my work ethic and believed I could come For the Canadiens, it was their sixth loss in the last seven games (1-4-2) back. It’s just a start, but definitely a good start so far.” and their record dropped to 12-10-5, but remarkably they are still clinging to the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Brett Kulak, playing his second game as Weber’s defence partner, also had a solid outing, logging 21:54 of ice time with two shots, one hit, one Bad start for Petry giveaway and was even in plus/minus. Things got off to a bad start for the Canadiens when Petry telegraphed a “He’s playing calm, he’s playing with a lot of poise right now,” Weber said pass that was picked off by Sharks defenceman Braun in the neutral about Kulak. “Hopefully he just continues to do that because he’s doing zone. Braun then carried the puck into the Canadiens zone and beat really well so far.” Price clean with a slapshot to the blocker side from the top of the faceoff circle to the goalie’s left at 2:55 of the first period. Weber received a questionable interference penalty late in the second period when he hammered the Sharks’ Joonas Donskoi into the boards “It’s my fault,” Petry said after the game. “I kind of hesitated and the D- with what looked like a clean check. man read that I was going to make the pass and I took the split second and he read it and just stepped in front. I look there, I think the safer play Asked if he was surprised there was a penalty called, Weber said: “Yeah, is just to chip it in the neutral zone and play it a little safer on that one.” a little bit. I have to watch it more closely. But I thought a pretty close play. He’s making a play on a puck. I would expect to be getting hit if I The Sharks took a 2-0 lead at 10:29 of the first period when Burns scored was going to make a play like that, too. That’s the way it goes. Obviously, on a 5-on-3 power play. The shots at the time were 8-1 for the Sharks. we killed it off and we were able to get out of that one.” The Canadiens — who have proven this season that they won’t give up Skating a fine line — battled back and ended up outshooting the Sharks 40-29 in the game but could only get one puck past goalie Martin Jones. After Saturday night’s win over the Rangers, Arpon Basu of The Athletic asked Weber how he skates the fine line between what’s a penalty and “I think they’re a good team,” Petry said about the Sharks. “I think in the what’s not with his physical style of play. first period they were more desperate than us. On this road trip, I don’t think they’ve won a game and we knew that coming in and we knew that Basu suggested Weber might get away with more from the referees than they were going to be hungry. I think they were the better team in the first a younger, less-respected player can. period and as the game went on we got better. But that’s something that we need to do from the start. I think we’ve won one of our last six, so “I think they’re harder on me,” Weber said with a smile. “I can’t say that. there’s no reason we shouldn’t be desperate as well to get points and to “I play hard and, obviously, sometimes things cross … the game move up in the standings.” happens fast and, obviously, you want to play hard and make a Justin Braun is a 1-man wrecking crew. #SJSharks lead 1-0, this is their difference, but you don’t want to be putting your team down,” added first lead on the road since Oct 28th. pic.twitter.com/H7WMZc1AQE— Weber, who had four hits against the Rangers. “I’ve played a few games, Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) December 3, 2018 but the rules have also changed a lot.” No finish for Canadiens Jeff Petry inscrit les Canadiens à la marque. The Canadiens hit the 40-shot mark for the third straight game and for Jeff Petry gets the Habs on the board. #GoHabsGo the eighth time this season, but simply couldn’t finish against the Sharks. pic.twitter.com/shWYkojIkk— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 3, 2018 “They’re a beatable team,” the Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw said. “We had tons of chances, it’s just we got to start burying those chances and we Back-to-back for Price need better starts to the games. We had a good start yesterday against Canadiens coach Claude Julien decided to start Price in goal on back-to- New York and sustained the lead the whole game (beating the Rangers back nights after he made 20 saves in Saturday night’s win over the 5-2). Again, tonight we were just chasing.” Rangers. Julien stuck with the same lineup he used Saturday, meaning Brendan Gallagher had a team-high six shots for the Canadiens, while forwards Charles Hudon and Matthew Peca were healthy scratches, Petry and Mike Reilly both had five. along with defenceman Xavier Ouellet. “You got to take the time to think about it,” Julien said before the game about giving Price starts on back-to-back nights. “When we looked back at the whole situation I don’t think he had a hard night (against the Rangers) … 22 shots. I think we did a pretty good job in front of him. So there’s no reason … nobody says a goaltender can’t play back-to-back. I think he’s ready to go tonight and he’s our No. 1 goaltender. We need some wins and we’re going to give ourselves the best chance possible by trying to put the best lineup on the ice.” Price made 26 saves against the Sharks as his record fell to 8-8-4 with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. It’s @jpav8 giving the #SJSharks a 3-1 lead in Montreal… …where they dropped some @MCHammer after San Jose scored. I’m not sure they know… #BayArea pic.twitter.com/AJ1Vv0JPTN— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) December 3, 2018 A bright spot for Habs The Canadiens can into the game ranked last in the NHL in faceoffs, winning only 46.6 per cent, but they won 60 per cent of their draws against the Sharks. Michael Chaput went 4-1 in the faceoff circle (80 per cent), while Philllip Danault went 13-6 (68 per cent) and Shaw was 8-4 (67 per cent). La Victoire! Recap: https://t.co/yXeqNaaCSw pic.twitter.com/MQw4d1i0VG— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 3, 2018 Juulsen could practise this week When Julien met with the media before Sunday night’s game, he said defenceman Noah Juulsen — who missed his sixth straight game with a facial fracture — could resume practising with the Canadiens very soon. “If everything goes well there’s a possibility he may be able to practise with us starting this week. Could be as early as tomorrow or Tuesday, whatever. So that’s a good sign. Again, because of his injury he’s not cleared to play, but he’s cleared to practise. No contact for the time being and then it will progress from there.” Juulsen suffered the injury when he was hit in the face with a puck for the second time during the first period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre on Nov. 19. In 17 games this season, Juulsen has 1-4-5 totals and is plus-3 while averaging 17:32 of ice time. Mete scores first goal as a pro Defenceman Victor Mete scored his first goal in pro hockey Saturday with the Laval Rocket in a 5-4 loss to the Utica Comets in AHL action at Place Bell. It was Mete’s second game with the Rocket since being sent down to the AHL by the Canadiens. In 72 games with the Canadiens over the last two seaons, Mete has no goals and 11 assists. “It’s always good to get the first one,” Mete said after the game. “It’s been a long time. I’ve had a lot of chances so it’s finally good to get one.” Mike McCarron, the Canadiens’ first-round pick (25th overall) at the 2013 NHL Draft, picked up four assists in the loss to the Comets, giving him 3- 9-12 totals in 22 games this season. The Rocket saw their record fall to 8-13-3. On Sunday night, the Rocket announced they have signed defenceman Simon Després to a professional tryout contract. Premier but pour Victor Mete, 4 passes pour Michael McCarron et 3282 toutous: Voici vos faits sallaint! First goal for @vmete98 , 4 assits for @MacAttackUSA93 and 3282 teddy bears: take a look at today's game highlights! pic.twitter.com/0hW5eB5GFJ— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) December 2, 2018 What’s next? After Sunday night’s game, the Canadiens cancelled a practice scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard and the players will instead have a day off before playing back-to-back games against the Senators on Tuesday at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, TSN5, RDS, TSN 690 Radio) and Thursday in Ottawa (7:30 p.m., TSN2, TSN5, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). The Canadiens will then have a rare Saturday night off before visiting the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday (6 p.m., SN, SN1, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118932 Montreal Canadiens

San Jose Sharks at Montreal Canadiens: Five things you should know

PAT HICKEY, Updated: December 2, 2018

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Sharks game Sunday at the Bell Centre(7 p.m., SN, SN1, RDS, TSN-690 Radio): The matchup: The Canadiens are hoping to build on their 5-2 win over the New York Rangers Saturday night. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Canadiens and gave them a 1-2-0 record on their five-game homestand which ends with a game against Ottawa on Tuesday. The win also moved the Canadiens back into a playoff position with 29 points, good for the second wild-card spot on the Eastern Conference. The Sharks also have 29 points and are a point out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference after losing 6-2 in Ottawa Saturday. Weber worth waiting for:Defenceman Shea Weber has wasted no time making his presence felt after missing nearly a year following surgery on his foot and knee. Weber has averaged 25 minutes a game in his first two starts and on Saturday he led the offence with a pair of first-period goals. In addition to shoring up a shaky defence, Weber has provided the Canadiens with leadership and has offered a comfort level for goaltender Carey Price. The goalie: Coach Claude Julien likes to split the goaltending duties when the Canadiens play back-to-back games. But after Saturday’s win, he said he was open to using Price against the Sharks. Price snapped his own four-game losing streak with the win over the Rangers Saturday and he looked to be in top form as he confidently handled the puck behind his own net and provided the defence with a hand in breaking out of the zone. With no back-to-back games next week, Price could see the lion’s share of the work. Lehkonen breaks out: It might be just be a coincidence but Paul Byron’s return to the third line may have helped Artturi Lehkonen out of a slump. Lehkonen scored two goals Saturday to double his production for the season. Going into the game, he had scored only two goals on 54 shots. Byron, who had missed 14 games with a lower-body injury, assisted on the first Lehkonen goal and made a hit to force a bad pass on the second goal. The third member of the line, rookie centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, won six of his 11 faceoffs. Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen (62) carries the puck during the second period of an hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, in Buffalo N.Y. JEFFREY T. BARNES / AP The other guys: Defenceman Brent Burns is putting up the kind of numbers which attract attention from the media types who vote for the Norris Trophy. He leads the Sharks in scoring with 27 points, including three goals. The top goal scorer for the Sharks is Joe Pavelski with 16 while Timo Meier has 13. Speaking of the Norris Trophy, the Sharks’ top off-season acquisition was two-time winner Erik Karlsson who was shut out in his return to Ottawa Saturday. He has two goals and 13 points in 27 games and is a minus-11. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118933 Montreal Canadiens This was after a highly entertaining 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals at home on Nov. 19 following two straight wins to complete the Canadiens trip through western Canada. How Claude Julien navigated the stages of grief after a Canadiens loss “I think at the end of the game we were tired, we had to play three lines in until he finally landed on acceptance the third period and that hurt us a bit,” Julien said. “The fourth line was having a lot of trouble tonight. When you come back from a trip like that it’s difficult also. Carey did everything to keep us in the game. He might By Arpon Basu 2h ago have given up five goals, but it’s thanks to him we were in the game. So we’ll take the point, especially after the trip we just had.”

Then this following an awful 5-2 loss in New Jersey two nights later on The five stages of grief as defined by Elizabeth Kubler Ross and David Nov. 21. Kessler are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. “Mentally we made a lot of mistakes,” Julien said. “I don’t know if it’s For the first time Sunday night, following a 3-1 loss to the San Jose fatigue or if it’s a lack of focus, but it was tough. It was a game where Sharks at home, Canadiens coach Claude Julien appeared to arrive at defensively, we weren’t very strong, we gave them a chance to take a big the final stage, acceptance. It came in the Canadiens’ 15th loss in 27 lead and we never gave ourselves a chance to come back into the games this season where Julien finally accepted where his team is at in game.” its developmental curve. An unexpectedly strong start to the season and watching his team executing a new system so well may have clouded Two nights later in Buffalo, it wasn’t fatigue that was the bargaining chip, Julien’s ability to see what the Canadiens are, but he has arrived at that but rather how the Canadiens were in control of the game until Jeff place, which was inevitable. Skinner tied it late and won it in overtime for the Sabres in Buffalo on Nov. 23, emphasizing the improvement from the game against the Here is how he got there. Devils. Denial “We were much better defensively, we minimized the scoring chances against a team that’s playing well and we were in a good position to win The first sign of this stage of grief came Oct. 30 following a 4-1 loss at until the last two or two and a half minutes,” Julien said. “The penalty, for home to the Dallas Stars. It was understandable considering the sure when you give a team like that two minutes of power play time in Canadiens were 6-3-2 following the loss and also because they overtime, eventually they scored and we lost a big point.” controlled the flow of the game to the tune of a 50-25 edge in 5-on-5 shot attempts. But it was the beginning of reality settling for the Canadiens, Acceptance and Julien wasn’t necessarily ready to see it because of how well they played in a lopsided loss that was decided by special teams. OK, so Julien skipped the depression stage and went right from bargaining to acceptance. Not only that, but even foreshadowed it after “Even if it’s 4-1, it’s not that it was a bad game, but there were things we an impressive 5-2 win against the Rangers at home on Saturday. could have done a little better,” Julien said that night. “I found our defencemen gave too much space in the neutral zone to allow them to When asked to compare that win to the loss in New York nearly a month pick up speed, especially in the second period. But the effort was there, earlier, when the Canadiens blew a two-goal lead to lose, Julien unfortunately the result wasn’t.” emphasized the youth on his team and how it is learning to close out games like that. Two games later the Canadiens lost 4-1 at home again, this time to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Julien’s response was very similar. “We have a young team and it’s about learning how to win,” Julien said Saturday. “It was early in the season and I don’t think we approached the “We came back in the second period and we had some good chances to third period the right way, we played a bit on our heels, we didn’t make score,” Julien said on Nov. 3. “It’s too bad we didn’t score, because we good decisions and we let New York take control of the play in the third. had excellent chances. I think they had two or three scoring chances in We talked about it tonight that we have to continue learning how to win the second, but they came out strong in the third, and when they had a and in a situation like we found ourselves after two periods, up four chance to score, they scored. That’s the difference.” goals, it was to play our best period in the third by making good decisions, by minimizing our turnovers in the neutral zone, if we didn’t The Canadiens have won five of 14 games since this loss. have a play put it deep in the zone and go forecheck. We wanted to play Anger on our toes, not on our heels, but we wanted to make good decisions and that’s what we did in the third.” It didn’t take long for Julien to transition to this stage of grief. The very next loss came in New York at Madison Square Garden, a game the The next night the Canadiens didn’t start the game on time against a San Canadiens led 3-1 in the second period and wound up losing 5-3. Jose Sharks team with tons of expectations heaped on them looking to put an end to a four-game losing streak. They were up 2-0 after one “We had a lot of mental errors tonight, whether it’s the number of period, never looked back, and Julien’s focus was purely on how this is a penalties we took and even, to a certain point, our decision-making,” learning experience for his young team. Julien said. “That’s where you have to look for the loss tonight, it’s as simple as that. … Tonight’s a little bit different because I saw a lot of “When you look at tonight, if you take away the first period people are mental mistakes that we normally don’t make, so I can’t say our going to say you played a good second, played a good third,” Julien said. defensive game wasn’t good. We gave up six goals, but the fact is a lot “We just need to grow and become a better team as far as learning how of those goals were from little, individual mental mistakes, and it cost us.” to win and being ready to play every night from the drop of the puck. They played yesterday, they played in Ottawa, traveled two hours to get The anger only elevated from there. Here’s Julien after a 6-5 overtime here, we played here last night. There was no advantage for anybody loss at home to the Sabres in their next game, one in which Carey Price tonight, none whatsoever. So it should have been a fair situation for both was less than his best self, but one in which Julien chose to call out his teams. They came out much better than we did. They have an entire team instead. experienced team, guys that have been to the playoffs, to the finals and all that stuff. We need to learn to do those kinds of things. We need to be “I’m going to use the word sloppy. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “We ready to play just like they were. And that’s part of the team growing and might be missing the commitment we had earlier in the season, it’s been getting better. a few games that we’ve been sliding defensively. It takes a much better commitment than we’ve seen recently. Whether it’s little mistakes in “There’s a lot of young guys still and you hope you can learn from those coming back defensively, we need to be more assertive. That’s what situations and become better at starting games like we should have we’re missing right now.” tonight.” Two games later, after a rousing 5-4 win at home against Max Pacioretty The tone has changed, but it is one that is fully in line with where the and the Vegas Golden Knights, Julien reached peak anger in Edmonton Canadiens are as a team. They exceeded expectations early, but they after the Canadiens lost 6-2 on Nov. 13. are dealing with the challenges everyone expected from them before the season began. “We didn’t show up tonight,” he said. “It was our worst game of the season, without a doubt. There’s not a lot of positives tonight. It’s a game Everyone except, perhaps, Julien. But he has seemingly accepted what we probably need to erase from our memories and be ready to rebound kind of team this is and the work it needs to do to be a consistently in Calgary. It was a tough game for everyone.” competitive team. Bargaining It’s a work in progress. This is where Julien suddenly began citing fatigue in explaining losses. The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118934 Montreal Canadiens

Shots on goal are nice, but a slow start and a passive attack kept the Canadiens out of the game

By Marc Dumont 6h ago

The Canadiens lost 3-1 to the Sharks on Sunday night, and if you take a look at the shot totals you may think they deserved a better fate. But their 41-29 shot advantage is very flattering given how they played for the first two periods. The Sharks were relentless on the puck. The Canadiens were passive. While it’s fair to point out the Canadiens were on the second game of a back-to-back, the Sharks were as well, with the added disadvantage of having to travel between games. Weak start Going into the game against the Canadiens, the Sharks had scored just four 5-on-5 goals in their last five games, and they scored the same number of goals on the power play during that stretch. The game plan for the Canadiens was fairly clear: avoid giving up weak goals and focus on discipline. The first Sharks goal was about as weak as they come. Not only did Jeff Petry make a questionable pass that was easily intercepted by Justin Braun, but Carey Price failed to track the puck on the ensuing shot. It was a goal reminiscent of the 1980s, when players could score 50 a year by taking big slapshots just a few feet into the offensive zone. The Canadiens failed their first assignment in spectacular fashion, and quickly followed it up by failing the other crucial task: avoid taking penalties. Mike Reilly was called for a crosscheck on Barclay Goodrow, and Michael Chaput followed it up with a high-sticking infraction on Logan Couture. The Sharks quickly capitalized on their extended 5-on-3. Even though it was early in the game, the way the Sharks were beating the Canadiens to the puck made it feel like an insurmountable lead. Standout – Making up for mistakes For the most part, the Sharks dominated the first two periods, except for a 5-minute stretch following a great save by Price on a Marcus Sörensen breakaway. The Canadiens rewarded their goaltender by finally beating Martin Jones, and it was a play that they surely practised hundreds of times. The good ol’ “hit the goaltender in the face with a shot and have it deflect directly to your teammate who flubs his pass but the puck still manages to find its way through seven players back to the defenceman who shot it and who is standing at the goal line” play never fails. Just like they drew it up in practice. Final Word Simply put, the Sharks were the far better team on Sunday. The Canadiens created few quality chances, and by the time they found their rhythm in the third period, Jones was already comfortably on his way to an easy win. For the most part, the Canadiens would gain the zone and immediately shoot, which isn’t conducive to beating an NHL calibre goalie. The Sharks did their damage early, but it was enough to carry them to victory. A quick look at the heat map reveals the tale of the game. The Sharks did more with fewer shot opportunities and played a structured defensive zone strategy that forced the Canadiens to take most of their shots from the perimeter. By the time the Canadiens figured it out and started to push back, it was much too little and much too late. The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118935 Montreal Canadiens For now, Galchenyuk said he is enjoying playing alongside Schmaltz and Keller. The line has been impressive the past two games, producing three goals and seven points. The Neutral Zone: Galchenyuk’s future at center, Hill’s NHL future, “We feel like we have a pretty dynamic line that can do a lot of damage Kempe’s odyssey and that’s where my head is,” Galchenyuk said. “From the first shift in Nashville, we started building some momentum. It’s fun coming to the rink, knowing you’re playing with those guys. We all have skill and can By Craig Morgan Dec 1, 2018 make plays but we’ve got to continue to work hard and create our chances.”

Grabner injured Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet had to deliver some hard news to forward Alex Galchenyuk before the Coyotes faced the Nashville Predators at Coyotes forward Michael Grabner left Saturday’s game in the first period Bridgestone Arena on Thursday. He was moving Galchenyuk to wing when Blues forward Sammy Blais caught him in the face with a high while newly acquired forward Nick Schmaltz was taking over the center stick. Grabner lay on the ice for several minutes, writhing in obvious pain. duties and Clayton Keller was manning the other wing. Blais was assessed a double-minor penalty. Galchenyuk took the news well. The Coyotes did not have an update after the game. The hope is that Grabner did not suffer any damage to an eye. Here is the photo he “Was he a little disappointed?” Tocchet said. “He might have been, but I posted of his right eye (it’s a selfie) on Instagram. think this will lessen the load. His thing shouldn’t be worrying about perception, what people outside Arizona think. It’s what’s better for him Raanta’s return and the team and he was great about it. He understands it and he’s embracing it. I really do think he’s a terrific kid.” Tocchet hinted on Saturday morning that there was good news on goalie Antti Raanta, who has missed 10 of the past 13 games with lower-body When the Coyotes acquired Galchenyuk this summer from the Montreal injuries. Raanta skated Saturday morning and a source said there is a Canadiens for Max Domi, they vowed to give him a long look at center. good chance he will return to action Tuesday against the Kings in Los The problem was, Galchenyuk was injured during training camp, had Angeles. minor surgery and didn’t join a team of players with whom he had never played, and a system in which he had never played until the eighth game Raanta’s latest injury occurred when he jammed his right leg into the post of the season. on Zach Parise’s goal at 2:20 of the second period of a 4-3 win in Minnesota on Tuesday. Raanta left the game after the period. Tocchet “If he had training camp he probably would have had a better learning said this injury was not related to the prior lower-body injury that also experience at center,” Tocchet said. “He didn’t have training camp, he sidelined him. didn’t have those reps early and now we just throw him at center and there are a lot of reads in my system that he needs to make and he never Hill the hulk had reps at it.” Adin Hill is 3-0 since taking over the Coyotes goaltending duties Tuesday “I think moving to wing will get his feet moving. I don’t think he’s been in Minnesota. He has allowed just one goal in seven periods, but the getting his feet moving because he’s been watching, wondering, ‘Where sample size is too small to determine how close he is to NHL-ready, and am I supposed to go?’ When you think where to go, what’s the first thing there are plenty of game details he is still honing. you do? You slow down. You don’t anticipate. You don’t react. Brad “Being in position, being with the play, holding your edges as long as you Richardson knows my system and most nights Richie knows where to go can before the shot — all of the things that can make the shot easier, and he looks fast because he reacts fast. Derek Stepan knows my that’s something any goalie can work on,” Coyotes goaltending system and knows where to go. As an offensive player, Alex wants to go development coach Zac Bierk said. “He sees the puck well and has a lot from A to Z sometimes instead of going through the progression.” of talent so continuing to focus on the reads and positional play and all Schmaltz feels he is more equipped to play center than wing because of that those two things entail will help him get to his best version of his style, but there is another practical reason for playing him there. He himself.” brings speed, a vital asset in Tocchet’s push-the-pace system. Stepan One thing Hill has already taken care of is his physical frame. Last doesn’t have it. Injured center Christian Dvorak doesn’t have it and Dylan season, he said he was playing at about 200 pounds. This season, he is Strome didn’t have it. between 220 and 225. When I spoke to Hill at training camp last season, “I wanted to have an opportunity to play center but it’s not like I’m he looked gangly — not an unusual look for goaltenders who require disappointed,” Galchenyuk said after the Coyotes’ 6-1 win over the St. uncommon flexibility and range. When I spoke to Hill after Saturday’s Louis Blues at Gila River Arena on Saturday. “I don’t look at it like that at morning skate, the added bulk was evident on his 6-foot-6 frame. Put all. Coach decided it would be better for me to go on the wing and get simply, he looks ripped. myself going, get the flow of the game going. I’ve always loved playing “I feel strong and powerful,” he said. “The body feels great.” wing and have played it a lot in my career.” Bierk outlined the tangible ways in which that strength can help Hill. While many might assume that Schmaltz’s move to the middle has closed the book on the Galchenyuk center experiment, Tocchet said that “When you have a big guy who can be powerful it’s a good combination,” is not the case. he said. “If a guy is going to slide on his knees all the time when lateral passes are made at the hash marks, that’s one way to do it, but if you’re “Not at all,” he said. “It’s just what we’re doing right now.” trying to preach patience with a goalie, you have to have some good leg The challenge will be to find a way to take the hesitation, the incorrect strength to be able to push across the net laterally and get there on your reads and the incorrect decision-making out of Galchenyuk’s center feet and get set before the shot. game without the requisite practice or game reps. “I think another area where that is apparent is when you look at the rigors “To me, the video part is important but I’m a tangible guy,” Tocchet said. of a professional season. We can ask a goalie to compete on every shot “You have to feel it, do it. It’s reps under pressure. It’s D-zone coverage in practice, but if you don’t have the physical strength to do it, then that reps where you’re actually feeling it. You can watch the video until the impacts your ability.” cows come home but if you can’t get into a live situation with the So how close is Hill to being a mainstay on the Coyotes roster? Nobody pressure on, you’re not going to master it really knows. Backup Darcy Kuemper is under contract through next “There can’t be hesitation, wondering who’s gonna go get a puck. By that season. Raanta is under contract through 2020-21, but health, level of time, (the other team has) got the puck and they pass it and get a shot on play and competition will all factor into future decisions. the net. It has to be, ‘I got it’ and then close on it. The hesitation and “Time has a way of answering those questions,” Bierk said. “He has wondering where should I go and circling away from the puck, that can’t shown that he can be competitive in the greatest league in the world on a happen. very small sample size. Hopefully, getting a taste of what it is like to be “It’s a good question how we accomplish that, getting him comfortable an impact player at the NHL level will drive him to work on the things he there without playing center. It probably just comes from watching Nick needs to work on to get to his ceiling.” and other guys right now, but there’s going to be a time, if we get him Super Mario Odyssey back to center, where he needs to do that.” Forward Mario Kempe has been reassigned and recalled so many times this season that it’s hard to keep track of the dollar amounts on his paychecks. One day, it’s the American Hockey League salary; the next, “I had a five-man unit out there,” Tocchet quipped. “Raants said that he it’s the NHL salary. wanted to play the point on the power play and we were going to put Kuemper in front of the net. Since Oct. 24, Kempe has been reassigned or recalled eight times. “It’s life in the NHL, day-to-day stuff. Things change in 24 hours.” “I know the situation so it’s nothing that bothers me,” said Kempe, who is on a two-way contract. “You have to deal with it and when you get the Fischer ends his slump chance you do your best.” Christian Fischer scored his first goal in 17 games when he knocked in a Kempe left the KHL after the 2016-17 season to chase that dream that rebound from the goal mouth at 2:59 of the second period Saturday for his brother, Adrian, was already pursuing in the NHL with the Los his fifth goal of the season and a 3-1 lead. Fischer hadn’t scored since Angeles Kings. He played 18 games with the Coyotes last season, netting a hat trick on Oct. 23 at Columbus. All of his four prior goals came scoring two goals and posting four points. That taste convinced him to in a two-game span. He scored Oct. 20 at Winnipeg. sign another one-year contract. “You try not to think of it and I kept sticking with the same routine; didn’t “My dream has always been to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup,” really change anything up,” Fischer said. “I knew it was a matter of time he said. “I can’t fulfill that dream if I’m not here so this is where I want to and it happened today. I’m happy to get it out of the way.” play. I know the challenge it is. I know I can play here but it’s hard and there’s a lot of good players here.” The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 The shuttling between Tucson and Glendale isn’t as bad as it sounds. Some of the transactions were paper moves so Kempe hasn’t always left, but it can create challenges for his fiancée, Sanna, and their 3- month-old daughter, Rio. “She knew the situation and I told her it could be up and down,” Kempe said. “My mood is the same. When you get called up, you’re the happiest man in the world and then when you get sent down you’re sad. It’s hard not having a real place yet but it is what it is. She goes with me wherever I go and the team figures out places where you can stay so it’s fine.” Kempe won’t evaluate next season’s plans until he finishes this season, but when looking for motivation, all he has to do is look west and see how Adrian has secured a spot on the Kings roster. “He is younger than me,” Mario said. “It might sound cocky but I play with my brother every summer. I figure if he can play here, I’m pretty sure I can play here, too.” Road warriors When the NHL released its schedule this summer, coach Rick Tocchet fretted over the frequency with which the Coyotes had to return from a road trip in the Central or Eastern time zones to play a game with only one day’s rest. After Saturday’s win over St. Louis at Gila River Arena, Arizona is 3-0 in such games. The Coyotes beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Oct. 25, two days after playing in Columbus. They beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Nov. 15, two days after playing in Detroit. Saturday’s win came two days after a 3- 0 win in Nashville that gave the Coyotes a season series sweep of the Western Conference’s top team. Preaching patience Tocchet understood why fans were so upset after the Coyotes completed a five-game homestand at 1-3-1 after losses to the Colorado Avalanche (5-1) and Calgary Flames (6-1) in November. He even sided with some of their criticisms, but unlike some fans, he didn’t think the sky was falling. When the team rallied for improbable road wins at Minnesota and Nashville this week, he found a simpler explanation for the wild swings. “It’s dumbing down the game and looking at it for what it was,” Tocchet said. “We were the worst team in the league and everybody was dumping on us – and I agree on certain parts of it – but there was some bad luck, there were some bad goals and you chase the game and some guys do things that are different because the game is out of hand. When you peel back the onion you’ve got to be careful what you’re looking at. “Our breakouts were horrendous. We weren’t working the puck. We shored it up and in our last (three) games our breakouts have been really good. It’s amazing when our team breaks out and plays good D-zone coverage and stops in the slot, we’re a good team. When we start to cheat the game – and you can say that about every team – we’re not going to outscore teams. Some teams might be able to cheat a little more than us. We can’t. We’ve got to play the game the right way. That’s just the way it is and it’s OK to have that kind of identity. That’s something we had to get back, our identity, which we lost for two or three weeks.” Goalies galore Counting the emergency goalie who was at Bridgestone Arena, the Coyotes had six goalies in the building for Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators: Raanta and Kuemper (both injured), Hill, game backup Hunter Miska and waiver claim Calvin Pickard, who arrived shortly before the game. 1118936 Nashville Predators

Decimated by injuries, the patchwork Predators find a blueprint for success

By Adam Vingan Dec 2, 2018

About two years ago, a bad batch of chicken soup in Detroit wreaked havoc on the Predators’ roster. At least, that’s how the story goes. The next day, with several players suffering from food poisoning, the team scrambled to assemble a lineup to face the Pittsburgh Penguins. Outmatched on paper but galvanized by the challenge, the Predators defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions. That game sprung to mind Saturday, when a patchwork Predators lineup missing several key players throttled the Chicago Blackhawks. “It feels like that, actually,” said Predators forward Freddy Gaudreau, who made his NHL debut that October night in 2016. “I feel like the game (Saturday) went a bit like that. The circumstances were a bit like that one game you’re talking about.” It’s not a perfect comparison. This time, the Predators are dealing with a lot more than a few upset stomachs. With the news Saturday that Filip Forsberg will miss four to six weeks because of an “upper-body” injury, the Predators now have four core players on injured reserve. Viktor Arvidsson is out for at least another month with a broken thumb, and there’s no telling when Kyle Turris (undisclosed) or P.K. Subban (“upper-body”) will return from their respective injuries. For the foreseeable future, the Predators will be without both of their top- line wingers, their second-line center and one of their do-everything defensemen. Regression had already started to take hold before this rash of injuries, so how will the Predators stay afloat in the interim? Saturday’s victory provided a glimpse. The Predators’ makeshift lineup, which featured eight forwards with cap hits under $1 million, simply outworked the Blackhawks, whose glory days are clearly over. The game was over in under five minutes. The Predators swarmed the offensive zone, with Kevin Fiala, Eeli Tolvanen and Ryan Johansen scoring the three fastest goals to start a game in franchise history (4:11). To put things into perspective, the combined cap hit of the Predators’ 18 skaters Saturday was $34,212,498. Forsberg, Arvidsson, Turris, Subban and Nick Bonino, who was out sick, count $29.35 million against the cap and accounted for roughly 40 percent of the team’s offense before Saturday. “It’s just a matter of everybody rising up, you know?” Gaudreau said. “We say that so much, but it’s a perfect situation for that. Everybody, no matter what your role is going to be, just take advantage of the situation and show what you’ve got.” “It’s part of the game,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “Obviously it’s big right now. It’s different when you lose one. When it was just (Arvidsson), it was ‘Alright, well, we’ll juggle it up a little bit.’ But I still think that there was a real belief that we were going to be successful tonight. Opportunities for guys like Eeli, like (Anthony) Richard coming up here (and making his NHL debut), guys moving up the lineup, guys getting on the power play. … I think that’s what you need when you have those players out of the lineup. It’s really important that other guys grab the rope.” The Predators, despite missing such high-end talent, aren’t devoid of skill, but there were fewer frills to their game Saturday. It’s going to require that kind of spirited, workmanlike approach to hold things steady as Forsberg, Arvidsson, Turris and Subban heal. It won’t be as easy as it seemed against the Blackhawks. But more than that, the healthy Predators will be motivated by the opportunity, just like they were two years ago. Think of it as chicken soup for the soul. “We’ve got to step up,” Johansen said. “Guys need to step up, including myself, including (Pekka Rinne), (Roman Josi), throughout our whole lineup, we need everyone stepping up right now. That’ll be motivation every game.” The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118937 New York Islanders

Islanders buoyed by raucous Coliseum, success in close games

By Andrew Gross Updated December 3, 2018 1:19 AM

The sounds of happy fans celebrating a victory still were being heard throughout NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum when Islanders coach Barry Trotz was asked what it will be like to return to Barclays Center after such a euphoric homecoming to the venerable barn. “Well, it’s going to be quite different,” Trotz said with almost a resigned smile. “It’s going to be quieter, I know that. We’re going to have to be self-motivating. We have some really good teams coming up. It’s going to be a battle right through, so we’re getting used to the battle. It’s OK to be hard.” The Islanders were off from practice Sunday after rallying from a two- goal second-period deficit for a 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 13,917 at the Coliseum. It was their first regular-season game back at the building they called home from 1972-2015. The Islanders have nine regular-season games remaining in Brooklyn, starting with the Jets on Tuesday night. The next game in Uniondale is Dec. 10 against the Penguins. The six home games in December are split evenly between the Islanders’ two home facilities. The Islanders’ hoped-for playoff push will come at what should continue to be a raucous Coliseum. Their final regular-season game at Barclays Center will be Feb. 16. Starting Feb. 26, the Islanders will play their final 12 home games at the Coliseum. The Islanders’ average attendance in their first 11 games at Barclays Center this season is 10,448. Trotz’s bigger point was that, regardless of the arena, the Islanders are going be in plenty of close games like Saturday’s. They are 5-1-3 in one-goal games this season, with two of the victories coming in overtime and one in a shootout. Two of their three one-goal losses were in a shootout. Saturday’s win also improved the Islanders (13-9-3) to 10-2-0 in the Metropolitan Division. “This was a character win,” Trotz said. “I like where we’re going. We don’t mind being in those close games.” He added that when the Islanders would get “punched” in close games earlier in the season, “we used to crawl up and accept it. We don’t accept it anymore.” Still, Trotz called the win just a “baby step.” “Our group has learned to play hard every night, to play the right way,” he said. “They’re finding out that they can play that way. We can’t take any shortcuts.” Trotz estimated that playing in an electric atmosphere like the one at the Coliseum is worth about 12 points in the standings. “We played a hard game,” he said. “The harder it’s getting, the more they’re starting to like it.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118938 New York Rangers Mika Zibanejad, who had two assists, scored in the second round of the shootout for the Rangers, and Laine then tied it. After Hellebuyck forced Jimmy Vesey wide, Scheifele — who got the game-winner in overtime at Rangers honor Vic Hadfield by retiring his No. 11 before losing to Jets in New Jersey on Saturday — beat Lundqvist for the win. OT shootout New York Daily News LOADED: 12.03.2018

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | DEC 02, 2018 | 8:30 PM

Vic Hadfield joined his former GAG Line teammates as the latest to have his number retired by the New York Rangers. A banner with his name and No. 11 was raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in a ceremony before the Rangers lost to the Winnipeg Jets in a shootout, after blowing a 3-0 third-period lead. Hadfield had 262 goals and 310 assists in 841 games over parts of 13 seasons in New York before he was traded to Pittsburgh in May 1974 and finished his career with the Penguins in 1976. With the Rangers, he was the left wing on a line with Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert — dubbed the GAG Line for "goal a game." Hadfield, a Rangers captain from 1971-74, received an ovation from the crowd when he was announced and walked out on the red carpet on the ice, and then again when he was called up to the podium by Gilbert. "I can't explain how incredible and amazing it is to stand before you and accept this tribute tonight," the 78-year-lold Hadfield said. "This is such an honor, a privilege for any player." Hadfield became the 10th player to have his number retired by the Rangers, and his No. 11 — also retired for Mark Messier — is the second to be selected for two players. The other is No. 9, retired for Adam Graves and Andy Bathgate. Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Gilbert (7), Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35) have also been honored. "A special thank you to Rod and Jean," Hadfield said. "I certainly wouldn't be able to be here without you two." Giacomin, Richter, Messier, Leetch, Graves, Ratelle and Gilbert also attended the ceremony, while Howell and Bathgate were represented by family members. Some of Hadfield's former teammates were also present, including Ron Greschner, Steve Vickers, Bob Nevin, Bruce MacGregor, Ted Irvine, Bill Fairbarn, Pete Stemkowski,k Walt Tkaczuk, Tim Neilson, Brad Park and 91-year-old former coach Emile Francis. The GAG Line's big season was in 1971-72 when they finished third, fourth and fifth in the league in points and Hadfield and Ratelle became the first two Rangers to reach 100 points. Hadfield was the first Rangers player to score 50 goals that season, and Ratelle — who suffered an ankle injury late in the season — set a franchise record with 109 points that stood until Jaromir Jagr had 123 in 2005-06. "Our line had great chemistry and we made each other better players," Ratelle said. Francis added: "I'm so proud all three of their names will be together on the roof." Hadfield was presented with a specially inscribed commemorative watch, a standard-sized sideboard with names of his 132 teammates during his tenure with the Rangers, and a five-day cruise with his family. Current Rangers players sat on the bench during the ceremony, all wearing No. 11 jerseys with Hadfield's name on the back. The ceremony for Hadfield was announced on Feb. 28, after Ratelle had his number retired. "I didn't have a clue," Hadfield said before Sunday's ceremony. "When Rod announced it, it was quite a shock, and emotional." JETS 4, RANGERS 3: Mark Scheifele started Winnipeg's third-period comeback and then got the deciding goal in the shootout as the Jets rallied to beat the Rangers 4-3 Sunday night. Jack Roslovic and Bryan Little also scored in the third as the Jets erased a 3-0 deficit and won their third straight. Jacob Trouba had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 shots. Marc Staal had a goal and an assist, and Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast also scored for New York. Henrik Lundvist made 39 saves through overtime as the Rangers lost for the fourth time in five games. New York also lost in a shootout for the first time this season after starting 4-0 in tiebreakers. 1118939 New York Rangers New York Post LOADED: 12.03.2018

Who’s next now that Rangers honored Vic Hadfield?

