SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 1/2/2020 1168875 Why the Ducks’ youth movement could be costing them 1168903 Detroit sports in the 2010s was a decade to forget. But victories let's see how much you remember 1168904 Physical play, fighting spirit a winning formula for Red Wings 1168876 Coyotes recall D Kyle Capobianco, assign Aaron Ness to 1168905 Red Wings aim to maintain grittier disposition second half Tucson of season 1168877 Coyotes’ kills, timely goals lead to much-needed win over Blues Oilers 1168878 Updated 10 bold predictions: Me vs. Mrs. Rita’s 1168906 Klefbom hurt against the Rangers but how bad is it? 1168907 Hats off to James Neal who likes to score three Bruins 1168908 Lowetide: A shift-by-shift analysis of ’s 1168879 The bests and worsts for the Bruins in the season’s first 2019-20 debut in the Oilers’ New Year’s Eve game half 1168880 Bruins need more help from rest of lineup 1168881 The 12 biggest Boston sports stories of the 2010s 1168909 Blue Jackets’ Werenski, Merzlikins spoil Bobrovsky’s 1168882 What we learned in Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils return to Columbus 1168910 An Elvis rockin’ eve: Sergei Bobrovsky’s emotional return to Columbus ends in a Blue Jackets’ party 1168883 Sabres' Evan Rodrigues does not deny he wants a fresh start elsewhere 1168884 Five years later, Sabres and Oilers have given Jack Eichel 1168911 WORLD JUNIORS UPDATE, PHILLIPS, MACDERMID and Connor McDavid little help 1168912 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: JANUARY 1 Flames 1168885 GameDay: at 1168913 Wild at Target: 2021 NHL Winter Classic headed to 1168886 Giordano's career climb a highlight for Flames of just- Minnesota closed decade 1168914 Wild lands Winter Classic at Target Field for 2021 1168887 Flames’ shortcomings shift — bad first periods replacing 1168915 ‘It was our turn’: Wild finally get a chance to host the bad second periods Winter Classic 1168916 Minnesota gets the 2021 Winter Classic: Here’s everything you need to know 1168888 5 things the Blackhawks must do to end their playoff drought, including taking advantage of their salary-cap s Canadiens 1168889 Even after eight All-Star Games, Patrick Kane remains 1168917 'They all count’: Habs star Cole Caufield on scoring goals eager for his NHL-leading ninth and playing for an franchise 1168890 Patrick Kane's decade was one for the history books 1168918 Canadiens call up Dale Weise from the AHL's Laval 1168891 Blackhawks prospect Michal Teply caps whirlwind 2019 Rocket with experience of a lifetime at world juniors 1168919 In Winter Classic spotlight, Predators more impressive off 1168892 2020 is here and so are eight things to watch when it the ice than on it | Estes comes to the Avalanche 1168920 Ice, ice, baby: No meltdown after ice melted in Dallas 1168893 Landeskog’s for this decade is to win a Cup. And for ahead of Preds-Stars Winter Classic the first time in his career, the Avs can actually d 1168921 Five observations from the Winter Classic between the 1168894 Avs Game 40 Grades: Same result, different process Predators, Stars 1168922 Predators' leaves Winter Classic after taking elbow to head from Corey Perry 1168895 Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, Elvis Merzlikins spoil Bobrovsky’s return to Nationwide 1168896 Columbus Blue Jackets fans’ feelings for Sergei 1168923 4 observations from Devils’ shootout win over Bruins | Bobrovsky still need to be sorted out How they took control in 3rd-period comeback 1168897 An Elvis rockin’ eve: Sergei Bobrovsky’s emotional return 1168924 20/20: What went right for the Devils during a to Columbus ends in a Blue Jackets’ party disappointing 2019, and what is on the to-do list for 2020 1168898 Blake Comeau’s eventful Winter Classic including a 1168925 Barry Trotz seems to favor in Islanders' penalty, goal and an injury scare goal 1168899 With a uniquely Dallas atmosphere, the Stars’ Winter Classic victory at the had it all New York Rangers 1168900 Winter Classic notebook: NHL attendance history, Corey 1168926 The Henrik Lundqvist moment Rangers are trying to ride Perry’s ejection and more from Stars-Predators 1168927 Rangers’ crushing comeback fail still bothering David 1168901 After exiting early with injury, Blake Comeau returned to Quinn help save Winter Classic for Stars 1168928 Rangers' Alexandar Georgiev has shown he can rebound 1168902 Stars 20/20: Under huge spotlight, fans make statement after having an off night about hockey in Texas — and Dallas delivers NHL 1168929 Outdoor hockey in Texas? Sure thang, and was a hoot to 1168963 Defenseman Brayden McNabb quietly thriving for Golden boot Knights 1168964 Golden Knights optimistic about what 2020 will bring Senators 1168930 GARRIOCH: determined to improve in the second half of the NHL season 1168965 Capitals lead NHL at season's midpoint, but see 1168931 SNAPSHOTS: Senators Jean-Gabriel Pageau themselves as 'work in progress' surprised he was fined by the NHL 1168966 Midseason grades: The Caps are one of the best teams in 1168932 Ottawa 67's tie franchise record with 14th consecutive the NHL, but not without their faults victory 1168933 GAME DAY: Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators Websites 1168974 The Athletic / The Athletic’s NHL Power Rankings: How do the teams stack up with the trade deadline approachin 1168934 Flyers’ stunning disparity in home-road play ‘could be a 1168975 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Filling out a World Cup mental thing,’ says Matt Niskanen roster for Team ’s B-Team 1168976 The Athletic / Projecting Team Russia: A team loaded with Penguins talent on the wings and in goal but with one glaring 1168935 Penguins forward Sam Lafferty hopes to learn from 1168977 .ca / From crazy comebacks to pig races, 2020 healthy scratch Winter Classic had it all 1168936 How do the Penguins replace Jake Guentzel’s offense? 1168978 Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Dubas goes 'above and beyond' in 1168937 Mark Madden: Jake Guentzel’s injury is Penguins’ worst support of Mikheyev after scary injury yet 1168979 TSN.CA / Dylan Cozens ready to face Lethbridge 1168938 Penguins coaches making sure more-disciplined Evgeni teammate Oliver Okuliar in quarters Malkin stays 'on the right side of the line' 1168980 TSN.CA / 's "hunch" on forward lines pays 1168939 Alex Galchenyuk gets first crack at replacing injured off for Maple Leafs Penguins star Jake Guentzel on Evgeni Malkin's left wing 1168981 TSN.CA / Alexis Lafreniere set to return for Canada at 1168940 What creative ways could the Penguins make up for the World Juniors loss of Jake Guentzel? 1168982 USA TODAY / Dallas Stars' Corey Perry ejected for elbowing Nashville Predators' Ryan Ellis at Winter Classic 1168941 San Jose Sharks’ 10 worst records by the halfway point Jets 1168942 Sharks at the halfway mark: How much worse can it get? 1168967 Brooks to anchor fourth line against Jets 1168943 Tomas Hertl is Sharks' Last Men In player for NHL All-Star 1168968 Connor not afraid of new heights Game voting 1168969 The decade that was: Top 5 Jets games, moments from 1168944 Sharks midseason report card: Aaron Dell offers a the 2010s glimmer of hope, but Brent Burns and others have to be 1168970 Jets survive Avalanche in New Year's Eve thriller much SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 St Louis Blues 1168945 Blues end the year on a down note as streak-busting Coyotes spoil the party 1168946 Coyotes' Keller loved the Blues' Cup run 1168947 See you next year: Blues win streak ends at eight 1168948 Coyotes have had Blues' number lately 1168949 MacKinnon, Avalanche to host the Blues 1168950 Kessel, Raanta help Coyotes stop Blues’ 8-game win streak 1168951 Lightning prospects look good at World Juniors 1168952 Lightning complete a season sweep of the Sabres 1168953 Short-handed Leafs defence makes a little room for the Specialist 1168954 Keefe’s Leafs enter new year with wins beneath their wings — chaos is so 2019 1168955 Tavares' up-close look at Nylander has Leafs impressed 1168956 Goal drought is not eating away at Leafs' Rielly 1168957 Leafs driven by optimism, but keeping feet on ground, as second half starts 1168958 Maple Leaf first half report cards 1168959 Maple Leafs midseason awards: Most intriguing, best newcomer, top forward, most disappointing, MVP 1168960 The Leafs believe they’re set up for big things in 2020: ‘I think we’ve shown everybody that we’re a real cont 1168961 Leafs Report Cards: dazzles in New Year’s Eve stinker against the Wild 1168962 With call up Teemu Kivihalme hopes for consistency, stability with Leafs in the new year 1168971 Vancouver Canucks teams of the decade, ranked 1168972 Ben Kuzma: Hughes-A-Palooza all-star hype won't steal showdown spotlight 1168973 The 9 biggest Canucks storylines to track in 2020 1168875 Anaheim Ducks homecoming. He received four-game suspensions for elbowing Claude Giroux of Philadelphia in 2009 and a late hit on Jason Zucker of Minnesota in 2013.

Why the Ducks’ youth movement could be costing them victories Perry played with the Ducks for 14 seasons, was a member of their 2006-07 championship team and won the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP after scoring 50 goals in 2010-11. But the Ducks By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: January 1, 2020 at 2:42 pm | bought him out of his contract last summer and he signed with the Stars. UPDATED: January 1, 2020 at 2:42 PM also is set to make his first visit to since the Ducks traded him to Dallas last Jan. 14. Cogliano played 584 games with the Ducks over eight seasons, missing only two because of a The game plan for 2019-20 was simple, but no one in the Ducks’ suspension by the league in 2017-18. executive suite expected it to be easy. General manager Bob Murray knew when he set it in motion that there would be tough times, followed Orange County Register: LOADED: 01.02.2020 by moments when he needed to be talked “off the ledge” as he put it recently.

This is one of those moments.

Or it would be if Murray weren’t attending the world junior championships in the , cheered by the exploits of top draft pick Trevor Zegras, who had nine primary assists to help to lead Team USA to a quarterfinal matchup Thursday with Finland.

However, several of the Ducks’ veterans voiced their frustration over the team’s inconsistent play after a 2-1 overtime loss Sunday to the Philadelphia Flyers and again after their lackluster 5-2 loss Tuesday to the Vegas Golden Knights. Their patience with the youth movement was under assault.

Goaltender John Gibson and defenseman Korbinian Hozler each addressed the Ducks’ obvious shortcomings after Tuesday’s disjointed defeat. They acknowledged the Ducks’ plan to integrate their youngest and least experienced players into their lineup could be costing them victories.

It’s a fair question.

Are the Ducks too young for their own good?

After all, six of their 18 skaters for the past three games have been 24 or younger, a wildly inconsistent stretch in which they have gone 1-1-1. and Isac Lundestrom are 20. Max Jones and are 21. is 22. Ondrej Kase is 24.

In fact, the Ducks are younger than expected because of injuries to veteran forwards Derek Grant (sprained shoulder) and Rickard Rakell (upper body). In addition, two other 24-or-under forwards, (sprained knee) and (fractured leg), also are sidelined.

“It’s hard to pinpoint any one thing,” Hozler said. “It could be that we’re young and we’re just learning on the fly. I know if you play in the AHL, there are times when can take your foot off the pedal a little bit for one or two shifts when you feel it at that time.

“In the NHL, there’s no time off. You have to be ready for every shift. Every shift can be the shift that shifts the momentum. If you have a bad shift and the next line goes out and has a bad shift, and all of a sudden it snowballs and you get caught in your zone and you’re just receiving the game.”

That certainly seemed to be the case Tuesday, when the Ducks were on the defensive right from the start. Vegas outshot the Ducks by 22-5 in the first period, en route to an eventual 4-1 lead midway through the third. By game’s end, the Ducks had been outshot 43-28.

AWKWARD HOMECOMING?

Corey Perry with a bad hit on Ryan Ellis pic.twitter.com/DzUWE27gVV

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 1, 2020

The Ducks planned to honor Corey Perry with a tribute video when he made his Honda Center return with the Dallas Stars on Jan. 9. His ejection from Wednesday’s game against the Nashville Predators could throw a wrench into the Ducks’ plans, though.

Perry was given a game misconduct for elbowing Ryan Ellis of the Predators in the head in the first period of the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. As a repeat offender, Perry is likely to be suspended by the NHL, which means he could be banned from the Ducks-Stars game next week.

Dallas plays only twice before visiting Honda Center. A suspension of more than two games would keep Perry off the ice for his Anaheim 1168876 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes recall D Kyle Capobianco, assign Aaron Ness to Tucson

BY ARIZONA SPORTS JANUARY 1, 2020 AT 11:33 AM

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kyle Capobianco has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, Tucson Roadrunners, the team announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, defenseman Aaron Ness was assigned to the Roadrunners.

Capobianco, 22, has played in seven games for the Coyotes this season and has one goal. He has four goals with 16 assists in 23 games with the Roadrunners.

He was drafted by the Coyotes in the third round of the 2015 Entry Draft.

Ness, 29, has one assist in 18 games played with the Coyotes this season.

Ness is playing in his first year with the Coyotes after signing as a free agent with the team.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168877 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes’ penalty kills, timely goals lead to much-needed win over Blues

BY MATT LAYMAN | DECEMBER 31, 2019 AT 10:39 PM UPDATED: JANUARY 1, 2020 AT 11:04 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The last game of the decade for the Arizona Coyotes carried considerable importance, and the team rose to the holiday occasion.

The Coyotes (22-16-4) didn’t want a win on Tuesday; they needed one, because their poor home record and three-game losing streak were both the wrong things to carry into 2020, when NHL hockey only gets more intense as the playoff race thickens. So Arizona beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions at home, 3-1, hours before the year 2019 came to a close.

“Nobody’s panicking in here, it’s our first three-game losing streak,” head coach Rick Tocchet said. “We don’t really listen to the outside noise. We had to worry about our game — the details of our game.

“I just felt that we believed that we were going to win, and that’s what we need is that belief.”

Tuesday was a welcome turnaround from the game prior. On Sunday night against Dallas, Arizona had a 2-0 lead going into second intermission and eventually lost 4-2. Dating back to last season, the Coyotes’ identity has been defense and penalty killing, while defense lacked at times lately. So too did the “details.”

The response against the Blues included a perfect penalty kill — including the kill of a long 5-on-3 Blues power play — and only one goal allowed all night.

“That was a huge momentum (shift) for us right there,” Tocchet said of the 5-on-3. “That’s hard work there and after we killed it, we kind of got back in the game. I thought that the penalty kill was huge for us tonight.”

Antti Raanta started in goal for the Coyotes and stopped 38 shots as Arizona was out-shot 39-26. Jake Allen was in goal for St. Louis.

“It was really good,” Raanta said of the penalty kill. “I think that was probably the first or second 5-on-3 this year for me. … We took the middle away really well, and they really didn’t get the one-timers. So it made my life a little bit easier.

“I think that gives you the kind of little push when you can kill the 5-on-3, and it was almost two minutes. So that gives you a little bit more energy, and I think in the third period and it was kind of our game, and we got the confidence from the kill, for sure.”

A first period goal by Conor Garland was his team-leading 14th of the season and his fourth point in three games. After Tyler Bozak knotted the game at 1-1, the Coyotes stymied the Blues power play to set the table for Phil Kessel’s third-period goal to make it 2-1.

Late in the third, the Blues were called for a penalty on a delayed call. Arizona stalled and brought the puck back into its own zone multiple times, killing about a minute of clock with a lead before St. Louis finally touched the puck to stop play. Then, the Coyotes started a power play with only 2:32 left to play and a 2-1 lead. It was a great deal of insurance.

An empty-netter from closed it out with a 3-1 final score.

“We’ve got a good team here,” Kessel said. “We work hard. We’re tough to play against and I think every night, we’re going to give them a close game.”

Arizona enters the New Year in second place in the Pacific Division, two points back of Vegas.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168878 Arizona Coyotes How that’s looking now? Pretty good. I didn’t foresee Hjalmarsson missing nearly three months with a broken left fibula. The Coyotes have only one shorthanded goal (although Grabner still gets a lot of chances), but their success rate stands at 82.3 percent, good for ninth in the NHL. Updated 10 bold predictions: Me vs. Mrs. Rita’s With Hjalmarsson nearing a return, that could climb. I’m feeling good about this prediction.

5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson will top 50 points if he is healthy By Craig Morgan Jan 1, 2020 What I said in September: I figured with health and better players around

him, Ekman-Larsson would finally recapture the offensive potential we At the beginning of the season, The Athletic asked its NHL beat writers to saw when he topped 20 goals in back-to-back seasons. make some predictions about the teams they cover. You all know how I How that’s looking now: OEL got off to a dreadful and perplexing start, as feel about predictions. As I noted in the story at the time, on my list of I discussed here. I’m not certain how much an offseason knee procedure prudent journalistic ventures, predictions rate right down there with any impacted Ekman-Larsson’s game, but coach Rick Tocchet was at a loss kind of rankings, mock drafts, fantasy advice or mafia exposés. to explain what he was seeing. That isn’t the case anymore. The edge Like a good soldier, however, I complied. that indicates OEL is at the top of his game is back, and so is his production. He has two goals and seven points in his past seven games. As we usher in a new year and pass the midpoint of the season, I have Overall, however, he has just four goals and 17 points in 42 games. decided to look back at those predictions to see how I am faring. Instead That’s a 33-point pace, which would be his lowest total for a full season of just looking at my own projections, however, I decided to compare since 2011-12. I don’t see a path to 50 points for OEL, but if he has a them to a fortune-teller far more adept at forecasting the future. You’ll strong second half, nobody will care because his game will play an remember I paid an October visit to Mrs. Rita’s Spiritual Awakening enormous role in the Coyotes’ playoff hopes. Center, the place made famous by that 1992 Gin Blossoms song. 6. Alex Meruelo will find an arena solution on the east side Nancy Nickels, the granddaughter of the center’s founder, Rita Miller, offered her own thoughts on the Coyotes. Let’s review our predictions What I said in September: Wait, what? Well, my masters wanted bold tête-à-tête. predictions. Why not go big? Meruelo has the money, he has the real estate background, and he has the gaming background. That’s a good My predictions skill set when chasing the impossible dream.

1. Phil Kessel’s point total in Arizona won’t greatly exceed Alex How that’s looking now: No idea. There is a lot of rumors, but nothing Galchenyuk’s point total in Pittsburgh substantial. By the way, if you’re wondering about Akimel 7, that proposed multi-billion-dollar next-generation sports and new media What I said in September: I figured Galchenyuk would be able to keep entertainment destination at Loops 101 and 202 in Scottsdale on the Salt pace because he was going to play on a team that featured future Hall of River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, the answer is no. The Coyotes Fame centers and Evgeni Malkin. Kessel’s best options are not affiliated with it. Nor do they intend to be. were Derek Stepan, Nick Schmaltz and Christian Dvorak. I envisioned Kessel reaching the 60-point plateau. 7. The power play will finish in the top half of the league

How that’s looking now? Not good. Kessel, who has had injury issues, What I said in September: The combination of Phil Housley, OEL, has nine goals and 22 points in 42 games, putting him on pace for 43 Kessel, Keller, Stepan and Nick Schmaltz has the potential to produce a points. Galchenyuk, who has also had injury issues, has four goals and competent to good power play. 13 points in 30 games. It looks as though Kessel will outstrip Galchenyuk substantially, but not because Kessel is producing at a great clip. He is How that’s looking now: This was a laughable prediction early in the actually underperforming, but not nearly so much as Galchenyuk, who season when the power play was a hot mess. Now? The Coyotes have has been a major disappointment in an otherwise excellent Penguins added and their power play ranks 12th in the NHL at 20.3 season. percent; 13th in power-play goals with 26.

2. Clayton Keller will top 60 points 8. Ilya Lyubushkin and Niklas Hjalmarsson will both score this season

What I said in September: I thought Keller looked motivated in the What I said in September: Exactly what is written above this line. Neither preseason and we all knew he had worked a ton on his shot. He also had player scored last season, making them the only two regulars on the that eight-year ($7.15 million AAV) contract extension to justify. roster who did not find the back of the net.

How that’s looking now? It didn’t look good early when Keller got off to a How that’s looking now: Hjalmarsson did me a solid by scoring a goal in slow start, but he has 10 goals and 29 points in 42 games, including six his third game (the game before he was injured). Lyubushkin scored in goals and 13 points in 14 December games. He is a shade off a 60-point the preseason. Does that count? No? OK, well, there are still 40 games pace (57), but given the way his game has come on, he looks like a good remaining. Пусть летит, товарищ. bet to reach 60, assuming he stays healthy. I like my chances with this 9. Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper will win the Jennings Trophy prediction. What I said in September: The Coyotes have one of the top five 3. Derek Stepan will look like his old self again … and this is not an old- goaltending tandems in the NHL, and we already know the team can play guy joke elite-level defense. If you don’t recognize this award, it is presented What I said in September: Stepan had posted between 53 and 57 points annually to the goaltender(s) “having played a minimum of 25 games for for five straight seasons before last season’s troubling 35-point effort. A the team with the fewest goals scored against it” during the regular 50-point season seems more than a reasonable expectation. season.

How that’s looking now? Not good. Stepan has just six goals and 12 How that’s looking now: Very good. The Coyotes are third in the NHL at points, suggesting that his offensive game may genuinely be in decline. 2.52 goals against per game, and Hjalmarsson, the heart of this team’s He is on pace for a career-low 23 points. Unless something dramatic defensive identity, is nearing a return. The four other teams we expected happens over the second half, Stepan will finish far below my projections. to be in the top five are all, indeed, in that top five. Boston is first, Dallas is second, St. Louis is fourth and the New York Islanders are fifth. 4. The PK will be every bit as effective this season 10. The Coyotes will make the playoffs What I said in September: I didn’t expect this year’s penalty-killing unit to match last season’s whopping 16 shorthanded goals, but I did expect the What I said in September: The Western Conference does not boast an unit to be successful because its principal pieces, Brad Richardson, elite team and the Pacific Division is wide open. Yes, they will. Michael Grabner, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jason Demer, were all healthy. How that’s looking now: Muddled. I think St. Louis is an elite team and I Last season, the PK finished third in the league with an 84.9-percent think Colorado is trending in that direction. I do still think the Pacific is success rate. wide open, although Vegas may be a notch above the other teams in the division. Despite their middling play over the past month-plus, the Coyotes have stayed in a playoff spot. I am getting the feeling that FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MOVING TO ARIZONA, THE #YOTES Edmonton is not a playoff team due to some oft-discussed roster ARE IN 1ST PLACE IN THEIR DIVISION AT THE 30-GAME MARK. shortages. I think this could be a season where each division puts four teams in the postseason. That bodes well for the Coyotes if they can just (H/T @ARIZONACOYOTES) PIC.TWITTER.COM/M6Y2FLNG7I take care of business on home ice, where they are a disappointing 9-10- — FOX SPORTS ARIZONA (@FOXSPORTSAZ) DECEMBER 6, 2019 1. On Dec. 16, the Coyotes acquired 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall Current score from New Jersey. On. Dec. 19, Kuemper suffered a lower-body injury Looking good: 4 that will sideline him until sometime around the All-Star break, thrusting Antti Raanta into the starter’s role. Yeah, that’s some significant change. Not looking good: 3 8. How will the team fare in February? Still unclear: 3 What they said in September: Nickels also said this would be a Mrs. Rita’s readings particularly good month for the Coyotes.