By Larry Brooks December 3, 2018 | 1:09am

These nights are bittersweet and tinged with melancholy. Oh, there is romance in the air, all right, but whenever the Rangers celebrate their heritage, whenever they raise an other-than-1994 banner to the sky, the absence of the flags that count the most are visible the way amputated limbs can create pain. It was Vic Hadfield’s time on Sunday before the Rangers fell in a shootout loss to the Jets, time for one of only three captains in the past 68 years to lead the Blueshirts to the Cup final to have his No. 11 immortalized and raised to the pinwheel ceiling of the Garden to wave beside Jean Ratelle’s No. 19 and Rod Gilbert’s No. 7. The Three Amigos, together again, on the red carpet and in the rafters. GAG Line then, GAG Line now, GAG Line forever. The ceremony that preceded Sunday’s match against the Jets was poignant. There was the final and strongest incarnation of the Bulldog Line, with Steve Vickers, Walter Tkaczuk and Billy Fairbairn joining the festivities. There was the third line, Pete Stemkowski between Ted Irvine and Wee Bruce MacGregor. Jim Neilson was on hand; Bob Nevin, too. Of course, Eddie-Eddie-Eddie Giacomin, during his time, the most popular and beloved Blueshirt. And Brad Park, who, other than the man of the hour, probably received the loudest ovation of all from a crowd that is anticipating another No. 2 joining Brian Leetch at both the top of the building and the pinnacle of franchise recognition. That’s going to be a tough one, folks. There is no dispute of Park’s greatness as a Ranger, during which time he was a first-team NHL All- Star three times, a second-team All-Star twice, and runner-up four times (to Bobby Orr) for the Norris Trophy and a third-place finisher once. And that was accomplished within his seven full seasons in New York. Ah, but there’s the rub. Park played only 465 games as a Ranger — curious that when he appeared on the ice he was given his No. 2 with an “A” on it even though he followed Hadfield as captain — until he was sent to Boston on the Nov. 7, 1975, day of darkness. None of the 10 players immortalized by the organization played fewer than Giacomin’s 539. None of the eight skaters played fewer than Mark Messier’s 698. So there’s that. But retired numbers are not about digits and neither are the memories they evoke. Yes, Hadfield did score 50 goals, and so there is a magic number attached to his career, but he’d be the same man and have been the same cherished teammate and leader even if he’d finished 1971-72 with, say, the 43 goals scored that season by Gilbert. There is something to this franchise, something to this Original Six team that has a place in this city’s heritage that exceeds the day-to-day attention paid to New York City’s hockey team. There is something about Emile’s Era that has resonated for decades. Something about Emile Francis, The Cat himself, who was hailed when he stepped onto the ice and delivered a speech about Hadfield and the GAG Line. “I don’t think there’s any doubt Brad belongs there,” Hadfield had said Thursday about a Park number retirement. “But the other one is Emile. He orchestrated the whole thing. There has to be a way to honor him.” There has to be a way to honor Park — if you saw him you also have no doubt — and there has to be a way to honor Emile. There has to a way to honor Frank Boucher and Bill Cook, Original Rangers who were dominant forces and won Cups in 1928 and 1933, and there has to be a way to honor Ron Greschner, who wore his No. 4 as a participant in Sunday’s festivities. And if the Rangers are not going to double-retire No. 2, if they’re not going to retire No. 5 for Cook, and double-retire No. 7 for Boucher and not going to celebrate Greschner in that fashion — and hey, what about Lester Patrick, Bryan Hextall, Ching Johnson and Dean Prentice? — then it is time for the Garden to carve out a space for a Rangers Hall of Fame. Sunday, the organization honored one of its great ones. Typically, it was done in style. Vic Hadfield’s legacy will endure forever. But there are others deserving of recognition. It is time for Brad, it is time for Emile, it is time for a Rangers Hall of Fame. Because memories generated before 1994, and memories generated before 1972, they also last a lifetime. 1118940 New York Rangers

Brady Skjei benched but David Quinn insists it’s not punishment

By Brett Cyrgalis December 3, 2018 | 12:39am

The saga of Brady Skjei’s diminishing confidence and how the Rangers are dealing with it continues. First-year head coach David Quinn made the 24-year-old defenseman a healthy scratch for the team’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Jets on Sunday night at the Garden. It was the third benching this season for the player whom the franchise believes in deeply, but who had a brutal game in Montreal on Saturday night amidst a season of disappointing play. “This is a guy that we have a lot of faith in,” Quinn said. “He’s a really good player having a little bit of a struggle. He’s going to get right back in there and we’re going to get this right. He’s going to be a big part of what we’ve got going on now and the future. It’s not a punishment, it’s more take a deep breath and let’s get back at it.” Before the game, Quinn had said one of his defensemen was “questionable with an unspecific injury.” Whomever that was turned out to be good enough to play, and the healthy Skjei was the one benched. Quinn was happy his players came out and watched the pregame ceremony that sent Vic Hadfield’s No. 11 to the rafters. “It’s important to realize the organization you play for, the history, how much these guys mean to our franchise,” Quinn said. Defenseman Brendan Smith had a difficult game, taking two bad penalties. The second was a cross-check at the start of the third period, the only shift he got that period as Quinn sat him for the final 18:04 of regulation. The club called up veteran winger Matt Beleskey and he made his season debut, getting 8:27 of total ice time on a fourth line with Steven Fogarty and Vinni Lettieri, a line that didn’t play for about the final 9:30 of regulation. The 30-year-old Beleskey had been with AHL Hartford after clearing waivers following training camp, when he missed time with a separated shoulder. Once he got healthy, he put up three goals and nine points in 14 games with the Wolf Pack. “He’s played well down there,” Quinn said. “Went down with an injury, but came back in game shape and has been playing well. He’s a veteran presence out there, and he’s been playing well.” To make room for Beleskey, the Rangers sent Tim Gettinger back to Hartford. The 6-foot-6 20-year-old from Cleveland made his NHL debut on Nov. 24 against the Capitals, but it was a rather uneventful four-game cup of coffee for the 2016 fifth-round pick. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo came back in after he had been a healthy scratch in Montreal. He started paired with Smith, but was mixed and matched in the third period. Mats Zuccarello missed his fifth straight game and the ninth in the team’s past 11 with a right-groin injury. He did take part in the on-ice Hadfield ceremony. New York Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118941 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist stands alone in remarkable Vic Hadfield tribute

By Brett Cyrgalis December 2, 2018 | 9:13pm | Updated

There is no reason for Henrik Lundqvist to pull punches. So the Rangers goalie did not sugarcoat anything, didn’t try to build up his young teammates into believing they were any bit better than they really were. He told it exactly how almost everyone else saw it, that his Blueshirts were manhandled in a 4-3 shootout loss to the superior Jets on Sunday night at the Garden. On the night when the club raised Vic Hadfield’s No. 11 to the rafters, the Rangers’ disjointed effort led to them blowing a 3-0 third-period lead that was as much a mirage as Lundqvist’s 39-save brilliance was real. So did that first Winnipeg goal of the third period change the momentum? “Momentum? I don’t know what game you were watching. I felt like they owned us,” Lundqvist said. “We tried to survive for two periods, and then finally they got a goal and they kept coming. That’s the feeling I had all game.” The Jets (16-8-2) put on a display of depth and talent that led Rangers head coach David Quinn to say they’re “probably the best team we’ve seen all year.” Meanwhile, the Rangers (13-12-3) have now lost three in a row and five of the past six going back to that 4-0 thumping by the Flyers on the day after Thanksgiving. Quinn pointed to the odd-man rushes against as being the biggest culprit during this stretch — which was preceded by a run of 9-1-1 — but it hasn’t been just that. This game, the Blueshirts just couldn’t keep up with the Jets, giving them just enough time and space to create a plethora of high-grade scoring chances. But Lundqvist was there to do what he could to keep them in it, including making eight saves in a wild three-on-three overtime before allowing tallies to Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele in the skills competition to give Winnipeg the extra point it deserved. “He’s as good as there is out there, in my opinion,” Quinn said of his 36- year-old netminder. “He was unbelievable. He’s the reason we have the record we have. Everybody talks about where we’re at, but let’s be honest here, this guy’s been outstanding since Day 1. A lot of things we’ve done pretty well so far, too. But he’s the guy. He’s our best player.” Lundqvist made terrific stops on Blake Wheeler and Scheifele in the opening five minutes of the game, and another great one on Bryan Little at the start of the second. His heroics allowed goals from Jesper Fast, Marc Staal and Chris Kreider to hold up a 3-0 lead that came on just 11 shots at struggling Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck in the opening 40 minutes. Watching the game unfold, it was an entirely improbable score — but it was still the truth. And watching it come crashing down in the third period felt like an inevitability. After a mindless cross-checking penalty from Brendan Smith — on a night when he almost assuredly earned himself a seat in the press box for the next game, Saturday in Florida — the Jets got a power-play goal from Scheifele at 2:10. Just over two minutes later, Jack Roslovic scored on an open shot from the high slot to make it 3-2. And then as the clock ticked down, Little was the one to bury a rebound with 2:30 remaining in regulation to send it to overtime. “I knew they were going to come,” Lundqvist said. “When the game is played like that, you know they’re going to have enough looks to come back. … I felt like, from my view, they were the better team.” So even if Lundqvist gave his Rangers a chance, and some opportunistic offense gave them a lead, it still couldn’t get the job done — and now they have a whole week to think about it. “It’s not enough for a win,” Lundqvist said, “so it doesn’t feel good at all.” New York Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118942 New York Rangers

Rangers squander 3-0 lead, lose to Winnipeg Jets in a shootout

By Colin Stephenson Updated December 3, 2018 1:56 AM

Back at Madison Square Garden after a pair of losses in French- speaking Canada, the Rangers tried to right the ship Sunday against one of the NHL’s elite teams, the Winnipeg Jets. And for two periods, led by Henrik Lundqvist, they somehow managed to rope-a-dope their way to a surprising three-goal lead. But an untimely penalty early in the third period opened the door for the high-flying Jets, who took full advantage. They stormed their way to three third-period goals and forced overtime before ultimately beating the Rangers, 4-3, in a shootout on Vic Hadfield Night. Mark Scheifele, who had scored the first goal of the game, scored the winner on the final shot of the shootout. The Rangers are 0-2-1 in their last three games and 13-12-3 overall. “I felt like they owned us,’’ Lundqvist said. “We tried to survive for two periods and then finally they got a goal and they just kept coming. And that’s the feeling we had all game. We tried our best. We got a point, but . . . they were good.’’ With Hadfield’s No. 11 going up to the Garden rafters before the game, the Rangers leaned on the guy whose jersey is likely to be the next one headed for the ceiling. Lundqvist turned aside 24 shots in the first two periods to stymie the Jets (16-8-2). The Rangers, who mustered only 11 shots in the first 40 minutes, managed to get goals by Jesper Fast in the first period and Marc Staal and Chris Kreider in the second for a 3-0 lead after two periods. But Brendan Smith took a bad penalty early in the third period, cross- checking the Jets’ Brandon Tanev into the boards. He didn’t immediately get called for a penalty, so Smith cross-checked Tanev again and again until the referees finally sent him off at 1:56. Fourteen seconds later, Scheifele scored his 16th goal of the season. Jack Roslovic made it 3-2 just 2:26 later. With the Rangers desperately trying to hang on, Bryan Little buried a rebound with 2:30 left in the third period to tie it. The Jets then outshot the Rangers 8-2 in overtime, and only the work of Lundqvist (39 saves) got the game to the shootout. Rangers coach David Quinn, who benched Smith for the rest of the game, said he didn’t think his penalty was the game’s turning point. “Maybe a little bit psychologically, because we had a 3-0 lead,’’ he said. “But we were very opportunistic, and our goalie was outstanding from the drop of the puck, so maybe, but that’s one heck of a hockey team. Probably the best team we’ve seen all year.’’ Notes & quotes: Staal, 31, played in his 789th game as a Ranger — passing former Blueshirts defenseman Dan Girardi (now with Tampa Bay) for ninth place among the team’s skaters — and scored his second goal of the season on a wrister from the right circle after a feed from Ryan Strome . . . The Rangers held Jets sniper Patrik Laine in check. Laine, who entered the game with 21 goals in 25 games, was matched up against the line of Mika Zibanejad, with wingers Fast and Jimmy Vesey, and was hardly noticeable for the first two periods . . . The Rangers, coming off three games in four nights, do not play again until Saturday. They will head to Florida to face the Panthers on Saturday and the Lightning on Monday. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118943 New York Rangers

Vic Hadfield's jersey raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden

By Colin Stephenson Updated December 3, 2018 1:59 AM

Vic Hadfield, the rugged power forward who played left wing on the Rangers' famed GAG (Goal-A-Game) line in the late 1960s and early 1970s, admittedly was caught by surprise in February when his linemate, Blueshirts icon Rod Gilbert, announced that Hadfield’s No. 11 would be raised to the Garden rafters this season. On Sunday, before the Rangers played the Jets, Hadfield became the 10th player in team history to have his number raised to the ceiling, joining GAG line pals Gilbert and Jean Ratelle. “I sincerely hope,’’ Hadfield said to the crowd, “that everyone here experiences something, anything in your life that makes you feel like I feel now.’’ Hadfield, 78, was the first Ranger to score 50 goals in a season, netting two goals in the final game of the 1971-72 season to get to that milestone. Gilbert — who, along with Ratelle and their former coach, Emile Francis, spoke at the ceremony — said of the trio, “The three of us were pretty humble about our success, but this recognition means a lot to us, believe me.’’ Francis said the three comprised the best line in club history. “I’m so proud now that all three of their names will be together again, up on the roof,’’ he said. Hadfield joins goaltenders Eddie Giacomin and Mike Richter, Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Andy Bathgate, Brian Leetch, Harry Howell, Gilbert and Ratelle in the rafters. Giacomin, Richter, Messier, Graves and Leetch, of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion team, were present, as were Ron Greschner and Brad Park. Hadfield was given several gifts, including a cruise. The current Rangers watched the event from the bench, all wearing jerseys with Hadfield’s name and No. 11. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118944 New York Rangers “Momentum?” he asked. “I don’t know what game you were watching, but I felt they owned us. We tried to survive for two periods and then they finally got a goal and just kept coming. That’s the feeling we had all Lundqvist is spectacular, but it’s not enough as the Rangers turn game. We tried out best. We got a point. But they’re good. They made it conservative really tough on us to get going.” Now the Rangers don’t play, with a quirk in the schedule, until Saturday in Florida. They will get some needed rest, maybe get some players back By Rick Carpiniello Dec 2, 2018 (Mats Zuccarello, Vlad Namestnikov and the benched Brady Skjei?) and hit the reset button a bit.

“We got away from our game a little bit, I think, the last week or so,” NEW YORK – The Rangers rely on Henrik Lundqvist because, well, they Lundqvist said. “This is an opportunity to work on it this week, and remind have to rely on him. In truth, they over-rely on him. Because they must. ourselves why we had success for a few weeks (a 9-1-1 run). We relied on hard work, attention to details. That’s how we’re going to get back on This is a Rangers team that, more often than not, can’t compete with the track.” better teams in the NHL, and it is a team that didn’t truly compete with the Winnipeg Jets Sunday at the Garden. Quinn had his entire team, including injured players, in uniform for the Hadfield ceremony. Front and center was Lundqvist. You could just see it Yet, all credit to Lundqvist, they led 3-0 in the third period. All credit to in his face – and he’s said it many times before – Lundqvist loves this Lundqvist, they got a point by reaching sudden death. All credit to Rangers historical stuff. He wants to be part of that fraternity of franchise Lundqvist, who was ridiculously good in overtime, they got to the legends who were on that red carpet, and of course he will be the shootout. And that’s where they ultimately lost, 4-3. honoree one day when No. 30 goes up to the ceiling. And being one of “Yeah, he’s as good as there is out there in my opinion,” Rangers coach those all-time Rangers, that’s most of why he wanted to be part of this David Quinn said. “He’s unbelievable. He’s the reason we’ve got the rebuild at age 36, and not somewhere else. He also wants to be here record we have (13-12-3) and where we’re at, to be honest. He’s been when it turns around. outstanding from Day 1. There are a lot of things we’ve done pretty well But this is why he is who he is. He was asked about the spectacular so far, too, but he’s the guy. He’s been our best player.” performance he put on after the ceremony, the one-man show. Lundqvist faced 42 shots in the first 65 minutes, the sixth time already “It’s not enough for a win, so it doesn’t feel good at all,” he said. “You try this season he’s seen 40 or more, this after hitting that number a career- just to make a difference. That’s the feeling I have when I go out to every high (by a lot) 13 times last season. He made eight mostly spectacular game. I try to be there and give the team a chance to win. … It’s a saves in the overtime alone. He probably faced more dangerous chances disappointing feeling when you come up short in the shootout, especially in those five minutes than his counterpart Connor Hellebucyk did in all 65 as a goalie. You feel a big part of it. I need to come up with more saves.” minutes, including one on the top sniper in the game, Patrik Laine, who then beat Lundqvist in the shootout before Mark Scheifele won it. Thoughts: This was a case, though, of the Rangers being in the deep end of the 1) Zibanejad, who had another wickedly good game (two assists, plus-3, NHL (outshot 42-19, out-attempted 66-43), and on top of that, becoming a shootout goal, 62 percent faceoff wins), hit the nail on the head when it too conservative with that lead in the third, a product of their struggles was mentioned the Rangers got a point. “We probably lost a point lately, a 1-4-1 record in the last six now. Quinn said the common thread instead of gaining a point,” he said. of the previous five games was the number of odd-man rushes caused by bad decisions. 2) The Rangers weren’t just conservative in the third. They had one shot on goal in the first 10 minutes, but were better defensively, for sure. And The natural next progression, then, is to not take chances, to be too they did have the puck for some really good shifts of offensive-zone time. careful. The Rangers, when it got to 3-1 after a completely needless, The odd-man rushes were, indeed, mostly eliminated. even dumb triple-crosscheck by Brendan Smith that led to Scheifele’s power-play goal early in the third, got too careful. It got worse after Jack 3) Tony DeAngelo, back after a one-game scratch, made a strong play to Roslovic made it 3-2, trying to whittle away the last 15:24 by chipping and prevent Bryan Little’s back-door dunk … he got there just in time for what changing, chipping and changing. otherwise looked like an uncontested nominee. As Mark Messier – who was in the house to celebrate Vic Hadfield Night 4) Smith, not under direct pressure, flipped one over the glass. On the – used to say about playing that way: “It’s like punting on first down.” You power play Wheeler was wide open in the right circle and with time. can’t continue to give up field position over and over and not expect to be Lundqvist didn’t commit, then got a glove on his shot. Then made a burned. terrific stop on Scheifele. Not bad for the 25th-best starting goalie in the league (one publication) who is also not a Hall of Famer (one Canadian “We got a little bit too passive unfortunately and they got that 3-2 goal TV outlet). Lundqvist made another terrific stop on Mathieu Perreault pretty soon after 3-1,” Mika Zibanejad said. “We kind of sat back a little during a penalty to Ryan Strome, which the Rangers also killed. too much and that’s a really good hockey team, obviously. We’re giving too much time and space. I thought we did a decently good job battling 5) First period, Filip Chytil chasing the puck toward the end boards, got down low and trying and eliminate those chances, but eventually they got slew-footed by Tyler Myers and went into the wall hard, went to the their chance and they scored. bench slowly, favoring his right leg. He played the rest of the game, though. Moments later, Zibanejad nearly decapitated Scheifele with his “You don’t want it to be that way. … We weren’t really able to slow them stick, giving the Jets their third power play of the first period. down like we wanted to. We kept telling ourselves to push, to push and keep playing and not to sit back and wait for time to run out.” 6) Not only did the Rangers make it 3-for-3 in kills, but they got a Jack In The Box goal out of it, Marc Staal broke up a play, Zibanejad leaped out, As Quinn said, yes, it was the result of trying to get a handle on the 3-on- got the puck from Jesper Fast and twice played give-and-go, the second 2s, 2-on-1s, 3-on-1s, that had been burning the Rangers so often lately. time a perfect set-up to Fast driving to the net for a dunk. 1-0. Fast’s second of the year. The Rangers were shooting 25 percent from the field “It kind of happened earlier in the season where we were giving up odd- at that point. man rushes and we addressed it, made a couple of adjustments, now all of a sudden you’re more conservative than you want to be,” he said. “So 7) Early second, Little stepped into the slot, ignored by both rookies Brett we’ve got to find that balancing act of being aggressive and being smart. Howden and Chytil, and Lundqvist just got an arm on his wrister. We were talking this morning, kind of anticipating probably being more conservative because we don’t want to give up the odd-man rushes, and 8) Mr. Instant Offense, Staal, joined the play as the Rangers put together we didn’t. back-to-back shifts in the offensive zone. Staal remained in the play until a Ryan Strome carom came to him along in the right circle, with time to “But we have to continue to be aggressive. Our D have to continue to be tee it up and wrist one in off the far post behind Hellebucyk. 2-0. His active in the offensive zone. We have to have good gaps. So it might be second in four games! a little bit of a balancing act.” 9) Late in the second, Lundqvist had a long talk with referee TJ Luxmore This wasn’t balanced at all, and it wasn’t fair. Quinn said Winnipeg is the after his helmet was knocked loose and he flipped it off (this time he got best team the Rangers have faced this season, and based on Sunday, a fairly quick whistle). that’s tough to argue. 10) Zibanejad drew an interference penalty to Blake Wheeler, and just Lundqvist sure won’t argue. He was asked about the momentum swing four seconds after the power play expired, his shot was deflected home after the Smith penalty. by Chris Kreider. 3-0. Kreider’s 14th of the season. He’s on pace for 41, if my math is correct. IT'S THE FAKE PUMP THAT STARTS IT ALL AND THE TIP THAT ENDS IT. PIC.TWITTER.COM/XL0LYGNSZ7 — NHL (@NHL) DECEMBER 3, 2018 11) End of two, shots 24-11, Jets. Early in the third it got interesting, though, as Smith took a completely needless penalty, serving up three (maybe four) crosschecks in the corner, and on the power play, Scheifele scored his 16th, through Neal Pionk’s screen. 3-1. 12) Just 2:26 later, Jack Roslovic shot in the high slot, fired one past a screened Lundqvist. 3-2. 13) Off a hideous Winnipeg turnover in the slot, Hellebucyk gloved Vinni Lettieri’s wrister to keep it a one-goal game. So did Lundqvist, with a blocker save on Roslovic from the slot, on which the goalie lost the loose puck and eventually fell backward on it. 14) You could feel it coming, the Rangers happy to chip the puck out and change, and sure enough it happened, a blast by Nik Ehlers and a long rebound. Little, in behind Fredrik Claesson, converted it. 3-3 with 2:30 left. .@MARKSCHEIFELE55 WINS IT IN THE SHOOTOUT! PIC.TWITTER.COM/NMZN9IT2YA — NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) DECEMBER 3, 2018 15) Matt Beleskey, called up Sunday (Tim Gettinger was demoted) sure looks like he doesn’t have any interest in returning to Hartford or the AHL. He had four hits, three of them of the loud variety, on his first three NHL shifts of the season. 16) Daily Zucc-O-Meter: Zuccarello was in uniform for the ceremony, but remained out with a groin issue. He might be back for the Florida trip. 17) Laine, who scored on a devastating shot in the shootout, was kept off the scoresheet otherwise. He’s still got a Cy Young season going with his 21-3 stat line. 18) Quinn Bin: Off his mindless game in Montreal Saturday, Brady Skjei took a seat for the third time this season. He might have played as one of the Rangers defensemen was dealing with a minor injury. “It’s more of a think-about-things,” Quinn said about the Skjei decision. “This is a guy that we have a lot of faith in. He’s had a little bit of a struggle, and he’s going to be right back in there and we’re going to get this right and he’s going to be a big part of what we’ve got going now and in the future. It’s not punishment. It’s more of a ‘take a deep breath and let’s get back at it.’” 19) The Hadfield ceremony was typically classy, and Rod Gilbert was typically Rod Gilbert. When he got to the podium he said he and G-A-G linemate Jean Ratelle would often speak French and Hadfield would holler, “Speak English!” Gilbert’s response would be, “No, we’re talking about you.” 20) Another great part was poor Sam Rosen, who not only emceed the ceremony, but played air-traffic controller, jumping from his seat to tell Emile “The Cat” Francis that the fans couldn’t hear him every time he turned away from the microphone to speak directly to the players. Then Rosen had to go find Hadfield, who wasn’t up front with his family as his banner began ascending to the ceiling. 21) It’s a shame that the history of the franchise is not significant enough for fans with tickets to come out early enough to attend a ceremony like this. The place was less than half full for the special event. 22) Man, Winnipeg’s gigantic Tyler Myers has become such a good player. Hard to imagine Buffalo, in 2015, traded Myers, Drew Stafford, two prospects (Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux) and a first-rounder (turned into Roslovic) for Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane. My Three Rangers Stars: 1. Henrik Lundqvist. 2. Mika Zibanejad. 3. Marc Staal. The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118945 NHL wrote. “The largest crowd that ever saw an ice game in The Arena stood on its feet and cheered until the iron girders of The Arena roof rattled as the Seattle team left the ice with the world’s title safely won.” More than the Metropolitans: Ahead of NHL vote, a comprehensive The Metropolitans and Montreal met here again for the 1919 Cup, but the Seattle hockey history series was canceled after five games following a Spanish influenza outbreak that killed Canadiens player Joe Hall. Seattle played for the Cup again in 1920, losing to the NHL’s Ottawa Senators 3-games-to-2. Originally published December 2, 2018 at 6:00 am Updated December 2, 2018 at 11:33 am “These guys, they were larger than life in Seattle,’’ said Kevin Ticen, a Seattle Sports Commission director and author of “Immortality: The Geoff Baker Forgotten Story of 1916-17 and America’s first Stanley Cup Champions,” the upcoming Metropolitans book. “They were Seahawk-esque before there was such a thing. They were constantly on the front of the newspaper. Everywhere they went, people knew who they were.’’ The only shots taken by Guyle Fielder these days are on a pool table in the Arizona retirement community where his neighbors get together for And those big names kept pro hockey alive in Seattle well after the regular tournaments. Metropolitans folded and their arena became a parking garage. But back when the Seattle Totems were a 1960s minor professional Former Metropolitans coach Muldoon helped the Patrick brothers form a hockey force, nobody could take or set up a scoring shot quite like new minor-league circuit, the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL), Fielder. By the time his 22-year career was done, “Golden Guyle” was a buying an ownership stake in the Seattle Eskimos in 1928-29 to play at six-time Western Hockey League MVP, eight-time first team all-star and the new $1.1 million Civic Ice Arena — later known as Mercer Arena. The nine-time scoring champion in a circuit that was then a pro feeder system Eskimos defeated the Portland Buckaroos 4-2 in their opener, with ex- to the NHL. Metropolitans player Walker scoring the franchise’s first goal. Fielder captained the Totems to three WHL championships and his 2,037 A total of 15 former and future NHL players played for the Eskimos over combined goals and assists remain fourth all-time on pro hockey’s point four seasons, but Muldoon didn’t see the finish. He died of a heart attack list, trailing only Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr. Now, at in 1929 late in his first season as the team’s coach. age 88, Fielder, the top minor-league point-getter of all-time, is thrilled to see Seattle finally acquiring the NHL franchise he’d assumed was “Hockey has lost a great organizer and a great manager,’’ Leo Lassen coming decades ago. wrote in The Seattle Times. “But, more important, athletics in Seattle has lost a man who put loyalty to his associates far above whatever financial INDEX gain he might have ahead.” A century of hockey in Seattle The league ceased operations in 1931. 1915–24: The forgotten Stanley Cup champions 1933 – 1941 1933–41: The original ‘Sea Hawks’ craze The original ‘Sea Hawks’ craze 1948–61: Guyle Fielder puts Seattle on the map Two years later, the five-team North West Hockey League was founded with a Seattle Sea Hawks franchise coached by former Metropolitans star 1964–2018: Totems’ demise, and hockey’s return Foyston, who got the team to the finals in 1934-35, then won the title “It was a great place to play all those years,’’ Fielder said. “I would have over Vancouver the next year. It was the first championship for a Seattle thought they’d have had a team up there much sooner given a lot of the hockey team since the Metropolitans won the PCHA crown 16 years successes we had.’’ earlier before losing the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. The Totems owned the Seattle pro sports scene, with only Washington Foyston’s daughter, Barbara Daniels, now 88 and living on the Kitsap Huskies college football and Thoroughbred racing rivaling them in Peninsula, remembers how the community treated her family. She’d prominence. It had been the same a half-century earlier, when the started accompanying her father to the arena at age 6. Seattle Metropolitans under coach Pete Muldoon became the first U.S.- “We’d go down to the rink and there was a man in the skate shop named based team to capture a Stanley Cup, went to two more finals and had Andy Johnson that we’d visit with,’’ she said. “Then, when our family stars like Frank Foyston, Jack Walker and Bernie Morris that stuck cabin burned down, he came out and helped my father to build it back up around Seattle years after that team folded. again. He was a very handy guy.’’ In many ways, Seattle was always a pro hockey town – albeit one that Their cabin was on a ranch in Long Lake, near Port Orchard, adjacent a existed largely before television and the internet could preserve the property owned by former Metropolitans star Morris. Daniels said Morris history. What the Totems accomplished through their final season in knew her dad liked the area and had alerted him when the neighboring 1975 wound up largely forgotten by future generations of sports fans, property became available. much like the Metropolitans after their 1924 demise and everything else in between. She remembers Sea Hawks hockey players continuously visiting their home after games. Her father also began a successful turkey-farming “I didn’t know much about the Metropolitans or their players,’’ said business while still coaching and continued it long after his hockey Fielder, an Idaho-born, Saskatchewan-raised center who arrived here 26 retirement. years after the Stanley Cup winning franchise disbanded. “All I knew is that I wanted to play hockey. And this is where they let me do it.’’ The Sea Hawks routinely played before home crowds exceeding 4,000, outdrawing what the Metropolitans had gotten. The Seattle, Vancouver 1915 – 1924 and Portland franchises left the league, which subsequently folded, The forgotten Stanley Cup champions following the Sea Hawks’ 1936 title to play in a revived minor-league PCHL. The Metropolitans, a Pacific Coast Hockey Association team founded by future Hall of Famers Frank and Lester Patrick, were named after the Foyston lasted another season and then was replaced by player-coach Metropolitan Building Company and comprised mostly of players raided Danny Cox, who got the team to the finals the next two years – losing to from the Toronto Blueshirts. Vancouver and then Portland. Despite four finals appearances in six seasons, the franchise secured just the one championship under Over their nine-year existence, they featured five future Hall of Famers, Foyston, who remained in Long Lake until his death in 1966. including Lester Patrick — who played here in 1917-18 — and Foyston, Harry (Hap) Holmes, Walker and Gordon (Doc) Roberts. His daughter has no opinion on why the team, like other Seattle pro hockey squads, is rarely remembered, but added: “Part of me hopes they On March 26, 1917, playing at the Seattle Ice Arena, the Metropolitans name the new team the Sea Hawks even though I know that can’t defeated the National Hockey Association’s Montreal Canadiens 3- happen because of the football team.’’ games-to-1 to win the Cup. The final game was a 9-1 wipeout behind six goals by PCHA scoring-champ Morris at the Seattle Ice Arena at Fifth By 1940-41, the Sea Hawks were sold and renamed the Seattle Avenue and University Street, which officially held 2,500 fans but had “Olympics” but folded along with the PCHL a year later. more than 3,500 attend that day. 1948 – 1961 “The lexicon of sport does not contain language adequate to describe the Guyle Fielder puts Seattle on the map fervor of the fans who saw Seattle triumph last night,’’ The Seattle Times A seven-year gap ensued in which the city had only amateur hockey. Two years after Allen’s departure, Totems star center Bill MacFarland, Then, the revived amateur PCHL tried a third pro incarnation starting in who’d played on their 1959 championship team, became coach and won 1948-49 with the Seattle Ironmen as one of its teams. the first of consecutive titles in 1966-67. Fielder again led the offense with 91 points, helped by Boileau, Larry Lund, future NHL coach Bill By 1951, the league had morphed into the WHL. The Ironmen that year, Dineen and Howie Hughes. already boasting future Totems great Rudy Filion, took on a defenseman named Fred Shero, who later became a Hall of Fame coach of the The Totems had acquired Hughes from the WHL Vancouver Canucks Philadelphia Flyers. before that season. When the teams met in the finals, Hughes scored the tying and go-ahead goals late in the game that decided the But the Ironmen, subsequently renamed Bombers, Americans and finally, championship. Hughes, now 79 and living upstate, went on to coach local Totems, saw their future truly arrive in 1953. That’s when WHL president Seattle amateur teams after his hockey retirement. and longtime Seattle amateur hockey fixture Al Leader helped lure prized rookie and Detroit Red Wings prospect Fielder from the rival American That Totems team boasted a defense that included longtime Seattle Hockey League to the Emerald City. fixture Don Ward and future NHL stalwarts Noel Picard and Pat Quinn. The popular Ward remained a longtime Magnolia resident until his death Fielder had made his NHL debut for three games with the 1950-51 in 2014 at age 78, though his wife still resides there. Chicago Blackhawks, then four playoff contests with the Red Wings in 1953. But there was little room to crack rosters in a six-team league and Quinn became an NHL coach and general manager for multiple teams, Detroit was stacked with future Hall of Famers like Howe, Ted Lindsay, including the Vancouver Canucks. He advocated within the league for Alex Delvecchio and Red Kelly. Seattle to acquire an NHL franchise. “I just wanted to play hockey,’’ Fielder said. “I didn’t care what part of the Totems owner Vince Abbey had been awarded a Seattle NHL expansion country it was, or how the team was. I just wanted to go someplace that franchise in 1974, to launch in 1976, but failed to make a required would give me a chance.’’ payment on the $6 million expansion fee. The Totems, struggling financially after several down seasons, folded in 1975 and the NHL soon And Seattle was the place. after pulled its expansion offer — ending this city’s pro hockey run for Fielder joined what was then the “Bombers” and immediately produced decades. 24 goals and 64 assists in 68 games. By 1956-57, the team had been Seattle took another NHL shot 15 years later when ex-Totems coach renamed the “Americans’’ and Fielder registered 33 goals and 89 assists MacFarland teamed with Microsoft executive and future Mariners owner for a career-high 122 points. Chris Larson on a bid. They joined forces with another group headed by Keith Allen had come over as player-coach that year and took over as Bill Ackerley, son of Seattle SuperSonics NBA owner Barry Ackerley, and full-time bench boss the next season. Then, in 1958-59 – with the headed to Florida for a December 1990 presentation to the NHL’s board franchise renamed “Totems” at the suggestion of Seattle Times sports of governors. writer Hy Zimmerman – Allen guided them to their first WHL title. But in a move never fully explained, Ackerley asked if he could first Fielder logged 119 points as the Totems finished with the league’s privately address the governors without his partners. While in the room, second-best mark behind the Calgary Stampeders. A rookie winger he withdrew the group’s offer and headed out a back door. named Tom McVie, who later became coach of the NHL Washington There’s a theory he purposely torpedoed the bid so his father’s Sonics Capitals and GM of the New Jersey Devils, joined a line with Fielder and wouldn’t face NHL competition. Bolstering that theory, a mid-1990s Val Fonteyne and scored a league record nine game-winning goals. KeyArena renovation undertaken by Barry Ackerley reduced the venue’s The Seattle Totems play against Portland Buckaroos, at the Seattle seating capacity for hockey and made it impossible to lure the NHL. Coliseum, in Seattle, WA, January 24, 1969. (Peter Liddell / The Seattle That is, until the current $700 million renovation undertaken by Tim Times) Leiweke’s Oak View Group. If completed by its October 2020 target, the “I told everybody it was because I had the good fortune of playing next to new Seattle franchise could start play there that month. Fielder,’’ said McVie, now 83 and living in Camas. “Even I couldn’t mess For longtime Totems captain Fielder, it’s the culmination of a Seattle that one up.’’ hockey voyage he and so many others started long ago. Fielder retired With 30-goal-scorers Fonteyne, Marc Boileau and Filion also on-hand, from playing 45 years ago, had to give up golf several years back and the Totems swept Calgary in the final. now limits physical activity to his nightly pool games. “They had a really good team and they were picked to win the He will be almost 90 by the earliest a puck drops for the new Seattle championship going away,’’ McVie said. “But wouldn’t you know, we beat team. And though Fielder no longer attends hockey games, he would them four straight.’’ make an exception to come watch that new team in an arena where he and stars of yesteryear once dazzled local hockey fans. In a true Seattle hockey moment, WHL commissioner Leader – the city’s former amateur hockey guru – presented captain Fielder with the “If I’m still around,’’ he said, “I’d love to see it.’’ President’s Cup championship trophy. The following year, it was Seattle Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 renamed the Lester Patrick Cup following the death of the former Metropolitans co-founder. “That was just a great time,’’ McVie said, adding he’d walk to games from his home in Upper Queen Anne. “They didn’t have the money to throw us any parades back then, but we threw a good party. Our winner’s share was $1,450 each and my salary for the entire year was only $3,000. So, that bonus got put to use.’’ Fielder recalled feeling the entire city had rallied around the team. “It was a pretty small arena in those days, but it was usually full,’’ he said. On April 2, 1961, the Totems held a “Guyle Fielder Night’’ at the arena, lavishing him with gifts. “I’d have to say that was probably the highlight of my career when I look back,’’ Fielder said. “They’d had a Rudy Filion Night before that and then they gave me a night as well. It was very special.’’ 1964 – Present Totems’ demise, and hockey’s return The Totems moved into the Coliseum – now KeyArena – in 1964-65, routinely drawing 10,000 fans per game. Allen coached them through that season, later becoming coach and eventual GM of the NHL’s Flyers and building their consecutive Stanley Cup winners in the mid-1970s. 1118946 NHL

NHL Board of Governors to vote on Seattle expansion

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP HOCKEY WRITER DECEMBER 02, 2018 01:56 PM

Seattle is one step away from landing an NHL franchise. Team and city executives have already secured more than 30,000 season-ticket deposits, got an arena plan passed through local government and wowed the executive committee of owners. It all pays off Tuesday when the NHL Board of Governors is expected to approve Seattle as the home of the league's 32nd franchise. "Seattle's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country," Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently. "It gives us a geographic balance. It creates a nice geographic rivalry with Vancouver. I know Vancouver's particularly excited about the possibility. The ownership group, the plans for the arena — it's all of the above. It's never one factor. If you're going to have a successful expansion application, all of the bases need to be touched and all of them need to be checked off as being appropriate and right." Timing is the only question. Renovations to the downtown arena that will be the team's home are scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020. The uncertainty could lead the NHL to leave the door open to a 2020 or 2021 start or push it back just to be safe. "Right now everything we've done is kind of geared toward 2020," Seattle Hockey Partners senior adviser Dave Tippett said. "If we can do it in 2020 (we will), but the other thing is you don't want to start it being a month on the road or something, either." It's more about when than if, given the success of the Vegas Golden Knights' expansion and the $650 million the new owners will pay to join. Seattle is the largest U.S. city without a major winter sports team since the NBA's SuperSonics left in 2008 and it gives the NHL another big TV market. "It's a big city now. It's a relatively wealthy place. There's an awful lot going on between Boeing and the whole computer industry and all the rest of that stuff," NHL Players' Association executive director Don Fehr said. "It nests very nicely with the teams that are already in the Pacific Northwest. And it gives us 32, which gives us the balance that you would want. In addition to that, when you're looking at markets, if you really want to be a North American league, you want to be in the markets that matter when you can figure out a way to do it, and Seattle is certainly one of those." Tippett could feel the excitement building when he was back in Arizona over the Thanksgiving holiday, noting that people told him on the golf course they hoped Seattle would get a team. The board's executive committee voted unanimously in October to push the expansion bid forward and Bettman said he anticipated the full board doing the same. Approval requires a three-quarters vote. "This can work long term," Seattle Hockey President and CEO Tod Leiweke said. "We have the right building plan, we have the support from the city, the fans are there." Fans will be watching Tuesday morning at a Seattle tavern when the board is expected to give final approval. Next steps will include moving forward on arena and practice facility plans and piecing together a hockey operations department that Tippett will likely be in charge of. Before considering expansion, the board opens its annual two-day December meeting Monday with updates on the state of the league's business and hockey operations. The board is also expected to be briefed on collective bargaining talks and the tentative settlement of a concussion lawsuit involving retired players. News Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118947 NHL "Then you add in European travel and time changes and NHLPA days off for recovery time and it takes its toll."

For now, the NHL will continue to play games in Europe, explore China To 32 and beyond: Seattle may not be end of NHL expansion and increase its regular season to 1,312 games — once Seattle joins the fray. BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP HOCKEY WRITER News Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2018 NOVEMBER 30, 2018 01:12 PM

The NHL will soon have 32 teams if Seattle is approved as expected next week. An even balance between conferences. A cross-border rival for the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Northwest. Surely the league is done growing for a while? Maybe not. Two and a half years after voting to add a team in Las Vegas in what has been a rousing success, the NHL has plenty of options when it comes to what's next. No North American professional sports league has stretched past the number of 32, but no one is ruling it out for the NHL to get there on this continent or beyond. "The leagues adapt, they look around and they make judgments: Are there markets we would like to go into? Can they support the teams at the revenue levels that we need? If we expand too much too fast, do we dilute the talent such that the product suffers? And those are all judgment calls in the end," NHL Players' Association executive director Don Fehr said. "Some leagues and owners are more cautious than others. But sooner or later I would like to believe that in the kind of economy we have, all potential avenues will be explored." Considering the success of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle has seemed a no-brainer from the beginning and no one expects anything but approval from the Board of Governors on Tuesday. Seattle would begin play in either 2020 or 2021. "Hockey needs to be and wants to be in those really fast-paced cities that are growing and setting the mark," Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said. "Because if we do well here, it'll raise all the boats for all the teams." Vegas already raised the bar for Seattle, which will pay an expansion fee of $650 million — a 30 percent increase over the $500 million that cleared the way for Vegas to begin play last season and far beyond the $45 million the San Jose Sharks paid to enter the league in 1991 to begin a new era of expansion. As soon as the NHL went to 31, getting to 32 was inevitable. As balanced as it might seem, it's not the end. "Not sure there is any magic about 32," deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly said. "Expansion is appropriate when a convincing case can be made that it will be beneficial and add value to the league as a whole." While Daly was reluctant to address what might be next with the Seattle vote pending, Houston, Quebec City and Toronto have all been touted as possible new homes for an NHL team. Communications company Quebecor applied for an expansion team for Quebec City at the same time as Las Vegas. Billionaire businessman and new Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has already met with Commissioner Gary Bettman. "Houston's a big city," Fehr said. "It's got a long history with professional sports in North America. You would like to think that sooner or later the NHL will have a team there. When and under what circumstances I'm not going to try and predict." Andrew Zimbalist, a Smith College economic professor who has written extensively on sports and business, said professional leagues operate much differently from other entities when demand increases. Instead of making more of a product, like a sneaker or beer company might, leagues and teams raise ticket prices or seek new arenas. Expansion, of course, is another way to feed the beast and Zimbalist said a league could get to 40 teams if it is popular enough and the revenue is spread around correctly. Any dream of a 40-team NHL would almost certainly involve European expansion, which Bettman said no one has come up with a viable plan for yet. Amid speculation about basing a single NFL team in London, the NHL would likely need to put a full division in Europe to make any sense. And even that has its obstacles, with New Jersey Devils captain Andy Greene pointing to the drastic time changes and coach John Hynes unsure about the long-distance travel as part of an 82-game season. "When you look at the NHL schedule without going to Europe, it's a monster," said Hynes, whose team ended training camp in Switzerland, played an exhibition game there and opened the season in Sweden. 1118948 Ottawa Senators

The mad Christmas rush awaits the Senators

Ken Warren December 2, 2018 2:25 PM EST

Sunday was a welcome day of rest for the Senators. Soon enough, they’ll be facing the frenzy of the busy pre-Christmas schedule. Following practice Monday morning, they’ll be off to Montreal for Tuesday’s game that kicks off a home-and-away series that will also see the Canadiens back at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. Come next weekend, the Senators will play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. Riding a three-game winning streak, the Senators have put themselves into the thick of the chase for a playoff spot. The Senators were two points behind Montreal for the final wild card spot before the Canadiens Sunday game against the slumping San Jose Sharks.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118949 Ottawa Senators “It’s the best I’ve ever seen, in all my years,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said of Falk’s adjustment. “A player coming in with nothing, no practice, just a few minutes of talking and getting on the ice. There are Newest Senator Justin Falk quickly finds his place in the lineup some particular things we do defensively that might be hard to get accustomed to. And right away, he does everything right. He gets in there, has a big hit and a fight after and shows that he’s present and contributing already.” Ken Warren There are no long-term guarantees that Falk will remain in Ottawa, but he December 2, 2018 2:24 PM EST has certainly shown that he’s adaptable to change during his career. When he woke up in his newest home Sunday, there was at least some familiarity. A few snowflakes were falling. Justin Falk made it just in time to make an immediate impact in his new home Saturday. As for his first home, well, it doesn’t really exist anymore. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.03.2018 Falk, the imposing 6-5, 223-pound defenceman who delivered six hits and a fight in his Ottawa Senators debut Saturday, hails from a place called Snowflake, Manitoba. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it. There is no there there. It’s a ghost village, 190 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, home to little more than prairie winds and a lonely landscape. “There’s not much left there anymore,” Falk said amid the celebration of the Senators third consecutive win, a 6-2 victory over Erik Karlsson and the San Jose Sharks. “It’s a farming community, basically just a post office there and a chemical supply shop where the farmers get together for a coffee. But I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Those are my roots and I stayed grounded there.” Is there even an outdoor rink where kids gather, with dreams of following in Falk’s footsteps? “Well, we had a shed,” said Falk. “But once I left, Hutterites bought it for a pig barn, so no one was playing there anymore.” Now 30, Falk has travelled a winding road from there to here. For most of his 10-year professional career, he has been on a yo-yo ride between the NHL and the AHL, primarily an organizational depth defenceman who can add muscle to a blueline. He has registered a combined three goals, 30 assists and 213 penalty minutes in the big leagues with Minnesota, the New York rangers, Columbus and Buffalo. Falk began the current season in Calgary, attending the Flames training camp on a professional tryout offer, hoping for the best, but fully recognizing making the team was a longshot. Then family issues entered the equation. “I went down to Stockton (California, home of the Flames AHL affiliate), but I have three young kids and my youngest was born on Sept. 4,” said Falk. “So, I had to make a decision at that point. It was best for me to go home and be a dad and a husband for a few weeks and hope that time would take care of itself and something would come up. I believe everything happens for a reason.” Eventually, the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, came calling, bringing Falk in on a professional tryout offer. He played eight games for the squad based in Loveland, Colorado — the places in his life belong in one of those sappy, made for TV Christmas movies — allowing himself to wonder if his NHL days were completely behind him. “I’m fortunate in that I seem to get invested and emotionally attached to wherever I am and I was emotionally invested in Colorado,” he said. “I had my mind set that this is where I was going to be and if something presented itself, that was great, but I wasn’t going to sit there and think or hope that something was going to happen. I prepared well and I was very grateful they took me in and let me play there.” On to Friday, when he signed a two-way contract with the Senators — $650,000 if he sticks with Ottawa, $185,000 if he’s assigned to Belleville of the AHL – quickly packed a bag and embarked on his own Amazing Race in order to be in the Senators lineup Saturday. “It was a whirlwind and I was able to make something happen and I was in scramble mode to get here,” he said. “It was a mad scramble to get me a number and they needed to know right away and it got to the point where I said I don’t care what number you give me. Then it was ‘make sure you are on the plane’ and I only got to hotel (in Ottawa) at 2:30 in morning, a lot of flying around and then grab a quick nap and away we go for a matinee game.” With most eyes on the guy wearing number 65 on the Sharks, Falk impressed in his own way while wearing 42 in his first game with the Senators. 1118950 Philadelphia Flyers "It's huge to win in this building," Weise said. "We have to start thinking about the next game. It's about stringing some wins together now."

NOTES: Patric Hornqvist returned for Pittsburgh after missing three Flyers rally to top Penguins after a tough week games with a concussion. ... Flyers F Jori Lehtera played in his 300th NHL game. He was a healthy scratch the previous three games. ... The Flyers recorded their first power play in eight periods on Saturday. Their By Dan Scifo Associated Press most recent power play came two games ago Nov. 23 against the New York Rangers. ... Pittsburgh has not allowed a power-play goal in eight Dec 2, 2018 games and 15 chances.

PITTSBURGH — The struggling Philadelphia Flyers are just trying to Delaware County Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 reset following a tumultuous week in which the organization saw major changes in the front office. A road win against their biggest rival was a good start. Dale Weise scored in the first minute of the third period, and the Flyers held on for a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night. "This is a good stepping stone, as we know we haven't had a lot of consistency," Weise said. "This is a step in the right direction. I thought we had good contributions from everybody." The Flyers, who started the day last in the Eastern Conference, fired general manager Ron Hextall earlier this week in addition to their assistant general manager and an assistant coach. The players responded Saturday. Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek scored for the Flyers, who won for just the second time in eight games. Anthony Stolarz stopped 30 shots for his first win since Dec. 11, 2016. "Changes at the rink, it's never easy, but for us, it's our job to prepare ourselves and move forward," Stolarz said. "Hopefully this is the start of a nice little run." Sidney Crosby scored his 14th for Pittsburgh, while Riley Sheahan also scored for the Penguins, who lost their second straight and seventh of 10. Casey DeSmith made 22 saves. "I think we beat ourselves and that's unfortunate," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "It's discouraging because I felt like we made great strides. We have high expectations from our group. We're all responsible, so we have to make sure we do the necessary things to improve." Weise gave Philadelphia a 3-2 lead 51 seconds into the third period with a shorthanded goal. He beat DeSmith between the pads on the breakaway for his second goal this season and the Flyers' first shorthanded goal of the season. "I didn't want to deke," Weise said. "I missed one a couple weeks ago, so I had to shoot. It worked out well on fresh ice." The Penguins have allowed a league-worst six shorthanded goals. Along with the winner, Pittsburgh gave up three breakaways Saturday. "We don't have a conscience defensively when we're on the ice on the power play," Sullivan said. "It's simply inexcusable, and we talked about it. And it can't happen. It's hard to win when your power play gives up a goal like that in a game like this." Stolarz kept the Flyers in front when he stopped Derek Grant on a shorthanded breakaway later in the period. Voracek sealed it with an empty-netter. "(Grant) kind of covered the puck, so I kind of knew he was going to go low," Stolarz said. "He kind of tried to chip it, I tried to take away the five- hole, and I was lucky to get enough on it." It was the first meeting of the season between the cross-state rivals. It was also the first game since the Penguins swept the regular-season series and eliminated the Flyers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring. Crosby opened the scoring 39 seconds into the game. He finished a 2- on-1 with a one-timer on a pass from Jake Guentzel. Crosby, who recorded his 11th career hat trick Wednesday against Colorado, has 14 goals and 24 points in his last 16 games. Crosby and Guentzel are both riding four-game point streaks. Konecny evened the score when he beat DeSmith to the blocker side on a breakaway. He has points in five of his last six games. The teams traded goals 1:03 apart in the second period. Sheahan gave Pittsburgh a brief lead and Giroux tied it on a one-timer from a sharp angle near the goal line. Weise came through for the Flyers in the third. 1118951 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers weekly observations: GM search, Dave Hakstol's fate, more

By Jordan Hall December 02, 2018 4:50 PM

It was a quiet week for the Flyers. Just kidding, that week felt like a month and the games became a subplot to the drama. Here are some observations from the madness: • Despite the 4-2 win Saturday over the Penguins, the Flyers' entire picture still depicts a mess. Think about it: The Flyers don't have a general manager, they don't have an assistant general manager/director of player personnel, they're down an assistant coach, the head coach's future is as stable as the situation in net, they're on goalie No. 5 and they're 27th in the NHL with 24 points. If the Flyers can do something with this season, they'll have certainly earned it. • Guys like Bill Zito and Steve Greeley really intrigue me. They have versatile backgrounds and there's something to that up-and-coming appeal. Remember, though, those bold and unconventional routes look great at first because they're different, but they don't always pan out. The Flyers took that avenue with Dave Hakstol, going with a younger college coach that had no NHL experience, and it has yet to reward them, while the GM who made the hire is gone. Zito and Greeley wouldn't be crazy hires, but they haven't run the show yet. That's why I think the Flyers will go with an experienced name, a candidate that has been there, done that with working the trade and free- agent markets. Paul Holmgren and Dave Scott sounded like they both wanted a GM that will know exactly what to do the second the job is accepted. There's less patience in this instance and more desire for results. • Don't be surprised if Hakstol lasts the entire season — and that's not terrible, either. The new GM will have a ton of priorities when the job starts. And to truly find his head coach, it will take time, whereas other tasks will bring greater immediate importance. What does firing Hakstol from the jump accomplish? It's hard to bring in a completely new head coach during the middle of a season. The landscape of candidates could also be clearer and better at the end of the season. Meanwhile, the interim route doesn't look great. Maybe Scott Gordon from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley? Still, the new GM might not know Gordon yet and that would be a difficult shake-up for the Phantoms, as well. Hakstol will have plenty of positive recommendations when the new GM begins, which will only help his case to finish off the season. • There seemed to be a lot of anger over Jakub Voracek's "scared" comment following Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Senators. Were the Flyers really scared when the Senators trimmed a two-goal deficit to 3-2 in the final 10 minutes of regulation? Probably not, but what Voracek meant was the Flyers started thinking the worst instead of playing with confidence and force to finish the game. It's definitely not good if a team with a veteran core is trying not to lose when the opposition threatens a late lead. But that's where the Flyers' mental state is with all that has gone on in these first two months. They can shake that, though. They did in Pittsburgh. And a timely save here and there doesn't hurt.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118952 Philadelphia Flyers Guys not taking any s--- from anyone, just stepping up for each other and standing up for each other. That’s what makes a good team.”

Flyers 'not taking any s---' from Penguins Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018

By John Boruk December 02, 2018 12:00 AM

PITTSBURGH — It actually all started with a gentleman’s agreement. A minute and 15 seconds after Sidney Crosby gave Pittsburgh an early 1-0 lead on the opening shift of Saturday night's game, Wayne Simmonds asked Penguins hulking defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to engage in a fight knowing he was surrendering five inches in height and 60 to 70 pounds in weight. If this was a WBO-sanctioned event, it would have been a welterweight stepping into the ring against a heavyweight. Still, Simmonds did what needed to be done at that stage of the game. “I just went up and I asked him immediately and I was happy he said, ‘Yeah,’” Simmonds said. “I remember playing them in the playoffs last year and trying to get him to go and he wouldn’t [fight me]. I know he’s a big boy. I know he can handle himself well, so I think at that point in the game, not even two minutes into the game, if I’m gonna get one, I’m gonna get it then.” From that moment, the Flyers sent the message that Saturday night wasn’t going to be a replay of the previous week, when they waved the white flag in a 6-0 loss to the Maple Leafs. This time, it was a 4-2 win over their rival (see observations). Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t back down either when asked pointedly if that fight swung momentum in the Flyers' direction. “[Oleksiak] did the right thing. It gave us life, too,” Sullivan said. “We had a great start. For me, they can talk about that all they want, it gave us life, too. Jamie did a great job of sticking up for our team.” Less than four minutes after Simmonds' fisticuffs, Travis Konecny, the Flyers' “piss pot” that former GM Ron Hextall labeled earlier in the week, answered with a breakaway goal to tie the game and send a statement this was going to be different from the six-game playoff series in April. “We knew it was going to be like this, especially after the way our season ended last year against these guys,” Konecny said. “I kind of feel like whenever we play them, they think they have this swagger over us, so it’s just not going to happen anymore.”

“I didn’t even realize T.K. scored and he f---ing scored, I was pretty pumped,” said Simmonds, who was getting treated in the locker room for his fight when Konecny tied the game. The Penguins had every reason to feel overly confident against the Flyers. Not only did Pittsburgh eliminate the Flyers in six games in the opening round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning convincingly 7- 0, 5-0 and 5-1 in three of those victories, but the Pens also swept the Flyers in all four regular-season games, scoring five goals in each of the contests. “I think it had to do with today. I think our guys wanted to get that swagger back,” head coach Dave Hakstol said. “We had a little bit of a burn in our saddle coming in here. I’m sure a little bit of it is a carryover from the playoff series last year, but I think it’s more about what’s happening today with this hockey team.” Over the years, the Flyers have proven to be successful when they play with a controlled snarl. One particular shift personified old-school Flyers hockey when Radko Gudas leveled Sidney Crosby twice on the same shift. Had that sequence played out at the Wells Fargo Center, Flyers Nation would have erupted at the sight of seeing No. 87 on his backside. “I was excited that I did, he’s a really good player and it doesn’t happen too often that he gets hit like that,” Gudas said. “I was fortunate enough that I was waiting for him to cut back and lucky for me he did.” Throughout the game, it was typical Flyers-Penguins bad blood. Crosschecks after the whistle. Talking smack after a stoppage in play. Matching minors between Dale Weise and Evgeni Malkin for unsportsmanlike conduct. A little hate was exactly what a desperate Flyers team needed. “We’re at our best when we have guys sticking up for one another,” Anthony Stolarz said. “You saw a couple of scrums by the benches. 1118953 Philadelphia Flyers Even though he took the loss Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, the defeat wasn’t on him. It was a confidence boost for him to get another start in the next game, particularly against the Flyers’ biggest rival. Flyers 5 takeaways: Wayne Simmonds ‘a big spark’ in win over Penguins He’s the fifth goalie the Flyers have used this season and they aren’t wary because of that. Dave Isaac, NHL writer “His confidence has been impressive,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “He’s eager to take advantage of an opportunity. He’s not tight. I don’t think Published 10:58 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2018 he’s overthinking things. I think he’s just excited to play. You can see that in his game. He was a huge part of our game today.”

Big-time penalty kill PITTSBURGH — Wayne Simmonds went big-game hunting with the Flyers trailing only 39 seconds into the game. He was hoping they The Flyers’ much maligned penalty kill has now gone four straight games wouldn’t be down more before he found what he was looking for. without giving up a goal. And boy did he find what he was looking for. Seriously. His first fight of the season was against the largest Pittsburgh Penguin he And Dutch Gretzky himself, Dale Weise, scored 5-hole on a shorthanded could find. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Simmonds gives up nearly half a foot breakaway, the first of his career and the Flyers’ first shorty of the and 70 (SEVENTY!) pounds to Jamie Oleksiak. season. “I remember playing them in the playoffs late year and trying to get him to “I didn’t want to deke,” he said. “After missing against Tampa (on Nov. go and he wouldn’t go me,” Simmonds said. “I know he’s a big boy. I 17) I kind of had a flashback there. I was like, ‘I gotta shoot this one.’ know he can handle himself well, so I think at that point in the game, not Fresh ice, it worked out well.” even two minutes into the game, if I’m gonna get one I’m gonna get it then.” “That’s huge,” MacDonald added. “I think we’ve been a big more aggressive lately when we can on entries and when you have Simmonds hung in there and got a few shots in before needing to go to opportunities. We’re doing a much better job of getting pucks out in those the locker room since he was leaking blood. A little more than four situations. It’s obviously a huge goal for us to get the game winner in that minutes later, Travis Konecny zipped down the ice on a breakaway feed situation and hold them off for the rest of the period. That’s a big couple and tied the game. points for us.” The Flyers went on to win 4-2 and punctuate a hellish week in which the Some life in the rivalry? general manager, assistant general manager and assistant coach were fired. If Saturday night revived the Flyers, who had lost six of their last seven games, maybe it also revived the rivalry which had turned quite polite. “That’s a huge guy over there,” said Andrew MacDonald, who had his first career three-point game. “Tough going down first shift, 1-0. I think There were scrums after many of the whistles in the game and a lot of that really rallied the boys to see (Simmonds) do that, to see him go up words between Patric Hornqvist and anyone who would listen to him. against a guy that big and he’s a fearless leader. He’s been for years on Even in last season’s six-game playoff series things never really got to an this team. That was a big spark for this team.” aggressive level. Evgeni Malkin got riled up like he used to and Kris Letang was upset at a couple tripping penalties he took. Giving up the first goal of the game had been devastating for the Flyers recently and it was the 16th time in 25 games they had surrendered the “We knew it was going to be like this especially after the way our season first goal. ended last year against these guys,” Konecny said. “I kind of feel like whenever we play them they think they have this swagger over us so it’s When they got it back, Simmonds was still in the locker room getting just not going to happen anymore.” repaired. “We play good in these edgy games,” Weise said. “New Jersey we kind “I didn’t even realize TK scored and he f—in scored, I was pretty of have that rivalry with the last couple years where there’s scrums after pumped,” said Simmonds, who earned the Flyers’ player-of-the-game the whistle. Another one tonight, a big fight early. There were some dirty motorcycle helmet for his efforts. “It’s nice. That’s my first one of the year. plays out there, some late stuff and I think our team kind of feeds off that. It’s been tough to get a couple in, or even one of them in. Just trying to We gotta continue to bring that intensity every night.” help the team.” Top pair goes missing Simmonds is in limbo just like everyone else. Ron Hextall revealed Friday that he couldn’t get close either in term or in money to agreeing to an With the Flyers’ season at a crossroads, they need their best players to extension for Simmonds, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. play like their best players. Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov are Saturday night was a reminder of how important he can be, even though supposed to be the team’s top pair and on Saturday they were easily the that hasn’t always been the case this season. worst. “Simmer stepping in right away gave us a little more life,” Radko Gudas Sure, they got the tough minutes against Pittsburgh’s top players, but this said. isn’t an isolated case. They were reunited a couple games ago to try to put the Flyers in the driver’s seat with them on the ice and it has been the “It gave us life too,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We had a great polar opposite. Provorov pinched in too far and tripped over a Penguin start. For me, they can talk about it all they want. It gave us life, too. trying to get back on Pittsburgh’s first goal 39 seconds into the game. Jamie did a great job sticking up for our team.” Gostisbehere watched Sheahan go wide on him and scored the Penguins’ second goal. Here are four more takeaways from Saturday night’s game in Pittsburgh… “For the guys they were playing against tonight, I thought Provy had a heck of a game. Ghost did a pretty good job,” Hakstol said. “There’s still Stolarz was solid areas that both of them are working to clean up but I thought they went out and battled pretty hard. I’m sure Ghost is gonna take a look at a For the second straight game, Anthony Stolarz got the nod in goal. He’s couple of plays there that he can be harder on, but on the flip side of that, found new life within the organization since Ron Hextall’s firing and he’s there’s quite a few plays with the puck where he looked good and did a making the most of it so far. It’s hard even amid all that’s going on, for good job.” him not to realize that his fortunes have changed. He only got one start in the American Hockey League before the Flyers called him up when they The numbers would disagree. Provorov was a minus-12 in shot attempts ran out of healthy bodies. and Gostisbehere a minus-2 after a late rally for him. What’s worse for that pair was their play with the puck and all the giveaways, although for “It’s in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day I have a job to do some reason the scorers in Pittsburgh didn’t penalize them for it. and that’s to go out there and prepare myself every day and continue to get better,” said Stolarz, who made 30 saves and got his first NHL win since Dec. 11, 2016. He missed nearly all of last season after two surgeries to repair torn meniscus in his left knee. “I definitely want to get Courier-Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 the (Riley Sheahan) goal back. For me though, it’s just nice to be here and proving that I can play at this level.” 1118954 Philadelphia Flyers It’s unclear whether either one would be more favorable to re-signing Simmonds in Philadelphia but considering how far apart Simmonds’ agent and Hextall were in negotiations, any regime change might be a Wayne Simmonds still has some fight in him, but will it be for Flyers? positive in that regard. As he has his whole career in Philadelphia, Simmonds showed Saturday that he’s willing to do what it takes to win even if it doesn’t mean putting Dave Isaac, NHL writer the puck in the net. It will be interesting to see if he gets compensated for it after this season. Published 4:55 p.m. ET Dec. 2, 2018 “You gotta respect that. Good for Oleksiak in fighting him, too,” Dale Weise said. “That kind of sets the tone for our team. They come out and score, he comes back with that fight and it kind of energizes the whole PITTSBURGH — With all the changes in the last week, it’s easy for bench there.” everyone in orange and black to think they’re on thin ice.

It’s truer for some more than others and everyone is in a holding pattern until the Flyers replace Ron Hextall as general manager. It was pretty Courier-Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 clear for pending free agent Wayne Simmonds that the ice was paper thin with Hextall at the helm. Both he and the Flyers wanted to sign an extension, but they couldn’t get close either on term or on the money value. “Last time I talked to his agent was when we were in L.A. (on Nov. 1) and we weren’t close,” Hextall said Friday. “I don’t know how that was gonna play out. Sometimes you’ve got to have a deadline for those things. Whether it would have been the trade deadline or the end of the year, June 30, I don’t know how that would have played out. There was a comfort level for us and a comfort level for them. We were a ways apart.” Simmonds, 30, is in the last year of a six-year, $23.85 million contract that was extremely team-friendly. Since signing the deal in 2012 he has essentially averaged 30 goals per year while also playing a large role in the Flyers’ leadership group. He’s coming off core muscle surgery — similar to the procedures that Nolan Patrick, Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere have gone through — and has averaged a little more than half a point per game this season despite what is usually extended recovery time. He’s slightly below his career points-per-game average and hasn’t had one in his last three games, although he had a huge impact on the Flyers’ 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night. Less than two minutes into the game he got Jamie Oleksiak to oblige in a fight with the Penguins up a goal. The Flyers have faltered with adversity recently and Simmonds figured if he could drop the gloves with someone five inches taller and 70 pounds heavier, he might be able to spark something in the other direction and he was right. “Slow start again for us,” Simmonds said. “Obviously they scored first shift. Just went up and I asked him immediately and I was happy he said, ‘yeah.’ Got the boys going, (Travis Konecny) went out and scored and from there I thought we did a pretty good job. (Anthony Stolarz) played amazing, made some huge saves for us. That was a good victory for us.” “That’s glue,” coach Dave Hakstol said in reference to Simmonds’ fight. “That’s the glue that brings things together and keeps things tight. That says a lot about the group.” Because he plays a power-forward game that comes with wear and tear, it’s easy to see why Simmonds might be approaching a decline in his career. And if that’s true, then how much is he worth in his next contract? Probably not as much as he's asking, which neither he or his agent will broach. Last season Simmonds played through a torn pelvic ligament, pulled groin, broken teeth, broken ankle, torn thumb ligament and torn abdomen. He still scored 24 goals. What he’s done since coming to Philadelphia in the summer of 2011 will leave a permanent legacy with the franchise. He embodies every bit of the Broad St. Bullies mentality the Flyers have celebrated for so long and he thinks he has plenty more in the tank. “Everyone gets injured once in a while, but to say that my body is wearing down or I’m old or anything of that nature I think is quite frankly stupid,” Simmonds said back at the start of the season. “I’ve missed 21 games in 10 years. Go through the list of players. How many guys have missed that little time?” Simmonds has the scars to prove that few can claim what he can. His face looks like Gerry Cheevers’ mask without the mask. The remnants of stitches, sticks, pucks and punches show he’s willing to go on as long as his body will let him, but he said last Monday in the wake of Hextall’s firing that he’s unsure what a new regime will mean for his future. The Flyers interviewed Chuck Fletcher and Bill Zito this weekend as potential replacements for Hextall and sources say that Fletcher is the favorite to get the job. 1118955 Philadelphia Flyers only in retrospect do the obvious turning points in a season become clear.

But this win was an exception, and not because it’s certain the Flyers will Flyers 4, Penguins 2: 10 things we learned from an impressive road actually use this as a springboard for more success. This team really rivalry win needed something to be happy about, a true positive that could get everyone’s minds off the craziness of the past week and the awful hockey that precipitated it. In the locker room after the game, the players By Charlie O'Connor seemed loose for the first time all week, not worrying about whether a big trade was coming, or another person was getting fired. They were just Dec 2, 2018 enjoying a big win against a fierce rival, a win that felt to them like an “effort” victory more than anything else.