1. What did the Harvest card reading project? How it looks now: TBD. If true, however, it would go a long way toward locking up a playoff position. The Coyotes play 14 games in 29 (leap What they said in September: Nickels saw beneficial outcomes, but a year) February dates. By month’s end, they will have just 15 games need for patience in the building process. remaining in the season.

How it looks now: Very good. After a rough start, the Coyotes are 9. Will the Coyotes make the playoffs? trending toward the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and the four young players that president of hockey operations John Chayka signed What they said in September: Nickels said it would be close, but she saw to long-term extensions, Christian Dvorak, Jakob Chychrun, Nick a strong possibility of a postseason berth. Schmaltz and Clayton Keller, are now producing, despite slow starts by the latter three. How it looks now: The Coyotes are in second place in the Pacific Division, two points behind Vegas, but just two points above the final wild 2. Are the Coyotes cursed? card team (Edmonton).

What they said in September: No, but there is still negative energy 10. How long will it take the Coyotes to achieve real success? around the team that must be removed. What they said in September: They won’t experience quick results. It will How it looks now: With a new owner, a playoff position still in hand, and be one year before they experience real success, but that doesn’t mean Taylor Hall in the house, the Coyotes are doing all they can to dispel that there won’t be successes along the way. negative energy. How it looks now: There have obviously been successes along the way. 3. Will the Coyotes’ health be better this season than last season? The Coyotes have won both games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues, they beat NHL points leader Washington on the road, What they said in September: There will be considerably fewer injuries they have held their own against other elite teams, their young players than last season when the Coyotes lost around 400-man games to injury; are emerging, their goaltending has been elite and they are currently in a mostly to key players. playoff position. The rest is still up in the air.

How it looks now: The Coyotes are in the bottom half (the favorable half) Current score of the league in man-games lost to injury, but they have been without Hjalmarsson for almost three months, and goalie Darcy Kuemper is also Looking good: 6 on the shelf, likely until sometime around the All-Star break. Not looking good: 0 4. Will the Coyotes find an arena solution that allows them to remain in the Valley? Still unclear: 4

What they said in September: All signs point to a solution — and a quick Edge: Mrs. Rita’s one at that. The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 How it looks now: As noted above, the outlook is still unclear.

5. How will the team fare in October?

What they said in September: Constraint at the beginning and a need to shed the negative associations of the past.

How it looks now: The Coyotes lost their first two games because, well, they couldn’t score. Sound familiar? That problem dogged them last season and is still there to a lesser degree, but the Coyotes found a way to emerge from that early funk.

6. How will the team fare in November?

What they said in September: Nickels thought this would be a good month for the Coyotes. I thought she was crazy because they had to play 16 games in 29 days. They played four back-to-back sets, including games against the past two Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues. The travel schedule was brutal (Phil Kessel said he had never seen anything like it), they had just two, two-day breaks between games in the month (the rest were one-day breaks or back-to-backs) and they had just five practices.

How it looks now: The Coyotes went 8-5-3 in November, including wins on both ends of that back-to-back in Washington and St. Louis.

7. How will the team fare in December?

What they said in September: Nickels said this would be a month of significant change.

How it looks now: Early in December, the Coyotes climbed into first place in the Pacific Division. 1168879 The fourth line lost one of its rotating cast members in Noel Acciari, who put up a stunning 13 first-half goals in Florida. That would rank him fourth on the Bruins. But the physical element he brings also has been missing, with Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom dealing with first-half injuries. The bests and worsts for the Bruins in the season’s first half Iron man award

Zdeno Chara is 42, plays 20-22 minutes most nights, and is top-30 By Matt Porter Globe Staff,January 1, 2020, 12:28 p.m. among heavy-use defensemen in on-ice goals against (21). The only game he missed in the first half was because of jaw surgery. They’ll need

even more from him in the coming weeks, with Torey Krug, Charlie The Bruins begin January as one of the best teams in the NHL, but the McAvoy, and on the shelf. path to June is thorny and twisted. Quietest major story line So far, they should be prideful of their record (24-7-10), their 9-point lead Since training camp, Krug hasn’t said much about his contract status. on the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, and the fact that they’re one The Bruins remain interested in a long-term extension, and will not deal of three teams (Capitals, Blues) to snatch points in more than 70 percent him at the deadline, barring a shift in thinking. Jake DeBrusk, Bjork, Matt of their games. They have proven good enough to beat most opponents Grzelcyk — all RFAs-to-be — will have their hands out come June, but with a less-than-perfect game, but have relied on timely saves and we’ve yet to hear much of substance. power-play weaponry to win a bunch of games. We have yet to see extended stretches of the every-man-in hockey that nearly took them all Worst matchup I the way last year. Though they certainly can hang with the Capitals — going 1-1-1 so far, Taking stock of the Bruins after Game 41 by doling out some first-half including a 7-3 win — the Bruins don’t look like they’ll be up for slugging superlatives: it out with them in a seven-game series. Can they outskate and out-skill them? Better hope Tom Wilson reverts to his old line-crossing ways. Team MVP Worst matchup II Brad Marchand wasn’t an All-Star, because even the teams that are tanking get a rep. So we’ll cast our ballot for the brilliant, edgy winger, The only team to beat Boston twice in the first half was Colorado, which who sits 20-39—59 at the break. Only Bobby Orr (five times) and Adam scored four goals each on Rask and Halak and allowed a total of three Oates (twice) have had 80-assist seasons in Boston. We could see a (five, if you count the pair taken off the board Oct. 10). third. Biggest villain Globe Staff Top sniper Tempted to say Wilson — ideally, he’d DOPS himself out of Game 1 — Like Marchand, David Pastrnak could flirt with 120 points unless he cools but it has to be the league’s offside reviews. Fire that rule into the sun. significantly. He leads the league in goals (29) halfway through. The only Bruin to score 60 is , who did it four times in five years Best home cooking (1970-75). If we’re aiming lower, Pastrnak (29-30—59) could be the sixth The Bruins lost just once at home in the first half (14-1-8), taking points Bruin to score 50 (last: Cam Neely in 1993-94). from 22 of 23 games. The latter figure is critical. They were at home for Most efficient 56 percent of the first half, so they’ll do the reverse from here. Their playoff push will be particularly taxing: 14 of the final 23 on the road, Patrice Bergeron missed nine games and has still put up a 17-18—35 including trips to Western Canada and California. line, has had four multiple-goal games, and was the NHL’s pick (over Marchand) for the Bruins in the “Last Man In” All-Star vote. He could hit Worst finishers the 80-point mark for the first time if he stays healthy. The Bruins were 0 for 6 in shootouts in the first half, the most feeble mark Biggest monster in the league. Their top six forwards were a combined 1 for 15 on attempts. I dunno. You tell me. The two-headed goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask (All-Star) and Jaroslav Halak (All-Star Backup). Not sure Bruins fans appreciate how Best save good they’ve been. Gotta hand it to Rask, who gave Buffalo’s Evan Rodrigues nightmares Tuukka rask and Jaroslav Halak have backstopped the Bruins to a 41- with his palm. 24-7 mark. Worst luck Biggest disappointment Kevan Miller’s comeback is on hold, his twice-broken kneecap keeping The Bruins are still looking for a right-side triggerman for David Krejci. him off skates after a brief early-fall return. Tough guy. Tough run for him. Maybe it’s Charlie Coyle, with a third-line center arriving via trade (more Best meltdown likely) or I-95 (less likely). Maybe it’s Karson Kuhlman or Zach Senyshyn, both sidelined for much of the first half. Maybe Danton Heinen, a healthy Rask has calmed down over the years. Halak is still raging. scratch to end 2019, puts it together. On Nov. 4, after hometown boy John Marino (North Easton) scored a We can know that neither David Backes nor is the answer. late-period goal for the Penguins, the netminder let his stick feel his The trade deadline (Feb. 24) won’t be a time to stand pat. wrath.

Nicest development Biggest beatdown

He has plenty of room to grow, but Anders Bjork has finally established Punting the Canadiens around their own building, 8-1, on Nov. 26. Not himself as an NHL winger after shoulder injuries wrecked his first two pro too often you win by a touchdown in Montreal. seasons. Ideally, general manager Don Sweeney would find that missing piece higher in the order, and a Bjork-Coyle-Heinen line would find its Most heartwarming moment rhythm. Three-year-old cancer fighter “The Mighty Quinn” Waters dropped a Most bland ceremonial first puck on Hockey Fights Cancer night at TD Garden, and his Weymouth homie Coyle scored a goal for him. The Bruins’ middle six, in general. There are flashes of speed and finish on the wings, some puck possession and playmaking in the middle, but Biggest heartbreak it’s too often missing on most nights. Coach Bruce Cassidy uses his first Losing Bruins fan Pete Frates at age 34 to ALS. As fierce a fighter as and fourth lines for the most important situations of the game. He’s there was. As terrible a disease as there is. constantly shuffling chairs in the middle of the lineup. Most forgetful fan Biggest what-if From the police notes of my hometown Gloucester Daily Times: A Gloucester man reported to police that his Bruins sweatshirt — “to which he attached immense sentimental value” — was stolen while he was working out at the local YMCA. An hour later, he called back to report that he’d been wearing the sweatshirt the whole time, under his vest, and didn’t remember putting it on.

Boston Globe LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168880 Boston Bruins where you’re letting big points slip by,” said Bergeron. “We’ve got to rectify that. Obviously you don’t want to put yourself in that position when you’re up by a goal in the third. We’re better than as far as closing games and being smart and staying on our toes and sticking to our system. But Bruins need more help from rest of lineup if you’re in that position, you’ve got to bear down to get that extra point.”

B’s need more from role players What we’re even less bothered by than the shootout is the All-Star game. The contrivances of the league’s annual money grab always lead to

snubs, but Marchand is tied for third in the league in scoring. He’s now By STEVE CONROY | January 1, 2020 at 7:00 PM scored at least 20 goals in nine of 10 of full NHL season. If someone like Marchand is not at the All-Star game, then the so-called honor of being named a participant has ceased to have any meaning.

So here the Bruins stand at the exact halfway point in their regular The Bruins have displayed a maddening penchant for playing down to season. They own a nine-point lead over the second-place Toronto the competition with losses to Detroit, Ottawa and now New Jersey. And Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, the biggest advantage of any of the on Thursday they welcome another non-playoff team in the Columbus four division leaders, and they trail only the NHL-leading Washington Blue Jackets to town. But the Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the Capitals — by a single point. league right now, riding an 11-game point streak that has them five points out of a playoff spot. And despite what could have been crippling injuries recently, they are riding an eight-game point streak. Their plus-33 is the best goal Boston Herald LOADED: 01.02.2020 differential in the league.

Life should be good, right? Well, not so fast. The B’s are bona fide Stanley Cup contenders and, as such, they have high expectations to meet. And forgive us, but this team’s incomplete state is becoming more pronounced. The current injuries are contributing to their issues right now, of course, but even when healthy they’re not getting enough help from some of their support players. It’s not to the point of panic, but it is something to keep an eye on.

In the B’s shootout loss to the Devils on New Year’s Eve in Newark, coach Bruce Cassidy was looking to send a message to middle six- forward Danton Heinen by scratching him for his backsliding play of late, which was fine. He’d been slumping. What wasn’t fine was the lack of anyone else in the middle-six seizing the opportunity. And they needed someone to step up in the absence of David Krejci. Brett Ritchie, Par Lindholm, Jake DeBrusk and Anders Bjork all failing to land a shot on net. David Backes put a couple on net, but he couldn’t seem to get his motor going in just 7:57 of ice time.

The B’s threw 30 shots on net and nearly half of them (14) were generated by the top line of David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Eight more came from the defensemen.

As they stand right now, the B’s have two settled lines, it appears. They are the Bergeron line and the so-called fourth line of Sean Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Joakim Nordstrom, though that line is really more valuable than a typical fourth line as it often sees matchups against top lines.

The middle of the lineup, meanwhile, is muddled. Heinen has just six goals in 40 games. Bjork has six in 33. Ritchie, brought in with the hopes that his one 16-goal season in Dallas was not an aberration, has two in 23 games, the last one on Oct. 22. The DeBrusk-Krejci pairing on the second line has proven to be productive and there should be no rush to break that up, but it’s still a little concerning that DeBrusk followed up his two-goal effort against the Sabres after being benched with zero shots on goal in Jersey.

Could new blood from Providence help? Zach Senyshyn, knocked out of the lineup for a month with an untimely knee injury, has three games under his belt in Providence. He hasn’t scored in those games, a trend that continues to be perplexing, but he looked, at the very least, intriguing in his handful of games in Boston. It’s clear that management is wary of rushing , and that’s understandable, but he might be worth another look.

Whether it comes from the current roster, the farm or elsewhere, this team appears to be in need of a boost despite the lofty position it holds at the halfway point.

Is that assessment harsh? Maybe. But the weight that the top line is carrying is not good for the team’s hopes for another long playoff run.

Here are a couple more thoughts as the stretched-thin B’s were given the day off on Wednesday:

We tend here not to pay too much attention to the B’s long-standing troubles with the shootout. The skills competition disappears in the playoffs. But it’s now six points that have been squandered (0-6). That’s a lot. The B’s were close on Tuesday. Marchand hit the post on a nice move and Bergeron was thwarted on a great save by Mackenzie Blackwood. But it is getting frustrating. “I guess it is (part of the game) 1168881 Boston Bruins That trade ultimately netted the Celtics Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving. Not too shabby, even if the latter didn’t pan out as hoped. Brown and Tatum now look like franchise cornerstones for years to come. The 12 biggest Boston sports stories of the 2010s NOW WHAT? Red Sox manager Terry Francona (left) and bench coach DeMarlo Hale look on during yesterday’s 9-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Sox are only 31/2 games ahead of the By STEVE HEWITT | January 1, 2020 at 6:00 am Rays in the wild card race.

8. A collapse for the ages What a wild decade it was for Boston sports. In one of the lowest moments in team history, the Red Sox held a nine- On the field, the ice and the parquet, the big four stayed pace with the game wild-card lead in September 2011, only to watch it slip away in an first decade of the millenium, matching the six championships won in the epic meltdown. The Sox went 7-20 in the final month, and the collapse 2000s with another half dozen in the 2010s, including three more for the was punctuated in Game 162, when they suffered a walk-off loss to the Patriots and two for the Red Sox. Success became more than expected Orioles that eliminated them from making the playoffs. around these parts. The fallout was legendary, too, and ended an era in ugly fashion. Terry Outside the lines, there was just as much attention. Controversies, Francona — who guided the Sox to two championships — left the tragedies and and even some inspirational stories surrounding the franchise, Theo Epstein went to the Cubs and it was soon revealed that biggest sports stars dominated the news cycle accordingly. several pitchers — including Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey — were eating chicken and drinking beer during games they weren’t If it’s any indication of what’s to come, we’re in for another crazy ride into playing in. the next decade as we enter the 2020s. But before that, we wanted to reflect on the decade that was. So much happened, it was impossible to 7. An historic season narrow the last 10 years into a Top 10. Instead, here are the Top 12 Despite winning another division title in 2017, the Red Sox weren’t biggest sports stories that we’ll remember the 2010s for: getting it done in the playoffs, and so they fired John Farrell. They quickly 12. David Ortiz shot hired Alex Cora to replace him, and the rest was history. The rookie manager led the Red Sox to a franchise record 108 wins during the Shock hit the region on the evening of June 9 this year when it was regular season, and they continued their dominance in the postseason to reported that David Ortiz had been shot in the back while at a bar in his a 2018 championship. Cora changed the culture, and everything he native Dominican Republic. The Red Sox legend survived, but was touched turned to gold. severely wounded and required multiple surgeries on his way to a lengthy recovery. The motives behind the shooting remain a mystery. The title made the Sox the preeminent baseball franchise this millennium, giving them four World Series championships since 2000, one more than Ortiz was released from Mass. General Hospital on July 26, about seven the Giants. weeks after the shooting, and made his first public appearance when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at on Sept. 9. The Bruins’ Johnny Boychuk, goalie Tim Thomas, and Rich Peverley celebrate winning the Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks at 11. A local star is born Rogers Arena last night.

Aly Raisman became a face of gymnastics, as the 6. Bruins end the drought Needham native keyed the Olympics teams in both 2012 and 2016. A member of the ‘Fierce Five’ at the London Games in 2012, Raisman The first championship of the decade came from the franchise that had a helped the U.S. earn the gold medal in the team event, and she became longer drought than anybody. After seeing the Patriots, Red Sox and the first American woman to win gold in floor. She returned for the Rio de Celtics already win titles this millennium, the Bruins finally joined them in Janeiro Games in 2016 as the U.S. won gold again. 2011, winning their first since 1972 on a memorable run through the . They beat the rival Canadiens in overtime of Game Raisman’s greatest impact came after those Games. In November 2017, 7 in the first round, and then, led by the dominance of goaltender Tim she came forward as one of the many victims and survivors who were Thomas, ousted the Lightning in seven games before winning Game 7 on sexually abused by former Olympic team physician Larry Nassar, who the road against the Canucks to lift the Cup in Vancouver. was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment, and she became one of the most outspoken voices and leaders of women’s rights. 5. Aaron Hernandez

10. The sixth ring With the world at his fingertips, Aaron Hernandez threw his career and ultimately his life away in what was a tragic story. In 2013, the former The Patriots’ Super Bowl 53 victory over the Rams might not have been Patriots tight end was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of the most entertaining game of all time, but it was nonetheless significant. Odin Lloyd, who was dating Hernandez’s sister at the time and whose The win ensured the Patriots at least a share of the title as the most body was found in an industrial park about one mile from Hernandez’s successful franchise in the history of football, their sixth Super Bowl in 18 house after he was shot multiple times and killed. Hernandez was seasons tying them with the Steelers for the most titles all time. It also convicted in 2015. placed Tom Brady firmly atop the greatest of all time list, the quarterback’s six titles the most for any one player in history. On April 19, 2017, the same day the Patriots visited the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl 51 victory, Hernandez was found dead in his This win could be bigger than we think, too. With the 42-year-old Brady prison cell just 1.5 miles away from Gillette Stadium. He was 27 years nearing the end of his legendary career, it might have been the last old. Super Bowl win of the Brady-Belichick era. That story is still being written. 4. Super Bowl mystery

Paul Pierce, power forward Kevin Garnett and shooting guard Ray Allen The best singular play of the decade belongs to Malcolm Butler, whose in 2011./File unthinkable interception at the goal line lifted the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl 49 over the Seahawks. The undrafted rookie cornerback’s 9. End of an era, and starting anew improbable path to making that play was nothing short of the stuff of legend, but his Patriots’ tenure is still left with question marks because of It inevitably had to come to an end, but the Celtics’ Big 3 that formed what happened three years later, when he was shockingly benched in before the 2007-08 championship season outlived its expected shelf life. the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. Butler played one snap on Ray Allen’s stunning decision to go to the rival Miami Heat as a free special teams in that game, but never saw the field even as the Pats’ agent in 2012 was the first domino to fall. Then, after one more season, defense was being thrashed. Danny Ainge pulled the plug and traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a blockbuster deal with the Nets that landed the C’s three future first- Nearly two years later, it still remains a mystery why Butler was benched. round picks as they went into rebuild mode. Even the cornerback, who left after that season and signed with the Titans, claims he doesn’t know. For now, it continues to be one of the more confusing stories in Boston sports history.

3. Deflategate

It remains and will continue to be one of the most ridiculous sports stories of all time, not just in Boston. The allegations that Tom Brady deliberately ordered footballs to be illegally deflated for the Patriots’ AFC Championship win over the Colts in 2015 including everything, from Bill Belichick claiming he wasn’t a scientist and dropping “My Cousin Vinny” references during an epic presser, to the case that was famously coined “Deflategate” being taken to court. Ultimately, Roger Goodell and the NFL came down hard on Brady and the Patriots, serving the quarterback a four-game suspension that he served at the beginning of the 2016 season, and the team was fined $1 million and forced to forfeit two draft picks.

The Pats got the last word, though, winning Super Bowl 51 with Brady being named MVP.

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman makes a miraculous catch in the fourth quarter besting Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal, cornerback Robert Alford , and free safety Ricardo Allen in Super Bowl XLI at NRG Stadium on Sunday, February 5, 2017.

2. 28-3

The Patriots were dead. Buried. There was seemingly no hope when Tevin Coleman’s third-quarter touchdown put the Falcons up 28-3 in Super Bowl 51. That is, to everybody but Brady and the Pats. Stephen Gostkowski’s field goal pulled the Pats to a 28-12 deficit early in the fourth quarter, but the odds of a comeback still seemed far-fetched. That’s when Dont’a Hightower’s strip-sack changed the game. The Pats promptly scored to pull within eight before Brady led them on an epic drive that included an improbable catch by Julian Edelman to tie the game late in the fourth.

When the Pats won the coin toss in overtime, the outcome was inevitable. James White’s two-yard touchdown run completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

1. A city’s resilient response

They messed with the wrong city. The marathon bombings in 2013 knocked Boston down, but not for long. The strength and resilience of the city were shown in the days, months and years after the attacks in so many ways, and sports played a significant and vital role in helping heal and unite a truly stronger Boston. One of the most chilling moments of the decade came two days after the bombings. The Bruins returned to TD Garden, where an unforgettable national anthem was performed in which the crowd sang along.

Three days after that, the Red Sox returned to Fenway Park, where survivors and first responders of the bombings were honored in another emotional pregame ceremony. That’s when David Ortiz famously grabbed a microphone and uttered the words, “This is our (expletive) city.”