Wayne Simmonds, understandably, received the bulk of the praise after PITTSBURGH — The Philadelphia Flyers may be in a state of flux off the the game. After watching his club allow Pittsburgh to get on the board ice, with a new general manager expected to be hired in the coming days first only 39 seconds in, Simmonds made the decision to challenge the and more changes to both player and non-player personnel surely on the biggest Penguin on the ice — 6-foot-7, 255-pound Jamie Oleksiak — to a way as well. But on the ice, the team still has a job to do: Find a way to fight on the very next shift. Oleksiak obliged. Simmonds may have lost salvage the 2018-19 season, a year that came with legitimate the decision to a player with a five-inch-height and 70-pound-weight expectations for a “step forward,” even if the man who pushed that advantage, but his teammates surely felt like he won the war. To a man, mantra no longer has a place in the organization. they believed Simmonds turned the tide of the game with his choice to Saturday was the first time in over a week where it looked as though a drop the gloves. “That really rallied the boys,” MacDonald said. “He’s a salvage might be possible. fearless leader.” The Flyers took down the rival Pittsburgh Penguins last night, breaking a It wasn’t just the fight, however, which made this a win that the players 2-2 third-period tie with a Dale Weise shorthanded goal, and then holding seemed especially proud of pulling off. The players noted that they had on for the remainder of the contest to secure a 4-2 victory. Claude played a very “together” game, in addition to adding a chippiness to their Giroux, Travis Konecny and Jakub Voracek also scored for the Flyers, play that they believe works to their benefit. “We’re at our best when we while Anthony Stolarz earned the victory in net, stopping 30 of 32 shots. have guys sticking up for each other,” Stolarz said. “You saw a couple Casey DeSmith took the loss for Pittsburgh, making 22 saves of his own. scrums by the benches, guys just kinda not taking any shit, just stepping up for each other, standing up for each other, and that’s what makes a Note: This article will reference advanced hockey stats. If you’re looking good team.” “When we play a physical game, we usually outplay the to better understand any of the referenced metrics, please read this team too,” Radko Gudas added. primer, which explains the concepts behind them. The result was an energetic, excited locker room, so loose that healthy 1: Penalty kill actually wins a game for the Flyers scratch Jordan Weal even grabbed a microphone at one point and fake- interviewed Weise in a scrum. Even if the Flyers had hung on to beat In the days following Ron Hextall’s ouster, much ink (imaginary, in The Ottawa on Tuesday, it’s doubtful they would have had this response — Athletic‘s case) was spilled regarding the poor performance of the Flyers’ the uncertainty after Hextall’s firing was just too fresh. But after a few penalty kill, the impact its awful results had on the team’s performance as days of practice, one off-day and a big win over a rival, the team seems a whole, and in turn, on Hextall’s exit. The former GM himself even to be having fun again. acknowledged that he wished he had done more to improve the unit in the offseason, and that the coach-in-charge of the PK, Ian Laperriere, 3: Stolarz starting to run with his surprise opportunity likely shouldn’t have been retained in the role last summer. In other words, the Philadelphia shorthanded units haven’t exactly been dealing Only a few short weeks ago, it appeared that Stolarz’s meaningful time with good press recently. with the Flyers organization had run its course. Buried behind all of Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Cal Pickard, Alex Lyon and Carter Hart on the Setting aside that talk, the PK simply went out Saturday and delivered its depth chart, Stolarz wasn’t even dressing for games in Lehigh Valley, as most positively impactful showing of the season. They may have been Hextall had apparently deemed him unimportant enough to drop him out given only one opportunity to hit the ice, but they made the most of it: of the franchise’s developmental plans. Weise scored a shorthanded breakaway goal courtesy of a beautiful stretch pass from Scott Laughton, and Travis Sanheim saved a sure goal Today, Stolarz wakes up after earning a victory against the team that has just seconds later by knocking a loose puck out of the crease area just won two of the last three Stanley Cups, in apparent possession of the before Sidney Crosby could reach it. top-half of the Flyers’ goaltending tandem. What a difference a few weeks can make. The Flyers’ PK actually has not been a disaster in recent games. Since allowing a PP goal to Evan Rodrigues two Wednesdays ago, Stolarz wasn’t carried by his teammates last night; instead, he was Philadelphia’s shorthanded units had killed eight consecutive power play arguably the Flyers’ top performer. The Riley Sheahan second-period opportunities heading into last night’s game, a streak that now stands at goal that he allowed was a bit weak — considering the angle, Stolarz nine. Has anything specific changed to spark the improvement? After the should not have been beaten on the short side. But Stolarz made a game, players attributed it to increased pressure, specifically in not letting number of huge stops throughout the rest of the contest. There was his an opponent set up in the Philadelphia end in the first place. big save on Bryan Rust from the slot early in the second period, and then three more with the team nursing a one-goal edge: a sliding stop of Zach “I think we’ve been a bit more aggressive lately when we can, on entries, Aston-Reese on a rush chance, a shorthanded breakaway robbery of and when you have opportunities, and I think we’re doing a much better Derek Grant, and one final door slamming of Phil Kessel with about three job of getting pucks out in those situations,” Andrew MacDonald noted. minutes left. Stolarz earned this W. Weise concurred with his teammate’s assessment. “I think the little tweak is that we’re just trying to be more aggressive on the entry,” he explained. For head coach Dave Hakstol, the most impressive part about Stolarz — “We’re trying to disrupt teams, you see tonight, as soon as they get on who now holds a solid 0.912 save percentage through three NHL games the entry, scrambling puck, four guys are going, (and) we’re going as a this year — has been his poise. “His confidence really has been unit. I think that’s something we’ve really been stressing on, not letting impressive,” Hakstol raved. “He’s eager to take advantage of an teams set up, not being too passive.” opportunity, he’s not tight, I don’t think he’s overthinking things. He’s just excited to play.” The team certainly needed an unexpected boost, such as its PK unit going +1 from a goal-differential standpoint on Saturday, because it Despite his solid work thus far, Stolarz himself still believes he can play wasn’t the Flyers’ best night at 5-on-5. They were crushed in shot even better, holding that he has another gear that he can find as the attempts (51-33), scoring chances (28-12 regular, 11-3 high danger) and surgeries of last season are pushed further and further into the rearview Expected Goals (2.26 to 1.02) by Pittsburgh. But against all odds, the mirror. “Yeah, I think there’s still another level in my game that I can penalty kill came through with a monster night, and proved the difference. reach. I think the biggest thing coming back is, I started out in the East Coast (Hockey League), and then moved up to the American League, 2: Flyers needed this kind of win and the speed jump is a lot different. And then you come up to the NHL, and it’s a completely different game. I think for me to get a couple starts, I’m generally not a fan of the whole “the team really needed this win” get practices under my belt, and kinda just get real comfortable with post-game narrative. The Black Friday contest, for example, felt like that playing with this D core, I think that’s only gonna help us going forward.” type of much-needed “stopper” victory … until 24 hours later when the It’s far from a certainty that Stolarz is truly for real — he could easily team imploded in Toronto, rendering the supposedly big win irrelevant. regress hard in his next appearance — but if he’s right and the Flyers It’s tough to know which wins are truly important ones in the moment; have yet to see his best, it’s a pretty exciting thought. 4: Refreshingly chippy game, at least waiting for a pass, and put it right on the tape. Flashy? Of course not. But pivotal to the play as a whole? No question. It was those little successes There was once a period of time, in the not-so-distant past, when the that allowed MacDonald to rack up three assists on the night, a career- Flyers and Penguins were both very good hockey teams at the same high, in addition to posting the second-highest 5-on-5 Corsi For time. During that fabled era, the contests were generally not one-sided Percentage (49.00%) and xG differential (50.00%) on the Philadelphia slaughters or joyless slogs, but some of the most entertaining hockey defense. games in the NHL, due to the combination of high-end skill and legitimate animosity on display. Neither club is executing well enough at the MacDonald certainly isn’t an offensive dynamo, nor has he been moment to bring the former on a consistent basis, but at the very least, especially effective on the whole this season, rightfully getting scratched fans at the PPG Paints Center were treated to a bit of the latter, even if for extended periods of time. But on this night, he truly was one of the their preferred team didn’t come away with a victory. team’s more effective skaters. Don’t be expecting him to produce multi- point nights on the regular moving forward, though. “I don’t think so, no,” Simmonds kicked off the fun, or course, but the battles continued MacDonald laughed when asked if he’ll continue to score at this rate. throughout the contest. Voracek and Laughton went after Patric “Happened to chip a couple pucks to open guys and they made great Hornqvist — just back from a concussion — at the end of a first-period plays,” he said humbly. shift, with Laughton even popping Hornqvist in the head once, a move that surely infuriated Pittsburgh considering their teammate’s recent 7: First line vs. Crosby line more or less a draw ailment. Weise goaded Evgeni Malkin into offsetting minors. Aston- Reece blew up Michael Raffl when the Flyers’ forward attempted to At the conclusion of the game’s first shift, it looked like it was going to be create a chance in the Penguins’ zone early in the second period; Gudas a long night for Philadelphia’s Line 1 in its efforts to contain the Penguins’ returned the favor late in the middle stanza when he crushed Crosby top forward group centered by Crosby. After just 39 seconds, Crosby and while the 1C was on the attack. The third period saw both teams be a bit Co. had taken a one-goal-to-nothing edge in the head-to-head matchup, less physically active, which made sense, since the final score became and seemed poised to do even more damage. the primary focus, not winning the intimidation battle. But by then, the But the Flyers’ top line of Giroux, Sean Couturier and Konecny fought intensity had been ratcheted up, making for a bruising, antagonistic back. Only a few minutes later, they had erased Pittsburgh’s edge on the game. strength of a Konecny breakaway tally that trapped all three Pens 5: Provorov & Gostisbehere struggle as top pair forwards far behind the speedy winger. As for the remainder of the game, the lines traded body blows in the form of scoring chances, with neither Generally speaking, my snap evaluations of player performance in a able to add another goal (though Giroux did pot a tally of his own during single game aren’t too far off from those of Dave Hakstol. There might a shift with Laughton and Voracek while facing the Malkin line). exist degrees of disagreement when it comes to the showings of certain lines, or the work of a player who received limited minutes. But rarely At least on the forward front, the Flyers’ top guys were more than a does a player whom I thought struggled mightily end up being singled out match for those of the Penguins. Giroux specifically finished with a 5-4 for praise by the head coach. However, that’s exactly what happened on on-ice shot-attempts advantage head-to-head versus Crosby, and trailed Saturday when it came to Ivan Provorov, and to a lesser extent, Shayne just 3-2 in scoring chances. This wasn’t a repeat of the playoff series Gostisbehere. where Pittsburgh’s firepower overwhelmed Philadelphia’s stars. This time, players like Giroux, Couturier, Konecny and even Voracek (on a “For the guys they were playing against tonight, I thought Provy played a lower line) skated right with them. heck of a game,” Hakstol said afterward. “Ghost did a pretty good job. There’s still areas that both of them are working to clean up, but I thought 8: Voracek a decent showing lower in the lineup they went out and battled pretty hard. I’m sure Ghost is gonna take a look Hakstol’s decision to shake up Line 2 by placing both James van at a couple of plays there that he can be harder on, but on the flip side of Riemsdyk and Simmonds with 20-year-old Nolan Patrick had the by- that, there’s quite a few plays with the puck where he looked good and product of pushing Voracek — the second-leading scorer on the club — did a good job.” down to the third line for the first time this season. To be sure, the 9-53 pairing received a tough assignment in largely While the points have been there for Voracek to the tune of 18 in 24 battling the Crosby line — and when away from them, getting the line games entering last night, consistency has been an issue. His play- centered by Malkin instead. But it still seemed like an ugly game for the driving metrics (45.28% Corsi, 46.07% xG) have been among the worst duo. Provorov’s poor offensive zone pinch directly led to Pittsburgh’s first on the team, and the Flyers had been outscored a whopping 24-12 with goal, and then it was Gostisbehere’s turnover and subsequent turnstiling Voracek on the ice at 5-on-5. It was justifiable to see if a move to a line on the resulting transition rush that allowed the second Penguins tally to facing slightly easier matchups might help to resolve these lingering occur. In addition to the big mistakes, the duo was torched when it came issues. to advanced metrics. At one point in the second half of the middle stanza, Provorov’s xG rate was a ghastly 0.97 percent, though he did push it up Voracek wasn’t perfect last night. He was stopped twice on a second- to a (still-awful) 9.66 percent by the end of the game. Ghost’s rates period breakaway-and-rebound opportunity, and failed miserably on a weren’t much better. power play one-timer opportunity as well, drawing jeers from the Pittsburgh faithful. But he had standout moments as well to make up for Provorov was at his worst in the first period, to my eyes, as he repeatedly it. His cross-slot, high-to-low pass to set up Giroux’s goal was gorgeous, turned the puck over leading to extended puck possession and quality and he also put the game away with an empty-netter. Even Voracek’s scoring chances for Pittsburgh. One could argue that he “settled in” as advanced metrics were better in this one, as he finished with a positive the game progressed, but the Flyers rarely controlled play at any point Corsi relative to his teammates and a solid 52.07% xG rate. last night with Provorov on the ice. Ghost, as Hakstol noted, did have more positive moments, but his negative plays were glaring as well. Not Surely the eventual plan is to get Voracek back in the top-six, where he only did he make two mistakes on the second Pittsburgh goal, but it was belongs and his talent demands he settle. But having him feast on easier also his turnover that led to Grant’s shorthanded breakaway in the third matchups while carrying a line of his own (last night he primarily skated (which Stolarz stopped). with Laughton and Raffl) isn’t a bad plan for now. It seemed to pay off against the Penguins. The Flyers may have came away with a victory, but it’s going to be difficult to replicate the “score more goals than the opposition while 9: Laughton holds his own as 3C shorthanded and hope that Stolarz can bail us out at even strength” strategy and produce winning results. Philadelphia simply needs more In addition to Voracek being dropped down to 3RW, he would be skating from their top two defensemen, and they’re certainly fully capable of alongside a new Flyers’ third-line center, as Weal sat on Saturday as a providing it. Whether they can find a way to do so in the near future is healthy scratch. In his place in the middle of Line 3 was Laughton, one of another story entirely. the preseason contenders for the job who has largely skated at wing this season. 6: MacDonald a surprise standout Laughton didn’t look out of place in the role. While the Flyers struggled a While the top pair struggled, the Flyers’ new-look second pairing of bit from a raw territorial standpoint with their new 3C on the ice (21-10 Robert Hagg and MacDonald stepped up to cover for their teammates’ shot-attempt disadvantage) that turned into a 0.52 to 0.51 advantage in issues, and the veteran MacDonald led the way. It was clear before even Expected Goals, implying that the Flyers were making the most of their six minutes had passed that the 32-year-old veteran had truly brought his rare shots and cutting down on the quality of those they allowed with A-game to Pittsburgh. Laughton on the ice. Add in the primary assist on Weise’s shorthanded game-winner, and it’s tough to argue that Laughton didn’t deliver a solid Konecny’s snipe and Hagg’s stretch pass will garner most of the all-around performance in this one. attention, but pay attention to the pass from MacDonald at the start of the highlight. Under forechecking pressure from none other than Crosby In addition, Laughton’s ice time went up dramatically in the wake of the himself, MacDonald recognized that Hagg was sitting in the low slot role change. No Philadelphia forward received more 5-on-5 minutes than Laughton (16:10), and he ranked fourth among Flyers forwards in overall ice time. It will be worth watching over the next few games — assuming Laughton stays at 3C — if he continues to receive heavy usage in comparison to his fellow forwards, especially because his minutes on Saturday were more than double his ice time on Tuesday. 10: Breaking down full-team usage in the wake of lineup shifts Laughton wasn’t the only player to see his usage shift dramatically in the wake of the week’s adjustments. Raffl — Laughton’s linemate — actually ranked second among forward in 5-on-5 ice time, and fifth in total minutes. With Voracek ranking third and Laughton fourth, one could argue that the supposed “third line” was actually Line 2 in this one. The trio of Patrick, van Riemsdyk and Simmonds, on the other hand, ended up being used more like a third line than the Line 2 that they appeared to be based on pre-game rushes and practice jersey colors. Bringing up the rear was the Jori Lehtera line, with Weise and Oskar Lindblom as wings. Using Laughton as a second-line center does come off as something of a stretch, seeing as the coaching staff wasn’t even using him at that position through most of the season. But perhaps this is just a case of whatever line Voracek happens to be on, that becomes Line 2. If that proves to be the case, maybe it’s Patrick who will take the biggest usage- related hit, and not Voracek.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118956 Pittsburgh Penguins There are plenty of mitigating factors making life difficult on Penguins goalies. The team’s inability to regularly break the puck out of the defensive zone cleanly is chief among them. Still, the Penguins will have Numbers add up to struggles for Penguins to make more saves than they have to climb in the standings.

JONATHAN BOMBULIE Tribune Review LOADED: 12.03.2018 Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, 4:27 p.m.

After a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, defenseman Kris Letang said he wouldn’t measure his team’s struggles by one bad loss or its improvement by one thrilling win. That’s a measured approach that seems perfectly appropriate to take while the calendar remains in early December. Still, two months of hockey is enough time to identify some frightening numbers that stick out like red flags as the Penguins have limped to a 10- 10-5 start. Here’s a look at five such numbers. 3: Even-strength goals scored by the Penguins’ third line. Through 25 games, the Penguins have started games with 11 combinations on the third line. In about 183 minutes of even-strength action, those combinations have been outscored 10-3. The third line hasn’t produced an even-strength goal since Bryan Rust scored in a 9-1 win over Calgary on Oct. 25. That’s a drought of 17 games. The actual picture probably isn’t quite that bleak, since the calculation includes only production from third lines that started the game and discounts in-game shuffling or goals scored in the middle of line changes, but it’s pretty bad nonetheless. By way of comparison, the combination of Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon has outscored opponents 11-5 in about 108 minutes of ice time, and the trio of Carl Hagelin, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel outscored foes 11-7 in about 144 minutes of ice time. 11: Games the Penguins have started this season with Derick Brassard as third-line center. During those games, he has one goal, one assist, a minus-1 rating and 13 shots on goal. The goal and six of the shots came in a season- opening, 7-6 overtime win over Washington. Brassard was acquired at the trade deadline last season largely to restore the three-line attack the Penguins used to win a Stanley Cup in 2016 when the HBK Line was all the rage. It hasn’t happened. 18: Days that have passed since the Penguins traded Carl Hagelin to the Los Angeles Kings for Tanner Pearson on Nov. 14. At the time, general manager Jim Rutherford said his patience was running out. “This could be the start of more changes, or we’ll see how this goes here for a little bit,” Rutherford said at the time. “But the way things have gone here in the first part of the season, it’s obvious that we had to change something up.” Since then, the team has gone 3-4-2. That’s better than the 1-5-1 stretch that preceded the trade, but it’s hard to imagine it’s enough improvement to satisfy a disgruntled GM. 2: Wins in eight games against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. The biggest factor keeping the Penguins from slipping into the abyss during the first two months of the season might be the weakness of the Metropolitan Division. Coming into Sunday, the teams in third through eighth place were separated by just six points. That gives the Penguins hope, but only if they beat some division foes along the way. A 2-5-1 record won’t cut it. “We have a good division,” goalie Casey DeSmith said. “It will be a battle all the way to the end of the season.” .898: Combined save percentage of the Penguins’ goalies. That ranks 10th-worst in the NHL. Of the nine teams with lower save percentages, only two are in playoff positions, Montreal and San Jose, and they came into Sunday clinging to eighth spots in their respective conferences. 1118957 Pittsburgh Penguins • Penguins goaltenders are also coughing up an alarming number of high-danger goals — 14 in eight division games compared to 18 in the 17 games outside the Metro. Five times their high-danger save percentage Analysis: There’s a clear-cut reason the Penguins have lost their division has been 80 percent or lower. edge After the Flyers loss, when the Penguins made too many unforced errors and DeSmith didn’t make enough high-danger saves, Kris Letang addressed his team’s current state. JASON MACKEY While not specifically talking about the lack of goaltending the Penguins Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have gotten in division games, Letang said it’s not the time to make any sort of snap judgments about how things have gone. [email protected] “I’m not going to base everything we’ve done on one game,” Letang said. DEC 2, 2018 1:05 PM “You don’t base your progress on only one game, either. Just going to forget about it and go back to work.”

If the Penguins can get their division figured out, as they did when they Besides helping to transform the Penguins identity into one based on went 57-25-6 (.682 points percentage) during that three-year window, speed, pressure and resilience, coach Mike Sullivan also has placed a they should be OK. huge importance on beating Metropolitan Division teams. The question is how long will that take? There’s only six more division Sullivan’s Penguins have gotten the results, too, with a division-high 57 games through January, so that provides a small respite when it comes Metro wins between 2015-18. to four-point games. But it also denies the Penguins the opportunity for But as this season’s slow start has dragged on, the Penguins are having more movement in the standings should they get hot. trouble capturing that same sort of magic. That’s probably why Sullivan had the sense of urgency he did after They’ve won just 2 of 8 Metropolitan games thus far — they’re 2-5-1 — watching his team allow three breakaways, blow two leads and give up a and there’s a fairly obvious reason why: The goaltending the Penguins key short-handed goal against Philadelphia, a recipe that ultimately have gotten hasn’t been good enough. resulted in the Penguins beating themselves, another key opportunity against a division team wasted. Penguins center Derick Brassard Wednesday, Nov.. 21, 2018 at PPG Paints Arena. “It’s not that we gave up a lot of chances, but the quality of the chances were so high, and the mistakes that were made … we don’t have the Matt Vensel ability to recover from them,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard to win that way, when that’s taking place on the ice. We can’t give up three breakaways The Brassard-Kessel pairing was a dud, so where do the Penguins go and think we’re going to win games consistently.” from here? Certainly not when you’re stopping just 87 percent of shots the way the While the Penguins are taking five more shots than they’re allowing Penguins are inside their division. (35.9-30.9) in division games, Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith — Tristan Jarry hasn’t started against the Metro this season — aren’t stopping nearly enough of them. Post Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2018 The save percentage by Penguins goaltenders is just .874 (216 of 247) in division games, and it’s a far cry from what opposing goaltenders are doing to them (.923, 265 of 287). “Super early in the year, obviously,” DeSmith said after allowing three goals on 25 shots Saturday in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. “We have a good division, and it’ll be a battle all the way until the end of the season.” While goaltending has been tough to ignore, other parts of the Penguins game have been just fine inside the Metropolitan Division. The power play has gone 6 for 24 (25 percent), and the penalty kill has clicked at 83.3 percent (20 for 24), which is actually the same clip as the Penguins have hit on the entire season, ranking sixth in the NHL. They’ve trailed after the first period only twice in eight games and have outscored their opponents, 12-10, in the first period — meaning starts aren’t a huge issue. Individually, Jake Guentzel has six goals in eight division games, while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have three apiece. The Penguins do need more than the one goal they’ve gotten from Phil Kessel inside the Metro, while Patric Hornqvist has zero goals within the division. “We have such a good group in here, so many good guys, and I think this group has what it takes, for sure,” said DeSmith, who has, by a long shot, been the better of the two goalies inside the Metro, with a .912 save percentage compared to .837 for Murray. “I don’t think anybody’s panicking.” Maybe not, but there’s certainly ample evidence that labels goaltending as the Penguins’ Achilles heel here: • They’re actually allowing fewer five-on-five shots-against per game against the Metro than they are against the Atlantic, Pacific and Central (25.0-26.6). Ditto for scoring chances (19.1-21.6). • They’re also controlling 60.1 percent of five-on-five scoring chances inside the division, which would lead the NHL if that was over 25 games and not eight. • The problem, again, is the save percentage. It stinks. Five-on-five, Penguins goalies are stopping just 88.5 percent of shots against Metro teams, which would rank dead last if considering the entire season. 1118958 Pittsburgh Penguins neutral zone. Senators right winger Mark Stone gobbled up the puck, surged into the offensive zone and attacked the net. Showing a forehand shot, he jammed up DeSmith, moved to his backhand and tucked the Short-handed goals continue to sink the Penguins puck past DeSmith’s right skate: • On Tuesday, Jets center Adam Lowry pressured Letang into a turnover at Winnipeg’s blue line and chipped the puck up ice into the Penguins’ By Seth Rorabaugh zone. Brandon Tanev chased the puck down, fended off a backcheck by Kessel, circled around the net and through the right circle to the slot, Dec 2, 2018 avoided a poke check by Crosby and whipped a wrister through a screen and between DeSmith’s legs:

Despite that setback, the Penguins were able to fight back and win, 4-3. Kris Letang owned this one. That has been their lone victory this season when allowing a short- In the aftermath of the Penguins’ 4-2 loss to the rival Flyers at PPG handed goal. Paints Arena Saturday, Letang put the blame on himself. As evidenced by the Penguins’ 1-4-1 mark in games they have allowed a “A big part is my fault.” short-handed goal, those types of goals have a different effect than scores allowed at even strength or against an opposing power play. It’s difficult to dispute that notion. Letang had a handful of miscues which led to opposing goals and two penalties in the third period, stunting any “Definitely,” DeSmith said. “It’s a little bit more deflating and it feels like potential comeback. you have a chance to take a lead, and they take a lead. It’s deflating. Obviously, you want to have those.” It was an unusual performance for Letang within the context of a marvelous individual season for the Penguins’ top defenseman. What It’s clear what Penguins coach Mike Sullivan wants from his power play. wasn’t unusual was the game-winning goal Letang was partially “We don’t have a conscience defensively when we’re on the ice on the responsible for. Namely, the scenario in which it was scored. power play,” he said. “It’s just simply inexcusable. We’ve talked about it

and talked about and talked about. It just can’t happen. It’s hard to win It was short-handed. your power play gives up a goal like that in a game like this.” With the benefit of a fresh sheet of ice, the Penguins began the third The Penguins only surrendered three short-handed goals last season, period with a power play after Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas was tied for fewest in the NHL along with the Lightning. nabbed for roughing at the end of the second. With the game-tied 2-2, “Last year, it didn’t happen that way,” Letang said. “But this year, it looks the Penguins had an opportunity to take a lead with their efficacious like they’re getting the bounces and they’re getting those chances.” power play. Why has there been such an uptick this season for a team which has Instead, the Flyers went up, 3-2, a mere 51 seconds into the period. deployed virtually the same top unit of Crosby, Hornqvist, Kessel, Letang, After Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin were unable to win a puck battle and Malkin? against the Philadelphia end boards against Flyers defensemen Andrew “Probably our execution,” Crosby said last month, a few days after the MacDonald and Ivan Provorov, MacDonald chipped a pass to left winger Hyman goal. “If you make plays that aren’t there or force things, you’re Scott Laughton in the right corner. Looking over his right shoulder, giving teams a chance to go the other way. And I think just our mentality Laughton saw right winger Dale Weise begin to sprint up ice — or fly the going out there. We’ve got to have a work ethic that’s there. If it’s there, zone to use the parlance of the sport — and snapped a forehand pass to our skill will take over. Sometimes, you can rely on your skill and hope Philadelphia blue line. that it kind of happens. When that happens, you give up chances going Letang was awkwardly positioned on the sequence and had his back to the other way.” Weise by the time he accepted the pass. The defenseman’s ample “Some of it is just puck management, making sure that we protect pucks speed wasn’t sufficient in his attempt to recover and Weise was able to and we don’t make high-risk plays even though we’re on the power play,” move in on net and fire the winning score through the five hole of Casey Sullivan said last month. “Even though we have a man advantage, we DeSmith. still have to have some conscious defensively with the puck and even “I was ready to release the wall,” Letang said. “They had a guy that just without the puck when we don’t have it when we’re on the power play. I decided to fly the zone. They got the puck. I should have been maybe a don’t think it’s been any one thing that’s been the cause of that. It’s been little bit more cautious. Maybe don’t even play the power play, just play a handful of things.” the defensive coverage.” In a season in which the Penguins have found a multitude of ways to “Me and [Laughton] have been close on a couple times, springing guys lose, it’s pretty clear short-handed goals are one thing they have a hard and getting on breakaways,” said Weise, who scored the Flyers’ first time overcoming. short-handed goal of the season. “So that one felt pretty good.” “It cost us the game tonight,” Hornqvist said. It was the sixth short-handed goal the Penguins have allowed this The Penguins appeared to have Saturday’s game under control when season, most in the NHL. All but one have been scored against the Crosby scored on a one-timer all of 39 seconds into regulation and gave team’s top unit which deploys one defenseman, Letang, and four his team a 1-0 lead. forwards. One minute and 15 seconds later, whatever momentum the Penguins To review: possessed was disrupted for a moment when Flyers right winger Wayne • During the second game of the season, a thorough 5-1 drubbing at the Simmonds (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) challenged the prodigious Jamie hands of the Canadiens at home, Kessel and Malkin provided feeble Oleksiak (6-foot-7, 255 pounds). defense against a pass off the right wing from Montreal left winger Paul By any measure, Oleksiak won the fight. Controlling the confrontation so Byron to the slot where right winger Joel Armia tapped in a goal past Matt thoroughly, he was even able to wave linesmen Andrew Smith and Libor Murray: Suchanek back in order to extend the bout. Simmonds’ visit to the • In a 3-2 shootout road loss to the Islanders on Nov. 1, Letang had a dressing room for medical attention would serve as confirmation of slapper blocked by New York center Casey Cizikas, who was able to Oleksiak’s triumph. corral the rebound and bank a pass off the boards past Letang, springing But the fight certainly provided the Flyers an emotional boost in the face right winger Josh Bailey on a breakaway. Bailey approached the net and of an early deficit on the road. threaded a forehand shot through Murray’s five hole: The notion of a fight changing momentum is a hotly debated concept, • Two nights later, during the late stages of a 5-0 home loss to the Maple especially in the age of advanced statistical analysis. But the Flyers Leafs, Toronto left winger Zach Hyman poked a puck away from Sidney clearly valued Simmonds’ decision to challenge one of the largest players Crosby and pushed it up ice. With Letang defending, Hyman gained the in the NHL. Penguins’ zone on the right wing and lifted a wrister. Murray fought off the puck but had the rebound deflect off a backchecking Patric Hornqvist “Yeah, that’s a huge guy (Oleksiak) over there,” MacDonald said. “Tough and carrom into the net. going down first shift 1-0, and I think that really rallied the boys, seeing him do that, go up against a guy that big. He’s a fearless leader, he’s • During a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Nov. 17, the second power-play unit got been for years on this team. That was a big spark for this team.” in on the act. Olli Maatta attempted a hideous backhand pass in the Sullivan dismissed any notion the Flyers were the only team to benefit from the conflict. “It gave us life too,” Sullivan said. “We had a great start. For me, they can talk all they want. It gave us life too. Jamie did a great job sticking up for our team.” Statistically speaking -The Penguins led in shots, 32-26. • Flyers right winger Claude Giroux led the game with six shots. • Tanner Pearson led the Penguins with four shots. • Maatta and Derick Brassard were the only Penguins skaters who failed to get a shot on net. • Provorov led the game with 26:13 of ice time on 27 shifts. • Letang led the Penguins with 23:47 of ice time on 31 shifts. • The Flyers controlled faceoffs 30-17 (64 percent). • Flyers center Sean Couturier was perfect, 13 for 13 (100 percent). • Malkin was 6 for 10 (60 percent). • Jack Johnson led the game with four blocked shots. • Gudas led the Flyers with three blocked shots. Historically speaking • Jake Guentzel (102 points) surpassed Nick Harbaruk and Warren Young (101) for 87th place on franchise’s career scoring list. • Crosby (1,145) surpassed Patrick Marleau (1,144) for 54th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118959 Pittsburgh Penguins Michel Ouellet, a favorite of coach Michel Therrien. Despite a large frame, Staal (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) was never a great net-front player and Ouellet did most of his damage from the perimeter. Discussion – Flyers at Penguins -While Malone was on his left wing in 2007-08, Peter Sykora was sniping goals off the right wing. With Sidney Crosby sidelined for several games due to an ankle injury, that trio helped guide the team to the Stanley Cup By Seth Rorabaugh final. Dec 1, 2018 -Malkin won the Art Ross Trophy for the first time in 2008-09 skating with Sykora and Ruslan Fedotenko, a willing but inconsistent crease crasher, on his left wing. In the postseason, Malkin claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy and led to the Penguins to the Stanley Cup title. During the A preview of the Flyers: postseason run, Sykora was replaced by Maxime Talbot, a center by When and where: 7 p.m., EST, Consol Energy Center PPG Paints trade who was moved to the right wing. Talbot was always willing to go to Arena high-traffic areas, but at 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, that was hardly his defining characteristic. TV: KBL Fox Sports Pittsburgh Root Sports ATT Sportsnet -During 2009-10, Malkin’s production declined considerably as he was Record: 10-12-2, 22 points. The Flyers are in last place in the Patrick limited to 67 games due to injuries. Additionally, he never settled on Neapolitan Ice Cream Metropolitan Division consistent linemates. Fedotenko was woefully streaky that season while a rotation of Pascal Dupuis, Mike Rupp and Bill Guerin were used on the Leading Scorer: Center Claude Giroux, 29 points (8 goals, 21 assists) right wing. All three were willing to go the cage, particularly Rupp and Last Game: 4-3 home loss to the Senators, Tuesday. Center Scott Guerin but they never seemed to gel with Malkin. A trade deadline deal Laughton and defenseman Ivan Provorov each had two assists for the brought in massive Alexei Ponikarovsky (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) but he Flyers. was mostly wretched during his time with the Penguins. Last Game against the Penguins: 8-5 home loss in Game 6 of a first- -Malkin’s 2010-11 season was limited to 43 games due to a severe knee round series, April 22. Center Sean Couturier had three goals and two injury. During that brief campaign, he played with a grab bag of Dupuis, assists for the Flyers. Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke, Arron Asham and Eric Tangradi but there was little remarkable about any of those combinations. The last time the Penguins played the Flyers, this happened: -Malkin rebounded mightily in 2011-12 in what was arguably his greatest Probable goaltenders: Casey DeSmith (6-3-3, 2.41 GAA, .924 SV%, 2 season as he scored 50 goals and a league-leading 109 points. James SO) for the Penguins. Anthony Stolarz (0-1-0, 3.40 GAA, .898 SV%, 0 Neal was cemented on his right wing, and they were a cohesive duo from SO) for the Flyers. the start. Kunitz, a net-crashing buzzsaw did much of the dirty work from the left wing. While Neal was certainly not opposed to physical play, as Injuries: For the Penguins, right winger Patric Hornqvist (undisclosed) is evidenced by his numerous penalties and instances of supplemental questionable. Center Matt Cullen (undisclosed), Matt Murray discipline, it would be a stretch to describe him as a net-front presence. (undisclosed) and defenseman Justin Schultz (left leg) are on injured reserve. For the Flyers, goaltender Michal Neuvirth (groin) was activated -The 2012-13 season was disjointed for just about everyone due to the from injured reserve. Centers Corban Knight (collarbone), Pascal NHL lockout which limited the schedule to 48 games. Malkin once again Laberge (hip), goaltender Brian Elliott (groin) and defenseman Samuel began the season with Neal and Kunitz, but the arrival of Jarome Iginla, Morin (knee) are on injured reserve. one of the greatest power forwards in NHL history, led to an awkward usage of him on the left wing of Malkin. When that didn’t work, Neal and Potential lines and pairings: The Penguins had an optional morning Iginla flipped wings. Iginla and Malkin found success on occasion, but the skate. Consider this a guess based off Friday’s practice: marriage always seemed forced. The Flyers expected lines and pairs: -In 2013-14, Malkin found a wonderful fit with Neal and Jussi Jokinen on Pregame notes: the left wing. Jokinen was a crafty, resourceful, skilled winger but was the furthest thing possible from a net-front presence. • Hornqvist, who has been sidelined three games due to a concussion, participated into today’s morning skate. He has been labeled a “game- -Before Mike Johnston’s first season as coach, Neal was jettisoned via time” decision. trade in exchange for Hornqvist by new general manager Jim Rutherford. Malkin skated some with Hornqvist but primarily had Kunitz and He was injured on a hit by Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller last Friday: journeyman Blake Comeau, a hard shooter who didn’t do much near the net, on his wings. Malkin struggled to produce that season with only 70 Hornqvist described the sequence. point in 69 games. “It was just an awkward situation,” he said. “The puck was kind of in a -Malkin and the Penguins got a considerable boost in 2015-16 with the perfect spot for him to take the body and I have to poke the puck. One of arrival of Phil Kessel who skated with Sidney Crosby for the first month of those situations you don’t see very often, and you don’t know how to the season before being moved to Malkin’s line. For all Kessel can do protect yourself. I have to do a better job to protect myself.” with the puck, he doesn’t do much of it around the net. Kessel also found Hornqvist, who regularly battles through all sorts of maladies from the himself on lines with the likes of Hornqvist, David Perron and Carl abuse he takes as a net-front presence, realizes he can’t forge his way Hagelin. Perron and Hagelin, who were traded for one another, aren’t through a head injury the same way he could through an ailing shoulder exactly net-front players. In the postseason, Malkin struggled with an elbow injury and primarily played on a third line with Kunitz and Rust, an or knee. energetic speedster who wasn’t afraid to traverse near the crease but “For me or for everyone with a concussion, you’re 100 percent or not 100 was hardly renown for that part of the game. That line helped the percent,” he said. “That’s the thing. You can’t be like, ‘Should I play the Penguins win the Stanley Cup once again. game or should I go into battle?’ You have to be all in or your not in. This game is too fast, and it’s too emotional and it’s too much contact to put Just about every member of the Penguins dealt with some sort of injury your health on the line.” in 2016-17, including Malkin who only played in 62 games that season. The lines were disjointed for much of that campaign as Malkin skated Presumably, Hornqvist will skate on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Tanner substantially with Kessel, Kunitz, Hornqvist, Hagelin and Scott Wilson, a Pearson, each of whom make their livings near the net. Pearson is player who was an all-star as a net-front presence in the AHL but rarely probably a little bit more finesse-oriented than the whack-and-hack transferred that success to the NHL. During the Penguins’ successful Hornqvist, but both players go to the crease. Stanley Cup defense that spring, Malkin skated primarily with Kessel and Rust. Malkin has played with plenty of net-front players before in his career. His first 100-point season (a 106-point campaign in 2007-08) came with Last season, Malkin skated primarily between Hagelin and Kessel, a line Ryan Malone (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) on his left wing. But he’s rarely which had plenty of speed but wasn’t particularly ferocious near the cage. played with two net-front wingers at the same time. He finished fourth in the NHL with 98 points. A brief history of Evgeni Malkin’s linemates: This season, Malkin’s primarily linemates have been Kessel and Hagelin and Pearson. Tonight, Pearson and Hornqvist look as if they’ll be his -As a rookie, Malkin claimed the Calder Memorial Trophy with Jordan wings. Staal, another fellow rookie center, on left wing as well as right winger • Pearson skated this morning after skipping Friday’s practice as a “maintenance day.” Mike Sullivan said he is available to play tonight. • Flyers center Jori Lehtera has played in 299 career games. • The referees are TJ Luxmore and Brian Pochmara. The linesmen are Andrew Smith and Libor Suchanek.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118960 San Jose Sharks Jones preserved the win by making 40 saves, including 22 in the third period.

3. Radim Simek gives DeBoer something to think about. Takeaways: Sharks respond after closed-door meetings with coach and GM Joakim Ryan might be facing competition to maintain the role of Wookie Whisperer on the Sharks blue line.

Radim Simek made his NHL debut Sunday night and gave the Sharks 17 By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News quality shifts serving as Burns’ defensive partner. Simek played a quiet Group but effective game, making smart, subtle plays all over the ice. He also PUBLISHED: December 2, 2018 at 8:13 pm | UPDATED: December 2, gave the Sharks a physical edge, throwing a crushing blow on Kenny 2018 at 10:55 PM Agostino in the second and upending with a hit Brendan Gallagher in the third.

Most notable is the fact that DeBoer skated Simek for 5:05 in the third as The Sharks (13-10-5) ended their five-game trip with a win in Montreal on the Sharks closed out the game. DeBoer has stapled Ryan to the bench Sunday, snapping a four-game losing streak and ending a string of six in the third period throughout much of the season. The performance was straight road losses. The win came on the heels of a blowout loss in particularly impressive considering that the Czech defenseman hasn’t Ottawa that led to Sunday’s team meetings. suited up since the preseason after serving as a healthy scratch in 27 straight games. Logan Couture said the team held meetings with both the coach and the general manager. They came at a time when DeBoer is facing heat from “For a guy who’s been sitting and just practicing for two months, I thought the fan base for the team’s subpar performance in the wake of the Erik he was phenomenal,” DeBoer said. Karlsson trade.

“The tone was, we can figure this out. We have the team to win games in this league,” Couture said. “It takes a full buy-in from everyone to do San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.03.2018 things right and tonight is a step in that direction.” Here’s what we learned in the Sharks 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens: 1. The Sharks gain confidence with an early goal. When you step up to the tee box after four straight shanks, it helps the confidence if you can drive the ball 300-plus yards down the middle of the fairway. That’s what Justin Braun’s goal at 2:55 of the first did for the Sharks on Sunday. After Saturday’s loss, DeBoer acknowledged that the Sharks’ inconsistent play over the past month has taken its toll on the Sharks’ confidence. As soon as something goes wrong, they feel like the next shot is going into the woods. Couture can see the lack of confidence in how the Sharks are playing through the neutral zone. “Pete’s right. A lot of guys are struggling with confidence,” Couture said. “Guys that like to make plays through the neutral zone are instead making the safe play and chipping it in. That’s not our game. “A win like that helps your confidence. When you’re losing, it feels like everything’s going wrong, and if you try and make that play through the neutral zone, you turn the puck over, it ends up in the back of your net.” Instead of hurting themselves with a neutral-zone turnover, the Sharks capitalized on one to take their first lead of the entire trip. Braun intercepted a Canadiens pass in the neutral zone and then beat Carey Price with a 66-foot slapshot, scoring his first goal of the season and just the 23rd of his nine-year career. Later in the period, the Sharks went ahead 2-0 when Brent Burns netted his first goal in 15 games on a 5-on- 3 power play. “You get the confidence, but we were pretty excited for him,” Joe Pavelski said, referring to Braun. “We got a little energy, got a little hop in our step. “We got another one on the power play and we were off and rolling.” 2. Pavelski’s goal halts another trend of concern. After the Sharks meeting, DeBoer spoke about another problem that plagued the team over the first four games of the trip. When the Sharks have faced adversity, things have snowballed quickly. By the second half of the middle frame, it looked like the Sharks were getting sucked into another here-we-go-again meltdown. Jeff Petry cut the lead to 2-1 at 12:15 of the second and by the 15-minute mark, the Habs were outshooting the Sharks 15-8 over a 20-minute span after surrendering 10 of the first 12 shots. Then, Pavelski buried a beautiful seam pass from Burns in the slot, giving the Sharks a 3-1 lead with his team-leading 17th goal of the season. Instead of allowing things to spiral out of control, the Sharks regained their footing for the first time on the trip. “That’s something we’ve talked about trying to get corrected,” goalie Martin Jones said. “We did a great job tonight. Huge goal by Pavs.” 1118961 San Jose Sharks

Sharks stop the bleeding in Montreal, snap four-game skid

By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group December 2, 2018 at 6:37 PM

MONTREAL — The Sharks are flying back to San Jose with the bandage firmly wrapped after they left a trail of blood from Las Vegas to Buffalo, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal last week. Joe Pavelski said the Sharks needed to stop the bleeding immediately after Saturday’s blowout loss in Ottawa and they delivered with a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens Sunday night. The Sharks first-road win since Oct. 28 snapped their four-game losing streak and ended their string of six straight losses away from SAP Center. With two five-on-five goals, the Sharks matched their total produced over the first four games of the trip. After Saturday’s loss, head coach Pete DeBoer acknowledged that his dressing room was suffering from lack of confidence after opening its five-game road trip with an 0-3-1 record. With that in mind, Justin Braun’s goal at 2:55 of the first was exactly what the Sharks needed to get the good feelings flowing again. Braun picked off a pass in the neutral zone and then beat Carey Price with a 66-foot slapshot. That doesn’t happen every day, but the Sharks will take all the good fortune they can get right now. They made it 2-0 at 10:29 of the first when Brent Burns buried a pass from Joe Pavelski on a 5-on-3 power play, his first goal in 15 games. But the pivotal moment came at 15:51 of the second when the Sharks did something they’d failed to do throughout the road trip: respond in the face of adversity. After the Sharks failed to capitalize on a handful of high- danger scoring chances, Jeff Petry cut the lead in half at 12:15 of the middle frame. At that point, the Habs held all the momentum, outshooting the Sharks 16-8 over a 20-minute span. Then, Burns fed Pavelski a beautiful seam pass, giving him an open look in the slot and he capitalized, scoring his team-leading 17th goal to put the Sharks ahead by two. As was the case throughout the Sharks inconsistent month of November, the team received solid goaltending from Martin Jones because they played a tight-defensive game in front of him. Jones made 39 saves on 40 shots, including 22 in the third. The Sharks will return to action at SAP Center Wednesday, taking on the Carolina Hurricanes before heading out to Dallas and Arizona for a quick two-game trip on Friday and Saturday.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118962 San Jose Sharks

Sharks extend mastery of Canadiens

Staff Report Associated Press Updated 10:50 pm PST, Sunday, December 2, 2018

Martin Jones stopped the Montreal Canadiens — and the San Jose Sharks’ four-game skid. Jones made 40 saves — 22 in the third period — to help the Sharks beat the Canadiens 3-1 on Sunday. Justin Braun, Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski scored for San Jose. “We did a great job of eliminating those Grade-A chances and those odd- man rushes that have been causing us some problems,” Jones said. “It was much better tonight.” Jones improved to 7-1 against Montreal as the Sharks beat the Canadiens for the seventh consecutive time. Jeff Petry scored for Montreal. “When you run into a goalie like that, and he’s seeing everything, you have to make it hard for him,” the Canadiens’ Max Domi said. “We managed to do that on Petry’s goal. Just not quite enough.” San Jose opened the scoring at 2:55 of the first, with Braun beating Price after a bad giveaway by Petry in his own end. With San Jose on a 5-on-3 advantage, Burns made it 2-0 with a wrist shot from the slot at 10:29 of the first to extend his points streak to four games. Ducks 6, Capitals 5: Pontus Aberg scored twice in the third period, including the go-ahead with 5:05 remaining, and visiting Anaheim stopped Washington’s seven-game winning streak. Tom Wilson was in the Capitals’ lineup after the NHL declined to seek a suspension after he received a match penalty Friday for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey’s Brett Sevey. Kings 2, Hurricanes 0: Los Angeles — with goals by Alec Martinez and Kyle Clifford — defended its home ice with a shutout of Carolina. Jets 4, Rangers 3: Mark Scheifele scored to start Winnipeg’s third-period comeback and then got the deciding goal in the shootout as the Jets rallied to win in New York. Avalanche 2, Red Wings: Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for his 24th career shutout in Colorado’s road win. Flames 3, Blackhawks 2: Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm each had a goal and an assist as visiting Calgary edged Chicago and moved into first place in the Pacific Division. Sidelined: Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk will be out for about four weeks after undergoing a procedure on his ankle, the team announced.

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Sharks cut down on odd-man rushes in first road win since October

By Chelena Goldman December 02, 2018 8:16 PM

If one thing has hurt the Sharks in their losses this season, it’s been giving up too many grade-A chances to the opposition. In their Sunday night win over the Montreal Canadiens, Team Teal put up one of its best efforts of the season in keeping those chances to a minimum. “The odd-man rushes that have been hurting us,” Sharks goaltender Martin Jones complimented after Sunday’s win. “I thought we did a great job tonight.” The Sharks' defense -- not just the blue line but from the forward lines as well –-- was an ever-present force against the Habs. It was a vast improvement for a team currently ranked second in the NHL in giving up goals on high-danger chances. On Sunday, they registered 22 blocked shots to accompany the staggering 40 of 41 chances Montreal hurled Jones’ way en route to allowing the Canadiens to score only one goal. “Guys put their bodies on the line a little bit tonight,” Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said. “There were some big blocks ... and when we did have a breakdown, [Jones] was great. It all added up to a win tonight.” In a rebound performance all his own, Jones put together a highlight reel of saves in Montreal, and stood particularly tall in the final few minutes when the Habs got a late-game power-play opportunity and threatened to capitalize on it. The victory helped him improve to 7-1-0 in his career against Montreal, with a 1.88 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. Even with a high number of shots coming his way, Jones told the media he’ll take getting peppered with shots over having too many odd-man rushes coming at him any day. “That’s a much more manageable game,” he explained. “I thought we did a great job eliminating those grade-A’s and those odd-man rushes that have been causing us some problems.” Of course, the Sharks know they still have some things on which they want to improve. After a tough road trip, San Jose has to keep the momentum going past this one game. The Sharks will have the opportunity to do that when they return to home ice for a rematch with the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118964 San Jose Sharks

Sharks takeaways: What we learned from win that ended four-game losing streak

By Chelena Goldman December 02, 2018 6:43 PM

There’s no denying the San Jose Sharks were in dire need of a win, and a statement win at that, after dropping four straight. On Sunday night, they got exactly that. The Sharks grabbed their first lead on this five-game road trip early in the first period and never looked back as they defeated the Canadiens 3-1 in Montreal. Here are three takeaways from the Sharks' Sunday night contest: The Sharks played a full 60 As we’ve discussed throughout this road trip — well, for good chunks of the season, to be honest — San Jose has only shown streaks of upper- echelon play through games. “Spurts” was the term Logan Couture used. On Sunday in Montreal, the Sharks finally stretched that effort across an entire game. San Jose didn’t get on its heels when Jeff Petry scored a goal for the Habs in the second period. Instead of settling into their recent habit of letting the opposition back in during that second 20 minutes, the Sharks continued to grind and kept up with Montreal’s speed all while playing a smothering defense to keep the opposition at bay. When a team needs to rally from a losing streak, it needs players to step up and lead the charge. In the Sharks' case, more than one player seized the opportunity to contribute. San Jose’s big guns, Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns, led the charge on the scoreboard. Then the Sharks got a continued boost from Marcus Sorensen, and rookie center Antti Suomela charged the net the best he has since the very beginning of the season. Being back on a line with Joonas Donskoi and Evander Kane might have helped Sorensen as well. Kudos can’t be handed out without complimenting Justin Braun, who on top of having a solid defensive game also found the back of the net for the first time this season. Then there was this guy … Two words: Martin. Jones. The Sharks’ starting netminder has made some great saves over the first part of the season, but many of them have been negated by the fact he also has let a lot of pucks past him. Although he wasn’t tested so much in the first frame — save that glove save he made on Max Domi — Jones stood his ground when Montreal pushed back in the second stanza. The Sharks needed Jones to step up big to counter the stellar performance Carey Price was putting on at the other end of the ice, and he was able to do just that.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118965 San Jose Sharks

Sharks vs. Canadiens live stream: How to watch NHL game on MyTeams

By NBC Sports Bay Area staff December 02, 2018 12:15 PM

The emotions were high Saturday night as Erik Karlsson returned to Ottawa for the first time since being traded to the Sharks. The Senators held a touching tribute in his honor including a video and let him take the ice for a solo lap. Despite not many dry eyes in the house, the Sharks couldn't walk away with the win and fell to the Senators, 6-2. The team finishes up a five-game road trip Sunday evening as they take on the Montreal Canadiens -- a team who is boasting a 12-9 record on the season. The Sharks hope to take advantage of a team that only recently landed a win over the Rangers. Prior to that, the Canadiens lost five straight contests. Radim Simek will make his NHL debut at Bell Centre.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118966 San Jose Sharks

Sharks vs. Canadiens watch guide: Projected lines and defensive pairs

By Chelena Goldman December 02, 2018 11:44 AM

The Sharks have one more opportunity to get in the win column on this five-game road trip as they make a Sunday stop in Montreal to face the Canadiens before heading home to SAP Center. The team suffered a 6-2 loss to the Senators on Saturday in Erik Karlsson’s first game back in Ottawa since being traded to the Sharks back in September. After the loss -- San Jose’s fourth in a row -- EK65 said righting the ship was going to be tough, “but we’re going to do everything we can to figure that out.” The Habs certainly know what the Sharks are going through, having lost five consecutive contests before managing a win over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Montreal is 1-2-0 on its current homestand, which concludes Tuesday with a game against those same Senators who beat San Jose. This is the first of two meetings this season between the Sharks and the Habs. In 38 total meetings, San Jose is 19-14-4-1 over Montreal. The Sharks will be without dynamic forward Timo Meier for a third consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury. On the defensive end, Radim Simek will make his NHL debut, skating with Brent Burns in place of Joakim Ryan.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118967 San Jose Sharks away, and haven’t been able to build on it. Pav, being the captain and leader that he is, going out and made a great play and scored a big goal.”

DeBoer said: “You could feel the rink was starting to get energized, they Sharks respond after a morning meeting with general manager Doug were starting to push. That was a huge goal at that time.” Wilson Still, it wasn’t a perfect evening. Montreal poured 22 shots on goal in the third period, with the Sharks nursing their 3-1 advantage and likely By Kevin Kurz dragging a bit after being on the road for more than a week and playing in Ottawa the day before (Montreal was also on the second of a back-to- Dec 2, 2018 back, including a win at home over the Rangers on Saturday). Jones, though, played arguably his best game of the season in net, making 40 saves on 41 shots. MONTREAL — Word that the Sharks were set to hold a pregame meeting Sunday morning at Bell Centre came down shortly after the The Sharks’ goalie, making his second consecutive start, was locked in club’s unsightly 6-2 defeat by the rebuilding Senators the night prior. from the outset. He denied Max Domi on a two-on-one rush less than five minutes into the game, and held the line with a little more than two Apparently, general manager Doug Wilson, who was shown on the local minutes to go in the first period by getting in front of attempts by Paul Ottawa broadcast several times Saturday night with a look of disgust Byron and Artturi Lehkonen from close range. after witnessing his team’s latest gaffe, had a few things to get off his chest. His biggest stop in the third period came on Byron again, who snuck behind Erik Karlsson for a partial breakaway with about 13 minutes to go Unfortunately, none of the flies on the wall recorded any audio, so it’s in regulation. impossible to know what was said. Regardless, any meeting with the general manager can be viewed only as his not being pleased with the “Third period (we) could have done a better job at making plays through majority of the players in the room, and, whether it was verbalized or not, the neutral zone. But giving up one goal is what we want,” Couture said. the threat of a change in personnel surely looms. “We had some breakdowns, and Joner was very, very good for us back there. We’ll take it at the very end of a tough road trip.” During the Sharks’ four losses in this five-game trip, and the generally inconsistent play from a supposed Stanley Cup contender over the first Jones credited the defense in front of him for a much more buttoned-up two months of the season, much of the team looked like it either hasn’t effort, which was also evident. He wasn’t hung out to dry as much as he been on the same page or hasn’t been willing to play hard enough for and counterpart Aaron Dell had been lately, and for much of the season. one another. “I just thought that’s a way better game, how we played,” he said. “We have the team to win games in this league,” Logan Couture said, “Despite the (41 shots against), it’s the two-on-ones, odd-man rushes when asked about the overall tone of the meeting with Wilson. “It takes a that have been hurting us. I thought we did a great job tonight.” full buy-in from everyone to do things right.” There was a new addition to the defense corps, too. DeBoer made the The gathering, which included another separate meeting with Pete somewhat surprising announcement Sunday morning that rookie Radim DeBoer and lasted an uncommon 27 minutes, must have had the desired Simek would draw into the lineup in place of Joakim Ryan after serving effect. The Sharks won their first road game in more than a month as a healthy scratch for the first two months of the season. against the Canadiens, 3-1, ending a six-game road losing streak and salvaging the final game of their trip after dropping the first four (0-3-1). Considering the circumstances, it was a remarkable performance. The 26-year-old Czech native skated 13 minutes, 19 seconds, while paired “We’ve done it before. There are certain parts of the season there are primarily with Burns and threw a couple of big hits, too, on Kenny ups and downs. Just needed to reset a little bit,” captain Joe Pavelski Agostino and Brendan Gallagher, with the latter coming on a play that said, when asked about the meeting with Wilson, which did not include was offside. Simek’s 68.0 shot-attempt percentage (17-8 when he was DeBoer. “There wasn’t anything that we didn’t know (was) going on. Just on the ice) was the best mark among Sharks blueliners. kind of reset, start enjoying the game a little bit, start playing a little bit harder. At the end of the day, it usually comes down to just wanting it a Barring anything unforeseen, he’ll surely remain in Wednesday when the little bit more, competing a little bit more, sacrificing a little more. We’ve Sharks host the Carolina Hurricanes. been in a tough stretch, but it’s nice to get a win, and hopefully we can “He was really good, I thought,” Jones said. “He’s a big, strong physical keep climbing now.” guy. He played his game tonight. He had some big hits out there. He was Martin Jones said: “It’s been a tough stretch of games. I think that gets steady.” our attention more than anything.” DeBoer said: “I thought Simek came in, gave us a real good game. He It was evident in the first period that the Sharks had more intensity to was physical, you knew you were playing against him. For a guy who’s their game than had been seen lately. While Justin Braun’s early marker been sitting and practicing for two months, I thought he was just 2:55 into the opening frame was a bit of a fortunate occurrence in phenomenal.” that it was a shot Carey Price should have turned aside, the Sharks were After the disheartening loss to the Senators on Saturday, DeBoer pointed playing with more pace all over the ice and swarming the Canadiens in to the Sharks’ overall confidence as lacking. Whether a win over a their defensive end. middle-of-the-road Montreal squad helps the supposed Stanley Cup After Braun’s goal, the consistent Sharks pressure resulted in a pair of contender get that overall confidence back will, of course, be determined minor penalties to Mike Reilly and Michael Chaput, and Brent Burns over the next little while. increased the lead to 2-0 with a bullet to the top corner on a two-man After all, they’re not going to have a meeting with the general manager advantage. before every tilt. After getting behind in each of the first four games of the trip, the Sharks “I think Pete is right. I think a lot of guys are struggling with confidence finally had a lead to work with. right now,” Couture said. “You can still see it, guys that can make plays “We had a little bit of desperation to our game,” DeBoer said. “I thought through the neutral zone are instead making the safe play and chipping it we got the first goal, which relieved some pressure. … We’ve been in. Sometimes that’s not our game, we need to make plays. If you’re a chasing the game a lot on this trip.” skilled player and can make those plays, make them. Montreal got one back in the second period when Jeff Petry outmuscled “A win like that helps confidence.” Marc-Edouard Vlasic in front of the net to make it 2-1, but Pavelski found It also keeps the team together for one more day. As long as they’re a soft spot in front of the net and smacked in a pass from Burns less than playing for each other and working well with each other, the general four minutes later to restore the two-goal cushion. manager can stay in his office or the press box instead of making trips to That was exactly the kind of play that has been missing from the Sharks the dressing room. all season. When the other team starts rolling, they haven’t been able to slow down their momentum. The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 Pavelski’s score, his team-leading 17th of the season, did that. “That’s what we’ve been lacking all year it seems, that next goal,” Couture said. “Countless times we’ve had a lead and given it up right 1118968 St Louis Blues On Saturday, before the Arizona game, Berube said the Blues didn’t have enough time to fully evaluate Steen and Pietrangelo and that they would be evaluated Sunday. As Blues flounder, injuries mount On Sunday, the team spent half the day flying back from the Phoenix area to St. Louis. By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Even with Berube providing no details on those latest injuries, it’s pretty clear Steen, Pietrangelo and Fabbri will be sidelined for a while. The Blues had no spare forwards and no spare defensemen entering the Arizona game following the injuries to Steen and Pietrangelo. With For the first six weeks of this season the Blues had relatively few injuries Fabbri’s injury, they are one forward short of being able to fill four lines. but were still only treading water, playing. 500 hockey. So even Berube conceded the Blues need at least one reinforcement. Over the past two weeks, the injuries are piling up faster than you can say “last-place Blues,” and the team appears in danger of going under. “Something will have to happen here,” Berube said following the Arizona loss. Saturday’s no-show in Arizona, a 6-1 defeat to a middling Coyotes team, put the Blues at 9-13-3, the second time this season they have been four The Blues announced no roster moves Sunday, but then again, they games under .500. didn’t have to. Their American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio played a 4 p.m. contest in Rockford, Ill. on Sunday. If there is a call-up, One must go back a decade, to the 2008-09 season, for the last time the the player would have plenty of time to make it to St. Louis in time for Blues were under .500 this far along in a season. It’s also the last time Monday’s 4 p.m. practice at Enterprise Center. they were four (or more) games under .500 at any point in a season. The most logical call-up would be Jordan Kyrou, who made the Blues’ That Andy Murray-coached club had a losing record for most of a four- roster out of camp, opened the season on the second line with Schwartz month period from the first week of November until the last week of and Schenn, and played in the first nine games (with no goals and one February. They were a season-worst seven games below .500 at 16-23-1 assist) before being sent down to San Antonio. on Jan. 13, 2009. Kyrou scored for the fourth straight game in San Antonio’s 3-2 loss Despite that subpar first half of the season, the 2008-09 Blues made the Sunday in Rockford and has five goals and five assists and is plus-6 in playoffs by going 25-8-9 over the final 42 games. 14 games for the Rampage. As for the current Blues, they are nine points out of the final playoff spot Another possibility could be Jordan Nolan, who has 361 games of NHL in the Western Conference and have between one and four games in experience and was signed as a free agent by the Blues in July after hand with every team in the conference. spending last season with the Buffalo Sabres. Nolan scored the other San Antonio goal Sunday in Rockford, and has seven goals and six “Especially before Christmas we need a long streak to get us back into it, assists in his last 11 games. and start chipping away at the standings and climbing back in there,” Brayden Schenn said before the team’s just-completed three-game road trip. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.03.2018 The Blues won only one of three games on the trip and have shown no signs whatsoever of being capable of putting together any kind of winning streak. The recent rash of injuries makes that task all the more difficult. It started with Pat Maroon and Alexander Steen going down with injuries in a loss Nov. 14 to Chicago. Maroon missed only four games. Steen missed the next six. Then Jaden Schwartz and Carl Gunnarsson went down the next game, Nov. 16 at Vegas. The Blues were 7-7-3 after the Vegas game. They are 2-6 since. On Friday in Colorado, Alex Pietrangelo and Steen left the game with injuries. Saturday in Arizona, Robby Fabbri went down. Schwartz (hand), who can be a catalyst for the offense, and the steady Gunnarsson (upper body) remain sidelined, and a return does appear imminent for either player. In just his second game back after an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion, or concussion-related, Steen absorbed a blow to the head from Colorado’s Erik Johnson — a blow that led to a game misconduct for Johnson. If it’s another concussion for Steen, who knows how long he could be sidelined. Pietrangelo has his right hand wrapped after absorbing a hard hit against the boards from Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog. Oddly enough, this injury occurred at roughly the same spot in Pepsi Center that Vladimir Tarasenko suffered his shoulder injury (requiring surgery) in the Blues’ 2017-18 season finale in Denver: in the neutral zone on the side of the rink opposite the player benches. Even more oddly, Landeskog also was involved in the Tarasenko injury, although it occurred when Tarasenko was trying to make a hit on Landeskog. As for Fabbri, his right arm is in a sling after an apparent shoulder injury when he slammed the Coyotes’ Josh Archibald into the boards with 45 seconds left in the first period Saturday. “Well, we got lots of injuries,” interim coach Craig Berube said. “But we gotta play through them. People have to step up and play better.” Following the Colorado game, Berube said Steen and Pietrangelo would be evaluated Saturday. 1118969 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning recalls goalie Eddie Pasquale, returns Connor Ingram to Syracuse

By Diana Nearhos Published: December 2, 2018Updated: December 2, 2018 at 05:39 PM

NEWARK, N.J. – Well, that didn't last long. Four days after G Eddie Pasquale was sent back to AHL Syracuse, he was recalled again Sunday. G Connor Ingram returns to the AHL without playing in his stint with the Lightning. Ingram was sent back to Syracuse to play in a few games. Pasquale sat without playing for two weeks in his last stint with the Lightning. He joined the Crunch for games against Cleveland on Friday and Saturday, an overtime loss and a win. He made a combined 62 saves on 69 shots. He'll probably play with the Lightning this time. The Lightning plays Monday at New Jersey and Tuesday at Detroit. Apart from a goalie usually not playing in both games of a back-to-back, starter Louis Domingue is starting to show signs of fatigue.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118970 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lighting-Panthers: Rewinding Tampa Bay’s overtime win

By Diana Nearhos Published: December 2, 2018

The Lightning fought its way back from a three-goal deficit to beat Florida 5-4 in overtime on Saturday. You can read all about the comeback here. Here are some odds and ends from the game: Five of the Lightning's games have gone beyond 60 minutes this season, and two of them have been against the Panthers. Tampa Bay beat Florida 2-1 in its only shootout back on the season opener, and in overtime on Saturday. Brayden Point now leads the league in game-winning goals over the past two seasons. Saturday's goal with 1:48 left in overtime was Point's 15th game-winner over that stretch. Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon is second with 14. Let's make it nine. Nikita Kucherov extended his scoring streak to nine games. He had three points on the night (one goal, two assists) for his 12th multi-point game of the season (which leads the Lightning). Kucherov's is the longest active streak in the league. Speaking of Kucherov … he's moving up the Lightning all-time rankings. The assist on Point's goal bumped Kucherov up in two categories. He is now sixth in all-time scoring, having passed Vinny Prospal with his 372nd point. Kucherov is fifth in all-time power-play scoring, passing Dan Boyle with 127 points. He is also tied with Prospal for fifth among power-play goal scorers at 44. Alex Killorn has scored three goals in the last four games. He put the Lightning on the board on a one-timer from the right circle midway through the first period on Saturday. In the three games before this current stretch, Killorn didn't record a point. Cedric Paquette already has more goals than he did all of last year. Paquette's goal to tie it up in the third period was his sixth of the season. He had five last year. He also has goals in three of the last four games, including the game-winner in Thursday's game against Buffalo. The Lightning hasn't done well at the BT&T Center the past few years. Tampa Bay is now 2-4-1 in the past four seasons. Aleksander Barkov had eight points in that stretch, which he added to with a goal on Saturday.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118971 Toronto Maple Leafs

Teammates ‘really excited’ about Nylander’s return to Maple Leafs

Staff Report THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2, 2018 UPDATED DECEMBER 2, 2018

Some of William Nylander’s teammates arrived at the arena early before their Saturday night game against the Minnesota Wild, eagerly anticipating news of a contract extension that would bring the star forward back to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. When coach Mike Babcock told them Nylander had signed a six-year deal, they were thrilled. Then they got their cell phones out. “Babs popped out of the office and said we signed him,” Mitch Marner said after Toronto’s 5-3 win in St. Paul. “Of course everyone nowadays just goes right to a phone, so about 20 of us go over, grab our phones. The next thing you know, you see the signing. “We’re all really excited about it. We can’t wait to get him back in Toronto.” Nylander, a restricted free agent, signed moments before the 5 p.m. ET deadline Saturday, inking a deal that will pay him an average annual value of US$6.9-million, and allow him to play the rest of the season. His entry-level contract had expired July 1 and negotiations stretched through the summer and into the season, ultimately forcing the 22-year- old winger to miss a third of the 2018-19 campaign. “It’s great. It’s great news. We hope to get him here as soon as possible,” said star centre Auston Matthews. “He’s a big part of this team. Hopefully he gets us on a run here, get in a couple practices. “It’s the same thing coming back from injury – you need a couple games to kind of get going but I’m sure he’s been skating quite a bit and he’s excited to get back with his teammates and start playing some hockey games.” Toronto, labelled a Cup contender early on, has done well in Nylander’s absence, going 19-8-0 to sit second in the Atlantic Division after 27 games. The Maple Leafs have won four straight and eight of their last 10. “A lot of depth, guys obviously stepping up in big moments,” Matthews said of Toronto’s success despite missing Nylander. “I think that’s a big key to our team and something we have going for us that not a lot of teams do is having a lot of depth. When guys go down, other guys step up and we’ve got tons of skill to go with it.” Nylander is coming off back-to-back 61-point seasons, including a 2017- 18 campaign that saw him score 20 goals and add 41 assists. The Calgary-born Swede has 48 goals and 87 assists for 135 points in 185 career games. Nylander has added two goals and six assists in 13 playoff outings. “I’m very happy. He’s a big part of the team. We’ve been saying that all along,” Marner said. “Having him back, it’s just going to add more fire to this team and make us deeper. “It’s exciting. I can’t wait to have him back. He’s a great player, so we’re excited about it.”

Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118972 Toronto Maple Leafs Gross, hearing that assessment reiterated by a reporter, laughed a little over the phone.

“For a player of that age to have the strength to do what he did, it’s really Maple Leafs might win, but Nylander already has incredible,” Gross said of the 22-year-old Calgary-born Swede. “I have so much respect for Willie. I’ve been doing this 35 years and the strength he showed in this negotiation was just incredible. I really have a tremendous By DAVE FESCHUK Sports Columnist amount of respect for Willie and his beliefs in what he thought was fair. He stood his ground. It makes my job easier to have a client like Willie.” Sun., Dec. 2, 2018 That’s not to say the deal can’t work for both sides, so long as Nylander performs at a level commensurate with his pay grade. Still, the pay grade puts him into elite company. It didn’t go unnoticed by industry insiders The standoff began with an appeal. With William Nylander still unsigned that the cap hit on years two through six of Nylander’s deal is $6.9 million as the Maple Leafs opened their season in the early days of October, — 8.9 per cent of the current NHL salary cap of $79.5 million. Who else club president Brendan Shanahan made a public suggestion to Nylander recently negotiated a deal worth 8.9 per cent of his contract-year cap? and Toronto’s other “young leaders.” That’d be David Pastrnak, Nylander’s close friend and fellow skill-first Take less money to stay together as salary-cap compliant Stanley Cup winger, who signed a six-year contract with the Bruins in 2017 worth an contenders. Sacrifice a few bucks today, in other words, and walk annual average of $6.67 million. Pastrnak, who went into Sunday with 19 together forever as legends. goals, third-most in the NHL, has already arguably outplayed the value of that deal. Nylander has never scored more than 22 goals in an 82-game Leaf William Nylander is expected to return to practice Monday with a season. healthy six-year contract signed, sealed and delivered. As more than one agent noted this weekend, the annual average value of It was a fine enough sales pitch in theory. So far it’s 0-for-1 in reality. Nylander’s contract isn’t technically $6.9 million — on paper it’s $7.5 million, a $45-million deal minus the $3.2 million he’ll forego for sitting out You can say a lot about the six-year deal Nylander ultimately signed the opening two months of the season. That $7.5-million paper average before Saturday’s deadline. You can call the contract necessary, for sure. makes a decent run at the $8.5-million annual average currently paid to With an impending salary-cap crunch still to come, this season might Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers winger who stood as another comparable in ultimately go down as this exciting era’s best chance at a Cup. To make negotiations. Draisaitl went into Sunday tied for 19th in the NHL points that run without a key piece could have been the stuff of generational race. As one player agent said of Nylander’s contract: “It’s better than regret. Draisaitl’s.” By what rationale? Nylander secured $24.3 million in signing Some have lauded the contract as tradeable, too, thanks a front-loaded bonuses; Draisaitl got $14 million. And Nylander will hit unrestricted free structure that will see Nylander earn $17 million by July 1 (all dollars agency sooner than Draisaitl, which presents the opportunity for an U.S.). Mind you, if your first positive thought about a contract is that it’s earlier pay bump. moveable, maybe it says something about the way you view the player If Nylander has outdone Pastrnak and arguably Draisaitl in negotiations, who signed it. it won’t be easy outproducing either on the ice. That’s for another day, What you can’t call the contract is a hometown discount. As one though. For now, the Leafs can make a Cup run with a full squad. And as competing agent said of the deal, throwing a compliment toward for Shanahan’s vision of a young core that would sacrifice a modicum of Nylander’s agent, Lewis Gross: “The Leafs overpaid.” personal gain for glory? Don’t bet on impending restricted free agents Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to set the hometown discount As Gross emerged from his negotiation-window media blackout on precedent. Sunday, he was asked about Shanahan’s October appeal for financial sacrifice. Bet on arduous negotiations. If the Nylander saga tells future Toronto contract seekers anything about GM Kyle Dubas’s negotiating style, it’s “Brendan has his opinion, and I respect Brendan as an executive as well this: The GM will lowball, which calls for hardball. as an ex-player,” said Gross. “But I didn’t really think about (Shanahan’s opening-day appeal) that much, to be honest.” In other words, there’s not a competent agent on the planet who would Toronto Star LOADED: 12.03.2018 advise a client to do anything other than what Nylander did these past two months: maximize his value in the time allotted. Gross, mind you, said he was ultimately “surprised” that the deal was only done minutes before Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline, after which Nylander would have been ineligible to play in the NHL this season and would have mulled a handful of standing offers to play for European clubs. Why did it take so long? “Not everybody always agrees. Sometimes to find a point where we all agree takes time … Bridge deals were looked into. Longer deals were looked into. To find a common ground and a common (annual average value) and something we could live with, ultimately it went down to the last minute.” It only went as long as it did because Nylander was willing to hold firm. The club held most of the leverage, and as the dispute dragged on, you didn’t have to go far to hear ex-NHLers in the broadcast media deriding Nylander for dragging out negotiations. More than a few commentators suggested Nylander was getting bad advice from both Gross and Nylander’s father, Michael, a former NHL player. But let’s consider that charge of bad advice. Around the time William Nylander began negotiating with the Maple Leafs the club was offering something in the range of a six-year deal worth an annual average of $6 million — a total of $36 million. When he signed Saturday, he was the proud owner of a contract that will pay him a guaranteed total of a little short of $42 million. After all those years Mike Babcock has been urging Nylander to “dig in” and be “a man” — you can’t say the kid never listened. Nylander made something in the range of an additional $6 million by refusing to do what NHL players almost always do: cave. As one prominent agent said Sunday: “I wish all my players had Willie’s balls.” 1118973 Toronto Maple Leafs “It’s good peace of mind to know you don’t have to do it again for another couple of years,” Rielly said of the long-term deal. “It’s not enjoyable. That’s the biggest misunderstanding. It’s not at all comfortable. How the final minutes of the Leafs’ William Nylander showdown played “It was happening over the course of the year … and I didn’t enjoy it. For out him, I’m sure he wasn’t enjoying it. He just wants to play. I’m sure he’s going to be happy to come home, be excited, and hopefully he can put the puck in the net.” By KEVIN MCGRAN Centre Auston Matthews, who missed a month with a shoulder injury, Sports Reporter said it would take Nylander a bit of time to get into real game shape. Sun., Dec. 2, 2018 “It’s the same thing coming back from injury,” said Matthews. “You need a couple of games to get going. I’m sure he’s excited to get going.”