That set the stage for the Red Sox’ incredible run to a 2013 World Series title. Backed by Ortiz, whose grand slam in Game 3 of the ALCS was a turning point before he took home World Series MVP honors, the Sox took down the Cardinals in six games to become champions and cap a storybook ending for a city that deserved one.

Boston Herald LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168882 Boston Bruins *Nordstrom played a gritty fourth-line game, scored a second-period goal by crashing the net and finished with four shot attempts, a hit and a takeaway in 12:06 of ice time. He gives you everything he’s got every game. What we learned in Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils *David Pastrnak very nearly had a goal when he ripped a one-timer through Blackwood's pads on a first-period power play, but ended up with an assist when Brad Marchand swept the puck into the back of the net. By Joe Haggerty January 01, 2020 5:46 PM He finished with a game-high nine shots on net in 20:54 of ice time and did his job helping the B’s build up an early lead.

Here’s what we learned from the Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the New Rangers' Kreider drawing trade interest Jersey Devils on Tuesday afternoon at the Prudential Center in Newark. *Jaroslav Halak stopped 42 of 44 shots and gave the Bruins every 1) The Bruins are terrible against bad competition. chance to win a game they certainly didn’t deserve the way they stopped playing midway through the game. They're 2-1-3 against each of the four last-place teams in the NHL this season and have losses to each of them (the Detroit Red Wings, New Minus Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings). Most of *Danton Heinen was a healthy scratch after getting benched for the third them were shootout losses so they were at least competitive, with only a period in the Sunday night win over the Buffalo Sabres. It’s time for regulation loss to Detroit that might have been their worst/most Heinen, Jake DeBrusk and other young veterans to start playing with embarrassing of the season. consistency and intensity every game. Is this really a long-term concern for a team that still has a commanding *Meanwhile, David Backes, Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm all got nine-point lead in the division and will be a playoff team regardless of chances to play with David Krejci injured and Danton Heinen scratched how many times they fumble away points against bad teams? It’s and they didn’t do much of anything with it. probably not given that the Bruins will be playing with high energy and high effort when it gets to the playoffs against quality opponents and the *Blake Coleman always plays well against the Bruins and this time dregs of the NHL will be long gone by that point. around was no exception for the Devils high energy forward with a goal, eight shot attempts and plenty of offensive pressure throughout. LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.02.2020 Teams App.

Still, there’s something about teams consistently playing down to their competition that speaks to this group's overall makeup and the ability to consistently focus no matter what’s going on around them. It just isn’t a terribly good reflection on them that they consistently stop playing against bad teams once they feel like the game’s in the bag as they did in the second period vs. New Jersey when the B's went up, 2-0.

2) Stop us if you've heard it before, but the Bruins are tracking to be historically bad in shootouts.

They're 0-6 in shootouts this season and the only good goal they got on Tuesday afternoon was a slick backhanded, top-shelf offering from fourth-line winger Chris Wagner while Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron, among others, couldn’t score on Mackenzie Blackwood.

In an interesting stat from 98.5 the SportsHub’s Ty Anderson, Bergeron actually hasn’t successfully scored in the shootout since April 2015 and has gone 13 consecutive shootout chances without scoring.

A great deal of it is predictability as plenty of the B’s shooters have historically tried to go five-hole on goaltenders in the last few seasons, but that wasn’t really the case on Tuesday. They were just getting stoned on their attempts with Blackwood while not really doing anything too exotic.

Haggerty: Bruins middle lines invisible in shootout loss to Devils

The good news as far as this all concerned: The Bruins won’t have to worry about the shootout, or 3-on-3 for that matter, when it comes to the playoffs.

3) Sean Kuraly seems to be getting back on track after a slow start.

Kuraly was only credited with an assist on the second goal of the game when both the big fourth-line center and Joakim Nordstrom were grinding in front of the net for a rebound of a point shot, but it could have easily been his goal.

Kuraly finished December with a goal and six points in 15 games, along with a plus-3 rating and 13:10 average of ice time, and only the big three, David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk had more points among B’s forwards than Kuraly the past month.

More important, he was a plus player for the month and his line has done a better job of playing responsible two-way hockey for a fourth line that’s very much relied upon by Bruce Cassidy in many different situations.

Plus 1168883 Buffalo Sabres This is the third time in less than 12 months a Sabre has reportedly requested a trade. Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu did so before he was dealt to the shortly before the deadline last February, and Bogosian allegedly made his intentions known after being a healthy Sabres' Evan Rodrigues does not deny he wants a fresh start elsewhere scratch Dec. 12. Bogosian has been scratched in seven of the Sabres' past nine games.

Rodrigues has 21 goals among 65 points in 178 career regular-season By Lance Lysowski Published Wed, Jan 1, 2020|Updated Wed, Jan 1, games in the NHL, and he played 128 regular-season games with the 2020 Rochester Americans. Consistency has eluded him this season.

Rodrigues recorded a season-high six shots on goal with one assist in Evan Rodrigues did not deny he wants a fresh start after spending four- 13:54 during a 3-1 loss in Ottawa on Dec. 23, only to play 6:29 against plus seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. However, the 26-year-old forward the Boston Bruins four days later. acknowledged to reporters Wednesday that he's unhappy with his role "I think you always believe in yourself and always have that confidence," under coach Ralph Krueger and wants more ice time. Rodrigues said. "Yeah, a game like that kind of gives you a little boost, "I’m a hockey player who wants to play hockey," Rodrigues said outside and it’s frustrating for myself to not see myself do that consistently. That’s the Sabres' dressing room in KeyBank Center. "I think that’s pretty much, kind of what I see myself as and what I want to be doing. I just want to be anyone out there will tell you the same thing. It’s a job, it’s a career. Just playing and getting those chances." want to play hockey." Team meeting Rodrigues, a pending restricted free agent making $2 million, was Rather than practicing or dissecting their latest loss, the Sabres gathered scratched Tuesday for the 17th time this season. Two hours before puck Wednesday morning for a team meeting where Krueger summarized drop against the Tampa Bay Lightning, TSN's reported their first 41 games, and they went over what’s possible during the that Rodrigues, like defenseman Zach Bogosian, expressed a desire to season’s second half. He also wanted to evaluate how they were be traded by the Sabres. affected by having to play 21 games in 39 days. Krueger declined to say whether he was frustrated by another report of a The Sabres host the in KeyBank Center on Thursday player wanting out, but he made his stance clear. night to begin a stretch of 18 games in 46 days. Krueger also spoke "I can only speak to what is, and what is is we will end up here with a about how the Sabres are forming the habits necessary to be consistent, group of players that really want to be here, and we will work with the and he explained why their play has started to slip recently. players that really want to be here, and quite clearly, play the players that “What’s happening is the mental fatigue of sustaining those habits over want to be here," Krueger said following the Sabres' team meeting. and over and over again for 60 minutes, it’s still not there,” Krueger said. Rodrigues has zero goals in 24 games and only one in 51 games dating “It’s still not there. We still don’t have the mental wherewithal to stick with back to last season. He was scratched Tuesday in favor of forward those habits. As soon as we are plus-35 seconds in a shift, as soon as Dalton Smith, who played only 1:26 and received a two-minute penalty we’re four games in seven days and it’s tough time, we have individual for roughing. Rodrigues played less than 10 minutes in six of the Sabres' breakdowns still in those situations. And those will go away because the previous 10 games. hearts are in the right place.”

Rodrigues is averaging a career-low 10:42 of ice time while recording 'Processing pain' three assists with a minus-5. Krueger spoke to the media for approximately 15 minutes following the "Yeah, I’m not going to say I’m happy with that," Rodrigues said of his team meeting in what could be called a state-of-the-Sabres address. production. "I expect more from myself. Just getting those chances and Though Krueger wanted his players to not dwell on the negative aspects playing, it will come. I don’t doubt myself, but obviously it’s not the result I of the 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay, he emphasized the importance of learning wanted." from what went wrong.

His role is different than the one he had last season under former Sabres “What winners are able to do is bring themselves into constructive coach Phil Housley. processes quickly,” Krueger said. “That’s what processing pain in life is all about. So, if you stick with the pain and you stick with the process too Rodrigues, who signed with the Sabres as an undrafted free agent in long, it will eat you up. There’s no room in this April 2015, set career highs in goals (9), assists (20) and points (29) to feel sorry for yourself. … So, pain is there to test you and for you to while averaging 15:49 of ice time. He emerged as their second-best learn and grow from is you use it properly. Otherwise, all it does is eat option at center and was a key cog on the team’s penalty kill while you up and turn you into a loser. So, it’s making those winning decisions solidifying himself as a full-time NHL player. The performance resulted in is what we need to learn to do better.” him being awarded a one-year, $2 million contract through arbitration in July. Buffalo News LOADED: 01.02.2020

However, Rodrigues struggled in his first training camp under Krueger and was a healthy scratch in seven of the Sabres’ first 11 games. He has played only 12:53 on the power play this season and remained in a bottom-six role when the Sabres were in need of a second-line center. While Rodrigues denied that playing in a new system slowed his progress, Krueger views the situation differently.

"What happens is the competition in the group has been hard and some players will profit from it and some of them will struggle," Krueger said of Rodrigues. "It’s also the principles and concepts we’re looking for. I told you early on that some players who play a different way, they’ll have to give up some of themselves to become part of a group dynamic, which gives us a chance to win every night here. If all five guys on the ice are connected then we have a chance and if we’re not we won’t.

"What would happen is often players will give up or lose on the offensive side, and it’s possible with him that’s the pathway that’s been difficult for him. Not for everybody does that come as easy, and he just needs to continue to work on his game, and we’ll make decisions on lineup for lineup and look at the facts. Again, we’ll deal with that inside and internally with what the truth is of the situation. Not everybody evolves at the same pace within the concepts or principles of a team." 1168884 Buffalo Sabres on the team and is now out for three to four weeks – the Sabres' middle six pales woefully in comparison to the rest of the league. The group of Marcus Johansson, Johan Larsson, Vladimir Sobotka, Jimmy Vesey, Zemgus Girgensons, Conor Sheary and have a total of Five years later, Sabres and Oilers have given Jack Eichel and Connor 33 goals in more than 3,500 minutes. Eichel and alone, the McDavid little help team’s top two forwards by usage, have 36 goals in less than half the time.

In Edmonton, the issues are really with any forward who hasn’t played By Travis Yost Published Wed, Jan 1, 2020|Updated Wed, Jan 1, 2020 with one or both of McDavid or Leon Draisaitl this season. The Oilers have the least productive bottom six in the league – forwards six through 14 by usage total 24 goals, which would mean four forwards (David Travis Yost has been involved in the world of hockey analytics for a Pastrnak, Auston Matthews, Eichel and McDavid) have met or exceeded decade and is part of TSN's Hockey Analytics team. Prior to joining TSN, Edmonton’s entire depth scoring. Yost was a contributor at the Ottawa Citizen, the Sporting News and NHL Numbers, and he has been a consultant for an NHL franchise. He will be When you are thinking about the resumes put together by the likes of contributing breakdowns on the Buffalo Sabres for The Buffalo News this Eichel or McDavid through the first few years of their careers, it’s season. Follow Yost on Twitter: @travisyost. important to keep this context in mind.

When the 2015 NHL Draft started to take shape, observers around the Both organizations have failed to build around their stars, and at least for National Hockey League knew that Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel this season, it’s hard to see where help will come from. would forever be linked. McDavid, taken first overall by Edmonton, was Buffalo News LOADED: 01.02.2020 billed as hockey’s next superstar – a generational talent in the same vein as Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin.

Eichel was taken second overall by Buffalo. Eichel, a talent worthy of being first overall, was available at the time when Buffalo had the No. 2 pick by random chance – the random chance of McDavid being draft eligible the same year as Eichel and the random chance of the lottery. But neither Edmonton nor Buffalo would complain.

With a bona fide superstar down the middle of the lineup for the foreseeable future, the teams and their fans expected playoff hockey and perennial Stanley Cup aspirations would return to two vintage hockey markets.

But hockey remains a team sport – you can have weapons like McDavid and Eichel in your lineup, but asking them to unilaterally pull a roster to a postseason finish line is the tallest of orders. And that’s why Oilers and Sabres fans have been so frustrated for so long.

Since entering the league (and prorating the expansion team in Vegas), these two franchises are 24th and 31st respectively in the win-loss column.

It is mind-boggling how difficult it has been for these organizations to build around their stars. And it’s on full display again in the 2019-20 season, where after hot October starts, the Oilers and Sabres have emphatically regressed to the middle of the pack.

McDavid is having a Hart Trophy caliber season, and Eichel isn’t far behind. But with little to no help around them, it’s starting to feel like nothing will change. The two superstars will be on the ice together Thursday in KeyBank Center for the Oilers' annual visit.

Edmonton did little to improve the roster around McDavid this season – mostly because of terrible cap management under the prior regime, but some because of new General Manager ’s “wait and see” approach. Buffalo was the opposite: The Sabres targeted the trade market and free agency to improve at both the forward and defensive positions, bringing in a litany of new names.

The forward position specifically was supposed to be an upgrade: Marcus Johansson, Conor Sheary and Jimmy Vesey were supposed to give Buffalo more juice in the middle six of their lineup, as were new faces Victor Olofsson and . Olofsson has produced admirably. The rest of the group? Not so much.

To understand just how top heavy these teams are, I plotted out each team’s scoring contributions from its forward group as a percentage of total goals scored by forwards this season. Skaters of similar usage are measured against one another, so the most commonly used forward on Buffalo’s roster (Eichel) is compared to the most commonly used forward for the other 30 teams, and so on.

Eichel has scored a whopping 25% of goals from Buffalo forwards this year, and McDavid is at 30%. Those are extreme outliers for both – in part because of how strong Eichel and McDavid have been, and in part because of how poor the rest of the forward groups for these respective teams have been:

For the Sabres, you can see that the middle six is crushing this team. Outside of – who curiously is playing the fifth-most minutes 1168885 Calgary Flames that throwback look or if TJ Brodie, who was unavailable against the Blackhawks due to illness, is ready to return … The Flames swept the two-game season series last winter, out-scoring the Rangers by a 9-2 total. GameDay: New York Rangers at Calgary Flames FLAMES LINEUP

Forwards Wes Gilbertson – –

Matthew Tkachuk – – Michael Frolik THURSDAY – – New York Rangers (19-16-4) at Calgary Flames (20-17-5) Zac Rinaldo – – 7 p.m. MT, Saddledome, Sportsnet Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan Defence

THE BIG MATCHUP –

Flames LW vs. Rangers D Adam Fox –

The Flames were worried that Fox wouldn’t sign in Calgary after – Michael Stone completing his collegiate career at Harvard, so they included the Goaltenders offensive-minded from Jericho, N.Y., in that blockbuster trade with the in June 2018. Then, after reports he wouldn’t sign in Raleigh, the Hurricanes shipped his rights to the Rangers. Now 21, inked to an entry-level contract and presumably loving life in the Big Apple, Fox has contributed five goals and 14 assists, is RANGERS LINEUP coming off his third career multi-point performance and is sitting third among all rookies with 52 blocked shots. The Flames selected Fox in the Forwards third round of the 2016 NHL Draft, part of a haul that was headlined by Tkachuk. The 21-year-old winger — soon headed to his first all-star Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – game — snapped his stick over his knee in the final seconds of Artemi Panarin – Ryan Strome – Jesper Fast Tuesday’s loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and will be anxious to take out his frustrations on the Rangers. He piled up five points in two – – Kaapo Kakko meetings with the Blueshirts last season. Brendan Smith – Greg McKegg – Micheal Haley FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME Defence OUT WITH A LOSS Brady Skjei – Jacob Trouba The Flames capped 2019 — and the decade, too — with a dud, digging themselves a three-goal hole in the first period en route to a 5-3 loss to – Tony DeAngelo the Chicago Blackhawks on New Year’s Eve. The Saddledome hosts Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox nearly tied it up late, but they don’t award standings points for close calls. The Rangers were even further behind Tuesday, trailing the Edmonton Goaltenders Oilers by six, and their own furious comeback effort ultimately fell short in Henrik Lundqvist a 7-5 loss at . Alexandar Georgiev HOME STRUGGLES INJURIES The Flames have now lost five in a row at home, with an 0-4-1 record under their saddle-shaped roof since mid-December. Overall, they are Flames — D TJ Brodie (illness), D Juuso Valimaki (knee) 10-7-3 at the Saddledome this season. “For whatever reason, we’re not getting points on home ice, and we have to correct that right away,” said Rangers — D Libor Hajek (knee), LW (hand) club captain Mark Giordano after the latest bummer. “You take a lot of SPECIAL TEAMS pride playing in your home building in front of your fans, but it has to be a place where you pile up the points, for sure.” Power play (prior to Wednesday’s action)

BANG FOR BUCK Flames: 18.7% (23-for-123, T-18th)

Artemi Panarin scored the biggest contract of last summer as an Rangers: 18.7% (25-for-134, T-18th) unrestricted free agent, scribbling his name on a seven-year, US$81.5- million mega-deal with the Rangers. That’s a lot of loot, but this is looking Penalty kill (prior to Wednesday’s action) like a wise investment so far. Nicknamed ‘Breadman,’ the 28-year-old Flames: 83.8% (4th) Panarin piled up four more points in Thursday’s 7-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He arrived in Calgary with 22 goals and 33 assists, sitting sixth in Rangers: 77.3% (24th) the leaguewide scoring race. — Wes Gilbertson REMEMBER WHEN? Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.02.2020 Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad has fond memories of the Saddledome. It was almost eight years ago that Zibanejad sniped the golden overtime goal for Team Sweden at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, the only tally in a puck-stopping showcase against Russia in the tournament finale. Zibanejad, who skipped Wednesday’s practice for maintenance, returns on a roll — the 26-year-old has scored nine times and also collected five helpers in his past nine contests.

THIS N’ THAT

Flames interim coach Geoff Ward juggled his lines Tuesday, reuniting the top trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. The team was off New Year’s Day, so it’s hard to say if Ward will stick with 1168886 Calgary Flames Calgary Flames Matthew Tkachuk celebrates with teammate Mark Giordano after his goal against the Los Angeles Kings during NHL hockey in Calgary on Tuesday October 8, 2019. Al Charest / Al Charest/Calgary Sun Giordano's career climb a highlight for Flames of just-closed decade At 36, Giordano is now the oldest gent on the player payroll at the Saddledome.

Wes Gilbertson He wasn’t the guy his current teammates idolized as kids, but they’ll tell you that he makes an almost immediate impression.

“My first year here, I think it was my first day actually, I really realized Despite working in the opposite conference, limited to just two live how good he was,” said Flames alternate captain Sean Monahan, who viewings each season, Geoff Ward had been paying closer attention to arrived on scene as a first-round pick in 2013. “It was maybe even a Mark Giordano than you might think. captain’s skate before training camp and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this “He was a guy that we had targeted as a player to try to get in a trade (in guy is a good player.’ And ever since then, he’s obviously took off. It’s a Boston),” Ward revealed, harkening back to his stint as an assistant credit to the work he’s put in.” coach with the Bruins. “They’re always asking you to watch players a bit “It was right away,” echoed Sam Bennett, now in his fifth full season at more closely when their names come up in trades, and he was a name the Saddledome. “Coming in as a young guy and watching him take that was bandied around our locker-room in terms of trying to supplement control of the room and take control of the game on the ice … He’s such our back end. So we dug into the tape a little more. a leader, just in his presence. And as soon as I watched him play, I was “And I think when you’re watching games and you keep seeing this guy like, ‘Wow, this guy is way better than I thought he was.’ show up all the time in terms of making good players and just being an “I think the No. 1 thing is his compete level. He works like a dog. And effective player in the flow of the hockey game, and you keep noticing then he has sneaky really good skill. He makes some unbelievable him and noticing him and noticing him, you’re going, ‘Hey, you know moves. With his work ethic, it’s a good duo.” what? This guy is a really good hockey player.’ ” The Bruins, way back when, figured they might be able to pry him out of Indeed, he is. Calgary. The Calgary Flames higher-ups were never willing to trade Giordano to Didn’t happen. Beantown or to any other would-be suitor. Ward, now the interim bench boss for the Flames, must be thankful for Good thing, too. that. With 2019 now in the rearview mirror, with Giordano & Co. looking ahead Giordano worked a team-high 24:22 in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago to Thursday’s matchup with the New York Rangers (7 p.m., Sportsnet Blackhawks on New Year’s Eve. There are not many nights that he Flames/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), you could argue there was nobody doesn’t shoulder the heaviest workload. more important, nobody more impactful, to the Flames over the past decade than the man who wears No. 5 on the back of his jersey and the “The thing about him is, first and foremost, he loves the game,” Ward captain’s C on the front. said. “You see that about him every day that he’s here. Even when you coached against him, you could always see that he loves the game, that Calgary’s longest-serving skater led the franchise in a pile of statistical he loves to play, and I think that’s a necessary ingredient for guys to categories between 2010-2019 — everything from games (722) and become elite players. He prepares himself really well. He looks after his minutes played (17,337) to assists (300) and points (420) to hits (833) fitness. He looks after his nutrition. He looks after what he has to do and blocked shots (1,500). mentally to prepare himself to play. So everything that you need a player Imagine, back on Jan. 1, 2010, if you had told a 26-year-old Giordano — to do in order to get into that peak condition and shape to play at a high then with all of 13 goals and 153 loggings on his big-league resume — level and play a lot of minutes in this league, he does. that he’d be the Flames’ leading scorer for the decade … “He takes a lot of pride in his personal performance. All three zones “I probably would have laughed,” Giordano said with a grin. “It’s cool. matter to him. The jobs that are necessary jobs or the dirty jobs, the jobs Looking back now, the years have gone by quick and it’s been pretty that some guys don’t want to pay a lot of attention to, he does. He’ll block cool, thinking about all the guys you play with in the organization and shots. He’ll take hits to make plays. There are just a lot of things that he going through it. For me, I take a lot of pride in being able to stay here for does as a player. as long as I have. Yeah, that’s a pretty cool accomplishment, I think.” “And he’s a done nice job, I think, of expanding his role. He knew what The Flames, who will need a better start if they’re going to snap a five- he had to do to come in here and stay — and he did it — and as your game slide on home ice in Thursday’s battle with the Blueshirts, are confidence grows as a player in this league, you start to challenge marking their 40th anniversary campaign. yourself to expand your role and I think he’s done an excellent job of that.