Marner was a bit more optimistic. ST. PAUL, MINN.—When Morgan Rielly heard that teammate William Nylander broke a contract impasse with a phone call to Maple Leafs GM “That guy’s a freak, the stuff he does on the ice. I’m sure he’s been Kyle Dubas just a half-hour before the signing deadline, and that the final keeping up (fitness-wise) in Sweden. documents were delivered with only minutes to go, he laughed. “He’s a big part of this team. Having him back is going to add more fire to “That’s classic Willie,” said Rielly. “We were joking that he was probably this team and make us even deeper.” sleeping or something. Love him. He’s calm, collected.”

Auston Matthews expects Leafs teammate William Nylander will “need a couple of games to get going” after his long contract stalemate. Nylander Toronto Star LOADED: 12.03.2018 returns to practice on Monday. The first busload of Leafs arrived at the Xcel Energy Center for their Saturday night game in Minnesota, it turned out, just when Nylander called Dubas to work out a deal with the clock ticking toward the 5 p.m. Eastern deadline. Nylander’s teammates were just as on edge as any Leaf fan, and Dubas himself. “We got their signed copy of the contract back at 3:52 Central time (4:52 p.m. Eastern),” said Dubas. “It was agreed to, but there were some slight variations that needed to be made and sent, emailed over there, sent back in the right order and send it to the league. “The worst thing (that could have happened was) a page missing and the contract rejected at this point. I’ve got a lot of faith in (assistant GM) Brandon Pridham and he certainly has shown that faith is well placed. I thought we would be in good hands, even though there was undue pressure placed on him by me.” Dubas told his staff: six years with a salary-cap hit of $6.97 million (all dollars U.S.) in years two through six, when the cap crunch could hurt. “I talked to William throughout,” said Dubas. “Obviously we met throughout, talked on the phone, texted, stayed in touch. I know people made it seem contentious, and at points maybe it was, but once he gets back here and gets rolling it’ll all be gone. We’re thrilled to have him back.” Rielly said he was following the Leafs’ PR director, Steve Keogh, looking for information. “We had our media guys checking in and we were annoying probably, asking for updates,” said Rielly. “I was with Steve and he was on his computer, and I looked at the words he was typing (for the press release announcing the deal). So I sprinted to the room to tell them I know what happened — and I didn’t tell anybody.” That was left for Leafs coach Mike Babcock, said Mitch Marner. “Babs popped out of the office and said ‘We signed him,’” said Marner. “And then, of course, everyone nowadays just goes right to our phone. So about 20 of us walk over, grab our phones. Next thing you know, you see the signing.” Teammates were texting Nylander as well as friends and family. “I texted him right away, said ‘Congrats,’” said Marner. It was night-time in Sweden when it was all over. “It was nice to just lay down and get some sleep for once when everything was over,” Nylander told Sportbladet on Sunday at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm). “It’s been a sick process, but now I’m just happy to go back there and get to play.” He’s expected back at practice on Monday, but when he plays is another question. The best guess is that he’ll be ready for Saturday’s contest in Boston. Rielly knows better than most about what Nylander was going through. The defenceman signed a six-year, $30-million extension at the end of the 2015-16 season after elongated talks with then-GM Lou Lamoriello. 1118974 Toronto Maple Leafs KLIMCHUK CONNECTS AGAIN Morgan Klimchuk appears to be making a fine first impression with the Toronto Marlies. Harder, heavier element Babcock's desire as Leafs continue to pile up victories Klimchuk, acquired from the Calgary Flames last week for defenceman Andrew Nielsen, scored his second goal in as many games for the Marlies in a 5-2 Toronto loss against Lehigh Valley on Sunday at the Terry Koshan Coca-Cola Coliseum. December 2, 2018 10:54 PM EST Pierre Engvall also scored for the Marlies, who fell to 9-8-4. Goaltender Eamon McAdam made 35 saves.

Carter Hart, in line to be the Philadelphia Flyers’ goalie of the not-too- Just what the Maple Leafs need when William Nylander returns at some distant future, stopped 33 shots in the Lehigh Valley net. Phil Varone point this week: Another highly talented player able to score on any shift, paced the Phantoms with two goals. no matter the score or time in the game. The Marlies, meanwhile, should know in the next couple of days whether Kidding, of course — Nylander will be welcomed back into the lineup by they will be getting a boost from the Leafs. teammates and Leafs Nation alike, giving a Toronto forward group that is already among the deepest in the National Hockey League another With the signing of William Nylander, the Leafs have to reduce their exhilarating weapon. roster by one player. Forwards Par Lindholm and Kasperi Kapanen, as well as defencemen Travis Dermott and Igor Ozhiganov, are exempt Once Nylander, who arrived here Sunday, gets past the adjustment from waivers, but none of the four are going anywhere. period, which is likely to begin at home against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday (both coach Mike Babcock and general manager Kyle Dubas That would leave defencemen Justin Holl and Martin Marincin, as well as indicated after Nylander signed on Saturday that four or five days will Frederik Gauthier, who is out now that Auston Matthews is back from pass before the 22-year-old plays his first game), opposing coaches injury. could be that much more challenged in their defensive schemes when The expectation is that one of Holl or Marincin will be sent to the Marlies. Toronto is the opponent. Each requires waivers to go to the minors, so the Leafs run the risk of Which brings us to something Babcock said on Saturday after the Leafs losing the player. won for the 10th time in 13 road games when they beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.03.2018 Babcock isn’t in the habit of voicing anything by accident, if you will. The coach is measured in his daily scrums with media, and even in the final days of negotiations between the club and Nylander, when publicly nothing appeared to be certain beyond hunches, Babcock was steadfast in his conviction that the winger would sign. He was right. So post-game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., Babcock mentioned that the Leafs “should play them 20 times going into the playoffs.” This reference to the Wild after the Leafs were outplayed at five-on-five, especially in the third period, by a heavier Minnesota club that turns in an honest, physical game. “Now, we’ve gotta make the playoffs,” Babcock said, adding an unnecessary caveat, because the Leafs will accomplish that, “but we need to understand how heavy and how hard it is. We’re fun to watch, there is no question, but just because you are fun to watch doesn’t mean you get to play a long time in the spring.” And this was Babcock before the morning skate: “I think it’s a real good game for our team to try to take a step, because they make it hard to do what we need learn how to do.” Whether Babcock is sending a message to his players or to Dubas to try to acquire a player or two of that ilk, interpret it whatever way you like. The Leafs are a better team now than they were in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs and they were better last spring than they were in 2017. Each trip to the post-season, however, didn’t go beyond the first round. Through 27 games, the Leafs have won 19, and perhaps therein lies a small problem for Babcock. As much as he was glad the Leafs found a way to win in Minnesota, it could be that convincing his players to perform with a little more bump and grind is more of a challenge when losses aren’t piling up outside his office door. The Leafs have won four in a row and when they play in Buffalo against the Sabres on Tuesday, will be in the hunt for their second five-game winning streak of the season. As productive as the Leafs have been in collecting points, the game will mark the first stiff test Toronto has had in Buffalo in several seasons, even taking into consideration that the Sabres play in Nashville against the Predators on Monday night. The bonus in all this for Babcock and the Leafs? Plenty of time — 55 games, if we’re doing the math correctly — remains for the coach to establish in the Leafs methods that include detailed, intense, heavy hockey, the kind that can result in a firmer guarantee of playoffs success. For the time being, edge-of-your-seat hockey should continue to get the Leafs by. Nylander, once he is in proper game mode, will make the Leafs that much more dangerous. 1118975 Toronto Maple Leafs

Hyman drumming up much respect in Maple Leafs dressing room

Terry Koshan December 2, 2018 6:23 PM EST

Zach Hyman likes to remember an analogy once drawn to him by Lou Lamoriello when he ponders his role with the Maple Leafs. “I think of something Lou told me,” Hyman said after the Leafs won in Minnesota on Saturday night. “He likes to compare a team to a band and you have drummers in the band, and he called me the drummer. Everybody has a role and I’m happy to do my part and I know what my role is, and go out there and do it every night and try to do it every night to the best of my ability to help the team win.” True, any lead singer will garner most of the attention. With the Leafs, the majority of headlines are reserved by players such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly. The best drummers keep the time. Hyman’s diligence, especially in the offensive zone, puts him in coach Mike Babcock’s good side every day. And it’s not just that aspect of Hyman’s game, of course. Babcock trusts him completely defensively; Hyman leads Leafs forwards in ice time while the club is shorthanded with an average of two minutes 15 seconds a game. If the Leafs are ahead by goal late in a game, you can set your watch by Hyman’s presence on the ice. Hyman’s three empty-net goals in 2018-19 were tied for the most in the National Hockey League with Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche entering games on Sunday. The latest for Hyman came against the Wild when he poked the puck off the stick of Minnesota defenceman Ryan Suter at the Leafs blue line and then out-muscled Suter to gain control of the puck and score. The respect for Hyman goes across the Leafs room. “He is extremely valuable and it’s really hard to put into words because when you look at the big picture, he is even more valuable,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “There is a work ethic and character and what kind of teammate he is. What he is able to do for his line is incredible, what he does with the puck down low, the way he can hold on to it, the way he goes to the net, he is a guy who really drives his line and does a very good job for us. And more than one or two aspects, you name it.” A quick glance at Matthews’ statistics suggests the Leafs’ No. 1 centre has had little adjustment in the two games he has played since missing 14 with a shoulder injury. Not quite. Though Matthews has three goals and an assist in the past two games, there’s some room for improvement. Three of the points, including two goals, have come during Toronto power plays. “Still not feeling completely like myself but it’s just two games in,” Matthews said. “I have to continue to play, get my legs back under me and my wind back, hope to continue to play better.” Even when Matthews is not playing to a level that satisfies him, he continues to do things most other NHL players can not. With 13 goals in 13 games, Matthews is the sixth player in the past 30 years to average at least one goal through games played Dec. 1 (in a minimum of 10 games played). LOOSE LEAFS Rielly’s assist in the first period against Minnesota was the 200th point of his NHL career, coming in his 415th game … Marner’s two assists both were primary, giving him 27 on the season. No one else in the NHL had more than 21 prior to games on Sunday … Nazem Kadri has drawn 10 minor penalties, the most on the Leafs. Jake Gardiner is the lone Leaf who has not drawn a penalty this season.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118976 Toronto Maple Leafs “Things have not gone the way that he or we would have liked to this stage, so it’s a little bit of adversity for him to kind of find his groove again

because I thought he had an excellent training camp with the Leafs and After a heart scare, Marlies’ late-blooming Adam Brooks is grabbing hold was really ready to have a great season and he has had some setbacks of increased role here that he’s got to overcome.”

Keefe wasn’t the only one who noticed Brooks’ training camp. Mike Babcock took note of Brooks after the Leafs’ September 19 game in By Scott Wheeler Ottawa, the centre’s first of the preseason.

Dec 2, 2018 “I thought Brooks has really come over the last year. He can skate, and he’s tenacious,” Babcock said at the Canadian Tire Centre, before

crediting the centre for the work that led to Auston Matthews’ first goal of It was late in the third period of his second game of the season, on the preseason — the first in a slew of compliments that Babcock directed November 9, when Adam Brooks really began to feel off. Brooks’ way before he was cut this fall.

He had just fought back from an upper-body injury that had already And as the season has progressed, that Brooks — the one whom Keefe sidelined him for nine games, but he knew it wasn’t that. This was believed in at the start of the season and caught Babcock’s eye in camp something different. This was about discomfort, the kind that comes from — has emerged as more than just a good player on a good line. In spurts within, not pain. last season, Brooks looked like the third-best player on the line. He has always been effective because he supports the play well, skates well and The Toronto Marlies were in Belleville to face the rival Senators, and he tracks back. But he looked hesitant — and not like the player who just didn’t feel right. He felt it early in the game, but he tried to play torched the WHL for 250 points in 138 games or became a back-to-back through it. First Team All-Star. Marchment and Moore each had their “things.” The Eventually, Brooks pulled himself. former’s was his physicality and his shot, the one that can get under the crossbar from just about anywhere in the offensive zone. Moore’s was Not long after, the Marlies discovered he had an elevated heart rate his puck thievery and the confidence as the primary carrier on a line that throughout the game — and alarms were raised. resulted in 17 points in 20 playoff games last spring.

A few weeks later — Brooks returned to the Marlies’ lineup four games “I think all three of us just want to get the puck. And when we lose it, we later, on November 17, for his third game of the season (and the Marlies’ all have different ways of trying to get it back,” Brooks said. “But it’s all 15th) — he paused after a practice at the MasterCard Centre to reflect on through hard work and we’re great friends off the ice and that definitely the first serious health scare of his hockey-playing career. helps with on-ice chemistry. I feel like right now, the way the start of the season went for all three of us, all three would probably say it didn’t go as Any time there’s an irregularity with the heart, it’s cause for concern. He great as we wanted at some points and then we finished pretty strong. knows that better than most now. We’re growing together, and it has been a lot of fun going through it with The Marlies have begun to track these things more vigorously in recent those two. Whether someone’s out with an injury or called up, we know memory. Midway through last season, a TV that displays and tracks each we’re usually going to come back together at some point. It’s great to player’s heart rate in quadrants during skates began to appear rink-side know who you’re playing with and have a feel for those guys and, at Marlies practices at the MasterCard Centre and Coca-Cola Coliseum. hopefully, we continue to develop together.”

Most of all, he was thankful for the “incredible” doctors and cardiologists This year, Brooks has begun to build on a reliable foundation and who treated him, first at the rink in Belleville and then at the local become a more standout presence on Keefe’s favourite line. On Sunday hospital. And then he was thankful for Dr. Noah Forman, the Marlies’ afternoon, he was double-shifted more than once. He now plays regularly medical director. on the penalty kill and the power play.

“They were extremely careful. The good thing about being with this “I don’t know if what he does is all that different other than to say he’s the organization is they have so many resources that are their own. I’ve been centre and the centre is the guy that drives the line,” Keefe said a few in great care since it came up, and they’re going to monitor it closely to weeks ago. “He’s the critical piece, so it makes it a line. And rather than make sure that nothing happens. The monitoring they do was definitely having two good wingers, you have a centre that kind of completes the helpful for that game,” Brooks said. line.

“They took some time to make sure that everything is OK, and even now “But it’s not just what he does for that line; it’s what he does for our team. we’re still just monitoring it, but everything’s good. It’s not like they were He skates extremely well, especially when he’s confident and feeling putting me at risk or anything like that.” good. I don’t think he’s at that point quite yet, but he’ll get there very soon, and he makes a real difference in our lineup just having a lot of It wasn’t how Brooks wanted to start his sophomore season, though. He pace through the middle of the ice. He’s a guy that really had to work to finished a slow rookie season as a key piece of one of the best lines on a find his confidence last season, and having the comfort of linemates that Calder Cup-winning team while centring Mason Marchment and Trevor he has had success with at such a critical juncture of the season I think Moore. He then kicked off his second year with a two-point night in his will help him find his game and get back up and running here to take care debut. of all of those setbacks.”

In the first few games after he returned, Brooks still hasn’t felt quite 100 It’s the playmaking (the kind that led the WHL in assists for two straight per cent. seasons), more than the rest of his game, that has begun to show itself. Moore’s 11 goals in 18 games and Marchment’s eight in 15 aren’t a “I’m feeling just OK. I haven’t played very many games this year. It had coincidence. been a frustrating start to the season, and now I hope to get back into a groove,” Brooks said. “They got it under control, so everything’s got to If their strengths are as the finishers on the line, Brooks’ is as the passer. start to be good now.” And not the get-them-the-puck-with-a-short-pass-in-the-defensive-zone kind of passer. That’s the kind of passer who can pick up points by The Marlies had high hopes for Brooks this season, too. After he worked playing with more talented players without driving any of that production his way off the fourth line in stretches late last season, they expected the himself. Brooks isn’t that. 22-year-old centre to take on a more significant role on this year’s team — a team that began its title defence without forwards Ben Smith, Miro He has become the passer who is confident enough to try a high flip pass Aaltonen, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Frederik Gauthier. for a breakaway — and talented enough to pull it off:

“Anytime something comes up with your heart, it’s scary and it’s serious He’s the passer who dictates at even strength by getting the puck to the and you take every precaution possible,” Marlies head coach Sheldon slot, and in his linemate’s sweet spot: Keefe said after a recent practice. “They went through all the tests, and he has seen all the appropriate specialists and then he was cleared to Or goes to the slot after making that same pass and has the puck skill to resume activity. So now it’s just about getting back up playing and finish off the play himself: running. After playing his seventh game in a row in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Brooks is beginning to get back to himself.

“I’m starting to feel a little better,” Brooks said. “Sometimes it takes a little while. But right now I feel good.”

But the Brooks of this season, the one who has seven points in nine games, isn’t even where they think he’ll be.

“He’s a guy that took a long time to find his way last year,” Keefe said. “The expectation was that he would be a lot further ahead this time around, and he certainly was in camp. Injuries took a toll, and he lost some momentum. I feel like he’s not in his groove here yet.”

And the good that has come of a bad situation can get better. Brooks’ track record tells us that much.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118977 Toronto Maple Leafs nothing by sitting. This will encourage others. But it’s their business and their right. Not really even fair for us to opine. Like someone else’s

marriage. None of your business before you start passing judgment, LeBrun: Which side won the Nylander deal? NHL executives and agents remember you really have no idea what really went on.” on the impact on the market Perhaps too much money, argued another Eastern Conference team executive, but it makes sense for a Leafs team trying to win now.

By Pierre LeBrun “It’s an overpay, they know it, but this year could be their best chance at winning so probably worth it,” he said. “He’s a good player, I’m sure he Dec 2, 2018 will produce numbers.

“I’d rather pay young, high-end talent than older UFAs that are just average any day. Probably the way the salary cap is heading now.” The William Nylander contract was still buzzing around the league Sunday and it’s fair to say there’s quite a variance of opinion on who won Added a Western Conference team executive: “Given where the Toronto out and what the deal means for the rest of the teams. Maple Leafs are in the standings and the position Kyle Dubas is in with regard to having a chance to win a Stanley Cup, I would have done the To recap, the breakdown of the contract: exact same thing.” It’s a $10 million base salary and $2 million signing bonus this season; One player agent understood why some teams wouldn’t be loving the $700,000 salary and $8.3 million signing bonus next season; then a $2.5 contract. million base salary and $3.5 million signing bonus Years 3-6. “Because his closest comps were in the 6.0 to 6.3 range, so this does It’s an average of $6.9 million per year for the sake of what other teams move the market,” he said. and agents will take out of this. Another veteran agent saw the benefit of it for the Leafs in the here and I canvassed people around the league Sunday: now. “Short term it was good for both, but the (July 2, 2019) bonus makes me “I think it simply didn’t need to go this far, but in the end, it’s a smart deal think we may see a trade after that is paid,” said an Eastern Conference based on the front-loaded structure,” he said. “The team needed a key team executive on Sunday. “Both sides seemed to not want to cave and asset like him under contract, and if you have to overpay within reason, ($6.9 million) per (season) was the one they could both live with. I’m then down you have a chance to win. On a cap percentage basis in real surprised it didn’t get done sooner.” dollars, it is slightly below (David) Pastrnak, so they didn’t go too far out Well, it didn’t happen sooner because the Leafs wouldn’t go past $6.5 of the marketplace they wanted to be in.” million until late in the game and the Nylander camp began the process Added the agent: “Even if you argue they overpaid by $750k a year, it above $8 million and wouldn’t go below $7 million until very late. makes more sense to do that and add a player like this than to use But it was well worth the wait for Nylander. assets at the deadline to get a player for a Cup run.”

“A slam dunk win for the player,” said one veteran player agent on Another agent wondered if this might be how things go more often than Sunday. “Fact is, Nylander would have never received this contract, not now. structure and signing bonuses in the summer or before camp. He was “Not much of a surprise for me – contract range of AAV/term as rewarded for taking the negotiation to the 11th hour. Clearly, there is an expected. Probably could have been done sooner, but I understand argument to be made in the next CBA to grant all RFA’s arbitration rights. dynamics/benefits sometimes of timelines,” said the agent. “We have There may be a realization now with the trend towards top younger become a deadline industry.” players receiving big deals, that allowing players to withhold services until Dec. 1 works against the clubs. The Maple Leafs can spin this any Welcome, Seattle way they like, but in the end, they blinked and handed the player a big win.” I’m in Sea Island, Georgia, for the NHL’s Board of Governors meeting, which runs Monday-Tuesday. The headline agenda item obviously is the An Eastern Conference team executive saw it differently. No real winner expansion vote on Seattle, which is expected Tuesday morning. It in his books. requires a three-fourths vote, which shouldn’t be an issue, I don’t think, but I suppose you never know. That $650 million check should ensure “Don’t believe it’s a deal that is going to cause a dramatic rise in the owners voting yes. marketplace as people suspected,” he argued via text message. “I’m sure many agents were hoping for a higher AAV. The term of six years What’s still up in the air heading into this meeting is whether the league’s might be more impactful on future deals than the AAV.’’ 32nd team will begin play in the fall of 2020 or 2021. As of late last week, I was told the Seattle group, after further deliberations throughout the Again, many opposing views. week, was still in the frame of mind to convince the league and Board “Every player in the league should go shake Nylander’s hand,” said a that they wanted to start in 2020 even if it meant starting the opening player agent. “He stood up for what he believed he should get and while month or so on the road. The concern with building construction delays, in the end both sides had to move towards each other, he got a real nice not to mention a potential labor negotiation in the fall of 2020, are both deal. I can make the argument it’s as good if not better than Leon reasons the league is leaning toward 2021. Draisaitl ($8.5 million AAV times eight years) because Nylander got My sense is if the team can’t launch at home in time for the start of the shorter term and will get another nice contract after this. To me, when 2020 season, the Seattle group would accept starting a year later. But we’re using his deal moving forward, we’re going to argue it’s actually a the question is when exactly will the Seattle group know that? I think the $7.5 million a year deal when you do the conversion on him missing out league wants a timeline decision by the end of this Board meeting this the first two months of the season. It’s a real win for the players seeking week. second contracts.” It’s important to cement that for all kinds of reasons, but I would argue Another agent said the $7.5 million comparable wouldn’t fly in his chief among them is other teams wanting to know as soon as possible opinion. when the expansion draft is going to be held so they can start to “The 7.5 argument doesn’t really work — only real dollar matters,” he strategize roster decisions to best navigate the expansion draft rules and said. “You can, of course, argue that but it defies logic based on real protection list. dollars. Even an arbitrator would recognize it’s at 6.969.” As part of the expansion package, the Board will vote on Tuesday on re- Another Eastern Conference team executive wasn’t pleased with the alignment. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly on our Two-Man Advantage contract as far as it affects other teams but also understands every team podcast with myself and Scott Burnside last month said the Board’s must do what makes sense for them. executive committee back in early October approved the proposed realignment plan in terms of what the full Board would vote on this week. “Unnecessary,” the team executive reacted to the contract. “Bonus, structure, etc. … affects the entire league. And, seems as if he lost While no one will confirm it, the leading option seems to be Arizona moving to the Central Division to make way for Seattle in the Pacific.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018

1118978 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights see positives on road trip despite loss

By Adam Hill / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nobody associated with the Golden Knights is going to be upset after coming away with four points on a three-game road trip. But there may have been just a bit of disappointment on Saturday night’s flight home about the missed opportunity to pick up even more on the final stop of the journey in Edmonton. “Getting four points out of six is OK, but we wanted this game and we were close,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said of a 2-1 loss to the Oilers that snapped the Knights’ five-game winning streak. “It sucks to lose. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve won, it’s always disappointing when you’re so close to winning another.” The Knights couldn’t capitalize on several quality chances early in the game or after pulling Fleury in the closing minutes in favor of an extra attacker. “I thought we played well,” forward Reilly Smith said. “We just couldn’t put enough in the back of the net, but that hasn’t been a trend as of late for us. I think we’ve been averaging six goals a game over the last few.” The offensive struggles were out of character for the Knights of the past two weeks. Vegas had been averaging 4.3 goals per game in winning six of their last seven games entering play on Saturday night. The Knights struggled to solve Edmonton’s Mikko Koskinen, who stopped 32 of 33 shots to win his third consecutive game. “You’re going to run into a little bit of a hot goalie and it seemed like pucks were just hitting him tonight,” Smith continued. “But I think, overall, we played a good game and if we keep that momentum and that pace into the next one, it will give us a good outcome.” That next game will be a Stanley Cup Finals rematch against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. The Capitals took the first meeting 5-2 in Washington in October as part of the Knights’ 1-4 start to the season. It’s a much different team the Capitals will see this time around as there is much more of a sense of optimism around the Knights. Saturday’s loss did little to diminish the positive vibes of the five consecutive victories or the fact Vegas has climbed into a tie for third place in the Pacific Division. “Any time you’re on the road and you pick up more points to put you over .500, you take it as a positive,” Smith said. “We had chances to win so you can be frustrated about that, but I think you have to look at the positives and keep moving forward.” The run of success has the Knights over the .500 mark on the season and in good position to start making a run at another division title. “It’s been nice to be able to bounce back,” Fleury said. “Obviously, the beginning of the season was tough. There were lots of ups and downs and we were down in the standings. We battled our way back to a better position; now we have to keep fighting to put ourselves in a better position for the playoffs.” Ken Hitchcock, who improved to 4-1-1 since being named head coach of the Oilers last month, certainly still views the Knights as a contender. “They came at us with a championship mentality at the start of the game,” he said. “They wanted to put us on our heels and keep us there. “We had to dig in and punch back.” Edmonton had enough to win the round. The Knights believe they are on track to win the fight. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118979 Washington Capitals Entering Sunday’s game, Holtby had posted a .935 save percentage in 10 appearances since Nov. 1. Then he allowed six goals on 25 shots against Anaheim, tumbling down from a high just like the rest of his Capitals collapse in stunning fashion, snapping seven-game winning teammates. streak “I don’t think there’s any pointing fingers in here,” Holtby said. “It’s hard to keep that consistent play up every game in this league, and tonight’s one of those games that just humbles myself, humbles our group. You have By Isabelle Khurshudyan December 2 at 7:45 PM to make sure we keep our foot on the gas, keep pushing forward. You can’t sit back at any time against any team in this league.”

Washington Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 For all the different ways the Washington Capitals had managed to win games over the past two-plus weeks, there was a common thread to what they hadn’t done. The team overcame several multigoal deficits, but excelled at protecting its own multigoal leads. Then on Sunday, on the cusp of an eighth straight victory, the Capitals collapsed in stunning fashion, squandering what had been a four-goal lead in the second period. The Anaheim Ducks scored five unanswered goals in the last 26 minutes of the game to beat Washington, 6-5, and deal the Capitals their first loss since Nov. 14. The Ducks became the first team in 19 years to overcome a four-goal deficit on the road to win in regulation. Everything that had worked in the Capitals’ favor during their seven- game winning streak — good goaltending, proper puck management, an improved penalty kill, a dangerous power play — suddenly worked against them as players got too relaxed with a four-goal cushion. Above all else, it was a lesson for the Capitals, who had perhaps gotten a little too cocky over the past two weeks. “We thought it’s done, but we can’t stop playing,” captain Alex Ovechkin said. “That’s definitely not an easy way to lose your streak, let alone lose the game,” Coach Todd Reirden said. “We got away from our team identity, and we worked really hard to establish that identity in our run of games we were winning there. If you’re going to make mistakes and turn it into a chance-for-chance game when you’re ahead, then you’re playing with danger. So that was a tough loss, but certainly that will be easy to learn from because they were correctable mistakes.” For the first half of the game, the Capitals looked very much like a team that has found its game over the past month. They scored on the first shift of the game with a goal from center Nicklas Backstrom, they scored on the power play with a goal from Tom Wilson, and they scored with their depth when fourth-liners Chandler Stephenson and Nic Dowd both added to Washington’s lead. The team starts a three-game road trip with Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, where the Capitals hoisted a Stanley Cup just six months ago, and as they built a 5-1 lead through 34 minutes against the Ducks, they didn’t look too far removed from that. The three-goal first period chased Anaheim starter John Gibson out of the net in favor of Ryan Miller, and goals from center Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dowd gave Washington a 5-1 lead 13:30 into the second period. But then Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano scored 61 seconds later after he was left alone in front of the net to jam a puck past goaltender Braden Holtby. Less than a minute after that, Rickard Rakell batted in his own rebound to trim Washington’s lead to two at the second intermission. “We had a couple letdowns, the building got a little quiet, and the game got away from us,” Dowd said. “We kind of stopped playing there after 5-1,” Backstrom said. “When we were up 5-1 there, we should have been more aggressive than we were. It’s our fault. . . . That’s what’s going to happen when we turn pucks over and give them room on the [power play].” Penalties then completed the meltdown for the Capitals in the third period. Dmitry Orlov was called for back-to-back boarding penalties within two minutes, and after Washington’s penalty kill had been perfect through 20 straight infractions, the team gave up goals on both Anaheim power plays for a tie game. “We missed some coverage,” Dowd said. “I mean, we did a good job of getting down the ice, we did a good job of keeping shots on the outside, and then we gave them absolutely grade-A opportunities. Good players are going to score on that.” Meanwhile, Miller stumped Washington’s power play in the third period. The Capitals got two chances, including one 12:48 into the period for an opportunity to take the lead. On the first power play, Ovechkin had three one-timers from the left faceoff circle turned away by Miller. Washington didn’t get a shot off on the second one, and as Ducks forward Kiefer Sherwood got out of the penalty box, Anaheim got an odd-man rush with Pontus Aberg scoring the game-winning goal on Holtby with 5:05 to play. 1118980 Washington Capitals

T.J. Oshie making progress on concussion recovery but won’t travel with Capitals on road trip

By Isabelle Khurshudyan December 2 at 1:34 PM

Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who suffered a concussion on Nov. 14, won’t travel with the team on its upcoming three-game road trip. He hasn’t skated since getting hurt, and Sunday’s matinee against the Anaheim Ducks will mark the eighth straight game he’s missed. Defenseman Brooks Orpik, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee two weeks ago, also won’t travel, and his recovery is expected to take at least two more weeks. “They are both making some progress, so we’ll keep in touch via the road, but hopefully it can start moving in the right direction for both of them,” Coach Todd Reirden said Sunday. Asked if that means either player will start skating sometime in the next week, Reirden said, “Hopefully. After a surgery and after the issues T.J.'s been dealing with, it’s still day to day, but I just wanted to provide you guys with the update that it is headed in the right direction. It’s good news.” This is the fifth reported concussion of Oshie’s career. Before getting hurt, he’d scored nine goals with five assists in 18 games, playing in the top-six forward corps and both special teams. Orpik has missed the past 15 games. Despite the injuries, the Capitals are riding a seven-game winning streak entering their game against the Ducks. Washington Post LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118981 Washington Capitals Holtby surpassed 10,000 career saves in the first period, the only goalie in Washington history besides Olie Kolzig to do so. Backstrom (219 goals) moved into sole possession of fourth place among Capitals goal- Capitals blow four-goal lead, snap winning streak scorers all-time. The Capitals play four of their next five games on the road, starting Tuesday at the Vegas Golden Knights. In October, Washington beat By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Sunday, December 2, 2018 Vegas 5-2 in the two teams’ first rematch since the Stanley Cup. Washington Times LOADED: 12.03.2018 The rout was on in the second period. The Washington Capitals were up by four goals, cruising to their eighth straight win. It felt like an absolute given, until suddenly it wasn’t. The Anaheim Ducks methodically scored goal after goal and came back from a four-goal deficit to beat the Capitals 6-5 Sunday at Capital One Arena, ending Washington’s seven-game winning streak and sending the high-flying team crashing back to earth. The Capitals chased net-minder John Gibson with three goals in the first period, yet their team defense collapsed in the latter half of the game as Anaheim grinded out goals. Washington fell to 15-8-3. With about five minutes left, Pontus Aberg scored the Ducks’ game- winner. Holtby dived out of the crease to chase an errant shot by Ryan Getzlaf, but Aberg reached the puck first and knocked it behind him. Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist, Tom Wilson kept his point streak going and fourth-liners Chandler Stephenson, Nic Dowd and Dmitrij Jaskin also had two points apiece. But none of that was on players’ minds in the dressing room. Several Capitals admitted that the team got too comfortable sitting on the four- goal lead. “It’s all about us, you know?” Alex Ovechkin said. “We thought it’s done, but we can’t stop playing.” “We had a couple letdowns, the building got a little quiet and the game got away from us,” Dowd said. Coach Todd Reirden called the loss “a good lesson and a hard lesson.” “We lost a little bit of focus, and our ability to have had success over the streak we just lost tonight was (by) playing a certain way,” Reirden said. “We stopped playing that way and they’re able to capitalize. They’re a good team, the league’s too good and if we give them chances they’re gonna convert.” Fresh off his third career hat trick, Nicklas Backstrom picked up where he left off Friday and scored 41 seconds into the game on a two-on-one breakaway with Alex Ovechkin. The center popped in his 10th goal of the season, showing why Reirden has kept the center on the top line with Ovechkin despite Kuznetsov returning from injury. The fourth line also got in on the action early. Stephenson shot from a wide angle off the right circle, and the puck deflected off his defender and squirted through Gibson’s five-hole. Getzlaf got on the board for Anaheim. But after the Capitals‘ third goal — a John Carlson laser re-directed by Wilson — Gibson was yanked, ending what was billed as a goalie duel between him and Braden Holtby. Washington kept control throughout the opening minutes of the second. Kuznetsov dangled past Gibson’s replacement, Ryan Miller, and Dowd crashed the net and kicked another puck in. But the Ducks scored twice in the two minutes that followed to bring it to 5-3, spelling out how the rest of the game would go. “Should have shut them down there with a 5-1 lead. They shouldn’t be able to come back,” Backstrom said. Dmitry Orlov was called for boarding twice midway through the third period, leading to power-play goals by Aberg and Hampus Lindholm and an improbably tied game. The Capitals‘ penalty kill had recently righted itself, facing 20 straight penalties without a goal before the third-period meltdown. After that, Aberg’s second goal of the day was the deciding one. Holtby said nobody in the Capitals‘ room was “pointing fingers” Sunday. “It’s just one that our whole group struggled finding that energy after that and that’s one of those things you just learn from,” Holtby said. “It’s hard to keep that consistent play up every game in this league, and tonight’s one of those games that just humbles myself, humbles our group. You have to make sure we keep our foot on the gas, keep pushing forward.” 1118982 Washington Capitals