The 1980s belonged to Lanny McDonald, who brought credibility when “And the last thing he does that stands out for me is he always works on he was traded to Calgary, set a franchise record with a 66-goal campaign his weaknesses. He’s always working. Some guys, they come in and (!) and capped a splendid career by co-captaining the Flames to their they just like staying with their strengths and I think what happens then is only Stanley Cup parade. you stay a little bit stagnant. You don’t get better. But you look at the really, really good players, they’re always working on their weaknesses.” owned the 1990s, then handed the keys to the Saddledome — and the city — to , who heydayed for the Calgary Sun: LOADED: 01.02.2020 2000s. (Between the pipes, that guy was pretty good, too.)

Giordano’s climb from depth sort to Norris Trophy-winning workhorse made him the best of the just-closed decade, at least in our books.

“What I’ve seen from him in the past few years is just the evolution of him really, really taking over,” praised teammate Matthew Tkachuk, who will be showing Giordano around his hometown of St. Louis as Calgary’s two representatives at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. “I mean, he was the best defenceman when I came in. But to see how he does it each and every night and the more times your see it in practice, the more times you see it in games … He just does it consistently every day, and that’s what makes him so great.” 1168887 Calgary Flames Absent in the early stages of the night, in coach Geoff Ward’s opinion, are two critical elements — energy and execution.

“I think our forecheck was really not apparent the last two hockey games Flames’ shortcomings shift — bad first periods replacing bad second at the start,” he said diplomatically. “I felt that we were really, really periods passive early as opposed to getting after them. As a result, we ended up paying the price.”

Given the evident shortcomings, given the team’s divisional plummet, By Scott Cruickshank Jan 1, 2020 Ward had been asked about his own frustration.

“I’m as frustrated as everybody else is probably,” he replied. “In saying that, we can’t change the result tonight. What we’ve got to do is get Not that long ago, it had been dreadful second periods plaguing the prepared to have a better start (Thursday) against the Rangers — that’s Calgary Flames. all we can control right now.” They would surrender territorial ground, get out-shot, out-scored, out- The Flames’ forward alignment got a real mid-game stirring. worked, and, ultimately, lose. The formula seemed based on familiarity. Back was the line of Johnny But like a Whac-A-Mole game at the fairgrounds, once the Flames Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan. pounded down that particular nuisance, another one popped up. Heck, even the fabled 3M combo — Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Frolik, Now? It’s rotten first periods that are dearly costing them. Mikael Backlund — got reunited. If you saw Sunday’s game, if you saw Tuesday’s game, you know how The reworking of the third line — with incumbents Milan Lucic and Derek this looks. A lot of standing around. With some suspect goaltending Ryan — brought about the sudden appearance of Playoff Sam Bennett, thrown in. shooting and shoving. And, voila, an inescapable hole for the hosts. After counting late in the second period — thanks to spadework from his Against the Vancouver Canucks, David Rittich allowed three goals on the friends, who both picked up helpers — Bennett dished out third-period first seven shots. He didn’t last 11 minutes. The 3-0 lead, no surprise, checks on Patrick Kane and John Quenneville and narrowly missed was insurmountable. The travellers, who’d played the night before, . breezed to a 5-2 victory. “It was a slow start for me — and the whole team, really — but (the goal) In the latest display, the Chicago Blackhawks, too, had their way. By the was a big one to give us a little bit of life,” Bennett said. “We showed tons time they pushed ahead 2-0, the game was not even six minutes old, and of fight in the third period. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t find a way to get the shots were, tellingly, 10-1. that last one in.”

And, like the Canucks, the Blackhawks made it 3-0 before the first In nearly 14 minutes of ice time, No. 93 finished with four shots and a intermission. game-high six hits.

Game over. Again. David Rittich, who, despite Cam Talbot’s strong relief showing Sunday, had been tapped to make his league-leading 32nd start. The locals, to their credit, didn’t make too big of a deal about the late- game push, which created a result that at least looked respectable on the He struggled, managed to avoid the hook, then seemed to find his scoresheet, 5-3 (including an empty-netter). footing.

“We’re at the time of the year when you can’t be satisfied with a good “At some point, I think you have to let him battle — work himself through close comeback,” said Sam Bennett, whose club sits south of a playoff it,” Ward said. “We made that decision tonight. We left him in.” spot. “We need wins at this time. The standings are going to be this tight No one can argue how well Rittich has performed this winter, but, at for the rest of the year, right to the playoffs. We need wins right now.” times, he looks like a really good goalie who’s really tired. Added Matthew Tkachuk: “A big push at the end, that gets everyone fired “He’s been unbelievable for us all year,” Bennett said. “We’ll never put up and gets the energy in the building, but there’s no point for us to put any blame on him. He bounced back (after the first period) and shut the ourselves in that position.” door for the rest of the game.” He’s right — no point and no point (in the standings). The Flames’ home-ice struggles continue — 0-4-1 in the past five twirls Tkachuk wasn’t sure what exactly was behind the early-game doldrums, at the Saddledome. but he realizes they’re soon going to hear about it. Explaining the slide is not easy. “I’m sure the next time we do video, we’ll go over the past two first “I don’t know,” said Giordano, whose team has won only 10 of 20 dates periods and try to change it,” Tkachuk said. “Because going behind 3-0 in in Calgary. “We had a great start at home to start the year. For whatever this league after the first, that’s hard to come back from.” reason, we’re not getting points on home ice. We’ve got to correct that Regardless of the actual period — and the shift lousiness — it’s a mile- right away. You take a lot of pride playing in your own building in front of wide streak of inconsistency that is dooming this bunch. your fans — it’s got to be a place where you pile up the points, for sure.

They falter. And not for a shift or two. They falter for wide swaths of game “You’ve got to get your fans into it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be time. goals, but you have to play with energy, and aggressively, and get those scoring chances.” Since their mighty seven-game winning streak, the Flames have stumbled significantly. Aiming for stability, they instead ran out the first More bad news? forward Matthew Phillips, one of the half of the season on a L-L-O-W-L-W-L wobble. Flames’ finest prospects, suffered a fractured knee cap Saturday. Surgery is scheduled. He’s considered month to month. Tuesday, the opening bid of the second half, added another L to the stack. The Calgary native, in 28 outings, had piled up 30 points — eighth most in the AHL — before the injury. Unsteady spells have hurt the club since Game 1 in Denver. And that can’t help but make you wonder about the bigger picture here, playoff- The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 wise. Over the past half-dozen years, here’s the rotation — miss, make, miss, make, miss, make. It’s not a productive rhythm.

But you have to start somewhere.

Which means addressing the latest bugaboo — those soggy opening 20 minutes. 1168888 Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks have several wins against some very good teams, including the Bruins, Islanders, Maple Leafs and Golden Knights.

They also lost to the Devils and Kings and twice to the Sharks. Losing to 5 things the Blackhawks must do to end their playoff drought, including the NHL’s worst teams must end. taking advantage of their salary-cap space and beating up on bad teams Over the next two weeks, the Hawks will get a chance to do away with their maddening inconsistency when they play three of the NHL’s worst: the Red Wings, Ducks and Senators. The NHL has no cakewalks, but the By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |JAN 01, 2020 | 5:08 PM Hawks don’t have the luxury of taking a night off.

They have to take care of business against the weak teams to stay in the race because they won’t always be able to count on taking points against VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA-Let’s assume the playoffs are a the NHL elite. possibility for the Blackhawks despite a confounding first half full of debilitating injuries, late collapses and miracle comebacks. 4. Rookie has to start producing.

Unlike last season, when the Hawks didn’t bring in any free agents of When the Hawks decided keep their 2019 first-round pick for the season, note and the February trade deadline quietly came and went without a they did so with the belief the center would be better in February than he move, the Hawks aren’t playing for next season. was in October.

Anything less would be difficult to explain to a bruised fan base that Dach, 18, hasn’t seemed overwhelmed and at times has been among the expects general manager Stan Bowman to be held accountable if the top Hawks on the ice. But despite the solid play, Dach has just one point Hawks miss the playoffs for a third straight year. in his last 20 games.

Is it a long shot for the Hawks (18-17-6, 42 points) to make the playoffs? For all the hand-wringing over the inconsistent play of Alex Nylander — Yes. But with three straight wins and five in their last six, they have who is 3 years older than Dach — he has 14 points to Dach’s 11 in turned things around enough to keep their postseason hopes alive. nearly the same number of games.

Here are five things that have to happen to turn their hopes into reality: Dach is one of five or six rookies the Hawks are playing on most nights and is not the only one they would like to see improve over the final 41 1. The Blackhawks can’t afford any more long-term injuries to key games. players. 5. The rest of the contenders need to cooperate. The Hawks are four points behind the Canucks for the final Western Conference playoff spot, so it’s too early to say whether they have It’s tempting to look at the standings and think the Hawks could earn a survived the losses of Calvin de Haan, Andrew Shaw, Brent Seabrook playoff spot. and Drake Caggiula to long-term injuries. That doesn’t include Brandon Saad, who likely will end up missing about 10 games with a right ankle But they also trail four teams: the Oilers, Flames, Wild and Predators. injury. He’s expected to return in about two weeks. Seeing the Predators blow a third-period lead against the Stars on If the Hawks hope to reach the postseason, the injury bug will have to Wednesday in the Winter Classic was a positive for the Hawks. . The end. The replacements brought in from Rockford — Dennis Gilbert, Hawks can thank the Stars — who lead them by eight points — for , Matthew Highmore and Dylan Sikura — have been winning in regulation and not allowing the Predators to salvage a point. adequate. But they were replacing average to good players. One thing that will hurt the Hawks — in addition to losing in regulation — The Hawks would not be able to replace Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, is wild-card contenders playing one another and each team coming away Alex DeBrincat or if any were to go down, and losing goalie with at least a point. Robin Lehner would be as big a blow as losing Kane. Lehner has been That might be the hardest part about the next three months: The Hawks significantly better than Corey Crawford, and the transition from the two can play really well and win a lot, but they need help to get to the sharing the net to Lehner taking the bulk of the starts is underway. postseason. Injuries can hit at any time, so all the Hawks can do is hope their run of Chicago Tribune LOADED: 01.02.2020 bad luck is over.

2. They have to take advantage of having more than $10 million in salary-cap space.

The Hawks’ approach last summer was to prepare for this season as if they were going for broke to end their two-year playoff drought. That’s why they traded for veterans de Haan, Shaw and Olli Maatta and had no problem using nearly all their cap space to sign Lehner to a one-year, $5 million deal.

Now, because of season-ending injuries to Seabrook and de Haan, they have more than $10 million in cap space but no obvious way to spend it.

An important thing to understand: The available cap space because of the Seabrook and de Haan injuries disappears after the season, so the Hawks’ market almost certainly will have to be players who are on expiring contracts.

Kings forward Tyler Toffoli and Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau could be options if the Hawks want to acquire offense. But with a pressing need on the blue line, Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen would make more sense — if he’s available.

None of those players is coming to the Hawks for a late-round pick or second-tier prospects. But the Hawks aren’t going to trade Kirby Dach or Adam Boqvist, and next season’s first-rounder is likely to be a lottery pick, so they that’s not going anywhere either. Their 2020 second-round pick is gone, too, sent to the Canadiens in the Shaw deal.

How Bowman approaches this situation should be fascinating.

3. They have to start beating up on bad teams. 1168889 Chicago Blackhawks “I still think there’s more in the tank,” he said. “There’s another level to get to. The position we’re in, near that wild-card spot now and the team’s playing better, it’d be nice for myself to reach that level this year and keep producing for this team. Even after eight All-Star Games, Patrick Kane remains eager for his NHL-leading ninth “But that’s just my job. That’s been my job since I’ve been in the league.”

Kane will attend this year’s festivities while Alex Ovechkin won’t, Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 01.02.2020 extending the Blackhawks forward’s lead in appearances among active players.

By Ben Pope Jan 1, 2020, 6:55am CST

CALGARY, — Patrick Kane entered this season one ahead of Alex Ovechkin for the most All-Star Game appearances among active NHL players.

In a few weeks, he’ll extend that lead to two.

Kane was nominated for his ninth career (and sixth consecutive) All-Star appearance Monday and will attend the game Jan. 25 in St. Louis, despite his overwhelming familiarity with the annual festivities.

“It’s a big honor, for sure,” Kane said Tuesday. “There’s some amazing players in the league every year, and to be able to go with them and represent the Blackhawks, it’s a big honor.”

Ovechkin, meanwhile, was voted by fans to be one of four division captains, but announced he will skip the All-Star weekend for the second consecutive year — keeping his career total at seven appearances — to rest for the Capitals’ stretch run.

“I have to listen to my body,” Ovechkin told reporters Friday in Washington. “I have to get ready for the second half of the year. I have to be healthy and focus on different things.”

Per NHL rules, Ovechkin will be issued a one-game suspension for voluntarily skipping the event, but with the Caps leading the Eastern Conference and virtually guaranteed to qualify for the postseason again, that one regular-season game won’t matter much.

Kane — who, at 31, is three years younger — looks at his future Hall-of- Fame counterpart’s decision and sees how it makes sense for Ovechkin and the Caps but wouldn’t make sense for him and the Hawks.

“I ... understand where he’s coming from,” Kane said Tuesday. “Obviously, he wants the break. He knows his team’s going to be in the playoffs.”

“For me, if I ever wanted to go about something like that — especially with the position the team’s in — I would feel pretty guilty missing the [next] game, especially when you’re healthy.”

The mandatory suspension factors substantially into the thought process, and if it didn’t exist, a lot of older superstars around the league would likely give a second and third thought to following Ovechkin’s lead. Kane is no different.

But the reality is that even after eight trips to participate in the meaningless, often noncompetitive game(s), Kane — at least outwardly — still sees some value in them and still remembers how he fares each year.

“Every All-Star Game has its different memories,” he said. “The Central [Division] team has never won the All-Star Game, so hopefully we can go and win and enjoy that.”

Without question, Kane deserves both this year’s nomination and his active lead in total appearances.

He finishes the 2010s as the NHL’s scoring champ and the only player to hit the 800-point milestone in the decade. He beat out second-place Sidney Crosby and third-place Ovechkin, although he did humbly point out he played more than 100 more games than Crosby.

And he ranks ninth in the league, and second in the division, this season with 51 points — more than 20 more than any other Hawks skater.

Yet he’s still searching for more from himself, still trying to find a way to translate his continued productivity into team success like it always used to, and still willing to attend an absurd ninth All-Star Game just to play every minute he can. 1168890 Chicago Blackhawks *Bobby Hull & Gordie Howe were tied for second with 774. The Blackhawks top three in the 2010s is a drastic change from the top

three in the 2000s. Patrick Kane's decade was one for the history books 2010s

Patrick Kane: 802 By Chris Kamka January 01, 2020 10:20 AM Jonathan Toews: 627

Duncan Keith: 429 The NHL season runs from October to April, so decade leaderboards 2000s usually don’t get a lot of attention since it’s sort of odd to chop off halves of seasons. But today, we’re digging in. Why? Steve Sullivan: 281

Because a decade just ended and look at who tops the leaderboard in Alex Zhamnov: 230 NHL points from 2010-19 (as in January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019): Kyle Calder: 209 Patrick Kane: 807 Sure, the 2004-05 season was wiped out by a lockout, but the reason for Sidney Crosby: 788 the underwhelming total for the Blackhawks leaders during the 2000s is more due to turnover than it is to the missing season. Alex Ovechkin: 783 That being said, Kane has more points during the 2010s than the Kane’s total of 807 points for the decade is the second-most ever for a Blackhawks’ top three point scorers in the 2000s combined (720). And Blackhawks player during any decade. that’s fun. Most points by a Blackhawks player in a decade What an incredible decade for 88. Denis Savard: 984 (1980s) Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.02.2020 Patrick Kane: 807 (2010s)

Stan Mikita: 784 (1960s)

Bobby Hull: 774 (1960s)

Stan Mikita: 665 (1970s)

Steve Larmer: 630 (1980s)

Jonathan Toews: 628 (2010s)

Doug Wilson: 625 (1980s)

Notice Toews also ranks among the best point decades in Blackhawks history, but his 628 points were only good for 15th in the NHL during the 2010s. And Denis Savard’s franchise best for a decade – 984 points during the 1980s – were only good for fourth in the NHL. Guess who was first.

Most points in the NHL during the 1980s

Wayne Gretzky: 1,864

Peter Stastny: 1,024

Jari Kurri: 997

Denis Savard: 984

I present this list because of how ridiculous it is. The difference between No. 1 and No. 2 is greater than Kane’s point total this decade! By the way, Gretzky also led the NHL with 940 points during the 1990s, but this time he only led by 12 over Jaromir Jagr’s 928. The 1980s were definitely the highest scoring decade in NHL history – look at the five biggest point totals for a player during a decade:

Wayne Gretzky: 1,864 (1980s)

Phil Esposito: 1,110 (1970s)

Peter Stastny: 1,024 (1980s)

Jari Kurri: 997 (1980s)

Denis Savard: 984 (1980s)

So a recap so far: the best scoring decade by a player in Blackhawks history was the fourth best in that particular decade, but also the fifth best in any decade. OK, now back to Patrick Kane.

Kane is the third Blackhawks player to lead the NHL in points during a decade.

Patrick Kane: 807 (2010s)

Stan Mikita: 784* (1960s)

Doug Bentley: 467 (1940s) 1168891 Chicago Blackhawks “Our coaching staff have been really impressed with his work ethic and until you have a guy every day, you don’t really know,” Cockell said. “He’s a big body that is able to hold onto pucks and he’s got a real good release. He’s off to a very good start in our league.” Blackhawks prospect Michal Teply caps whirlwind 2019 with experience of a lifetime at world juniors Teply began his rookie season with goals in three consecutive games and six points. When he left for the world juniors, his 30 points in 29 games made him the team’s leading scorer. His 4.2 shots per game also led the team and ranked in the league’s top 10. By Scott Wheeler Jan 1, 2020 “He has fit in real well. He’s got an NHL shot and the hardest thing to do

is score goals and that’s something that he’s real good at and prides OSTRAVA, Czech Republic — Michal Teply has never seen anything like himself in,” Heisinger said. “He has got off to a great start here, but we it. feel like he’s just scratching the surface and he has a lot more potential.”

The stomping. The jumping. The in-unison hand-clapping. The pure Patrick has been most impressed by his first-line winger’s consistency, anger when Ostravar Arena’s crowd of just under 9,000 fans, adorned in especially given the adjustment that comes with playing in a new league, the colours he wears on his chest, scream and shout after a crucial goal, on smaller ice than he’s used to. If he has struggled with anything, it has in a crucial game, is called back for goaltender interference. been the back-to-backs on the road, or the team’s two three-in-threes.

This is it. This is as good as it gets. Teply, 18, is one of his country’s “Those are the things he has never experienced before and I think counted-upon top forwards. The fans stand and lean, on bated breath, there’s a bit of an adjustment in that regard. But outside of that, he has every time he touches the puck in the offensive zone. produced from the start so I’ve been really happy,” Patrick said.

And after a whirlwind year, he’ll never forget these moments at the 2020 “I wondered what his work ethic and his compete levels would be like and world juniors. They’re the start of something. I have no issues with those. He has been very good for us. He can make plays, he can shoot, he’s got a real good shot.” Last season didn’t go exactly as he’d hoped it would. He began his draft year as a player many scouts felt had a chance at cracking the first round When Krebs returned from offseason Achilles surgery in the middle of and then he struggled to carve out a role with Bili Tygri Liberec at the November, Patrick immediately played him alongside Krebs, confident Czech Republic’s top pro level and bounced between its second-tier Teply’s 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame and knack for scoring could ranks and its under-19 junior league. complement Krebs’ up-tempo playmaking.

The result was a draft stock that slid, a mediocre performance at under- After watching him from afar, Krebs couldn’t wait to play alongside Teply. 18 worlds and being cut by Team Czech Republic at the world juniors. “He was coming to the WHL, as a European, you come down to the When Vancouver’s draft rolled around, he fell to the fourth round, where smaller ice and there’s often a break-in period, but for him, it was right the Blackhawks plucked him 105th overall. into it. And then right when I started playing with him, I knew he was a Determined to hit reset, and under the guidance of the Blackhawks, he special player,” Krebs said. began pursuing options elsewhere for the fall and settled on the CHL. “I’m fortunate to be on his line. I’m a puck-possession player who likes to The Winnipeg ICE, who were undergoing a transformation of their own move the puck and he finds ways to get open. He’s a shooter for sure, after a relocation from Kootenay, quickly became interested. and he can rip the puck so I get the puck to him and he snipes it.” Jake Heisinger, Winnipeg’s director of operations and scouting, had Unlike most European players, Teply hasn’t found the transition to North already begun putting out feelers. He wanted to make sure that when the American ice to be all that difficult, either. He has actually learned to ICE picked their player in that year’s import draft, that there was no room prefer it. for error. “My agent told me that my season is going really good so I’m so happy. Their roster was built around Teply’s 2001 age group, led by Golden It’s a different hockey but I like it,” he said. “I actually find the international Knights first-rounder , so they pounced. And because the ice harder because I need to skate more. I like playing the faster game in ICE held the draft’s fourth overall pick, they knew they could convince North America.” him to come, that he would likely be available, and that other teams might steer clear of a strong recruitment process because they knew he’d The off-ice transition has proven a little more challenging. probably go early. Asked to grade how capable Teply was at communicating early on, But they had to be certain he wouldn’t stay home. Cockell laughed.

“In Michal’s case, we did a lot of leg work there just to find some “He really didn’t know English,” he said. “Now he’s got an English tutor information on what he wanted to do and once we got further down the who he works with and he has really taken some strides. It’s a big process, he seemed to be a good fit for everybody,” Heisinger said. adjustment for a player coming from overseas, which only makes the start really all that more impressive.” The leg work included scouting Teply at the a summer earlier, where Teply picked up four points in as many games to Cockell said he typically doesn’t evaluate his imports until after Christmas finish second on the Czechs in scoring. because they usually struggle for a few months. He was impressed, basically right away, by how well Teply played on extended road trips. “He’s a big body who can score goals. Then his selection in the NHL Draft solidified what kind of player he is. We were really excited to add a “Those are things that sometimes you see an import player struggle with. player like that to our lineup,” Heisinger. And he handled those things really well,” Cockell said. “I think the start he has had is indicative that there’s a lot more growth to come just because After conversations with people around the hockey world who’d seen him he has done that with all of those cultural adjustments and new billets play, ICE general manager Matt Cockell didn’t hesitate. and teammates and learning English.” Before the relocation, landing a player of Teply’s quality in the import All three members of the ICE staff admitted they feel like they still haven’t draft had always proven challenging. After the move, they were been able to fully get Teply out of his shell. determined to swing big and make their new home a destination for top imports. Teply was the perfect first case study. “There’s quite a language barrier. He had no English prior to coming here. He has made some huge strides on the language. Through some “Being in Winnipeg with a little more exposure, it offered up definitely meetings and feedback, you can definitely communicate with him now,” some more opportunities for us,” ICE head coach James Patrick said. Patrick said. “Matt had developed some contacts and we were able to sell him on the idea of coming here to play and building an improving team.” “I would say he’s definitely pretty quiet and soft-spoken (though). But he always has a smile on his face, and I know he gets a kick out of his The on-ice transition went smoothly. teammates so I think he’s got some real good spirit to him. It’s hard to read his mind at times, but he’s starting (to feel more comfortable).” Still, before he left for Ostrava, his personality showed up only in flashes.

“He’s a really nice kid. You see him interact with his teammates, and he’s got a pretty good sense of humor with them,” Heisinger said. “He’s getting more and more comfortable and you’re starting to see more of his personality. He’s pretty happy-go-lucky and he likes to have fun, and I know his teammates really enjoy being around him.”

Teply credits his billet parents and billet brother, Isaac Johnson, for helping him through the adjustment.

“I came from Europe and it was amazing. It was a different world and a different culture, and I’m so happy. I feel like it has become my second home,” Teply said.

“After I was drafted by Chicago, I spoke with my agent and it was the best option. I wanted to learn English and learn to play North American hockey. I’d learned English in Czech, but it wasn’t as good as I thought it was once I got here. It wasn’t good. It has improved a lot.”

Cockell has no complaints with his top import, on or off the ice.

“The time you have with a player when you draft them in Canada, you have a relationship you’ve built for a couple of years before they play, especially with the Bantam draft a year earlier than the other two leagues. We’ve been really happy with Michal,” Cockell said.

“He’s learning English, he has been coming along nicely in terms of his ability to understand the language and teammates really enjoy him. He loves to play hockey, I know that.”

In Ostrava, that love for hockey has spilled onto home ice.

Teply began the tournament on the home nation’s top line alongside former Liberec teammates Matej Pekar, a Sabres fourth-rounder, and Jan Jenik, a Coyotes third-round pick.

On Day 1, he registered three assists in a surprise 4-3 win over the Russians, including one on the tournament’s first goal to draft-eligible defenceman Simon Kubicek, another on a headman pass to 2020 NHL Draft prospect Jan Mysak and a third to create the game-winning goal on a quick post-faceoff pass to Jenik.

“I would say he’s a playmaker and a good sniper — and that’s dangerous,” Jenik said after the win.

A few days later, in a tight 4-3 overtime loss to the Americans, Teply picked up his fourth assist in three games with a play that helped create captain Libor Zabransky’s 2-1 goal. In the process, he helped secure the Czechs a crucial fourth point in the standings — and a berth in the quarters so long as Canada beat Germany on the final day of group play (which the Canadians did).

A day after that, in a 7-2 loss to Canada, Teply picked up his fifth assist in four Group B games. The result pushed his undermanned Czechs into fourth place, forcing a quarterfinal matchup with Team Sweden, the winners of Group B.

Because the tournament is just 2 1/2 hours from Liberec, Teply’s father, Michal, mother, Petra, and 13-year-old brother, Joseph, have all made the trip to Ostrava to watch him play.

Regardless of how the tournament ends, he’ll never forget the unique experience these world juniors have given him, in front of deafening crowds, as a go-to player for his country. The atmosphere, he said, was unlike any he’d ever played in.

“It was maybe 8,000 fans and when we scored, it was unbelievable,” he said. “The fans are amazing. I was in Russia and it was the same. They help us.”

He’s not ready to throw in the towel, though. There are still games to be played, and he recognizes that anything can happen at the world juniors. He plans on helping the Czechs upset the Swedes in the quarters.

After the Czechs lost two of their other top players for the remainder of the tournament (Bruins prospect in the opener and Jenik against the Americans), Teply recognizes that more than just his family’s eyes will be on him into the medal round.

He thinks he’s up to the task.

“I’m kind of a playmaker too, but I’m a shooter first. And I have heart,” he said, pounding his chest.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168892 Colorado Avalanche Bay Lightning superstar winger ran away with the trophy. MacKinnon entered the last day of 2019 tied for fifth in goals and fifth in points knowing he has generated those numbers with linemates Gabriel Landeskog and both missing significant time earlier in 2020 is here and so are eight things to watch when it comes to the the season due to injuries. MacKinnon’s exploits on an injury-riddled Avalanche team has helped Colorado maintain its place as one of the league’s best. Could it be enough for the 24-year-old to be crowned the NHL’s Most

Valuable Player? By Ryan S. Clark Jan 1, 2020 2. Is it possible Makar claims more than just the Calder Trophy?

Part of what has made Makar’s first full 82-game campaign so intriguing Hey. Welcome to 2020. So far? It’s a lot like 2019 in that there are still no is his offensive production. His role as a puck-moving defenseman is why flying cars or a Hyperloop. But there are still plenty of Baby Yoda memes general manager Joe Sakic and his front office staff felt comfortable to go around for those scoring at home. moving on from Tyson Barrie. Makar has already recorded four multipoint games and entered Tuesday night projected to finish with 69 points, And then there is what could happen with the Colorado Avalanche. which is 10 more than what Barrie had last year and that was his career- Everything that happened in 2019 was part of an ever-growing chapter high. Ending the year with that many points is one thing. But is it possible for an organization and a team that continues to be on the rise. Sneaking Makar potentially reaches the 77-point mark? Hitting that figure would into the playoffs, upsetting the No. 1 seed while being a single game see him become the record holder for most points by a rookie away from the Western Conference final will do that. defenseman in NHL history. It is an accolade held by Hall of Fame member Larry Murphy, who scored 76 during the 1980-81 season. The Then again? Having a roster featuring Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan challenge in aiming for Murphy’s record would be Makar overcoming the MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen might also make games he missed. Say Makar does indeed go on an extended offensive navigating the NHL landscape a bit easier to handle. surge similar to what he did earlier this season. Is it possible that it could So what about 2020? Are the Avalanche in for a big season? Is this the be enough for him to win the Calder and become the most prolific rookie year? Or is that still a year or two away before they are in a position to defenseman in NHL history? claim the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title? 3. Can Andre Burakovsky, Matt Calvert and Joonas Donskoi continue Many of those questions will be answered over time. But there are still this rate of production? several items worth tracking over the next 12 months when it comes to Because no conversation about the Colorado Avalanche would be the Avalanche. Let’s take a look at what could be in store and the impact complete without discussing secondary scoring. Calvert has hit double it could have with a roster expected to be a long-term Stanley Cup figures before. He has done it six times and has also recorded a few challenger in the first year of this new decade. nine-goal campaigns. But this year is a bit different. He entered Tuesday “I can only speak to the time that I’ve been here and we’re trying to projected to finish with what would be a career-high 23 goals, easily improve it any way we can every year and get better and more consistent surpassing his personal-best of 13 he set during the 2014-15 season with and deeper and younger and faster,” fourth-year Avalanche coach Jared the Columbus Blue Jackets. Burakovsky and Donskoi, however, are in a Bednar said. “I feel like those additions Joe has made to our roster has different situation. Each came to the Avalanche seeking a new helped us do that. You look at the point totals we had two years or three landscape. The early returns revealed the increased minutes were years ago to two years ago and last year was a little bit of a grind and benefitting both players although their respective production has take a step in the playoffs. sputtered as of late. Burakovsky’s 13 goals are more than what he has had over the last three years when he hit the 12-goal barrier. Yet he had “Hopefully we can keep going. … We’re certainly building, trying to set only scored twice in December with one day remaining. Meanwhile, higher expectations year-by-year and month-by-month as the season Donskoi had also scored 13 goals and was one away from tying his goes on. career-high entering Tuesday, although he also only had two goals in 1. Could this be the year the Avalanche add a few trophies? December. How both players perform going into 2020 will be crucial considering their contributions played such a significant role in the Capturing a Western Conference crown and the Stanley Cup are the Avalanche’s early success. Especially when examining how they each main prizes most think about when it comes to the Avalanche but there performed once the calendar flipped last year. Burakovsky, formerly of are other awards that could be under consideration. the Washington Capitals, mustered seven goals last season from January through April. Donskoi, who played for the San Jose Sharks last Such as the Jack Adams, Calder and Hart Trophies. season, had five goals in January but failed to record a regular-season Bednar continues to gain league-wide acclaim for using an approach that goal after Jan. 10 and did not score against until May 8 in Game 7 of the has seen the Avalanche go from the worst record in the salary cap era in Western Conference semifinal against the Avalanche. 2016-17 to become a serious title contender. All while making the 4. Seeing what happens if the Avalanche return to the Western necessary progressions to further reinforce the strides his team has Conference semifinal made to take those steps. What the Avalanche have done this season — especially with the injuries — has generated some early discussions Oddsmakers have long viewed the Avalanche as a front-runner but one about Bednar being a legitimate Jack Adams candidate. Those talks will could argue returning to the Western Conference semifinal might serve likely intensify should the Avs continue to win and secure a playoff spot in as a true barometer of their progress. They went from missing the memorable fashion. playoffs in 2016-17 to reaching the postseason and being knocked out in the first round in 2017-18. A year later? The Avalanche reached the The 2019 calendar year began with the idea prospect defenseman Cale playoffs in back-to-back campaigns for the first time in more than a Makar could join the Avalanche and possibly make an impact if he were decade. And then, as the No. 8 seed, upset the top-seeded Calgary to sign out of college. Well? The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner did Flames in five games for their first playoff series victory going back to the just that in the Western Conference playoffs and has continued that trek 2007-08 season. From there, the Avalanche forced the Sharks to a in what is his first regular season. Makar had 29 points through 31 games seven-game semifinal series. But that all came at a time when the going into Tuesday night’s game and that is with him missing nearly three Avalanche were viewed as plucky upstarts. What about now? Many weeks with a shoulder injury he sustained earlier in the month. He’s throughout the NHL are more than aware of what the Avs are capable of averaging 0.94 points a game and that is a higher figure than Buffalo potentially achieving. Do they reach the postseason as a high seed and Sabres left winger Victor Olofsson at 0.85 points. Continuing his experience a first-round exit akin to Calgary or Tampa Bay last year? offensive surge, helping the Avalanche reach the playoffs and his ability And, if so, would it be deemed as a failed season? Or does Colorado to take over games could result in Makar winning the franchise’s first advance to the second round and use what it learned against San Jose Calder since 2013-14 when a certain superstar center claimed the honor. en route to taking the next step in its progression?

Nathan MacKinnon’s progression over the last two seasons has seen 5. February 24 is the NHL trade deadline and the Avalanche could do … him transform into one of the game’s premier talents. It has also kept him ? in the Hart Trophy conversation. He finished runner-up to Taylor Hall in 2017-18 and finished sixth last season to as the Tampa It’s become the checklist for every contender once January arrives. Do Timmins are not the only options. O’Connor, who is a RFA, possesses they have cap space? Do they have assets? Do they have the flexibility the sort of traits as a two-way forward with strong skating ability who to add a rental or something more long term? The Avalanche have $6.78 could fit into Bednar’s system either on the third or fourth lines. million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, and that is the most in the NHL. And as for the assets? Yes, they have that too. 8. Could this be an active summer for Philipp Grubauer, Gabriel Answering that third question all depends upon several factors such as Landeskog and Cale Makar after July 1? need at a certain position along with other financial considerations worth Grubauer, Landeskog and Makar all have one year remaining on their examining. Figuring what the Avalanche will do when the time comes is respective contracts after this season. Grubauer along with Landeskog the query that is the most pressing. Bednar has the NHL’s third-strongest will be UFAs after the 2020-21 season while Makar’s entry-level deal attack at his command but a power-play unit that has struggled. Is it expires that same summer. It is possible the Avalanche’s front office — possible the Avalanche opt to add another forward? He has also watched once their summer 2020 free agency business is over — could attempt to his defense and goaltending be in the top 10 of goals allowed yet sign all three of them to new deals before the start of the next season? It possess a penalty kill that is slightly below the league average. Could is an approach Sakic and his staff used last summer to tie down Samuel there be a situation in which the Avalanche seek to add another Girard to a seven-year contract worth $5 million annually. Consistently defenseman? Sakic and his staff have the flexibility to explore several evaluating their financial standing has become a priority for Sakic and the possibilities. They can trade prospects. They can take on salary. They front office because of their core. Their objective is to have the needed might even decide that this is the year they can deal away first-round flexibility to add necessary pieces while still having the needed cap space draft picks. They have options. And that’s the point. to sign Grubauer, Landeskog and Makar to new contracts while 6. Sakic and the front office will have some decisions to make in the preparing for when MacKinnon is in line for an updated pact when he is a summer. What will they choose? UFA after the 2022-23 campaign.

Six restricted free agents. Four unrestricted free agents. Currently, this is The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 the contract landscape facing the Avalanche once the offseason arrives. Burakovsky, Ryan Graves, , , Valeri Nichushkin and are this year’s RFA class. Burakovsky, Graves, Nichushkin and Zadorov have all served in key roles this season. Burakovsky has contributed to the scoring depth that previously has plagued the Avalanche. Graves has gone from a potential seventh defenseman into someone who can be used in top-four situations while Zadorov continues to show he can excel in a shutdown role. Nichushkin has also added to that scoring depth while providing other attributes throughout the lineup. How the front office proceeds with those contracts might be different compared to Jost and Kamenev. Jost is a former first- round pick who has yet to have the breakout campaign associated with being a top-10 pick whereas Kamenev’s ceiling has been slowed by injuries and a lack of playing time. Mark Barberio, Pavel Francouz, Matt Nieto and Colin Wilson are the UFAs who are also facing interesting situations. Barberio is the team’s seventh defenseman but the organization has the sort of depth that could allow them to promote someone from the AHL into that role. That decision becomes more magnified when looking at the defense’s contract situation. Four of the team’s defensemen at least have one more year remaining on their current deals with Graves and Zadorov being RFAs. Dipping into their AHL prospect pool is what potentially leaves both Nieto and Wilson in a hypothetical limbo. Nieto is a bottom-six two-way forward who the Avalanche could choose to re-sign or go in another direction by replacing him with Logan O’Connor. Wilson’s season has been interrupted by a long-term lower-body injury. Nichushkin has filled in for Wilson and is on pace to score 16 goals and finish with 32 points in what has largely been a third-line capacity. It is possible the Avalanche could view Nichushkin as Wilson’s heir apparent or they could see if one of their prospects such as Shane Bowers or is ready for the NHL. That leaves Francouz and the fact he is showing that he can perform as a viable NHL backup goaltender. Re-signing him provides additional continuity in net given that Grubauer is under contract for this year and next. It’s just a matter of finding a figure that could work for both sides, which has the potential to be more challenging considering other clubs are taking notice of what he is doing. Especially at such a low price.

7. Will the Avalanche start tapping more into their prospects to fill roles throughout the calendar year?

Shane Bowers, , Martin Kaut and Conor Timmins are all high picks. Three of them went in the first round while Timmins was the first pick of the second round. Part of what has made the Avalanche such an intriguing franchise to watch over the next few years is monitoring how their prospect pool develops. It is possible that the experiment could start in 2020. Bowers, Kaut and Timmins are all in the AHL. Bowers had a slow start with zero points in seven games but has 11 points over his last 15 contests to show he is starting to gain consistency in what would have been his junior year at Boston University. Kaut also had a troublesome start due to injuries and other factors but has since scored four points over his last five games. Timmins, who played the first two games of the season with the Avalanche, has logged first-pairing minutes and has scored 13 points through 22 games. He has missed a recent slate of games with a lower-body injury but could return this weekend. Byram was sent back to the WHL for more development and has gone through a transitional season with the Vancouver Giants but is thought to have sharpened his defensive abilities in that time. Bowers, Byram, Kaut and 1168893 Colorado Avalanche

Landeskog’s goal for this decade is to win a Cup. And for the first time in his career, the Avs can actually do it.

By Aarif Deen - January 1, 2020

There really is no way to sugar coat it, the 2010s were unkind to the Avalanche.

The Avs had just four playoff appearances and one series win over the past 10 years. But with pain came promise. And in 2011, the Avalanche drafted a promising Swedish forward, Gabe Landeskog, with the No. 2 overall pick.

Landeskog, 27, was named team captain a year after being selected. At just 19 years old, the youngest in league history at the time, Landeskog instantaneously became both the leader and voice of the Avalanche.

The past decade has been a whirlwind for him on and off the ice. But throughout his time in Denver, his dedication to leading this organization has never faded, even during the toughest of times.

“The ups and the downs we’ve been through here in this locker room,” Landeskog told me, recalling the past 10 years. “We thought that we had turned things around after winning the division and making the playoffs in 2013-14 only to find out that we false started and stepped back for another three years.”

“There were some tough seasons in between but we like the group that we have. We like what this organization has done with this locker room and the players that we have. It’s been exciting, I think it’s an exciting time to be a fan and a player.”

It wasn’t always as such, however.

When the Avs finished with 48 points in 2016-17 there were rumors that Landeskog, among others, was being shopped around the trade deadline. But Landeskog did not want to leave, he wanted to be part of the solution moving forward. For the second-longest tenured captain in Avalanche history, it wasn’t just about winning. It was about winning here in Denver.

“Bringing the Cup back to Denver. That’s the main thing—the main goal,” he told me. “We know that it’s a long road to get there and we know it’s a lot of things that are going to have to go our way to get there but, day in and day out if we do our job as best as we can, we have a good opportunity.”

Personally, Landeskog is now a father. He and wife Melissa welcomed Linnea Rae Landeskog to the world in November, 16 months after the couple got married.

“Back then I couldn’t even think about being a dad,” Landeskog told me. “It was different—I was still a kid.”

And would he entertain the idea of having more children?

“Of course, I want to have a couple of more kids,” Landeskog said. “I want to continue to grow and continue to mature. And in 10 years who knows if I’ll still be playing. But if I’m not playing life will be a little bit different so I guess we’ll find out.” milehighsports.com LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168894 Colorado Avalanche tying up that stick but that might be total hindsight bias at play on my part.

Philipp Grubauer – D- Avs Game 40 Grades: Same result, different process This…is complicated. Grubauer made some unbelievable saves tonight as the team in front of him had good overall shot suppression but poor limiting of quality chances. One goal took an outrageously lucky series of BY AJ HAEFELE JANUARY 1, 2020 bounces to find its way into the net and the Connor deflection isn’t one you’re ever putting on the goalie. That said…this is where I struggled with

Grubauer. The Avs gave up six shots on goal in the entire third period. *Apologies for the delay on these game grades as there was an Two of those were empty-net goals so it’s really just four. Four shots. I unexpected situation last night. Everyone is okay (now) but here you go! don’t really care if all four are breakaways (and they weren’t). You ask a goalie to make four stops in the third period and he can’t do that? It’s Pierre Edouard Bellemare – C very frustrating. Again, I understand the few shots the Jets got were of the highest quality but this is why the Avs went out and got this guy. To Probably a little harsh because Bellemare certainly didn’t have a bad be The Man Who Makes The Big Save. In short, to do exactly what night but the Jets have mediocre depth and I really expected more from Hellebuyck did on the other end. And Grubauer once again couldn’t get it this line in this matchup and Bellemare was just sort of…out there. A low- done. I’ll reiterate that it’s not entirely on him and he certainly got left impact night from a player who has emerged as more important than hanging at times, but that’s just life as a goaltender and he needs to expected. elevate his game to meet the moment. Andre Burakovsky – B- Erik Johnson – C- I find myself frustrated with Burakovsky a lot. He does so many little Again, this one is complicated for me. He ended the night with two things well but they too infrequently add up to a really good overall assists (one in total garbage time so I’m ignoring that) and the metrics package. He had a rush down the ice at the end of the second period next to Girard were exceptional. Johnson also got an assist on the first that felt primed for something awesome but by then The Hellebuyck goal as they whipped the puck around nicely to help create that goal. Effect had kicked in and he went wide trying to make the perfect shot. That’s all good. But what I’m being (maybe) overly harsh on EJ here is Matt Calvert – C for the decision made on the fifth Jets goal, the dagger. He had help. They were down one goal but there were still several minutes left on the Like with Bellemare, when this line doesn’t have a great night, the Avs clock. Why make a desperation all-in pinch at your blue line in that struggle to win. Now, I thought the Avs played very well as a whole but situation? There’s still time! And your top line was a serious danger the breakdowns were too big to overcome along the way. Calvert is one anytime they touched the ice. Why for to art thou, EJ. of the main PK players and they were asked to kill exactly one penalty last night and couldn’t. Regardless of what happened at 5v5, that’s – F+ unacceptable. Giving Kadri the ‘plus’ here because the penalty he was called for Ian Cole – C+ absolute nonsense and he continues to look like a guy with his own rule book in the eyes of some officials. But at the same time, his reputation My lowest grades are going to be reserved for the defensemen in this around the league is what it is because he’s played his way into that. The one because after weeks of harping on forwards playing poor defense, I call was still bullcorn and the end result cost them dearly. He scored a thought the back end really betrayed a much stronger effort from the great goal in garbage time to make it look a little better but Kadri was guys up front. Cole was one of the few where I didn’t have a strong among Colorado’s worst forwards in this one in my eyes. He has so opinion on his game as he just went about his business for the most part. much more to offer. The Avs will be a handful when he finds his game.