Capitals try to forget historic loss with a trip to Vegas

By Brian McNally December 02, 2018 8:46 PM

CAPITAL ONE ARENA — Up four goals at home in the second period of Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, the Capitals were probably mentally halfway to Las Vegas for a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Golden Knights. This one was in the bag. The last time an NHL team blew a four-goal lead at home and lost in regulation, Bill Clinton was President and gas cost less than a dollar. Well, it’s finally happened again. A combination of soft play, an edgy opponent, a veteran goalie who shined in relief of Ryan Miller and a penalty kill that suddenly went south again cost the Capitals, who blew a 5-1 lead and lost 6-5 to the Ducks in regulation. The last time that happened was March 3, 1999, when the Colorado Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers. It’s only happened 19 times in NHL history. This wasn’t exactly the way the Caps planned to spend their flight to Vegas. “They’re a good team, the League’s too good and you give them chances, they’re going to convert,” Washington coach Todd Reirden said. “It’s a good lesson, but a hard lesson.” Maybe that it came after a seven-game winning streak and that the much-anticipated rematch at the site of their Stanley Cup title last June 7 is up next will take some of the sting out of the loss. But make no mistake – it’s a wasted two points. And it didn’t sit well with the Caps, a proud team that was playing well and cruising to an eighth straight win until it abandoned what had fueled its success. It was jarring to watch. “We kind of stopped playing there at 5-1,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “We got too passive I think…When we were up 5-1 we should have been more aggressive than we were. It’s our fault.” They probably should have known. The Ducks are a hard team. They scuffled to an 8-9-3 start and looked like a team that will miss the playoffs again. But Ryan Getzlaf, their captain, isn’t one to quit on a game. Even down 5-1 in the second period, he was chattering with Washington players and at one point knocked goalie Braden Holtby to the ice. It was a two-minute interference penalty and while Getzlaf complained all the way to the penalty box and mocked Holtby for diving, he knew what he was doing. Down 3-1 and with their own goalie, John Gibson, already pulled, it was a message for his Ducks teammates as much as for the Caps. “It was a weird game, one that was tough to get into, tough to feel comfortable in. It seemed like that was everything was happening the wrong way than it should,” Holtby said. “Sometimes when you feel off a little bit, you can battle through and simplify and it seemed like simplifying made it harder tonight, and it was just one of those games. It was one that we need to forget about quickly and move forward.” It’s a veteran team that remains in first place in the Metropolitan Division so forgetting about it is probably the way to go. The Caps have been far more buttoned up in their own end than a ragged start early in the season. Holtby hadn’t allowed more than three goals in a game since Nov. 7. The penalty kill hadn’t given up a goal in its past five games. Even from the first 30 minutes of play, there were positives to take with Tom Wilson scoring for the sixth game in a row, Nicklas Backstrom moving past Mike Ridley with 219 goals for fourth-most in franchise history and John Carlson passing Mike Green. Those are all nice things. They just don’t make up for a blown two points. As their equipment was packed for the Sunday night flight to Las Vegas and a three-game road trip with stops in Phoenix and Columbus, there would be plenty of time to think about it and dissect it and, if they can, forget the whole thing ever happened. “I don’t think there’s any pointing fingers in here,” Holtby said. “It’s just one that our whole group struggled finding that energy after that [5-1 lead] and that’s one of those things you just learn from. It’s hard to keep that consistent play up every game in this league and tonight’s one of those games that just humbles myself, humbles our group.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118983 Washington Capitals

Capitals blow a four-goal lead for the first time since 2013 in a 6-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks

By Brian McNally December 02, 2018 5:53 PM

The Capitals blew a four-goal lead for the first time in five years and lost to the Anaheim Ducks 6-5 in at Capital One Arena on Sunday, snapping the team's seven-game win streak. Here are five reasons why the Caps lost: 1. The Penalty Kill Washington has been better in this area lately, but consecutive boarding calls on defenseman Dmitry Orlov in the third period led to power-play goals by Pontus Aberg and Hampus Lindholm and allowed the Ducks to tie the game 5-5. Washington hadn’t allowed a power-play goal in its past five games. The Capitals last blew a four-goal lead in an April 2013 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington ultimately won that game 6-5, courtesy of a Mike Green overtime goal. 2. Careless Turnovers The Capitals really gave Anaheim life in the second period up 5-1. A turnover by Evgeny Kuznetsov in the neutral zone on an outlet pass from John Carlson allowed the Ducks to go the other way. Rickard Rakell knocked a rebound past Braden Holtby to make it 5-3. It was Anaheim’s second goal in 55 seconds and set the stage for the thirds period rally. On the go-ahead goal at 14:55 of the third period, Ryan Getzlaf stripped Lars Eller in the neutral zone just after a Washington power-play expired and he set up Aberg’s goal to make it 6-5. 3. Ryan Miller Down 3-1 at 13:19 of the first period after a Tom Wilson goal, the Ducks pulled starting goalie John Gibson and replaced him with veteran Ryan Miller, who made 19 of 21 shots and stopped all 13 he faced in the third period to give the Ducks a chance to rally. 4. Bad Penalties The boarding calls on Orlov drew the ire of Washington’s bench, but he put himself in bad position on both plays. Up 5-3 in the third period, it gave Anaheim more life than it already had. Orlov was also in bad position on the second-period goal by Andrew Cogliano that made it 5-2 and started the comeback. 5. Stars and Milestones There were little positives from this one. But Nicklas Backstrom gave the Caps a 1-0 lead 41 seconds into it when he slammed home an Alex Ovechkin pass on a 2-on-1 rush. That gave Backstrom 219 career goals for Washington and pushed him past Mike Ridley (218) for fourth on the franchise goals scored list. Backstrom, too, is on fire with eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past three games. Meanwhile, defenseman John Carlson had the secondary assist on Backstrom’s goal. That was career point 361, which pushed Carlson past Mike Green for fifth-most by a defenseman in franchise history. He added a second assist with the shot on Wilson’s tipped power-play goal. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118984 Washington Capitals

Kuzy's fancy goal strikingly similar to one he had in 2015

By Ethan Cadeaux December 02, 2018 5:02 PM

Evgeny Kuznetsov's incredible puck control was on display again against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Early in the second period, Kuzy tricked Ducks goalkeeper Ryan Miller, faking him out before slipping the puck past his left leg pad for an easy goal, putting the Caps up 4-1. Of course, this was not the first time Kuzy has made a goaltender look silly. Back in 2015, the sixth-year veteran fooled Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop in very similar fashion. Tricked ya. #WSHvsTBLhttps://t.co/m22A2HUFbH — NHL (@NHL) December 13, 2015 Kuznetsov's goal ended up being the deciding one in that matchup, as the Caps prevailed 2-1 over Tampa. The center has been an integral part of the Caps attack that continues to stay hot. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118985 Washington Capitals

Holtby, Gibson square off in an elite goalie battle Sunday

By J.J. Regan December 02, 2018 6:00 AM

Braden Holtby and John Gibson are two of the top netminders in the NHL and on Sunday, they will battle one another as the Capitals host the Anaheim Ducks (3 p.m., NBC Sports Washington). Here is what you should be watching in Sunday's game. Two elite goalies Sunday’s game features two of the best goalies in the NHL in John Gibson and Braden Holtby. For the season, Gibson has a .929 save percentage and 2.47 GAA and is the main reason a Ducks team that was decimated by injuries to start the season is just one point out of first place in the Pacific Division. Gibson’s numbers for the season may be a bit better than Holtby’s, but there may be no hotter goalie in the NHL right now than the Caps’ netminder. Since returning from an upper-body injury, Holtby is 5-0-0 with a .957 save percentage and 1.49 GAA. Tom Wilson watch Friday’s game showed us the new normal for Wilson. He skated into a player who didn’t know he was there, the player went down and Wilson was ejected for a hit to the head despite never actually hitting the player’s head. The team was informed Saturday that Wilson would not be suspended for the hit and he is ready to move on, but the lesson of Friday’s game should not be overlooked. Not only will every hit Wilson delivers be scrutinized, but he will be under the microscope every time he has any contact with a player, period. Will that further affect how he approaches the game and how he plays? Lost in the controversy of Friday’s game is how incredible Wilson has played of late. He has scored six goals in the last five games and has contributed at least one point in eight of the nine games he has played in since returning from his suspension to start the season. Two hot teams Friday’s game matched two teams headed in opposite directions as the red-hot Caps defeated the struggling New Jersey Devils. Sunday’s game will be a matchup between two very confident teams who seem to be hitting their stride. Washington currently owns the longest win streak in the NHL with seven straight wins. The Ducks come into Sunday’s game the winners of three straight and with five wins in their last six games. Anaheim also has earned at least a point in eight of its last nine. As hot as both teams have been, they don’t seem to be creating much separation in the standings. The Caps hold a one-point lead in the Metropolitan Division over the Columbus Blue Jackets. As noted above the Ducks trail the Calgary Flames by one point for first in the division, but Anaheim has already played two more games than the Flames. These are two big points for the Ducks to keep pace in the Pacific. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118986 Winnipeg Jets one gets by him, as you saw (Saturday) night, it might be a long stretch before they get the second one."

Hellebuyck returned to the crease Sunday night at Madison Square Maurice bites his tongue over iffy officiating Garden and got the win. Brossoit could get the assignment Tuesday in Brooklyn when the Jets battle the Islanders. Jason Bell Winnipeg has the day off today. Posted: 12/3/2018 3:00 AM Honouring a legend Rangers legend Vic Hadfield had his No. 11 raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden prior to the game Sunday. NEW YORK — Seldom does the topic of officiating come up with Paul Maurice during business with the media. Yet, it was clear the Jets bench Hadfield played parts of 13 seasons with the Rangers (1961-74), boss had some strong opinions following his club’s 4-3 overtime victory registering 262 goals and 572 points, along with 1,041 penalty minutes, Saturday in New Jersey — but took the high road. in 841 games. Or, more aptly, the wiser, less-costly road, as criticism of NHL officials He was one-third of one of the NHL’s all-time great forward lines — the usually comes with a hefty fine from the league. GAG line — with Rod Gilbert and Jean Ratelle, and he fired 50 goals during the 1971-72 campaign. But at least two incidents were likely top of mind; one resulted in a bizarre call, while the other generated no call at all. "I sincerely hope that everyone here experiences something, anything in life, that makes you feel like I feel right now," said the 78-year-old from Midway through the first period, veteran centre Bryan Little was deep in Oakville, Ont., with family, friends and ex-Ranger greats such as Ratelle, Devils territory when he took a cross-check from Damon Severson and Gilbert, Steve Vickers, Winnipegger Ted Irvine, Brandon product Bill tumbled dangerously close to the boards. The blue-liner was assessed a Fairbairn, Pete Stemkowski, Walt Tkaczuk, Jim Neilson, Ron Greschner, penalty, but was accompanied to the penalty box area by Little, who was Adam Graves and Mark Messier looking on. accused of embellishing the fall and was slapped with a two-minute minor. The former Edmonton captain’s No. 11 is already up in the rafters. It was a ludicrous decision by the referee and negated a much-deserved Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.03.2018 power-play chance for the visitors. Meeting with reporters Sunday afternoon prior to the Jets-Rangers tilt, Maurice was asked if it’s in Little’s DNA to exaggerate in an effort to draw a penalty. "Bryan didn’t embellish there, didn’t embellish when he got his neck broken. He’s not an embellisher," Maurice said. That was a reference to an incident in February 2016 when Little suffered a season-ending fractured vertebrae after a thunderous check by Tampa Bay defenceman Anton Stralman that went unpunished, either by the game officials or the NHL after the fact. Maurice was tossed out of the game that night. Francois St. Laurent was the referee then, and he wore the stripes in Newark on Saturday night. In overtime Saturday, Devils star centre Taylor Hall delivered a check on Winnipeg defenceman Josh Morrissey that came close to crossing the line. Maurice was likely annoyed with a non-call on the player, however, the victim actually took much of the blame. "I was more mad, probably at myself, because I put myself in... a bad situation there to take a hit. Unfortunately, he was coming hard. I don’t think he was trying to hurt anyone or anything like that with a minute left in overtime. That’s part of hockey," Morrissey said, after the game at Prudential Center. "I was more mad at myself in the moment that I didn’t pull (the puck) off the wall or something like that and make a better play." Brossoit still steady Laurent Brossoit continues to receive high praise from his head coach. The Jets backup goaltender had yet another solid outing Saturday in New Jersey, stopping 36 of 39 drives, including a two-man breakaway early in OT by Hall and Nico Hischier. He was beaten by Marcus Johansson at 6:45 of the first period and then played about 40 minutes of shutout hockey before Brian Boyle’s power- play deflection slipped past him late in the third period. Hall tied the contest 3-3 on a wild scramble with just under two minutes remaining after Brossoit had made a couple of stops first. Brossoit is now 5-1-1 with a 2.16 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in limited duty behind Connor Hellebuyck, and is arguably the most trusted netminding alternative the Jets have had since the franchise arrived from Atlanta in time for the 2011-12 NHL campaign. "He’s a battler in the net... I think he’s had one off-game, in St. Louis, because he gave up two he normally wouldn’t, (but) he still makes saves. I thought Saturday night he had no chance on the first goal (by Johansson) and it didn’t faze him one bit," Maurice said. "You wonder with a guy that doesn’t play a lot... if they get one early on them, sometimes those guys don’t have the base of confidence because they haven’t played as much. But (Brossoit) doesn’t show any of that. If 1118987 Winnipeg Jets Wheeler, whose 30 assists ranks him third in the league in that category behind only Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen (34) and Toronto’s Mitch Marner (32). Jets on right side of blown lead with 4-3 comeback win in New York "They’ve got a pretty good guy between the pipes, so if it was gonna be one of those nights where he stole a game, it would have been frustrating. But our mindset going into the third was, ‘Just try to throw Jason Bell everything at him, see if we can squeak one by him and get a little momentum.’ Posted: 12/2/2018 8:13 PM | Last Modified: 12/2/2018 10:07 PM | Updates "We’ve given a few away, so it was nice to flip the script a little bit and steal one when we were coming from behind," added the captain.

At 3-2, Hellebuyck was tested by Vinni Lettieri after a flub by Jets blue- NEW YORK — Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice called it a special liner Tyler Myers but he snapped out his glove to keep his club close. It night, not just because of the gutsy way the Jets prevailed but also who was a timely save for a guy who's taken heat lately for allowing some they needed to wait out and eventually overpower to make it happen. softies, although it would be almost unfair to blame him for any of the Rangers shots that eluded him. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist put in the finest puck-stopping performance the Jets have faced this season on Sunday night, stopping "(The glove save) felt nice. Personally, I needed that because I wanted to 39 of 42 shots fired his way at Madison Square Garden. Eight of those be part of that game. There wasn’t a whole lot of shots. I knew I needed drives were generated during a frenetic three-on-three overtime session to be called upon and I answered the bell," said Hellebuyck, who was as Winnipeg's three-goal, third-period blitz carried into the extra five- tested just 19 times. minute frame. The Jets bolted from the gate with gusto but the ineffectiveness of their Finally, Mark Scheifele stamped the exclamation point on a remarkable power-play units killed the mood. Zone entry was a chore, and once they comeback with a hard, low shot past Lundqvist in the shootout and a 4-3 finally set up shop their puck movement was lethargic. triumph over the New Rangers. The Rangers (13-12-3) killed off three straight short-handed situations Winnipeg (16-8-2) is now two-for-two on a road trip in the New York area. and then scored the only goal of the opening period to lead 1-0. Jesper The Jets complete their stay Tuesday in Brooklyn against the New York Fast one-timed a shot past Hellebuyck with just 2:28 left in the period Islanders. after a perfect pass from Mika Zibanejad. Other than swapping in starting netminder Connor Hellebuyck for Laurent New York rewarded Lundqvist with a two-goal cushion at the 12:11 mark Brossoit, Maurice chose to go with what worked Saturday in New Jersey. of the second period when blue-liner Marc Staal snapped in his second The final score was identical to Saturday’s conclusion against the Devils, goal of the season, and then Rangers' leading goal-scorer Chris Kreider however, no two games could look more dissimilar. beefed up the lead with his 14th goal late in the period. Instead of watching a lead evaporate — only to win on a Scheifele snipe Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.03.2018 in overtime in Newark — Winnipeg’s crew trailed 3-0 after 40 minutes in the Midtown sports shrine and had to find a solution to the Lundqvist dilemma in order to claw its way back. "Yeah, I liked our game. On back to back, there’s some things that weren’t clean. The puck was bouncing for both teams, it was hard to get a handle on it. But we got better, we got stronger," said Maurice. "The thing would be to be down 3-0 and come out and keep going to the very end, it’s impressive." Monumentally so, in fact, considering the impenetrable wall constructed in the crease by New York’s 14-year veteran goalie, whose moving parts still perform with quickness and dexterity. Astonishingly, Lundqvist — a slam-dunk for a future call to the NHL Hall of Fame — was viewed as worthy of only a third-star mention when the game’s top performers were revealed at the end of the evening. Maurice was quick to laud the Swedish product, who turns 37 early in March. "Well, Henrik Lundqvist is a brilliant, brilliant player. I think sometimes you see it on TV and they slow it down, but you lose it when you see it on a replay and then you almost have to be at ice level. We’ve got some world-class shooters — the NHL does, too — but we do have some great shooters here. Some of those saves… like it’s kind of like watching Blake Wheeler skate or Patty Laine shoot, it’s just elite," said the Winnipeg bench boss. "So, it wasn’t a lot of fun watching until the very end but then you have to tip your hat and say that was a special night. There’s a chance if you’re a Rangers season-ticket holder, you kind of get used to it. But that was a special night." Only a few skaters donning Jets colours would say post game that they weren’t stymied by Lundqvist. He stole what looked like sure goals from Kyle Connor, on a couple of occasions, Jack Roslovic, Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine. But Scheifele’s power-play goal just 2:10 into the third period — his 16th of the season and third in two nights — finally sparked the rally for a squad that’s been guilty lately of blowing late leads of its own. He ripped his patented one-timer after Wheeler placed the puck on a tee with a perfect pass through traffic. Roslovic, with his second of the year, narrowed the gap just under three minutes later and then Bryan Little deposited a rebound behind Lundqvist, his fifth tally of the year, with 2:30 left in regulation time after a bullet drive from Nikolaj Ehlers. "I don’t think we felt like we were out of the game. We felt like (Lundqvist) stopped a lot of Grade-A chances, ones that we normally bury," said 1118988 Winnipeg Jets However, that changed in the third period, when he made a great glove save off Vinni Lettieri of the Rangers after a bad giveaway by defenceman Tyler Myers. Jets finally solve Lundqvist, storm back for shootout win over Rangers “It felt nice,” Hellebuyck said. “Personally I needed that because I wanted to be part of that game. There wasn’t a whole lot of shots. I knew I needed to be called upon and I answered the bell.” Ted Wyman Hellebuyck also stopped two of three shots in the shootout.

“I’m glad for him that he got a good feeling, that he was a piece of it,” NEW YORK — Paul Maurice was incredulous. Maurice said. “The glove save in the third, really big, and the two saves in the shootout. So, he now gets a piece like everybody else. I’m not The coach of the Winnipeg Jets had just witnessed an epic performance saying any of those goals that beat him are easy stops, I also know that against his team by future Hall of Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, when he’s wired and it’s rolling, he’s going to get one of them for sure, who did everything in his power to steal two points for the New York maybe two. He was a big part of the win.” Rangers in a game they should have lost by three or four goals. NOT A NORMAL BACK-TO-BACK And yet, when the three stars were announced at Madison Square Garden after an eventual 4-3 shootout win for the Jets, in a game that The Jets took emotional wins on back-to-back nights and clearly seemed featured a furious third-period comeback, Lundqvist was announced as to have better legs than the Rangers, who also played on Saturday in the third star, behind Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba and Winnipeg Montreal. centre Bryan Little. The Jets have been staying in the same Manhattan hotel since Friday “If any of you people here were involved in picking the three stars, you and didn’t have to go through the usual travel grind before playing this have to leave now, you’ve lost all credentials at the rink,” Maurice began one. at his post-game media availability. “I love Jacob Trouba but … that’s all I wanted to say tonight.” “We didn’t have to travel,” Wheeler said. “We drove a bus about 25 minutes across the river. Those guys played last night and they had to Lundqvist, the 36-year-old star from Sweden, was incredible on this travel so there was no excuse coming into the game. Those guys were in night, allowing his team to build up a 3-0 lead through two periods by the same boat as we were. If anything they had a little more of an making save after save on quality chances from the Jets. excuse, cause they had to travel.” His team was outshot 42-19, outplayed all night, and yet the Rangers Despite being frustrated by Lundqvist for two periods and again in somehow made it to the penalty shot competition before the Jets finally overtime, the Jets found an ability to be patient, dig deep and tie the persevered with the victory thanks to shootout goals by Patrik Laine and game up. Mark Scheifele. “That’s something in the past we might have tried to change or cheat a “Henrik Lundqvist is a brilliant, brilliant player,” Maurice said. “I think little bit but I think we’re confident in the way we play and know that we sometimes you see it on TV and they slow it down, but you lose it when get enough chances,” Trouba said. “We know we don’t need to cheat to you see it on a replay and then you almost have to be at ice level. We’ve try to create more and give up more defensively. We stuck with our game got some world-class shooters and some of those saves that he made pretty well and that’s how we want to play hockey.” are just, like it’s kind of like watching Blake Wheeler skate or Patty Laine shoot, it’s just elite. So, it wasn’t a lot of fun watching until the very end MORRISSEY TAKES BLAME but then you have to tip your hat and say that was a special night.” Josh Morrissey had an interesting take on getting hit from behind into the Lundqvist stopped all eight shots he faced in overtime and they were all boards late in overtime by Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils on quality chances. Saturday night. Throughout the game, he robbed Laine, Scheifele, Wheeler, Kyle While many people in Winnipeg, including Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, Connor, Little, Mathieu Perreault, Jack Roslovic and Tyler Myers. were incensed by the non-call on Hall, Morrissey took the highest road possible, blaming himself for being in a bad position. And yet, the Jets simply would not give up. “I was more mad, probably at myself, because I put myself in a bad Down 3-0 entering the third period, they got goals from Scheifele, on the situation there to take a hit,” Morrissey said. “Unfortunately he was power play, Roslovic and Little, with just 2:30 left, to force extra time. coming hard. I don’t think he was trying to hurt anyone or anything like that with a minute left in overtime. That’s part of hockey. I was more mad It was a reversal of several recent games for the Jets, who have blown a at myself in the moment that I didn’t pull that off the wall or something like number of third-period leads this season. that and make a better play.” “We’ve given a few away so it was nice to flip the script a little bit and LITTLE IS NO EMBELLISHER steal one when we were coming from behind,” Wheeler said after the Jets improved to 16-8-2 on the season. “Through the first two periods it Maurice did a good job of biting his tongue when expressing frustration was a 3-0 game but we did a lot of really good things.” with the officiating on Saturday night in Newark, but he clearly did not think much of the embellishment call against centre Little in the first It was the second 4-3 win in as many nights for the Jets and just like period that evened out a cross-checking call against the Devils’ Damon Saturday in New Jersey, it ended with the puck coming off Scheifele’s Severson. stick. He scored the overtime winner in Newark and had the shootout winner against Lundqvist on Saturday. We asked Maurice on Sunday if, in his experience, he had ever known Little to be an embellisher. “That was a fun one,” Scheifele said. “Not the start we wanted but obviously a great third. We used everyone and everyone played “Bryan didn’t embellish there, didn’t embellish when he got his neck awesome in the third, so we’re happy with the win.” broken,” Maurice said. “He’s not an embellisher.” The Jets move on to play the New York Islanders in Brooklyn on The broken neck reference is to a 2016 incident in which Little was Tuesday night. knocked out for the season on an unpenalized hit by Tampa Bay’s Anton Stralman. The referee in both situations was Francois St. Laurent, who HELLEBUYCK’S REDEMPTION threw an irate Maurice out of that 2016 game. The Jets comeback made a winner of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Maurice playfully suggested that the question asked was trying to get him who needed a confidence-booster after allowing three goals on the first in trouble. 11 shots he faced. The Jets were down 3-0 after two periods despite the fact that they were outshooting the Rangers 24-11. “You could leave that,” he said. “We could agree that I thought I did a marvellous job last night of saving family money. And then you’re stealing Hellebuyck was beaten by Jesper Fast in the first period and Marc Staal from me right now. Thank you for that.” and Chris Kreider in the second. The goals weren’t particularly his fault, but his save percentage didn’t look pretty and he was getting badly ROSLOVIC EMERGING outshone by Lundqvist. After setting up a big goal in New Jersey on Saturday, fourth-line centre Roslovic scored the Jets’ second goal on Sunday and very nearly had a goal to tie it up a few minutes later. Roslovic has really clicked on a line with Mason Appleton and Perreault and the trio has been generating all kinds of offensive chances. “That’s back-to-back games now that line looks like a threat on the ice and there’s an excitement between the three of them playing,” Maurice said. “They put up two or three A chances and really didn’t give much up. They can do that every night and we’d be really pleased with it.” FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED 1. Lundqvist still has it He’s a Vezina Trophy winner and a nine-time MVP for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist still has plenty left in the tank at age 36. King Henrik played a brilliant game for the Rangers, stopping 39 of 42 shots, eight of them in overtime and many of them on high-danger chances. He very nearly stole the game. 2. Comebacks go both ways The Jets have blown a bunch of third-period leads this season, but they turned the tables on this night, erasing a 3-0 deficit in the final frame before winning in a shootout. It started with a power-play goal by Mark Scheifele and was finished off by Bryan Little, who scored with 2:30 left in the third to tie the game off a Nikolaj Ehlers rebound. 3. The kids are all right Jack Roslovic and Mason Appleton have played just two NHL games together, both this weekend, but they look like they have some real chemistry and the Jets look like they have a fourth line (along with veteran Mathieu Perreault) that is a real threat. Roslovic scored his second goal of the season to make the score 3-2 for the Rangers in the third and Appleton again looked fast and confident. 4. Goaltending questions Connor Hellebuyck allowed three goals on 19 shots, but made a big glove save in the third period and stopped two of three shots in the shootout to get the win. However, his save percentage was just .842 for the game and is now sitting at just .902 for the season. His goals against average is at 3.07. With backup Laurent Brossoit playing so well (5-1-1, 2.16 GAA, .935 SV%) you have to wonder who will be in net Tuesday in Brooklyn. 5. Wheeler a dealer It’s not like we’re learning this for the first time, but Blake Wheeler is a terrific setup man and he got the Jets going in this one with another great dish to Mark Scheifele for a power-play one-timer in the third. Said Scheifele: “Blake Wheeler is probably the best passer in the league. So, I just gotta hit it. He’s a special player and I’m pretty lucky to have him dish me the puck.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.03.2018 1118989 Vancouver Canucks Couple Wilson’s rap sheet with a match penalty and there has to be an action from the league unless, of course, they still don’t have a handle on this whole brain-injury thing and protecting their players. Ed Willes: Horvat is the captain of the Vancouver Canucks Yes, upon further review, that might be the case. • Interesting parallels between the firing of Ron Hextall in Philly this past Ed Willes week and the Canucks’ Trevor Linden this summer. Both favoured a patient, methodical rebuild. Both felt they were making progress, even if that progress wasn’t reflected in the standings. And Bo Horvat is the captain of the Canucks. The fact that he doesn’t wear both thought they had the support of ownership and were blindsided by the ‘C,’ is immaterial. He plays like the captain. He carries himself like the their dismissal. captain. He talks like the captain. History will be the ultimate judge in both cases, but, in the here and now, With the Yuletide season now upon us, here are the holly and jolly the table is set for the next guy in Philly. Hextall was building something. Monday morning musings and meditations on the world of sports: He just won’t be around to see its conclusion. • Back in a time when you could have meaningful conversations with the • Finally, if you were wondering what makes Pete Carroll great, we refer people you cover, then-Calgary Flames coach Darryl Sutter riffed on the you to his comments about Richard Sherman, who returned to Seattle concept of leadership. with the 49ers on Sunday after burning a few bridges on his way out of town. Sutter said the locker-room, not management or coaches, determines the team’s leaders. It doesn’t matter if the player is wearing a letter. “It was a challenge in being really willing to work with somebody and see Everyone in that room knows who to follow. the beautiful aspects of this individual,” Carroll said before the Seahawks’ win. “(Sherman) is an amazing person. I had great respect for him. I was Which brings us around to Bo Horvat. challenged because he was brilliant. He had a lot of thoughts and this tremendous competitiveness about him that took him places that some Horvat is the captain of the Vancouver Canucks. The fact that he doesn’t other athletes don’t get to. wear the ‘C,’ is immaterial. He plays like the captain. He carries himself like the captain. He talks like the captain. “He pushes the boundaries because he sees beyond what a lot of people see.” The way he’s performing during the Canucks’ most recent troubles only reinforces his standing on the team. He’s playing over 20 minutes a Which also describes Carroll. Sherman tends to make things about night. He takes every conceivable faceoff. His wingers are, basically, Sherman and he’d scare off a lot of other coaches. In Seattle, however, Anthony Scaramucci and Robert Mueller, but he still leads the Canucks he fit right in with a collection of strong personalities. in scoring. Carroll, in turn, gave those personalities room to express themselves, to The organization, in fact, has been derelict in not providing Horvat with play and act freely, and that came to define the Seahawks. It didn’t someone, anyone who can complement his skill-set. This is the same always work and there was friction in the later years. But Carroll also won organization that leans on him to an absurd extent, but has yet to one championship and came within one bad-play call of winning another acknowledge what everyone already knows. with his misfits. Still not sure what the reasoning is there. Hockey men talk about the Sherman epitomized that team. Ken Griffey Jr. occupies a unique place need for structure and definition on a young team and the Canucks have in Seattle sports lore and Edgar Martinez likely slides into a second spot. the ideal player to lead them forward in uncertain times. But Sherman is right there in the next group. He and his teammates created something that will be remembered in the Pacific Northwest long That’s a testament to Horvat. It’s just troubling that the organization after the ill-feelings subside. hasn’t recognized what is obvious to everyone else. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.03.2018 Listen: White Towel podcast: Process vs. playoffs A day after the Canucks latest frustrating loss — this time to the Vegas Golden Knights — Patrick Johnston and Harrison Mooney get together on the White Towel podcast to ponder just what is it that’s eluding the home team. The coach said he was pleased with the effort and that the team will surely win on the backs on that. Listen here: Audio Player • We had some fun with the William Nylander watch — mostly because taking the urine out of Toronto is the birthright of every Canadian — but that negotiation will have consequences for virtually every NHL team, including the Canucks. Nylander was the first of the restricted free agents who will reshape the landscape in the salary-cap world. Those players represent some of the game’s great young talents, everyone from Mikko Rantanen, the NHL’s leading scorer, to Patrik Laine, the leading goal-scorer, to emerging Leafs stars Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, to franchise-building- blocks Matthew Tkachuk, Sebastian Aho and Brayden Point. Brock Boeser is also in the mix. His resume isn’t quite as complete as most of his colleagues but, in 87 career games, he has 39 goals and 73 points. On a per-game average, both are higher than Nylander’s totals over 185 games. Yes, there’s a season to play out here, but Boeser’s camp will look at Nylander’s six-year, US$45 million deal and figure that’s a good place to start. • Echo the sentiments of colleague Ken Campbell on the latest incident involving the Capitals’ Tom Wilson. On Friday, Wilson was assessed a match penalty for a late, blindside headshot on the Devils’ Brett Seney. This, we remind you, is a player who’s been suspended four times in the last 105 games and was coming off a 20-game suspension, and the NHL deemed his latest offence wasn’t worthy of supplemental discipline. Me confused. 1118990 Vancouver Canucks In the shooting-accuracy competition, Bo Horvat won after nailing four targets in four shots in just 11 seconds.