J.T. Compher – C Tyson Jost – C-

I was chatting with old pal J.J. Jerez after the first period and we talked a On one hand, he was part of some serious action and that tends to be a little about Compher needing to step up a bit, especially now that he’s on good thing. On the other, he missed the net badly multiple times and the fourth line. I was once again left wanting a bit by Compher on a night ended up snagging the only assist on Landeskog’s goal because of it. He where I think that line could have eaten a little greedy had they brought quietly has found his way to three points in the last five games but there their ‘A’ game. Instead, it was their ‘C’ game and another opportunity lost isn’t really an argument to be made that he played well last night. On a to carve more ice time. night where every Av was over 50% in shot metrics, he centered a line Joonas Donskoi – B that was just in the 57% range (everyone else was well over 60) and ended up negative in the quality side of things. Bumped to the top line next to MacKinnon and offense just started happening. Was that Donskoi or MacKinnon having an absurd night? I’m Gabriel Landeskog – B- a big believer in “greatness doesn’t just fall out of the sky” and it’s clear Another guy where I think it was complicated. The numbers all look great the two have a little chemistry and added to Landeskog I thought that line and he scored what at the time was a huge goal when he tied it early in went bananas. Still no points and that’s starting to be a problem. This is the third period. All well and good. But wearing the C means sometimes the same guy who randomly went half the season last year without a you have to step up and lead a little bit and all these late-game collapses goal. He can’t repeat that performance. are partially a leadership problem. I’d like to see Landeskog elevate his Samuel Girard – A+ own game and it certainly wouldn’t help to pull someone aside to get in their ear a little bit with some of the lackluster stuff that helped the Jets I thought Girard was their best defenseman and second-best player. He win this one. It was an imperfect night for 92. was flying around with the puck and creating offense in a way we just have not seen enough from him. He tends to go ‘dead stick’ after Nathan MacKinnon – A crossing center ice with the puck but he remained fully engaged and Sorry, but I’m not looking at MacKinnon’s minus four on the night and showed the flashes of being the kind of driving force we’ve been talking making anything of it. The context surrounding his night is just too tough about him being for three years. I loved his game and the shot metrics to ignore what a dominant effort it was by him. Nine shots on goal, two were incredible (31 CF, 11 CA, 13 SCF, 5 SCA, 6 HDCF, 2 HDCA). goals, and he drove the hell out of play. The Avs only gave up six shots More. Of. This. Please. on goal with MacKinnon on the ice and two of them went in. Add that in Ryan Graves – D with two empty-net goals and MacKinnon’s superstar effort was wasted.

Not more of this, no no no. Graves gets by playing a very effective game Cale Makar – C built on making the right decisions and we saw the confidence balloon Some special stuff from him as we see at least one “oh, wow” worthy pop a little tonight. He took some 50-50 chances and they burned him by effort from him every night. A lot of nights, his all-around game is good going the other way and he doesn’t have the foot speed to play catch-up enough to justify that being the best he has but there was another level against the Jets forwards. Connor got the de facto game-winning goal for him and he just didn’t get there. He’s struggled a bit to find his footing with Graves in no-man’s land doing nothing on the PK. I’d love to see him since his return and tonight was a good reminder that NHL hockey is hard. Makar’s defense just wasn’t where you’d like to see it be and he ended up as one of the lowest-event players on the Avalanche. He did hit another post, though, so he can continue to lead the league in that.

Valeri Nichushkin – C

Same as all his linemates; there was a chance for this line to feast a bit on the iffy depth the Jets have to offer. They didn’t as much as we’ve seen in previous games. I’m certainly not saying this line needs to score twice a night but on a night where the Avs perma-tilted the ice to the Winnipeg zone, not getting goals outside the top six really was a difference-maker here.

Matt Nieto – C

There are times I think he needs to play with a bit more ego, a bit more swagger. He’s such a committed team-first guy that he’s always looking to defer and make a play for a teammate when he has one and I think he tends to force it a bit when that’s the case. This was definitely one of those games where he could have stood to use a little more aggression on offense. Nieto is fast as hell. I’d like to see him put his head down and try to go wide on some of these guys occasionally.

Mikko Rantanen – D

Picked up what felt like a pity assist from the universe. The play he made during the limited four on four play drove me crazy and is indicative of the worst aspects of Rantanen’s game. He tends to try to do too much and works himself into bad situations. He essentially created a scoring chance by insisting he try to dangle multiple guys at his own blue line. Why? What’s the upside? They had guys back and were in position to defend him even if he broke through. And then when he lost it, the controller disconnected and he didn’t work very hard in dealing with the aftermath. I’m not sure what ails him right now because despite putting up points consistently, he’s playing among the worst hockey we’ve seen from him since his rookie year.

Nikita Zadorov – C-

The shot metrics are great. The underlying numbers jump off the page and scream ‘Had a great night!’ And then you fire up the tape and watch that first Jets goal as he got super wide and completely ignored Wheeler in favor of covering the guy Cole already had taken. The low grade is really all about that play. It set the tone for the night of Colorado outplaying Winnipeg but making The Big Mistake and giving up a goal. The Avs should’ve run away with this one but didn’t because they couldn’t get out of their own way. That’s Zadorov’s career in a nutshell. I did think after that play he was much better but it’s frustrating it takes him giving that up to get right. Of course, had Grubauer made the save, this wouldn’t even be a conversation. Team games, amirite?

BSN DENVER LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168895 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, Elvis Merzlikins spoil Bobrovsky’s return to Nationwide

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch Dec 31, 2019 at 11:13 PM

It was a night of new beginnings, New Year’s Eve, and there couldn’t have been a more fitting hockey game Tuesday at Nationwide Arena.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in one net, wearing the Florida Panthers’ uniform he chose last summer over the Blue Jackets attire he’d worn the previous seven seasons. Elvis, a 25-year old rookie with the last name of "Merzlikins," was in the other net — looking for his first NHL win in his first career start in the city of Columbus, whose skyline adorns his pads, blocker and glove.

After 36 saves and defenseman Zach Werenski’s first career hat trick, Elvis finally left an NHL building a winner — helping the Blue Jackets extend the league’s longest active point streak to 11 games with a 4-1 victory to send a sellout crowd of 18,977 into 2020 happy.

"You can kind of tell when someone’s on their game, and tonight he was on his game," Werenski said of Merzlikins, who made his first start since Dec. 14 in Ottawa and first start since No. 1 goalie Joonas Korpisalo went down with a meniscus tear Sunday. "It was fun to watch. He made some huge saves. They’re a good offensive team, and he shut them down, so it was awesome."

Indeed, the Panthers (20-14-5) made Merzlikins work for the win. They peppered the net, outshooting the Blue Jackets 37-28 and finishing with a massive 73-42 advantage in total attempts.

The Jackets’ netminder made 14 saves in the first period, 14 more in the second and eight in the third to cap off an impressive night. After leaping into the arms of captain Nick Foligno and giving a one-legged fist pump to the crowd, Elvis left the building as Elvis Presley’s "A little less conversation" blared on the arena’s sound system.

It was a fitting exit, too.

Merzlikins kept with his vow of silence that was made public Monday and declined interview requests through a team representative. A statement was later released on his behalf, but Elvis’s play did quite a bit of talking on its own.

"In the second period, we struggled so badly just to get out of our end zone," coach said afterward. "I thought that was the most important part of (Merzlikins’) game."

Werenski, meanwhile, scored at 4:54 of the first period for a 1-0 lead and tacked on two more in the third — at 4:13 and 8:04 to give the Blue Jackets a commanding 4-1 lead.

"Whenever you get two, you kind of have that thought in the back of your mind that maybe a hat trick’s coming," said Werenski, who was the first defenseman to ever notch a hat trick in Nationwide Arena and just the third Blue Jackets’ blue-liner to do it. "I never thought I’d get one, but here we are, I guess. It’s pretty cool."

Werenski now has 11 goals and is on pace for 24 despite missing seven games with a shoulder sprain. Other standouts included Alexander Wennberg and Gustav Nyquist, who added two assists each, while Boone Jenner had a goal and assist that included the winner to break a 1-1 tie at 15:34 of the second on a power play.

Colton Sceviour scored the lone goal for Florida, tying 1-1 at 3:39 of the second, tipping a shot past Merzlikins, but that was all the Panthers got despite controlling the puck most of the game.

The night, however, belonged to Merzlikins, Werenski and Bobrovsky, who was loudly cheered during a video tribute in the first that celebrated his seven seasons as a Blue Jacket.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168896 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020

Columbus Blue Jackets fans’ feelings for Sergei Bobrovsky still need to be sorted out

Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch Jan 1, 2020 at 5:01 AM

Sergei Bobrovsky wore a Blue Jackets sweater for seven years, and for much of the duration it was as if the crest was sewn in his chest.

The last two years, though, there were times when he started to pull off the Union Blue. And then he would yank it back in place. And then he would pull it high enough so his navel was showing. And then he would tug it down to cover himself.

Ultimately, Bobrovsky in July took the free-agent route out of Columbus and signed a seven-year, $70-million contract with the Florida Panthers. And then New Year’s Eve arrived.

Tuesday night, amid much fanfare, Bobrovsky, wearing a red-and-white sweater with a cat on it, took station in the visitors’ net in Nationwide Arena. The sellout crowd cheered and booed, passionately.

This was not like Adam Foote’s or Jeff Carter’s or even Artemi Panarin’s first return engagement in Columbus. Given Bobrovsky’s imprint on Jackets history, it was more like Rick Nash reappearing in a strange Blueshirt; it was momentous, familiar and unsettling at the same time.

Bobrovsky won 213 games and two Vezina Trophies with the Blue Jackets. He faced 11,067 shots and stopped 10,193 of them, a .921 save percentage. He had a 2.41 goals-against average in 374 games. He was the face of the franchise, and he hugged the captain after every victory.

He was the only Bob in Columbus.

Upon return, he was met by a conflicted fan base trying to make sense of a compelling athlete with a complicated legacy.

Until last season, Bobrovsky had one of the worst playoff records of any goaltender in the 21st century. When Jackets coach John Tortorella stated the obvious and said Bobrovsky needed an improved postseason form, the hardworking, laser-focused goaltender suddenly turned sensitive and felt scapegoated. The Union Blue began to loosen on him.

Last season was a wild ride. Bobrovsky walled off contract talks. He showed up at training camp with a curious disclaimer (“I am a Blue Jacket for now”). He left the bench after getting yanked in a game in Tampa Bay — and served a one-game suspension for bailing on his teammates. His (and Bread’s) pending free agency hung over a club struggling, beyond reason, in its push to make the playoffs.

Resolution did not come until late March, when a players-only meeting answered a question that should not have to be asked: Who’s in and who’s out? Bobrovsky re-immersed himself in his “process” and was integral in the Jackets’ first-ever playoff series victory, a shocking sweep of the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Jackets went on to lose to Boston in six before Bobrovsky led the free-agent exodus from Columbus. He signed a huge contract with Florida and became Sunrise Bob.

“My main thing is to win,” he said. “I want to win the Cup. That’s my main purpose. That’s why I chose the Panthers.”

If you are among the core Jackets players and you hear that, you don’t just brush it off with “That’s what he’s supposed to say.” You process. You think: “He couldn’t win here?” And you feel chumped.

If you are Tortorella you need a moment.

The Jackets did well in Bobrovsky's return. A video tribute of Bob highlights brought the crowd to its feet in a rousing ovation. Any boos were drowned out.

In Columbus, Bobrovsky was a true Blue Jacket with a nonpareil work ethic who helped carry the franchise to a better place. He was also, at times, sheathed in a thin skin that barely covered his self-immersion. His departure was a drawn-out mess, but he has moved on, Broward Bob, and more time needs to pass before the jagged edges of his legacy here are smoothed. 1168897 Columbus Blue Jackets years is a lot. Again, I appreciate this organization for what they have done for me. It was a long day, lots of memories — good memories — and some sadness. It was different.”

An Elvis rockin’ eve: Sergei Bobrovsky’s emotional return to Columbus Bobrovsky obviously really wanted a win in his return to Columbus but it ends in a Blue Jackets’ party looked like it was just one of those nights for the Panthers.

Werenski got his first of the night less than five minutes into the game when the Columbus defenseman slid through and teed off on a puck left By George Richards Jan 1, 2020 by Alexander Wennberg.

Florida tied it on a nifty deflection from Colton Sceviour in the second, but Columbus went to the break up 2-1 on Boone Jenner’s power play goal. COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was supposed to be Bob’s triumphant return, only when the game was done, the DJ at Nationwide Arena threw on an Still, the Panthers controlled the flow of the game for much of the first two Elvis remix and cranked it up. periods.

And why not? Still, their high-flying offense just couldn’t find much room against Columbus’ rookie goalie, who was making his first home start after Blue Jackets fans had plenty to celebrate on their way out of the building Joonas Korpisalo went down with a knee injury trying to make a save on New Year’s Eve after rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins outdueled their old Sunday in a shootout. friend Sergei Bobrovsky in a 4-1 Columbus victory. Instead of Bobrovsky and captain Nick Foligno sharing a hug as they had Columbus, despite missing 10 players because of injury including so many times following wins with the Blue Jackets, it was Merzlikins Bobrovsky’s protégé in net, held on despite being outshot and out- jumping into Foligno’s arms as if he had just won Game 7 of the World chanced by the Panthers through the first 40 minutes and for a lot of the Series. game. The win was the first of Merzlikins’ young NHL career. But after controlling play for big stretches of the first and second periods, the Panthers did not get much going in the third and watched Columbus ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. score twice to spoil Bobrovsky’s homecoming night. CONGRATS ON WIN NO. 1, ELVIS MERZLIKINS (@MERZLY30). In the third, defenseman Zach Werenski polished off his first NHL hat PIC.TWITTER.COM/2MLWCNXPWI trick as he slammed two pucks into the back of the net from his spot in the left circle, and that was just about that. — NHL (@NHL) JANUARY 1, 2020

Bobrovsky, who left Columbus after seven seasons to sign as a free As the party went on outside the arena, the Panthers quietly packed up agent with the Panthers, had to stand near his cage and watch as ready to move on to the next one. hundreds of baseball caps and even some Happy New Year paper hats “It was frustrating because we were getting chances and were trying to littered the ice. get to the net,” said Sasha Barkov, whose team outshot Columbus 37-28 It took a few minutes to clean up the mess and gave Bobrovsky plenty of and had a 73-42 advantage in shot attempts. time to think about how this night was likely going to end. “We were playing the game in their zone, then we give Werenski time Bobrovsky had heard that booming cannon go off after goals thousands with that great shot of his. He’s going to score there. I thought we did a of times over the years — just never in response to one he had given up. lot of good things and we want to play that style all the time. But one goal is not enough. It could have gone differently, but we should be fine.” The Columbus goal song, so welcomed to hear in the past, had to taunt him on Tuesday. After the game, the Panthers flew to Ottawa, where they will kick off 2020 and continue a four-game road trip that is not off to a very good start. “Unfortunately, we did not step up in the third period,” said Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with the Panthers and has Coach Joel Quenneville said he was happy with the way his team played given up four goals or more in each of his past four starts. “I have to be the first two periods but the two goals in the third by Werenski sealed better for the guys, too. In that moment, I have to make a save to give their fate. them confidence … again, I hate to lose and I have to be better. Four The Panthers face the Senators on Thursday night, then have back-to- goals is a lot. There have been lots of goals. But our D worked hard, back games this weekend in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. made plays. “They were around the net a lot, (Bobrovsky) was doing his thing and “I have nothing to complain about, no excuses. I take it and move on. … battling but they were the better team,” Quenneville said. “We are going For some reason, I came up short today. I thought I could do better and to move forward. There were a lot of positives exiting this game … let’s could help more. Congratulations to the Blue Jackets for the win. … go out and regain some momentum here.” We’re going to play some more hockey against them.” Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky makes a save during the second Bobrovsky said before the game he did not know how he would feel period against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty / about returning to Columbus or coming onto the ice at Nationwide again. USA Today) Although he was booed during pregame introductions and seemingly Bounce-back Jackets every time he touched the puck, the Columbus fans took pause in the first period when the team put on a tribute video that highlighted Bob’s Bobrovsky had already met up with his old teammates once this season, seven years in Ohio’s capital city. giving up a goal off 34 shots as the Panthers beat the Jackets 4-1 at BB&T Center on Dec. 7. TODAY, WE SAY THANKS TO THE TOP COP ON THE FORCE. WELCOME BACK BOB! PIC.TWITTER.COM/OCTCXTDI5P Columbus, despite all of its injuries, has not lost in regulation since, improving to 7-0-4 after Tuesday’s win. — COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (@BLUEJACKETSNHL) JANUARY 1, 2020 Even though the Jackets are fielding a team with some AHL players on it, they have been hard to beat and seem to be enjoying their underdog Bobrovsky had skated to the Florida bench during a timeout and watched status. the whole thing from there; players on both benches saluted him as did the majority of the sellout crowd. Columbus has climbed right back into playoff contention and is doing it without some of its top players, such as Cam Atkinson, , He seemed touched by the video and by the return to a town he called Josh Anderson and, now, Korpisalo. home for almost a decade. “They bring hard work, basically a hard-hat mentality right from the “I have lots and lots of memories,” Bobrovsky said. “I went to my old onset,” Quenneville said. “They are up and down the ice, are very direct apartment (Monday night) and cried a few times there. It is tough. Seven and go to the net as good as anyone.” Tuesday, the Panthers did not go to the net and Quenneville felt it cost them. Although the Panthers took aim 73 times, he would have liked to see a more coordinated effort to get good looks down low.

“I thought he made big saves, but I thought we made it easier on him,” Quenneville said postgame. “We didn’t have the net presence that we have had, going against a guy who was on a pretty good roll there. We should have been disruptive.”

Headed to St. Louis

Jonathan Huberdeau is having a career-defining season, rolling into 2020 with 16 goals and 53 points in 39 games.

Last year, he set a career-high with 92 points; this season, he is on pace to eclipse 110.

On Monday, the NHL announced that Huberdeau would be going to All- Star weekend for the first time. St. Louis is hosting this year on Jan. 25.

“Obviously it is great and I always wanted to go at least once in my career,” Huberdeau said. “I want to be better every year and I think I have been doing that throughout my career and that’s what I have wanted to do.”

 JONATHAN HUBERDEAU IS HEADING TO THE 2020 #NHLALLSTAR GAME! 

CONGRATULATIONS, HUBY! 

MORE >> HTTPS://T.CO/VLWU4VCHCS PIC.TWITTER.COM/MGYOOMUVAB

— FLORIDA PANTHERS (@FLAPANTHERS) DECEMBER 30, 2019

All-Star snub? Barkov is cool

Barkov made his first (and so far, only) All-Star appearance in 2018 at Tampa.

Although Barkov can still be voted into the game later this month, he says he does not feel slighted by not being selected and is good with however it ends up.

Barkov set a franchise record with 96 points last season and is on pace to be right in that neighborhood again this year.

“Obviously it is really nice to be recognized like that,” he said. “If you get chosen, that’s great; if not, you get a couple extra days of rest. It was a nice experience when I went and everyone enjoys it. It is a really nice thing to be able to do. To me, it’s a win-win situation.”

SEND BARKY TO THE 2020 #NHLALLSTAR GAME! YOUR VOTES CAN GET HIM THERE! 

'LAST MEN IN' VOTING STARTS TOMORROW! PIC.TWITTER.COM/HSXB2GPUPT

— FLORIDA PANTHERS (@FLAPANTHERS) JANUARY 1, 2020

First video loss for Panthers

Quenneville argued after Werenski’s second goal (which made it 3-1 4:13 into the third) that Bobrovsky had been interfered with as Foligno appeared to get tangled up with his old teammate after a shove from .

The matter went to video review — the first such coaches’ challenge since Quenneville took over behind the Florida bench.

With the new rule in place this season, challenges are much less common than they used to be. If a team loses said challenge, they get charged with a delay of game penalty and have to kill off two minutes.

Which is what happened Tuesday. It was ruled there was no interference (or at least not enough to take the goal off the board) and headed to the penalty box.

“It’s a two-goal differential there, thought Bob was impeded so it was worth the risk at the time,” Quenneville said. “It was a gamble, but we’ll live with it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168898 Dallas Stars “Yesterday, it was pretty good, but today when we came for warmups, it was awful,” Radek Faksa said. “Before the game, it was actually pretty good. After 10 minutes, the ice was pretty bad, the puck was bouncing a lot. We tried to be on them, not give them too much time. Just put the Blake Comeau’s eventful Winter Classic including a penalty, goal and an puck deep and get on the forecheck. It’s hard to break out when the ice is injury scare really bad.”

-- During the Winter Classic, Bowness became the third coach in NHL history to be a head coach in five different decades, joining Pat Quinn By Matthew DeFranks and . Bowness has coached more games (as an assistant and a head coach) than any coach in NHL history.

Blake Comeau had an eventful Wednesday afternoon. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.02.2020

During the Stars’ 4-2 win over Nashville in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl, Comeau was a key figure, with a goal, a penalty (that the Predators scored on) and a brief exit due to a crushing hit from Predators forward Austin Watson.

“He’s a tremendous competitor,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said. “He’s a tremendous teammate. He leads by example. He’s vocal in the room when he needs to be. He’s a great asset, and he’s playing his heart out. Players feed off of that.”

With 8:33 left in the first period, Comeau was flattened by Watson in the Stars zone and remained on the ice before walking up the Cotton Bowl tunnel to the Dallas dressing room. The hit appeared to put Comeau’s Winter Classic in jeopardy after his head hit the ice. But Comeau returned to the game at the start of the second period after going through the NHL’s concussion protocol.

The hit was part of a wild first period that also included Corey Perry’s ejection for elbowing Ryan Ellis in the head, Radek Faksa’s tussle with Colin Blackwell and Denis Gurianov’s penalty shot miss.

“Just caught off guard, not really sure who hit me,” Comeau said. “Coming into it, we knew it was going to be a physical game playing these guys last year in the playoffs, close in the standings, big division game, great atmosphere. We knew it was going to be physical.”

Comeau’s delay of game penalty 4:22 into the game gave the Predators a two-minute 5 on 3 power play, which cashed in on.

But Comeau was one of the most active Stars the rest of the game, with three shots on goal, four hits and three blocked shots.

“Blake is an engine for us,” Jason Dickinson said. “He brings a lot of passion. He brings a lot of energy for us. He goes out there and plays the game the hard way. He doesn’t take any shortcuts, he’s a guy that you respect. When you see him come back out and he’s got a fire under him, it lights up everybody else.”

Benn + Seguin: While answering a question about Comeau, Stars captain Jamie Benn referenced , who was sitting beside him. This was the exchange:

“He’s not going to do the pretty things all the time like Mr. Seguin here, but he’s a great player and he’s a big part of our team,” Benn said of Comeau.

“I don’t always do pretty things,” Seguin told Benn.

Perry fallout: Corey Perry played 38 seconds on Wednesday afternoon, ending his only shift of the game with an elbowing penalty that resulted in a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Perry elbowed Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis at the Stars blue line, and Ellis did not return to the game.

“Sometimes in hockey, when you go to make a hit, you get in some unfortunate situations and that’s all I can see with that,” Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness said. “Corey Perry would never try to hurt anyone. He would play hard, but intention? No, that’s an unfortunate hit. That’s all.”

The NHL announced Wednesday night that Perry would have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Friday for his hit on Ellis. Perry likely faces a suspension for the hit, potentially opening up a lineup spot for Justin Dowling to step into.

Ice deterioration: One of the big talking points entering Wednesday was how well the ice would hold up in mid-50s temperatures. During Tuesday’s practice, it got positive reviews. But warmup on Wednesday was a different story. 1168899 Dallas Stars The Stars hoped they had acceptable attendance, and initial thoughts a year ago placed capacity around 70,000 for the game. But months later, the event was sold out and the league searched for ways to find more seats: uncovering view obstructed seats and opening up rows in the end With a uniquely Dallas atmosphere, the Stars’ Winter Classic victory at zones. The result was more fans than even the most optimistic the Cotton Bowl had it all forecasters projected.

“I know there were a lot of people who questioned whether or not we could sell any tickets for an outdoor game, let alone over 85,000 and By Matthew DeFranks10:40 PM on Jan 1, 2020 that’s what’s in attendance today,” NHL commissioner said.

A few steps above Section 35 on the south side of the Cotton Bowl, as The hope was for memorable. The result was unforgettable. The hope the sun slipped farther behind the overcast Texas sky, after a deluge of was for cooperative weather. The result was perfectly cloudy. The hope four unanswered Stars goals and before the final seconds of the Stars’ 4- was for a day the Stars would be proud of Dallas. The result was a day 2 win over the Predators on Wednesday ticked away, one of the 85,630 that Dallas was proud of the Stars. fans in attendance turned to his friend on the concourse. In some ways, the hockey seemed secondary entering Wednesday amid “For hockey … in Texas … this is crazy.” the Cotton Bowl circus. The first period dispelled those notions.

The Winter Classic was meant to be a showcase of non-traditional Corey Perry was ejected for elbowing Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis in hockey markets in 2020, a nod to the growth of the game in Texas (and the head. Nashville forward Austin Watson knocked Blake Comeau out of Tennessee) and a celebration of fresh blood. It turned into a party on the game temporarily with a punishing hit, resulting in Comeau’s head Robert B Cullum Boulevard, a Victory green dotted masterpiece of hitting the ice and undergoing concussion protocol. Radek Faksa earned fandom and exuberance. a roughing penalty after Comeau was flattened.

“The whole thing was awesome, we get that,” Stars interim coach Rick Even Denis Gurianov’s missed penalty shot in the first period feels like a Bowness said. “But when you’re part of what just went on and the footnote of the day. excitement and the electricity in the rink, that’s special. It really is.” The Winter Classic capped a busy month for the Stars. They cooled after Outside the stadium, a reopened Midway created the intersection of a scorching November. They fired their coach for still unknown reasons. corny dogs with slap shots, the Texas Star with the Stanley Cup, an They inherited an interim coach. They were followed around by a unmistakably Dallas environment overtaken by the second-largest crowd documentary-making crew. They limped into the Christmas break. They to ever witness a NHL game. Inside the stadium, the Stars did what thundered out of it. They are now at the halfway mark of the season. they’ve done all season: erase an early deficit with a roaring third period, “We’re just going to enjoy this right now because this is a once in a and on Wednesday, scored three times in the final period to complete a lifetime, once in a career type thing,” Bishop said. comeback. The atmosphere will not be duplicated in Dallas, and perhaps it shouldn’t ’s blistering, one-timer on the power play 5:06 into the be. After the game, the Stars soaked it in, saluting the crowd with their third period gave the Stars their first lead of the afternoon and would sticks and handing them out heading to the tunnel. Before they left the have lifted the roof off the Cotton Bowl if the stadium had one at all. Tyler ice for the last time, they posed for a team picture. Seguin said the crowd after Radulov’s goal was the loudest he’d ever heard while playing. Benn knelt in the middle. Seguin was two places to his left. Bishop laid in the front row, pads stacked. Anton Khudobin got a running start and slid “When Rads scored that goal,” Stars defenseman John Klingberg said, “I into place. And for Seguin, that is the lasting memory of the party on couldn't even hear him screaming.” Robert B Cullum Boulevard. Blake Comeau, Mattias Janmark and Andrej Sekera also scored for the “That was something I’ll never forget,” Seguin said. Stars, one by one etching themselves into Stars lore during the grandest event in franchise history. Ben Bishop made 31 saves, including the final Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.02.2020 29 shots he faced after Nashville struck twice in the first period on the power play.

The comeback was the team’s seventh of the season when trailing after two periods, and third one in a row after beating Colorado and Arizona in similar fashion over the weekend. It moved them eight points clear of Nashville in the standings, and the Stars power play scored twice for the first time in almost four weeks.

The Stars will gladly accept the two points in the standings, but Wednesday was about so much more than that.

When the Stars emerged from their team bus hours before the game, they donned cowboy attire, with boots and hats, denim and leather. Bolo ties were prevalent, as were Winter Classic belt buckles. It was an idea hatched between Bishop and captain Jamie Benn, and supplemented by Lucchese and Travis Austin Customs.

“I looked really good,” Andrew Cogliano said. “No, honestly. Probably the first time I’m excited to get my clothes on after the game.”

What greeted the Stars when they got off the bus was a rodeo. There was a mechanical bull on the far side of the field. There were horses present for the national anthem (that were spooked by the pyrotechnics). There were lassos. There were sheep. There was pig racing during television timeouts, with Stars-themed names like Tyler “Swine”in, Joe “Pork”valeski and Andrew “Hog”liano.

“I saw it on the big screen at one point,” Jason Dickinson said. “I had to look away, I knew I’d get in trouble if I kept watching.”

“Not too often do you have pig races in the middle of a hockey game,” said Bishop, quickly followed by a challenge from Seguin: “Top that.” 1168900 Dallas Stars followed by the national anthem, courtesy of Jake Hoot — recent winner of The Voice — and a ceremonial puck drop from Cotton Bowl football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Ricky Williams.

Winter Classic notebook: NHL attendance history, Corey Perry’s ejection Entertainment continued throughout the game during stoppages and and more from Stars-Predators intermissions. Nashville country band Dan + Shay served as the event's headlining act with a first intermission mini-concert, performing a handful of songs. The second intermission was essentially a rodeo. There was cattle roping, horses, sheep, jugglers and more. By Scott Bell10:13 PM on Jan 1, 2020 But the entertainment act that seemed to captivate fans the most was a

recurring competition during TV stoppages in all three periods: pig races. Some news and notes from the Dallas Stars’ 4-2 Winter Classic win over A rectangular pig pen in the southeast corner of the stadium hosted four the Nashville Predators. separate pig races — each race being a heat pitting four pigs against themselves. Each pig had a hockey-themed name, with some Stars- Warming up centric names including Andrew Hogliano, Joe Porklowski and Tyler Swine-in. Ninety minutes before the opening faceoff, members of both the Stars and Predators took to the narrow stretch of grass outside the rink to go Nashville didn’t leave the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday totally empty- through their pregame warmup routine in front of fans that had already handed. The winning pig? Ro-HAM Josi — a nod to Predators captain made their way into the Cotton Bowl. Roman Josi.

Those activities included stretching and light running to warm up. It also Denis’ rare opportunity included some soccer. Yes, soccer. Players from each team formed circles and juggled, volleyed and headed soccer balls back and forth with After the Stars fell behind to an early 2-0 deficit, Denis Gurianov was their teammates. given a prime opportunity to cut into that deficit when he was awarded a penalty shot after being pulled down on a breakaway. He missed his The soccer warmup is a pregame staple around the league, but it was attempt wide left, though, keeping the streak alive of no successful particularly fitting for the Cotton Bowl — a venue that hosted six different penalty shots in Winter Classic history. There has only been one World Cup games during the 1994 World Cup and was the former home successful penalty shot in 29 total NHL outdoor hockey games. The New of both the Dallas Tornado and FC Dallas. York Rangers' Derek Stepan scored against the New Jersey Devils in the 2014 Stadium Series matchup at . Perry ejected Home sweet home Corey Perry was one of six members of the Dallas Stars with previous NHL outdoor hockey experience. He didn't get much of an opportunity to Road teams entered Wednesday’s game with a 16-8-4 record in the add to his outdoor hockey highlight reel. The Stars right wing received a NHL’s 28 previous outdoor games. With the Stars’ win, though, home five-minute major and a game misconduct less than three minutes into teams are now 8-1-1 in the last 10. the game. The call came after Perry elbowed Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis in the head. Ellis did not return to the game. Dallas’ comeback victory means more than half of the NHL’s outdoor games (15 of 29) have featured a comeback win. Four straight outdoor “It was an awkward play," Perry said after the game. "I went to the bench games have been won in comeback fashion. to get a stick and came back. I reached out to try to deflect the puck or whatever. It was unfortunate. I’ve played with Ryan before. I know him Comebacks continue personally. It’s very unintentional. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I hope he’s The Stars’ win over Nashville was their third straight win since returning OK. This is a big event. I’m sure he had family in here. I had some family to the ice after a week off during Christmas. In all three games, the Stars here. It’s unfortunate. I just hope he’s OK.” were trailing heading into the third period. Perry was one of two Stars to have previously scored in an outdoor The Stars now have a league-best seven wins when trailing after two game, netting one for Anaheim in its 2014 game at Dodgers Stadium. periods, and boast an overall record of 7-10-1 when heading into the NHL history third period trailing their opponent.

The announced attendance for Wednesday's game was 85,630, making Dallas Morning News LOADED: 01.02.2020 it the second-largest crowd for an NHL game in the league's 102-year history. The crowd eclipsed the current No. 2 total (76,126 set at last year's Winter Classic at ) by almost 10,000 fans. The biggest crowd in NHL history remains the 105,491 that packed Michigan Stadium in 2014.

This was the first regular-season outdoor game for both teams. It was the 12th NHL Winter Classic and the 29th NHL regular-season outdoor contest. The Cotton Bowl became the sixth football stadium to host the Winter Classic and the third college football stadium, joining the aforementioned Michigan Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium.

Entertainment

The Winter Classic game didn't begin until 1 pm, but the celebration of hockey started much earlier in the day. The Midway opened up at 9 am, giving fans the opportunity to ride iconic rides at the State Fair, eat traditional State Fair food and take part in a number of hockey experiences put together by various NHL sponsors.

As fans entered the stadium and it got closer to game time, there were a number of performances and attractions to bridge the fans until game time. Local classic rock band The 8 Tracks served as the house band for the pregame, and was greeted by corresponding dancing from about 20 Cowboy-clad dancers on a dance floor in front of the main stage. There was also a mechanical bull and a number of State Fair-inspired animals making appearances.

Texas country trio Midland took the stage 30 minutes before the game started and served as the pregame entertainment. They were 1168901 Dallas Stars physical brand of hockey that could wear them out. The focus needed to be on creating offense, whether or not it led to goals. The Stars did that for much of the second period but couldn’t slip the puck past Pekka Rinne, partly due to Rinne’s expertise and partly due to unfortunate After exiting early with injury, Blake Comeau returned to help save Winter bounces. Classic for Stars With less than 70 seconds left in the second, that changed. Just after the Stars’ power play expired, Jason Dickinson made a great play to find Comeau in the slot. By Saad Yousuf Jan 1, 2020 He found the back of the net and got the Stars on the board.

THE @DALLASSTARS ARE ON THE BOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME Eleven minutes into the 2020 Winter Classic, Blake Comeau lay THIS DECADE!#WINTERCLASSIC PIC.TWITTER.COM/HXO2MDRZCO motionless on the south end of Cotton Bowl Stadium. Comeau took a hard, clean hit from Nashville’s Austin Watson, but his head ricocheted — NHL ON NBC (@NHLONNBCSPORTS) JANUARY 1, 2020 off the ice, leaving Comeau winded and in a state of shock. “When Creep (Comeau) scored, I thought that was great timing,” Benn “I was just kind of caught off-guard, not really sure who hit me,” Comeau said. “Right before the start of the third, it got the crowd going, and we said. “Coming into it, we knew it was going to be a physical game — kept it rolling from there … We went into the dressing with some playing these guys last year in the playoffs, close in the standings, big confidence. The boys were excited to come out in the third and started division game, great atmosphere. It’s part of the game but I was happy to the period with the power play. We just tried to keep the momentum on come back.” our side.”

The mood in the stadium could best be described as “confused.” While While it wasn’t the winning goal, Comeau’s shot at the end of the second Comeau was down on the south end, Radek Faksa was simultaneously was arguably the play of the game. It injected confidence in the players engaged in a fight with Colin Blackwell on the north end of the stadium. and was the first time the building really got rowdy since player The faction of the 85,630 fans on hand that noticed Comeau first were introductions and puck drop. Afterward, Cogliano likened the goal to one muted while the fans reacting to Faksa were still clamoring. Alexander Radulov scored on October 29th at the American Airlines Center against the Minnesota Wild. The Stars trailed 3-0 until Radulov After a few minutes, Comeau was able to walk off of the ice under his scored in the final minute of the second period to cut the deficit to 3-1 own power. He entered the NHL’s concussion protocol. after two periods. The Stars ended up winning that game 6-3. “I would have loved to have stayed but the way that the rules are, you got Comeau said he understood where Cogliano was coming from in that to go back and just do your testing,” Comeau said. “I came back, tried to comparison. do it as fast as I could so I can get back out.” “That was right there during our stretch where we were struggling at the Comeau’s absence was felt by the Stars. While he’s not a scoring start of the year,” Comeau said. “I really believe that was a turning point machine and rarely pops off the stat sheet, Comeau has a niche on this for us.” roster and plays the role he’s asked to play. He also makes those around him better, one reason why the Faksa-Comeau-Cogliano line has been The Radulov goal against the Wild saved the Stars’ season. Comeau’s one of the Stars’ most consistent groupings in terms of staying power. goal against the Predators saved the Winter Classic.

“When you don’t have him (Comeau), you have a big void in terms of the The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 forecheck and just knowing each other and how we play,” Andrew Cogliano said. “He’s a player that this team needs.”

“This is a character guy who shows up every day as a professional,” interim head coach Rick Bowness said. “He’s a tremendous competitor, he’s a tremendous teammate, leads by example and vocal in the room when he needs to be. He’s a great asset and is playing his heart out. Players feed off of that.

“When you play that hard, you want to get rewarded at some point, and he has some big goals for us. Even if he doesn’t score, he’s a huge part of our penalty kill, he’s a huge part of the chemistry of the team, he’s a huge part of the character of our team and the leadership of this team.”

At the time of Comeau’s injury, the Stars were already in a precarious spot. They trailed 2-0 on the scoreboard and every ounce of momentum was on the visitor’s side. A bulk of that stemmed from Corey Perry’s game misconduct less than three minutes after puck drop, but Comeau felt partly responsible for the bad start because of his delay of game penalty less than two minutes later when he tried to clear the puck but inadvertently sent it over the glass.

That gave Nashville a 5-on-3 and then quickly the first score of the game.

“It was a tough way to start,” Comeau said. “We talked after the first, we had some really good looks. Besides their power play, they didn’t have a ton of chances, and as the game went on, I thought we wore them down.”

That conversation in the first intermission consisted of a couple things. First, there was an acknowledgment that the Stars belonged on this stage and were playing good hockey. The two-goal deficit was not indicative of the disparity between the two teams. Secondly, it was about how the Stars were going to get back in this game. There’s no way to score more than one goal at a time, so climbing back into it would mean sticking to the process.

Comeau said the team knew that the Predators had some defensemen playing extended minutes — a situation Nashville was in because Perry’s game misconduct hit on Ryan Ellis in the opening minutes — so the Stars needed to get in on the forecheck and really leave their mark with a 1168902 Dallas Stars 5. The much-maligned Dallas power play delivered in the third period. The first power play was forgettable, but the two in the third period both

ended up with goals coming on primary assists from Klingberg, who had Stars 20/20: Under huge spotlight, fans make statement about hockey in a strong case for being the MVP of this game. Texas — and Dallas delivers Dallas tied the game on tipped shot by Mattias Janmark that Klingberg floated toward the front of the net, then Radulov scored his aforementioned game-winner as Klingberg put the pass right into his By Sean Shapiro Jan 1, 2020 wheelhouse for the bullet past Rinne.

6. Andrej Sekera’s goal was one of the most unlikely.

DALLAS — The Dallas Stars opened the 2020 calendar year with 4-2 win The defenseman hadn’t scored yet this season, and aside from a slick in the NHL’s Winter Classic, coming back from a 2-0 deficit in front of one no-look pass this past Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes for assist, he of the largest crowds in NHL history. hadn’t shown much of anything in the offensive zone.

1. John Klingberg couldn’t hear Alexander Radulov scream, and Radulov But with Dallas leading 3-2, he jumped into a play and put the puck in the is quite the vocal celebrator once he’s deposited a puck into the back of net. the net. “To get the goal, and like this? That was nice,” Sekera said. “I saw there That’s how loud it was in the Cotton Bowl when Radulov’s power-play was opening, and what we practice always is to get the third guy join the bullet gave the Stars a 3-2 lead in the third period. Tyler Seguin said it’s rush, so I was just going there, and (Janmark) made a nice play to throw the loudest he’s ever heard a hockey venue. it on the net, and then it was a couple bounces there. Just coming in there, I was in (the) right time and right place.” That moment will probably be the transcendent memory of this Winter Classic for those in Dallas. A Southern, so-called nontraditional market 7. Corey Perry’s Winter Classic only lasted 38 seconds. housed the second-largest crowd in NHL history with 85,630 officially in attendance, and it proved doubters — of which there were many — On his first shift of the game, Perry caught Predators defenseman Ryan wrong. Ellis with an elbow near the Stars blue line at the 2:44 mark of the first period. Only The Big House in Ann Arbor crammed more fans in for an NHL game, and even that chaotic factor that NHL organizers feared the most, MAJOR PENALTY AND A GAME MISCONDUCT FOR COREY PERRY the weather, cooperated for an ideal setting. FOR THIS HIT ON RYAN ELLIS EARLY IN THE WINTER CLASSIC #PREDS #GOSTARS PIC.TWITTER.COM/7MNQE3IRU0 It was overcast, the temperature was 54 degrees at puck drop, and it turned into a game that had a little bit of everything. — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JANUARY 1, 2020

2. One of the lasting legacies of this Winter Classic on a national stage Ellis had to be helped back to the locker room on a golf cart while Perry will be the opportunity it opened for other nontraditional or Southern had a long, lonely walk by himself up the tunnel to the Stars locker room markets. after getting a major for elbowing and a game misconduct.

A lot was riding on Dallas and Nashville to deliver. If this event flopped, I would imagine NHL Player Safety will be taking another look at the hit, the NHL would have likely reverted hard back to the tried-and-true and a suspension for Perry is probable. ‘Northeastern team vs. Chicago Blackhawks’ formula for outdoor games. Perry is the first player to ever be ejected from a Winter Classic and met The next Winter Classic is already slated for Minnesota in 2021, which is with media members after the game. a slight pendulum swing back toward more of hockey’s so-called norm. “You know, it was an awkward play. I went to the bench to get a stick and But the other markets that have dreams of hosting an event like this — came back, and I reached out to try and deflect the puck, and it was well, they became a bit more realistic because of the game in the Cotton unfortunate,” Perry said. “I’ve played with Ryan before; I know him Bowl and how it turned out. personally. I didn’t mean to hurt him, I hope he’s OK. This was a big 3. The game itself turned into a highly entertaining one. event, and I’m sure he had family in here, and I have family here. It’s unfortunate. I just hope he’s OK.” The Predators climbed to an early 2-0 lead thanks to the power play, and the Stars clawed back, making it close before the start of the third period. Stars interim coach Rick Bowness admitted during the game that it was the right call in an interview on the TV broadcast. After the game, though, In the third period, Dallas pushed for three goals in a span of less than he did go to the coach’s bag of tricks to defend his player’s honor slightly. six minutes. They scored twice on the power play, got a surprising insurance marker and the win helped create the biggest moment for this “It’s unfortunate, that’s my opinion,” Bowness said. “It’s one of those franchise on a national stage since scored a rather famous things that happen during the course of a game, and Corey Perry is a goal against the Buffalo Sabres. great competitor and wonderful, wonderful player. Sometimes in hockey, when you go to make a hit, you get put in unfortunate situations. That’s 4. Big goals happen at the end of periods. That’s a hockey cliche that all I can say. Corey Perry would never try to hurt anyone; he would play tends to be tested and true. hard and that’s an unfortunate hit. That’s all.”

And that’s what happened when Blake Comeau scored with 68 seconds 8. The penalty did pave the way for an early 2-0 Nashville lead. remaining in the second period. (Saad Yousuf covers that goal in detail here.) With Alexander Radulov serving Perry’s five-minute major, the Predators were gifted a 5-on-3 when Blake Comeau lofted a puck over the glass for That shot broke the veneer of perfection for Pekka Rinne, who had been a delay of game penalty. tremendous for the game’s first 38 minutes. The goal, which was set up on a nice zone entry by Jason Dickinson, signaled Dallas was in this On the 5-on-3, Matt Duchene struck after a sharp cross-ice pass by Filip game and gave them life heading into the third period. Forsberg, and Nashville then doubled its lead in the remainder of the major as jumped into the play for his fourth goal of the The goalscorer also pumped some juice into the Stars. season.

Comeau is a locker-room favorite and emotional leader for the team. Fabbro isn’t typically on the Nashville power play, but with Ellis gone and Earlier in the game, he left and missed much of the first period after the Predators on a lengthy man-advantage, the Nashville rookie took getting leveled by Austin Watson but returned for the start of the second advantage of his opportunity. period. It was all part of a hectic first period that also featured a near fight, a Throughout the locker room, Stars players looked at Comeau as a driving missed penalty shot by Denis Gurianov and a heavy dosage of hits. force in this win, and Jamie Benn said from the podium postgame that what he does isn’t always pretty, but it’s effective. 9. The other lasting impact of that Perry-Ellis interaction was the fact 15. The NHL leaned heavily into the Western motif for this game. So did Dallas finished the game with 11 forwards, and Nashville played the the Stars in their pre-game getup. remainder of the game with five defensemen. AWESOME ENTRANCE BY THE DALLAS STARS, WHO WENT AS A It’s much harder to play with five defensemen, and the Stars were well TEAM TO LUCCHESE ON DEC. 12 TO GET DONE UP. aware of that situation. It became paramount for the Stars to grind on the PIC.TWITTER.COM/4CSHDPBVY6 Nashville defenseman on the forecheck, and the Stars players felt they were able to create a few additional turnovers with choppy outdoor ice. — NICK COTSONIKA (@COTSONIKA) JANUARY 1, 2020

10. And how about that ice? The team took a group trip to get outfitted, but players intentionally didn’t all dress the same. Klingberg, for example. said he was trying to keep a The general consensus is that it was better than expected. It wasn’t great bit of his own “European fashion and mixing it with cowboy.” Quite a few — Radek Faksa said it was “awful” during warmups — but in general. of the Stars players, including Seguin and Benn, ended up getting players said they understood the situation and coped with it as the game custom cowboy hats made by Travis Austin, a local hat designer who is went along. friends with Dowling.