There were no defending challenges Sunday, which would have been Ben Kuzma: Leipsic waived, Gaudette stays, trio has its Super Skills way appropriate. The Canucks have surrendered the most goals in the third period (42) Ben Kuzma and have the third worst third-period goal differential (minus-14). They’re also ranked 29th in even-strength goals against (64), but Sunday was about a break from the grind and a tough 1-9-2 run in which they’ve dropped seven games by one goal. Virtanen, Pettersson, Horvat triumph, respectively, in fastest skater, hardest shot, shooting accuracy. “This puts things into perspective because we’re doing things for a great cause (Canucks For Kids Fund) and to keep it light and forget about Brendan Leipsic could have added some sizzle to the Super Skills show everything for a day is kind of nice,” said Horvat. “I think it’s going to be Sunday at Rogers Arena. great for us.” He has a quick stride and could have pushed Jake Virtanen in the Added Virtanen: “Today was a good day to enjoy ourselves and put on a fastest-lap competition. He could have been a force in the team-oriented re-set button and be ready for the next game.” puck-control relay. OVERTIME: Benning said an MRI showed prospect defenceman Olli However, the Vancouver Canucks’ left winger, who has seen first-line Juolevi doesn’t have structural knee damage and needs two to three and second-unit power-play time, was placed on waivers Sunday. If he weeks of recovery. He also said Sven Baertschi (Oct. 24 concussion) will clears Monday, he could add something to the Utica Comets that was re-connect with the club’s medical staff after seeing Michigan-based missing at this level. neurologist Dr. Jeff Kutcher last week in Detroit to map out a recovery timeline. Leipsic has but two goals in 17 games, a minus-10 rating and had to earn the trust of coach Travis Green. The 24-year-old Leipsic, who’s on an Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.03.2018 expiring contract, could have little clout in arbitration if he doesn’t get back to the NHL. “He has played some good games and some where he has just been OK,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said Sunday. “He needs to be put into offensive situations, but if he’s not playing in a certain part of your lineup, he’s not going to get those looks.” The Leipsic move allows rookie Adam Gaudette to keep growing his game at the NHL level. And making roster room for centre Jay Beagle, who will play Tuesday after recovering from a fractured forearm on a shot block in the fifth game of the season, means Markus Granlund can move to wing. Gaudette has but four points (1-3) in 23 games and just 10:31 of average ice time, but Green has lauded the Hobey Baker Award winner’s willingness to sell out on every shift. “We want to keep Gaudette around because every game he’s showing some good things,” added Benning. “And we feel he’s helping us.” For Gaudette, the Sunday shuffle buys the 22-year-old more time until Brandon Sutter recovers from a shoulder injury, but franchise faith isn’t lost on him. “The hard work in adjusting to the speed and strength is paying off,” said Gaudette. “When I came in for those five games last season and even in pre-season, I looked a little lost and struggled a bit. But now I feel much better and confident with and without the puck.” The transaction also placed a microscope on free-agent acquisition Tim Schaller. The 28-year-old left winger was signed to a two-year, US$3.8-million contract July 1 to bolster the penalty kill and score some goals. He had a dozen with the Boston Bruins last season, including three short-handed, but has yet to score in 25 games. As much as he helped the penalty kill get off to a fast start — six perfect nights in the first nine games — injuries to Sutter and Beagle resulted in just three perfect nights in the last 17 games and a 24th ranking at 76.8- per-cent proficiency. “We didn’t bring him in to necessarily score,” Benning said of Schaller. “We brought him in to give us size along the walls and corners and he has had a hard time finding a fit. He’s good on the PK and with Beagle back, we need their size and strength.” As for the Super Skills competition, Virtanen easily defended his fastest- lap crown. The winger completed a lap at 13.465 seconds to beat Tyler Motte (14.225), Nikolay Goldobin (14.332), Derrick Pouliot (14.878), Gaudette (15.130) and Alex Biega (15.602). Virtanen said it should improve his NHL 19 video-game rating, which is 79 out of 100 for speed. “We were playing it and I saw it (rating) and thought I need to bump it up,” laughed Virtanen. “I need to be at least over an 80.” In the hardest-shot show, Elias Pettersson won with a blast of 99.4 m.p.h He beat Michael Del Zotto (97.5), Ben Hutton (96.3), Alex Edler (94.2), Biega (93.8) and Schaller (93.2). Defending champ Erik Gudbranson (neck) didn’t compete and nobody came close to his 103.4 effort. 1118991 Vancouver Canucks I was making. It was always about whether the Canucks were securing the most possible value from Horvat’s deal. So don’t even go there in the comments section. The Mathletties: The Bo Horvat contract debate, a 2016 throwback and Best Argument gold mining When the Canucks signed Bo Horvat to a six-year contract extension for $33 million, valued at $5.5 million annually, you have to remember the By JD Burke Dec 2, 2018 environment in which it happened. Horvat wasn’t the only young, potential franchise centre going to the bargaining table. Alexander Wennberg, Alex Galchenyuk, Mika Zibanejad and Tyler Johnson all signed long-term deals with their teams, and each of them checked in Bo Horvat’s best isn’t enough to stop the Canucks’ freefall in the NHL below the $5.5 million cap hit that Horvat’s contract registered. standings. Vancouver started November in a tie for first place in the Pacific division; it enters December with the second-worst points Let’s take a look at where each player was at this stage of his career. percentage in the NHL. You’ll be surprised to find that Horvat doesn’t rate highly in this specific framework. It’s come pretty damn close a few times, though. Take Saturday for example. The Dallas Stars only needed to find the back of the net twice Thanks to some of the analytics pioneers in the field, like Hockey Graphs’ to beat the Canucks, whose only goal came off Horvat’s stick. Horvat has own Matt Cane, we can put a price tag on a player’s contract before it’s become the heart and soul of this Canucks team. And on his best days, signed with a remarkable degree of accuracy. In the 2017 offseason, he finds a way to be everything else, too. during which Horvat’s contract came to be, Cane’s model had a median error in value of about $330,000 and a mean error in value of about Since the Canucks lost Brandon Sutter to injury in an Oct. 29 win over $594,000. Here are the outputs that this model gave Horvat and his the Minnesota Wild, Horvat has played the third-most all-situations peers. minutes of any centre and trails only Florida Panthers centre Aleksander Barkov in ice time per game. The Canucks have scored 27 goals in that By Cane’s calculations, the Canucks overpaid on the annual average span, and Horvat’s 12 primary points show him directly contributing to 44 value of Horvat’s contract by $1,713,795.00 in cap hit. Drouin and per cent of them — for context, when I checked in on Elias Pettersson Zibanejad’s numbers come close, but even so, there’s nearly a $400,000 nearly a full month ago, he was directly contributing to 40 percent of the difference annually. It might seem inconsequential, but remember that Canucks’ goals, which put him in a tie for the league lead with Connor the Canucks struggled to sign Nikita Tryamkin to his entry-level contract McDavid. at the time because of a cap crunch (and they filed a three-year contract when Tryamkin was only eligible for two seasons). Running an NHL Somehow, those numbers betray just how critical Horvat has been to the franchise means competing with 30 other general managers in an Canucks in these trying times. During November, Horvat’s most common efficiency contest. Every dollar matters. linemates included Antoine Roussel, Sam Gagner and Tim Schaller. This handy chart from Micah Blake McCurdy’s excellent website, aptly named You can bring up the circumstances in which each of these players did HockeyViz, highlights just how dire it’s been for the Canucks’ first-line his work. When you do, it starts to look a lot better for Horvat. But it still centre. doesn’t make up the difference between him and his peers at the time. A metric like the GAR (Goals Above Replacement), one developed by the Before you go accosting Canucks head coach Travis Green for putting Evolving-Wild twins, is going to account for that, too; likewise, Cane’s the team’s heart and soul in this position to begin with, consider this: salary model will. nobody is better-equipped to handle it than Horvat. When I looked at the Canucks’ betweenness ratings a few weeks ago, it showed that Horvat Horvat’s potential matters in this discussion. Many suggested to me that was among Vancouver’s least-dependent offensive pieces. In layman’s the Canucks signed Horvat to this contract knowing full well, as only they terms, Horvat can produce with just about anyone. The statistical proof could, that he was due to exceed its value in short order. I’m sure there is extends beyond this season. something to this. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. But wouldn’t it be better if Horvat was exceeding the most possible value? Because I As my Athletic colleague Jason Botchford so regularly, and rightly, would argue that even a $5 million cap hit for Horvat was attainable that reminds us in the always amazing Athletties, Horvat’s the captain. summer, and that the Canucks would be doing even better than they Sewing the “C” on his jersey is all but a formality at this stage. already are based on that. Why am I starting with this? Well, you might have noticed Saturday that That’s before we get into the fact that the Canucks didn’t even buy the Horvat’s contract, signed well over a year ago at this stage, became a maximum amount of UFA years that was available to them. The Canucks topic of hot debate on Twitter. There was a horde of angry Canucks fans could have signed Horvat to an eight-year deal and bought four of his — many of them VIPs, I am sure — trying to force-feed me the “L.” My unrestricted free agency seasons. In that framework, I think $5.5 million friends joined in. So did Botchford, who isn’t just a friend but also a annually starts to make sense. Instead, they bought only two seasons colleague and something of a mentor. Under normal circumstances, I and set Horvat up to cash in generously again at 28 years old. It’s hard to would acquiesce. argue the Canucks didn’t overpay for Horvat and impossible to suggest that they reap the benefits of that cost in the form of peace of mind in the These aren’t normal circumstances, though. I wasn’t wrong. Many form of purchased UFA years. respected voices in the industry shared my analysis of Horvat’s contract at the time, ranging from scouts, league executives, analysts, writers — Consider that it took the Canucks the entire summer to come to this you name it! agreement with Horvat and it seems like a really bad piece of negotiating. Has it bitten the Canucks in the ass? No, and it doesn’t look like it ever It pains me to have to defend this point. It puts me in a position where I will at this pace. Horvat’s game has grown that much, that quickly. The have to argue against the merits of a player whom I couldn’t think better Canucks are getting good value out of what any thorough piece of of if I tried. This isn’t something I’m going to enjoy. But it’s something I analysis would have contested at the time was poor negotiating. It’s not have to do. that complicated. The best advice I ever got in this industry came from an old friend of Best Analysis mine who said to always stick to your guns. He said that in the context of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. I was in the unenviable position of being one Everyone had an opinion to offer on the Horvat contract because, well, of few in the industry who considered Mikhail Sergachev to be the best that’s kind of what we’re paid to do. There was one writer, though, who defenceman in his class. I was ridiculed for this take at the time, but he was ahead of the curve. Is it any surprise that it’s my Athletic colleague was adamant that I hold firm. According to the GAR (Goals Above Ryan Biech, who does the most detailed analysis of the current CBA of Replacement) metric developed by the EvolvingWild twins, Sergachev anyone not currently in an NHL front office? It shouldn’t be. adds 0.45 GAR to the Lightning lineup every hour — that’s first among defenceman drafted in 2016. In an article that took place during Horvat’s 2016-17 season, Biech looked at the contracts of the year prior and tried to see where Horvat fit Sometimes that advice isn’t going to pay off — it’ll bite me in the ass a among those comparable players. The list included the likes of Victor lot, too, I am sure. I’m not going to throw it out the window for this one, Rask, Sean Couturier, Vincent Trocheck, Aleksander Barkov and Rickard though. I know I’m in the right, and I’m about to prove it, too. Rackell. Biech’s analysis suggested that a six-year deal for $5 million annually, with no-trade protection in the final two seasons of the deal, Best Qualifier was the most likely outcome. Before we go any further in the discussion of Horvat’s contract, let me Best Receipts make one thing perfectly clear: I never once stated that Horvat couldn’t live up to the dollar value attached to the contract. That was not the point You know who else thought the Horvat contract was a bit high? Jason one skater firmly in the elite quadrant of this graph, and it’s Nikolay Botchford. For clarity’s sake, that isn’t even close to what I said. I Goldobin. suggested at the time it was a really bad contract. I wish I’d worded my argument the way Botchford did, but that’s neither here nor there. The If that doesn’t convince them, show them this graph of the Canucks point is this: Botchford thought the Canuck overpaid for Horvat’s contract. ranked by their GAR using the model developed by the Evolving-Wild twins. Only Troy Stecher has added more goals to the Canucks’ lineup These quotes come from the first Patcast that followed Horvat’s new deal than Goldobin by their metric’s estimation. That seems pretty damn good when he and TSN1040’s Jeff Paterson were in Penticton for the Young to me. Stars Tournament. Best Mea Culpa “Jim said that they wanted to wait for all the other RFAs to be signed, and they literally waited for all of them, right to Wennberg. … the deal is high. You know what part of my analysis of Horvat’s contract I definitely got You can’t just say it’s a great deal. It is for sure high. It’s peak of what wrong? The part where I suggested that he wouldn’t be able to maintain Horvat is worth, and peak of what he can be worth. And you can be fine an above-average shooting percentage. Either I hadn’t seen the analysis with that. I think that a lot of people really like Bo Horvat, and I really like that concluded that rush shots carry a higher shooting percentage than Horvat, I really, really do. I think because of that, a lot of people really those from prolonged zone time or it wasn’t made available yet. want to like the contract.” Whatever the case, since I suggested that Horvat’s 12.7 per cent shooting clip in his contract wasn’t sustainable, he’s scored on 13.9 per “Just because you love Horvat doesn’t mean you have to love the deal. I cent and 16.2 per cent in the two seasons that have followed. think it’s high. You think it’s high. I think if you look at where Wennberg wound up, Horvat should be there or below that. I think that those two See, I’m not above admitting I’m wrong. guys are in the same draft, they’ve done similar things, Wennberg’s done Best Two Hours of Weekend Canucks Talk a little bit more, helped take his team to the playoffs, done more of those things. The underlying data is better for him than for Bo.” Another week, another episode of Rink Wide with J.D. Burke & Andrew Wadden powered by BTM Lawyers on TSN 1040. If you missed this “My other issue for the six-year deal is that I don’t see what the Canucks week’s show, you can still listen to it either on TSN’s website or iTunes. If get out of this. I see a guy who is going to be a UFA or can be a UFA at you want to support the show directly, follow this link to do just that. 28 — that’s the ideal time to become an unrestricted free agent. If you’re all in on Bo, and I mentioned this, I was on with Pratt today, I said that if The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 you’re all in on Bo, you’re all in on an eight-year deal, because it chews up four years of being an unrestricted free agent and the current deal only takes up two.” “So I just don’t see it — the Canucks spent all summer negotiating this deal. What did the Canucks get? They didn’t get a bargain on price; they didn’t eat up a lot of unrestricted years. I just don’t see what they got. It’s for sure a high deal. It’s for sure a high price. Now the Canucks don’t see it that way. They think that everyone is in full support for this contract, and applauding it, and fair deal. I know me, and you and J.D. think it’s a high contract. It is! It’s a high deal! You can’t get around it.” This is not me trying to put Botchford on blast. The list of people in this industry I respect more is a short one. I also don’t want that heat. This series of quotes it to highlight that we were closer to being on the same page at the time of the deal than he let’s on, in my estimation. Botchford’s argument has, clearly, evolved with time. If the court of public opinion is on his side — who am I kidding, it absolutely is — in this argument over Horvat’s contract; he comes out of this looking better than I do. That’s a price I’m willing to pay to stick to my guns. Best Proprietary Data Each and every season since Dimitri Filipovic started the Hockey PDOcast (a personal favourite of mine), Andrew Berkshire has joined the show to rank the league’s best centres. They usually do about 20 centres a year. Berkshire, for those who aren’t familiar, works with The Point, a private firm that tracks its own microstatistics for media and teams themselves alike. Berkshire uses those statistics, in combination with publicly available data, to create the best possible database to rank the league’s players. For this year’s show, Horvat didn’t crack the top 20 on either of Filipovic or Berkshire’s lists; Horvat wasn’t even an honourable mention. When I reached out to Berkshire, he told me that Horvat was the 58th-ranked centre in his database, sandwiched between Kyle Turris of the Nashville Predators and Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings. When Horvat signed his six-year contract, it put him in the 31st percentile of the league’s centres concerning annual average value (the cap hit). If you take Berkshire’s analysis seriously, and you should, there’s at least one highly thought of voice in the industry that places Horvat in the 46th percentile of NHL centres. Berkshire, for whatever it’s worth, says Horvat’s contract is mostly sound. Maybe a slight overpayment, but if so not by much. Best Reminder of Goldobin’s Value After a hot start to November in which Nikolay Goldobin put up 11 points in 10 games, the playmaking winger has cooled down with just one point in his last four. Nobody is calling him inconsistent yet. Give it a few more games, though, and I’m sure we’ll start to hear it. Any longer and people will go back to the well that suggests Goldobin only ever produced as a result of Elias Pettersson. When those naysayers emerge from the shadows, let them have it with charts like this one. On the y-axis you’ll find estimated primary shot assists and on the x-axis individual shots per hour. The Canucks have 1118992 Websites “It’s an overpay, they know it, but this year could be their best chance at winning so probably worth it,” he said. “He’s a good player, I’m sure he will produce numbers. The Athletic / Which side won the Nylander deal? NHL executives and “I’d rather pay young, high-end talent than older UFAs that are just agents on the impact on the market average any day. Probably the way the salary cap is heading now.” Added a Western Conference team executive: “Given where the Toronto By Pierre LeBrun Dec 2, 2018 Maple Leafs are in the standings and the position Kyle Dubas is in with regard to having a chance to win a Stanley Cup, I would have done the exact same thing.” The William Nylander contract was still buzzing around the league One player agent understood why some teams wouldn’t be loving the Sunday and it’s fair to say there’s quite a variance of opinion on who won contract. out and what the deal means for the rest of the teams. “Because his closest comps were in the 6.0 to 6.3 range, so this does To recap, the breakdown of the contract: move the market,” he said. It’s a $10 million base salary and $2 million signing bonus this season; Another veteran agent saw the benefit of it for the Leafs in the here and $700,000 salary and $8.3 million signing bonus next season; then a $2.5 now. million base salary and $3.5 million signing bonus Years 3-6. “I think it simply didn’t need to go this far, but in the end, it’s a smart deal It’s an average of $6.9 million per year for the sake of what other teams based on the front-loaded structure,” he said. “The team needed a key and agents will take out of this. asset like him under contract, and if you have to overpay within reason, then down you have a chance to win. On a cap percentage basis in real I canvassed people around the league Sunday: dollars, it is slightly below (David) Pastrnak, so they didn’t go too far out of the marketplace they wanted to be in.” “Short term it was good for both, but the (July 2, 2019) bonus makes me think we may see a trade after that is paid,” said an Eastern Conference Added the agent: “Even if you argue they overpaid by $750k a year, it team executive on Sunday. “Both sides seemed to not want to cave and makes more sense to do that and add a player like this than to use ($6.9 million) per (season) was the one they could both live with. I’m assets at the deadline to get a player for a Cup run.” surprised it didn’t get done sooner.” Another agent wondered if this might be how things go more often than Well, it didn’t happen sooner because the Leafs wouldn’t go past $6.5 not now. million until late in the game and the Nylander camp began the process above $8 million and wouldn’t go below $7 million until very late. “Not much of a surprise for me – contract range of AAV/term as expected. Probably could have been done sooner, but I understand But it was well worth the wait for Nylander. dynamics/benefits sometimes of timelines,” said the agent. “We have become a deadline industry.” “A slam dunk win for the player,” said one veteran player agent on Sunday. “Fact is, Nylander would have never received this contract, Welcome, Seattle structure and signing bonuses in the summer or before camp. He was rewarded for taking the negotiation to the 11th hour. Clearly, there is an I’m in Sea Island, Georgia, for the NHL’s Board of Governors meeting, argument to be made in the next CBA to grant all RFA’s arbitration rights. which runs Monday-Tuesday. The headline agenda item obviously is the There may be a realization now with the trend towards top younger expansion vote on Seattle, which is expected Tuesday morning. It players receiving big deals, that allowing players to withhold services requires a three-fourths vote, which shouldn’t be an issue, I don’t think, until Dec. 1 works against the clubs. The Maple Leafs can spin this any but I suppose you never know. That $650 million check should ensure way they like, but in the end, they blinked and handed the player a big owners voting yes. win.” What’s still up in the air heading into this meeting is whether the league’s An Eastern Conference team executive saw it differently. No real winner 32nd team will begin play in the fall of 2020 or 2021. As of late last week, in his books. I was told the Seattle group, after further deliberations throughout the week, was still in the frame of mind to convince the league and Board “Don’t believe it’s a deal that is going to cause a dramatic rise in the that they wanted to start in 2020 even if it meant starting the opening marketplace as people suspected,” he argued via text message. “I’m month or so on the road. The concern with building construction delays, sure many agents were hoping for a higher AAV. The term of six years not to mention a potential labor negotiation in the fall of 2020, are both might be more impactful on future deals than the AAV.’’ reasons the league is leaning toward 2021. Again, many opposing views. My sense is if the team can’t launch at home in time for the start of the 2020 season, the Seattle group would accept starting a year later. But “Every player in the league should go shake Nylander’s hand,” said a the question is when exactly will the Seattle group know that? I think the player agent. “He stood up for what he believed he should get and while league wants a timeline decision by the end of this Board meeting this in the end both sides had to move towards each other, he got a real nice week. deal. I can make the argument it’s as good if not better than Leon Draisaitl ($8.5 million AAV times eight years) because Nylander got It’s important to cement that for all kinds of reasons, but I would argue shorter term and will get another nice contract after this. To me, when chief among them is other teams wanting to know as soon as possible we’re using his deal moving forward, we’re going to argue it’s actually a when the expansion draft is going to be held so they can start to $7.5 million a year deal when you do the conversion on him missing out strategize roster decisions to best navigate the expansion draft rules and the first two months of the season. It’s a real win for the players seeking protection list. second contracts.” As part of the expansion package, the Board will vote on Tuesday on re- Another agent said the $7.5 million comparable wouldn’t fly in his alignment. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly on our Two-Man Advantage opinion. podcast with myself and Scott Burnside last month said the Board’s executive committee back in early October approved the proposed re- “The 7.5 argument doesn’t really work — only real dollar matters,” he alignment plan in terms of what the full Board would vote on this week. said. “You can, of course, argue that but it defies logic based on real While no one will confirm it, the leading option seems to be Arizona dollars. Even an arbitrator would recognize it’s at 6.969.” moving to the Central Division to make way for Seattle in the Pacific. Another Eastern Conference team executive wasn’t pleased with the The Athletic LOADED: 12.03.2018 contract as far as it affects other teams but also understands every team must do what makes sense for them. “Unnecessary,” the team executive reacted to the contract. “Bonus, structure, etc. … affects the entire league. And, seems as if he lost nothing by sitting. This will encourage others. But it’s their business and their right. Not really even fair for us to opine. Like someone else’s marriage. None of your business before you start passing judgment, remember you really have no idea what really went on.” Perhaps too much money, argued another Eastern Conference team executive, but it makes sense for a Leafs team trying to win now. 1118993 Websites They had out-shot the Canadiens 10-1 in the first 11 minutes of the game.

"By the time we started playing the damage was already done," said Sportsnet.ca / Seasoned Sharks serve up key lesson to young Julien. Canadiens He was right. Petry scored 12:15 into the second period to cut the lead in half, but Pavelski answered with his 17th of the season just under four Eric Engels December 3, 2018, 12:08 AM minutes later. And despite 22 shots recorded in the third—and enough chances generated to tie and even win the game—Martin Jones was up to Montreal’s challenge from San Jose’s net. MONTREAL—Here’s a dose of perspective for Montreal Canadiens fans, A sixth loss in seven games for the Canadiens. Frustrating results all in the midst of a stretch that’s been unkind to their team. A necessary around. Lessons served, crucial ones reinforced. one, given that the mostly-good results—and the mostly-impressive process—can easily blur what this season is really supposed to be about. "As the games progress, we seem to be on top of teams," said the 30- year-old Petry. "I think we have to figure out how to have that desperate This is a young group learning what it takes to do everything that goes mindset coming into every game. Games like these make it that much into winning on a regular basis in the NHL. A group that will constantly be clearer." reminded it needs the sum of its parts to make them stronger than what they’re expected to be—and not just for two-thirds of a given game. It’s all part of growing up in this league, and that’s what the Canadiens are trying to do right now. It’s a bonus if the results keep them in the How competitive the Canadiens have been to date, considering the depth playoff hunt. of their talent in comparison to most of the other 15 teams currently clinging to a playoff position, is a sign that maybe they’re ahead of the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.03.2018 curve. The Canadiens, who are the second-youngest team in the NHL, have learned to compete no matter what happens. It’s why they’ve scored three goals or more in 17 of 27 games this year and recorded at least 35 shots in 13 of them. They’ve also learned to push back—with four wins under their belts when trailing after a period and three when trailing after two. The team’s record is 12-10-5 and it could be better given how they’ve played. But that doesn’t matter all that much. Not in comparison to the valuable experience the Canadiens are gaining right now. The lessons, harsh as they may be to learn at times, are coming fast and furious. On Sunday night, against one of the most seasoned teams in the NHL, the Canadiens were served up another important one, which is that they’re better-served to start the game on time. Especially against a San Jose team that was coming to town after two ugly losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens knew they were going to be facing an angry group. They knew that the sixth-oldest team in the NHL would be prepared right off the hop. And yet they froze when the puck dropped. "There was no advantage for anybody tonight. None whatsoever. So it should’ve been a fair situation for both teams," said Canadiens coach Claude Julien after it was decided 3-1 in favour of the visiting Sharks. "They came out much better than we did. They’ve got an experienced team, guys that have been to the playoffs, to the finals and all that stuff. We need to learn to do those kind of things. We need to be ready to play just like they were, and that’s part of the team I guess growing and becoming better." It certainly is. The Canadiens were scored on first in 10 of their games prior to this one, but a look at how they fell behind against the Sharks will reinforce the importance of playing hard from the first puck drop. They were flat-footed out of the gate—with mobile Sharks defencemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns given the room to throw tape-to-tape stretch passes across the ice and create odd-man opportunities. They were sloppy breaking out, too. The Canadiens had turned the puck over three times before Jeff Petry telegraphed a pass to the neutral zone for Michael Chaput. Sharks defenceman Justin Braun picked it off, walked over the Montreal blue line and blasted a shot through goaltender Carey Price for his first goal of the season at the 2:53 mark of the first period. And then the Canadiens compounded the issue less than six minutes later when defenceman Mike Reilly took a careless crosschecking penalty in the neutral zone. Chaput joined Reilly in the box 58 seconds later, taking a careless high-sticking penalty. A five-on-three advantage for the likes of Karlsson, Burns, future Hall-of- Famer Joe Thornton and stars Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture is typically an unforgiving situation for the opposition to face. That rule proved true—with Burns wiring one off the post and in to put the Sharks up 2-0. 1118994 Websites Nylander negotiations: That he’s reasonable and business-like even when talks get tough, and he’s sincere in his intentions about finding a way to make things work for all of the core pieces in Toronto. Sportsnet.ca / Beyond Headlines: What we learned about Dubas during Dubas could have proven a point by letting Nylander sit out a season at a Nylander saga time when this organization finally seems capable of challenging for the Stanley Cup. He could have gone into the final hour of talks and chosen the nuclear option. Chris Johnston December 2, 2018, 1:58 PM Instead, he showed a dealmaker’s touch and gave his players another reason to believe that they’ve got the right man calling the shots above them. ‘Beyond Headlines’ is a deeper dive into some of the stories — and even some that weren’t — discussed each week on Hockey Night in SEATTLE CALLING Canada’s ‘Headlines’ segment. They are coming with a group that will run 30 deep at the NHL’s Board of This would not have been possible as recently as 2013. Governors meeting in Sea Island, Ga. Good luck trying to conduct an intercontinental contract negotiation They are promising to bring along a surprise guest or two. against a hard deadline in the days when the NHL required documents to be sent in for registration by fax. Fortunately, Kyle Dubas and agent This is a bloody big deal for the NHL Seattle folks who are due to take Lewis Gross live in the era of electronic filing and could therefore use ownership of the league’s 32nd franchise on Tuesday morning — absolutely every last minute available to them before Saturday’s Group 2 needing three-quarters support from existing owners in a vote that’s more signing period closed. of a procedural formality than anything. Their negotiation on William Nylander’s second contract signals a shift in Then, once the deed is done, they’re heading straight back across the the way NHL business can be done because of the personalities at the continent for a ground-breaking ceremony at KeyArena later in the week, heart of the deal. kicking off a major demolition/rebuild project that will determine if the team starts play in 2020 or 2021. In Nylander you had a 22-year-old willing to stretch this process to the absolute limit, risking a valuable season of his preciously short career. In The fact shovels are hitting the ground immediately underscores the Dubas you had a man just 10 years Nylander’s elder, who refused to let city’s commitment to starting as soon as possible. What kind of signals things get overly contentious even as frustration built on both sides of the the league sends out during the BOG bears watching. There’s already table while everyone flirted with disaster. been some backroom discussion about opening Seattle’s inaugural season with a bunch of road games in case the arena isn’t finished, but Not only did the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager travel to the NHL isn’t believed to be in favour of that option. Switzerland at one point to sit down face-to-face with Nylander, he kept an open dialogue through texts and phone calls. There are also concerns about potential construction delays. This was not a negotiation built on threats and false deadlines and F- So as Seattle finally gets its team, we ask: Just when is the party you’s. starting? Nylander continued to wear Leafs gear while skating with AIK’s under-20 ANXIOUS FLYERS team in Stockholm and frequently liked Instagram posts from the official With Chuck Fletcher the runaway leader in the race to be named Leafs account. Dubas didn’t spring a bunch of trade leaks even while Philadelphia Flyers GM, there is an expectation that he will need to hit performing due diligence and gauging the player’s value. the ground running. One team who called Toronto’s front office with an offer in the last few Paul Holmgren and the team’s Comcast ownership group made it clear days was told that they felt good about the odds of getting something that a major part of Ron Hextall’s dismissal was due to a perceived lack done with Nylander and wouldn’t be putting him on the block. of action. So not only will Fletcher have to make a determination on the Honest and straightforward. No games. future of head coach Dave Hakstol if offered the job, he’ll be expected to dive into the trade market before the Feb. 25 deadline passes. When it came time to make the deal, Dubas and assistants Brandon Pridham and Laurence Gilman got creative with Nylander and Gross, his This alone makes Philadelphia a team to watch closely in the months representative. ahead. There has never been a contract structured quite like it in NHL history. The Flyers boast a strong prospect pool and have plenty of cap space, which is a testament to some of the good things that happened on The Leafs own tons of salary cap space this season and will start to feel Hextall’s watch. He’s left his successor a lot to work with. the squeeze in 2019-20, so they came up with a way to pay Nylander heavy right away — to the tune of more than $17 million by July 1, Even though a new GM typically likes to take some time to survey his making him whole and then some for the days missed because of the environment before making big decisions, that doesn’t seem like an impasse — while gaming the cap system and keeping his AAV to $6.96 option for Fletcher in Philadelphia. million for the final five years of the deal. Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, They also built in some lockout protection with annual signing bonuses of Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown $3.5-million starting in 2020. They added a 10-team trade list in 2023-24, Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. the only year he was eligible to receive such protection. KARLSSON’S FUTURE They basically guaranteed Nylander would walk away feeling good about Lost among the talk of Erik Karlsson’s return to Ottawa, and Erik the contract while keeping him within a range where they believe Auston Karlsson’s uncharacteristically slow start, is what is to become of Erik Matthews and Mitch Marner can still be signed without breaking up the Karlsson? band. It doesn’t sound as though there have been any serious talks about an Now, it must be noted that there are no shortage of whispers out there extension with the San Jose Sharks yet and that make some sense. saying that Dubas and Co. caved on this deal. That they merely gave They are still getting used to him, he is finding his way with them, and the Nylander everything he wanted rather than crushing him at the 11th hour, team has struggled out of the gate. leaving the Leafs vulnerable heading into the Matthews and Marner negotiations. But it won’t be long before the sides need to start figuring out if they might have a long-term fit together, and if not, what that might mean. I would argue that he showed strength and ingenuity under the intense spotlight of a negotiation that spanned months. He worked towards an It seems highly unlikely that the two-time Norris Trophy winner would be end capable of satisfying both club and player even though it meant traded again before the Feb. 25 deadline, but if he decides to test stretching a little beyond his comfort zone with the final cap number. He unrestricted free agency it could make for an awfully interesting July 1. did it his own way. WILLY’S LAW Dubas will ultimately be judged on keeping his package of stars; whether he can make good on the “we can and we will” promise he made to The outrage was predictable, and understandable, because of the name Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 31 Thoughts podcast. But attached to the match penalty. The reaction should be a cost-free consider what Matthews and Marner learned about their GM during the reminder to Tom Wilson that every check he throws for the forseeable future will be scrutinized down to the nanosecond. Wilson escaped supplemental discipline for Friday’s late hit on Brett Seney because the NHL’s department of player safety employs a different standard than the court of public opinion — judging the infraction on its own merits before weighing the track record of the player who committed it. The Washington Capitals agitator is fortunate because he certainly hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt. No player has put himself on the DoPS radar as often as Wilson over the last 15 months. For context, a refresher: • Sept. 22, 2017 — Wilson delivers a late, predatory hit on Robert Thomas, earning a suspension of two pre-season games. • Oct. 1, 2017 — Wilson boards Samuel Blais from behind, earning a four-game suspension. • Oct. 29, 2017 — DoPS senior vice-president George Parros meets Wilson in Calgary to review video of checks that have raised concern in his department. • May 1, 2018 — Wilson delivers an illegal check to the head of Zach Aston-Reese, earning a suspension of three playoff games. • June 2018 — Parros phones Wilson after a late hit on Jonathan Marchessault during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, warning him to make better decisions in the timing and selection of his checks. • August 2018 — Parros meets Wilson in Toronto to review more video, including checks to Alexander Wennberg (first round), Brian Dumoulin (second round) and Marchessault during the playoffs. • Sept. 30, 2018 — Wilson delivers an illegal check to the head of Oskar Sundqvist, earning a 14-game suspension after appeals. • Nov. 30, 2018 — Wilson delivers a late hit on Seney, earning a match penalty. What spared Wilson on the Seney incident is a lack of head contact and predatory intent. There have been approximately 20 interference suspensions since the DoPS was formed and each has included one or both of those elements. He didn’t change his path or lean into the hit, but he also didn’t avoid contact with a defenceless player. He skated up to the line but didn’t quite cross it. For Wilson, that’s a dangerous choice to make: Everyone is watching closely. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.03.2018 1118995 Websites considering Nylander’s transition and offensive impact at 5-on-5, not to mention his impact on neutral-zone defence, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Leafs are in that top group by mid-season. Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing what William Nylander brings to Maple Leafs They are undoubtedly a contender. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.03.2018 Andrew Berkshire December 2, 2018, 12:06 PM

In case you haven’t heard every sports reporter in Canada shouting it from the rooftops, that William Nylander guy and the Toronto Maple Leafs finally ended their contract stalemate and came to an agreement on a six-year deal that carries a cap hit of $6,962,366 until the end of the 2023-23 season, except for this year where the cap hit is $10,277,778. Emily Sadler has all the details of the contract, but what I wanted to look at was what Nylander brings to the Maple Leafs, because after missing almost a third of the season, it sure seems like a lot of people have forgotten how good he is. While the hockey world, especially in Toronto, is fawning over Mitch Marner’s phenomenal start to the season, it’s worthwhile to remember that Marner’s 130 points in his first two seasons are only eight more than what Nylander produced over the same time frame. Coincidentally, when I ranked the top right-wingers in the NHL, Marner ranked eighth and Nylander ranked ninth. There is a perception that there is a wide gap between those two players, when in reality there isn’t much of one, if there is one at all. That isn’t a knock on Marner so much as it’s a reminder of dominant a player Nylander is. Despite how differently the two of them play the game, their overall impact is very similar. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. While Marner is a dangler who makes crazy passes that few others could make, and has become far more aggressive and responsible in the defensive zone over his last 60 games or so, Nylander is a transition beast who is one of the NHL’s best puck carriers, and an extremely underrated neutral zone defender who takes smart routes while defending to break up passes and steal pucks from opponents. To put Nylander’s play into context, let’s compare him to some other current Maple Leafs from last season, since he hasn’t had the chance to play in 2018-19 yet. Going through this cross-section of statistics, you can see that while Nylander is about the fourth-best offensive player on the Maple Leafs, he is absolutely their best transition player, especially at both blue lines. Nylander either carries the puck out or is the passing option on zone exits almost nine times per 20 minutes, which is just a monstrous amount, and he creates more controlled entries into the offensive zone than any other Leafs player. Nylander is going to undoubtedly add more offensive punch to the Leafs’ already impressive group of forwards, his twin 61-point seasons, both with over 20 goals, should be an obvious indicator of that, but what he brings to the table more than anything is improving Toronto’s transition game. The Leafs like to make long-bomb stretch passes, more than any other team, and they have consistently over the last few years boasted the lowest success rate in the league on those passes, but Nylander’s presence gives them another option while he’s on the ice, which should lead to more chances off the rush, more offensive zone time, and more goals for, with fewer against. Defensive-zone coverage remains an issue with Nylander, which is probably why a lot of old-school types still don’t love him as a player. He has a tendency to wait for the play to come to him a little bit too often when he doesn’t have the puck, but when he does, his contributions to defence are immense simply by clearing the zone so effectively, and not just with little chips up the boards, but with plays that end up creating offence for his own team. While Nylander hasn’t had glowing power-play results to date in his career, his scoring-chance numbers there have always been solid, so don’t be surprised if his presence ends up being a huge benefit to the second power-play unit as well, which combined with that incredible first unit, should make the Leafs’ already top-three power play even more terrifying for opponents to face. When I looked at the top five even-strength teams to date so far this season, the Maple Leafs finished just outside the top group at sixth, and 1118996 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Cap comparables: Did Nylander get fair deal from Maple Leafs?

Mike Johnston | December 2, 2018, 8:43 AM

The William Nylander standoff finally ended Saturday afternoon, mere minutes before the deadline was set to pass, with the forward agreeing to a six-year, $41.77-million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s a massive deal for a player coming off his entry-level contract and one that puts pressure on the 2014 eighth-overall pick because he’s now making more money than many of the top producers in the entire NHL. Nylander’s prorated $10.27-million cap hit for the remainder of 2018-19 sees him join Connor McDavid, new teammate John Tavares, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Carey Price, Jack Eichel and Anze Kopitar as the only players in the league currently with an eight-figure cap hit. However, starting in 2019-20 through the 2023-24 season his cap hit falls to roughly $6.96 million annually. There were reports during the stalemate that Nylander had been seeking an extension similar to the eight-year, $68-million deal Leon Draisaitl inked with the Edmonton Oilers after his third year as a pro. Nylander’s offensive production in his first three seasons was nearly identical to Draisaitl’s but the two players have different roles on their respective teams and one could argue Draisaitl is a more versatile player so Leafs weren’t willing to pay that amount for Nylander. Two other contracts that were frequently mentioned were that of Johnny Gaudreau (six years, $40.5 million, $6.75-million cap hit) and David Pastrnak (six years, $40 million, $6.666-million cap hit). Similar to Nylander, although not quite as dramatic, Gaudreau caused his team’s fan base some stress prior to the 2016-17 campaign. The Flames star missed training camp that year and didn’t sign until two days prior to the start of the regular season. Gaudreau went from scoring 30 goals and 78 points in 79 games in 2015-16 to just 18 goals and 61 points in 72 games in the season following his brief holdout. Will Nylander also have a drop-off in production when he returns to the Leafs lineup? Gaudreau did however bounce back with 84 points in 2017-18 and is operating at better than a point-per-game-pace this season. Pastrnak didn’t take a step back after agreeing to his contract. He also skipped a bridge deal after his impressive 34-goal 2016-17 season and followed it up with 35 goals the next year. So far this season he has 19 goals in 26 games. Even though the talented Czech was selected 17 spots behind Nylander in 2014 he has taken his game to a level Nylander hasn’t. The best-case scenario for the Maple Leafs one where Nylander provides the same type of bang-for-your-buck production that both Pastrnak and Gaudreau have. With that in mind, here are some other players on similar deals to Nylander’s: — Sean Monahan: seven years, $44.625 million, $6.375-million cap hit — Nathan MacKinnon: seven years, $44.1 million, $6.3-million cap hit — Mark Scheifele: eight years, $49 million, $6.125-million cap hit — Dylan Larkin: five years, $30.5 million, $6.1-million cap hit — Nikolaj Ehlers: seven years, $42 million, $6-million cap hit — Filip Forsberg: six years, $36 million, $6-million cap hit — Jonathan Huberdeau: six years, $35.4 million, $5.9-million cap hit — Jonathan Drouin: six years, $33 million, $5.5-million cap hit Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.03.2018