Ben Bishop said the ice was better early on in the game and got a bit When talking about their hats and cowboy motifs after the game, Seguin worse in the second and third periods. encouraged media members to take pictures, so I’m sure you’ll see the entire getup on his Instagram soon. Even if that’s true, the Stars’ best offensive work and possession came late in the second period and in the third. Which is probably the best This was maybe the best look: Roman Polak looks like he stepped right indicator that ice conditions really didn’t have that much of an impact on out of the Old West and is ready for a gunfight. the result of this game either way. 16. The Stars taking the ice to Pantera’s Puck-Off was a fitting tribute. 11. One of the storylines they like to sell about the Winter Classic is how That was cool. players grew up playing the games on frozen ponds. Hearing around 60,000 yell “Stars” during the national anthem was also That’s a romantic way to sell a television program, but it’s also not really rather fun, and as stated earlier, the nonexistent roof was blown off when true. Dallas scored.

While some players did have flooded backyards or ponds as kids — like “That anthem when our crowd yells ‘Stars,’ that gets me going every time Joe Pavelski, for example — many of them hadn’t played much outside in our rink,” Dickinson said. “But here, it was just another level. Once we in their life at all. For instance, Jamie Benn pointed out that he had never scored the go-ahead goal the place erupted. It was awesome.” really played outside growing up in Victoria, British Columbia. Up in the press box, we got a bit of the subdued experience — we were 12. The Stars rolled out this lineup. inside for an outdoor event — but I made sure to watch around half of the third period from the concourse, and you could just feel the energy that Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov was packed into the building.

Denis Gurianov – Roope Hintz – Joe Pavelski 17. Because this was a nationally-televised event, the Stars broadcast Andrew Cogliano – Radek Faksa – Blake Comeau team of Josh Bogorad and Darryl Reaugh only called the game on radio, but they were closer to the ice than ever before and called the game from Mattias Janmark – Jason Dickinson – Corey Perry a table set up next to the rink just inside the blue line across from the Dallas bench. – John Klingberg “It was definitely a strange vantage point. I’ve never called a hockey Jamie Oleksiak – Miro Heiskanen game from what in effect was a glass seat,” Bogorad said. “And the sight Adrej Sekera – Roman Polak lines were tough at points, but the atmosphere was so electric and incredible, and it was a fantastic way to experience that. I think so much Nashville countered like this. of what makes the Winter Classic so amazing is the atmosphere, so to be able to kind of experience that in that way was unique and special. Calle Jarnkrok – Ryan Johansen – But as far as calling a hockey game? There is a reason why they put you – Matt Duchene – Mikael Granlund upstairs for the most part.”

Rocco Grimaldi – Nick Bonino – Craig Smith Bogorad said that, unlike a typical broadcast, he and Reaugh also didn’t have a monitor that showed replays. For example, they never saw the Colin Blackwell – – Austin Watson Perry hit on replay and couldn’t break it down on the radio broadcast properly. Roman Josi – Ryan Ellis “You did the best you could,” Bogorad said. “I don’t know if it was the Mattia Ekholm – Dante Fabbro most technically sound broadcast I’ve had in my life, but it was one of the Dan Hamhuis – Matt Irwin most memorable and most fun.”

13. Hockey players are creatures of habit, and some habits require slight 18. I liked the move by Dallas to pull Bishop for the extra attacker with alterations when the arena is a temporary structure set up inside a 2.3 seconds remaining in the second period and an offensive zone historic football stadium. faceoff.

Seguin, who claims to not be superstitious, always tries to be the last Nothing happened on the play, Nashville tied up the faceoff. But why not player off the ice, and when he leaves the ice, he typically flips a puck to give it a shot. a young fan near the Dallas bench. There were no fans near the bench Speaking of pulled goalies, the Stars kept firing at the empty net when it on Wednesday, so Seguin carried a puck with him about 60 yards to the was 4-2 but iced the puck a handful of times. It would have been fun with tunnel, where he tossed it to a fan in the southeast end. a two-goal lead to see Bishop take a shot for the empty net outdoors. 14. Justin Dowling and Taylor Fedun were the healthy scratches for 19. This is something I found interesting: The ice surface was managed Dallas but did partake in warmups. by a smaller Zamboni than usual; about two-thirds of the size of the Stephen Johns was not allowed to partake in warmups since he’s still on machine that cleans the ice at American Airlines Center. injured reserve, but he was able to participate in the team practice on the The machine is also about half the weight of the typical Zamboni and is Cotton Bowl ice on Tuesday afternoon. made of an aluminum frame to better protect the ice, since it has a Johns has not been made available to media in a formal capacity while temporary base and not a concrete slab underneath. he works his way back from post-traumatic headaches but did indicate in 20. This was a hallmark moment for the Stars season. It also happened passing on Tuesday that he was happy to at least be able to practice in to be the exact halfway point of the season, and the Stars are now 23-14- this venue. 4 after 41 games. To call it a hectic first half would be an understatement. We saw a team go into a tailspin and get out of it. We saw a coach suddenly fired. And we saw the second-largest crowd in NHL history watch a damn good hockey game to open 2020.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020

1168903 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit sports in the 2010s was a decade to forget. But let's see how much you remember

Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Published 5:57 a.m. ET Jan. 1, 2020

It’s been a painful decade for professional sports in Detroit. Yes, that means the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons.

Right now, there is far more talk about losing streaks and No.1 draft picks than championships.

[ The 2010s sucked for Detroit sports, but here's why it will get better in the 2020s ]

But in the spirit of a new decade, it is the time for a pop quiz. How well do you know your mediocrity?

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168904 Detroit Red Wings The Wings have been competitive in the three games coming out of the holiday break, and the goaltending of Bernier and Jimmy Howard has been a key reason.

Physical play, fighting spirit a winning formula for Red Wings Bernier stood tall while the Wings killed all three Sharks power plays, including a big one in the third period with the game in the balance, and Bernier made several important stops during the game when the Wings broke down defensively, allowing prime scoring opportunities. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 12:35 p.m. ET Jan. 1, 2020 “It’s (goaltending) everything for us,” Larkin said. “The past two (games)

he’s (Bernier) been on and it starts from there. He’s been our best Detroit – There was something different from the Red Wings in their penalty killer, bailed us out a couple of times, and it starts from there, it game Tuesday night against San Jose. gives us confidence.”

Aside from actually winning, that is. Bert earns it

The Wings played a much more gritty game against the bigger, physical Bertuzzi said after Tuesday’s morning skate that a key reason he was Sharks. selected for the All-Star Game was the fact that every team has to be represented. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek celebrates with goaltender Jonathan Bernier after the win on Tuesday night. Maybe so, but Bertuzzi’s statistics and season are worthy of the honor, and Blashill was quick to emphasize that after the victory over the The Wings showed signs of more physical play on the two-game road trip Sharks. through Florida last weekend, and definitely extended that approach during Tuesday’s 2-0 victory. “I know what Tyler is saying – we all have representatives (for the All- Star Game),” Blashill said. “What I would say is it’s a great reward for Coach Jeff Blashill and the Red Wings players believe this could be the Tyler for a number of years of hard work and doing a real good job. He recipe for future success. doesn’t want to take credit but he deserves the credit, he’s worked real hard to put himself in position where he is our selection as the All-Star. “The last three games have been pretty chippy, and we’ve been more physical,” said forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who celebrated his selection to the “He’s a guy that cares a ton, plays and practices real hard, and guys are All-Star Game with his 15th goal. “That gets guys up on the bench and happy for him.” keeps the bench going and moving.” This will be Bertuzzi's first appearance in the All-Star Game, which takes The Sharks attempted to set a physical tone early when Joel Kellman hit place Jan. 25 in St. Louis. Wings defenseman Brian Lashoff hard in the corner, a hit that kept Lashoff down on the ice momentarily. Detroit News LOADED: 01.02.2020

But Alex Biega came to Lashoff’s defense and battled Kellman.

“We competed really, really hard on the puck,” Blashill said. “That’s what it takes. Basically, the game comes down to one-on-one battles and we did a real good job in those one-on-one battles,”

Later in the game, Justin Abdelkader and the Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow fought, and Bertuzzi and San Jose’s Stefan Noesen tangled.

The Sharks, on several occasions, went after defenseman Filip Hronek, whose empty-net goal clinched the victory and whose aggressive style got the Sharks’ unhinged.

“He plays with an edge and we need that,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “He’s not afraid to take a hit to make a play and not afraid to give a hit. I’m sure he’s frustrating to play against.”

Whenever San Jose wanted to establish itself physically, the Wings wouldn’t back down. It was a needed and successful way to play for the Wings.

“There are a lot of guys over there that like to play physical,” Larkin said. “We answered the bell. We were sticking up for each other. You saw that a couple of times when they were going after Bernie (goaltender Jonathan Bernier). That’s what they try to do when there’s a hot a goalie.

“We stuck up for Bernie and we stick up for each other. It feels good.”

Bernier stars

Bernier has had an extended stretch of good goaltending and has consistently given the Wings opportunities for success in each of his outings.

Tuesday’s victory was Bernier’s eighth this season (8-11-2, 3.05 GAA, .905 SVS), and his and the Wings’ first shutout of the year. It was also the first time this season the Sharks have been shut out.

“I felt like there’s been a few games there have been some weird bounces, but you just have to stick with it and at some point, you work hard at practice and those bounces will turn,” Bernier said. “There were a couple saves tonight I got lucky and they just hit me. That’s hockey.

“They’re (the Sharks) a big team. I knew they have some really good (defensemen), so they like to put the puck on net and crash the net and get second chances. I just wanted to hold my ground and make the first save.” 1168905 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings aim to maintain grittier disposition second half of season

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – After serving as the NHL’s punching bag the first half of the season, the Detroit Red Wings fought back Tuesday, playing how a talent-thin, undermanned team needs to play to have success.

They were gritty, chippy and physical against a much bigger team. They sacrificed by blocking shots. They got outstanding goaltending. This is a formula they must bottle for the final 41 games.

The Red Wings closed out the calendar year with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena, snapping a six-game losing streak behind Jonathan Bernier’s 34-save performance.

“We competed really, really hard on the puck,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “That’s what it takes. Basically, the game comes down lots to one-on-one battles and I thought we did a real good job in those one- on-one battles.”

Tyler Bertuzzi, who opened the scoring with his team-leading 15th goal at 3:15 of the second period, said: “The last three games have been pretty chippy and we’ve been more physical. That gets guys up on the bench and keeps the bench going and moving.”

The tone of the game was set midway through the first period when Alex Biega roughed Joel Kellman in retaliation for a hit that shook up Brian Lashoff. Bertuzzi and Stefan Noesen roughed it up in the second period. Justin Abdelkader fought Barclay Goodrow in the third period.

“There’s a lot of guys over there that like to play physical,” Dylan Larkin said. “We answered the bell. We’re sticking up for each other. You saw that a couple of times when they were going after Bernie. That’s what they try to do when there’s a hot goalie. We stick up for Bernie and we stick up for each other. It feels good.”

Filip Hronek’s ninth goal, into an empty net, sealed the outcome with 49 seconds remaining. Hronek also was in the middle of a couple scrums, of which there were several.

“He plays with an edge and we need that,” Larkin said. “He’s really come into his own this year. He moves pucks. He jumps up into the play, he’s not afraid to take a hit to make a play and not afraid to give a hit. I’m sure he’s frustrating to play against.”

This is an offensively challenged team that is going to have even more difficulty scoring without injured forwards Anthony Mantha (out a month) and (out 2-3 weeks). They compensated with better defense and goaltending.

Bernier has turned in back-to-back strong outings after returning from a groin injury that idled him for a week. Blashill said Bernier’s solid play extends to his past 10 games.

“There’s been a few games that there’s been some weird bounces,” Bernier said. “You got to stick with it. At some point, you work hard in practice and those bounces are going to turn. There’s a couple of saves tonight I got lucky and it just hit me. That’s just hockey.”

At 10-28-3, the Red Wings are on pace for 46 points – if their second half is as disastrous as their first. They expect better results – if they play more like they did on this night.

“It feels really good because we played the right way,” Larkin said. “We played together. Hopefully we can build on this.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168906 Edmonton Oilers second career goal, empty-net. His first was against Boston Oct. 18, 2018, top shelf on Jaro Halak. It was his third NHL game.

“I’ve watched him (video) in Bakersfield and he’s a smart player, Klefbom hurt against the Rangers but how bad is it? tenacious and good hands,” said Tippett, who didn’t feel it was a calculated risk. Yamamoto is on the first PK unit in the AHL.

He knocked down a Panarin pass, it went to Jujhar Khaira and he picked Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal up his second assist of the game (and season) with a nice lobbed pass to Yamamoto. Tippett played him 5:49 through two periods and 5:12 in the

third. He also had four hits. As the New York Rangers started shooting and scoring in the third period “The way things were going, we looked down the bench and wanted to on New Year’s Eve, they didn’t take down the Edmonton Oilers but they try something different,” said Tippett, who only played him 5:49 through did take out Oscar Klefbom. 40 periods, but 5:12 in the third. Yamamoto had four hits including The Oilers best defender and NHL leader in ice-time at 25:42, wasn’t bowling over Ryan Lindgren on one rush. around for the frantic last half of the third period after he was nailed with This ’n that: The Oilers like New Year’s Eve games but the Rangers a shot on his foot early in the frame. Oilers’ coach said haven’t had one since 1989 when Phil Esposito was coaching them. He Tuesday night there was no status report on Klefbom, who was hurt on was behind the bench in a tuxedo. The Oilers have only won twice on his fourth shift of the third, and with a travel day to Buffalo Wednesday Dec. 31, that 4-3 win in 1985 over Philly and 8-1 in Vancouver in 1982. “I and no skate, we won’t see how he is or isn’t until the team is on the ice didn’t know how long it had been. Man, 1985, that was my second year in Thursday morning for practice to prepare for the Sabres. the NHL (player). Long time ago. I find that (streak) really hard to Best case scenario: it’s a bone bruise. believe,” said Tippett … Ex Oil Kings centre/winger is on the fourth-line with the Sabres now. He made a nice intercept and pass to Worst case scenario: uh, the Oilers don’t want to go there after Klefbom Conor Sheary for a goal against Tampa on New Year’s Eve. The Sabres broke a finger last season, missed six weeks and the team crashed when have two players — defenceman Zach Bogosian and now forward Evan was hurt at the same time. Nobody’s saying woe is us Rodrigues, healthy scratched 17 times and considerably over-priced at because the Oilers injury report is piddly (93 man games lost) compared $2 million cap hit — who’ve asked for a trade. Bogosian, who asked out to, say, Penguins who’ve had Evgeni Malkin for 26 games, Sidney Dec. 12, has been scratched in seven of the last nine games. Crosby for 17, their second-best D-man Brian Dumoulin for 23 and Patric Hornqvist for 22 and keep winning, of course. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.02.2020

The Oilers played farm call-up defenceman 12 minutes against the Rangers, his first NHL game. In a lot of ways, he’s a left-shot Adam Larsson, his partner. “It was a hard game to assess (big lead, late rally by Rangers). It was like two games within one. But he was solid, he was excited and his family was in town … he’s been waiting a long time for this game,” said Tippett.

PAYING PIPER FOR PETER’S MISTAKE

Yup, that was Ryan Strome with a goal and an assist, winning 13 of 21 face-offs and going plus 3 for the New York Rangers on New Year’s Eve which gives the ex-Oiler 37 points in 39 games with a plus 23 rating while Ryan Spooner, the player Peter Chiarelli traded for, was last seen playing for Dynamo Minsk in Belarus. Spooner has 19 points in 23 games for the KHL club.

While Chiarelli’s signing of goalie Mikko Koskinen to three years doesn’t look bad at all now and he got Patrick Maroon for a song in a trade, that Strome for Spooner deal in November 2018 continues to haunt the Oilers who have been looking for a right-shot centre since Strome was off- loaded. The Rangers love Strome, second on their team in points to Artemi Panarin.

At least the Oilers managed to secure Sam Gagner for Spooner last February in another trade.

Gagner skates with Strome, now playing with Panarin, in the summers back in . “You notice Ryan’s hands and skill and when he plays with really good players he can finish off plays,” said Gagner. “He’s a good guy to complement a guy like Panarin, obviously one of the best players in the league and very dynamic and he’s making the most of his opportunity.”

Gagner’s been traded for some pretty good players in his day.

“I got traded for Chris Pronger (Arizona) but Chris wasn’t playing anymore,” laughed Gagner. “Got traded for a Hall of Famer.”

“Got traded for Teddy Purcell. Teddy and I are really good friends. Teddy’s now working for Adam Oates doing the skill development stuff,” said Gagner.

“Funny thing about that trade: “MacT (then GM Craig MacTavish) called Teddy before the deal was announced and asked him ‘do you know anybody on the Oilers? He said ‘yeah, me and Sam are really good friends.’ MacT said ‘uhhh, we traded you for Sam.’’’

BIG PROPS FOR LITTLE GUY

Tippett raised eyebrows when he had farm call-up Kailer Yamamoto out in the last 70 seconds, protecting a one-goal lead, but he picked up his 1168907 Edmonton Oilers the net as I have this year. I’ve worked on it (deflections) over the summer,” said Neal.

“Obviously if I play with Connor I’m going to get a lot more shots because Hats off to James Neal who likes to score three he’s such a great passer,” said Neal. “And guys put it in the right spots (for tips).”

People are paying attention to how many goals Neal scores here and in Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal Calgary, of course. If he scores at least 21 and finishes at least 10 ahead of Milan Lucic, the guy he got traded for, Flames get a third-round draft

pick in June. The Oilers will gladly give that up if Neal scores 30 or 35 or James Neal has seen just about every manner of ball cap sailing onto the maybe even 40 for a second time. ice to salute his hat tricks throughout his 12 NHL seasons, so after Neal admits it got a little hairy at the end against the Rangers, up 6-0 and blistering a shot past New York Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev on suddenly a one-goal lead. “Obviously our minds wandered, we got ahead New Year’s Eve Neal didn’t dive into the glass like did of ourselves in the third, that happens. We weren’t playing, they were after his one out-of body night against Los Angeles 20 years ago. mad and scored a bunch of goals,” he said. “When they made it 6-4, then Been there, done that. you start gripping your stick a bit. We got up, starting thinking about New Year’s and getting on a plane to Buffalo (New Year’s day), and that’s on Neal’s ninth career hat trick Tuesday night came in only his 808th game, us.” so the Edmonton Oilers’ winger gets one about every 90 NHL games. Shane Doan got his first hat trick in his 1,161st game and finished with Neal, who has 12 PP goals, one back of David Pastrnak, wants all of his just two in 1,540 games. Neal has two hat tricks this season, with four goals to count obviously. goals against the New York Islanders Oct. 8. “If you’re scoring it’s about the helping the team win. I want to build the Patrick Marleau has 558 goals through 1,694 games and five hat tricks. culture and be a playoff team. We made strides early, then got careless and backed off and now we’re refocusing,” he said. Neal has 289 goals through his 808 games and has nine hat tricks. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 01.02.2020 Amongst active players, Alex Ovechkin is on his own planet with 24 hat tricks. Only four others— (14), Evgeni Malkin (12), Sidney Crosby (11) and (10)—have more than Neal. Neal has the same nine as Steve Stamkos (407 goals) and they came into the league the same year.

Neal, who now has 19 goals on the season, and has a reputation for being a streak scorer (seven goals over a three-game stretch in October), admits hat tricks are strange stuff. Doan had 38 two-goal games before his first hat trick.

He does feel a little charmed.

“Nine’s a lot of hat tricks … I know it is. I see it when they put up who’s got more (active). There’s Ovie, Stammer (now tied). Not many have more. I think it’s the confidence you get when you get one early. I feel if I do that, I’m gonna score again,” said Neal.

He had 11 goals in 14 games in October, then three in 14 in November. He had two in the first 13 in December until the outburst against the Rangers to end the decade. His career high of 40 with Pittsburgh eight years ago is certainly in reach.

“Goals come in waves and it’s happened lots of times in my career,” said Neal, who got a goalmouth tap-in off a pass, a tip of an Oscar Klefbom shot, then the ripper on Georgiev. “You score 11 seconds in and you get great confidence from that. Nice playing with Connor (McDavid) and Kass, of course. I felt we were on the same page right from the start,” said Neal.

“Every goal-scorer has that feeling (get one early and there might be more), other than the real top-end guys who get 40 and 50,” said Neal, who is far from a volume shooter with 93 shots, except for Penguins 40- goal year with 329. “I wanted 20 at Christmas, that’s the thought I had in my head.”

“I was pushing for that and I thought it was a reasonable goal. You want to be competitive with your game. I came here to score goals and help the team and when you’re losing, you want to get back to that,” said Neal, who still marvels at guys who score 50 or more. “Last year, Leon had 50 and not one even-strength goal. Now that’s crazy. Forty’s a lot (NHL).”

Obviously, the Oilers need support scoring to help Leon Draisaitl (23) and McDavid (22) and Neal has certainly done his part. “Last year at this time in Calgary, I scored on New Year’s Eve and a shot went off my foot against San Jose. I think it was my fourth goal of the season. I thought, ‘OK, we’re going into 2019 now, it’s going to be a great year and, ooof…”’ He finished with seven.

Neal, who won the accurate shot competition at the Oiler skills contest, carried it over into the Rangers game with three goals on four shots. Ovechkin has 196 shots, but only five more (24-19) goals. “I definitely need to shoot it more (from distance). I haven’t scored as much around 1168908 Edmonton Oilers rebound comes out and Yamamoto rips a dangerous shot just wide. His quickness gets him to the rebound behind the net and he sends a pass to the left point. Nurse to Russell at the right side, Russell to Draisaitl who sends the puck back down low, where Yamamoto is once again first to Lowetide: A shift-by-shift analysis of Kailer Yamamoto’s 2019-20 debut in the puck. He sends a quick pass to Nygard, to Draisaitl, who sends a the Oilers’ New Year’s Eve game pass to Russell, who bobbles it and the puck exits the zone. Yamamoto to the bench.

Recap: 28 seconds isn’t a lot and I think it was probably more like 35 By Allan Mitchell Jan 1, 2020 seconds. That said, great look in front, beat everyone to two loose pucks, great passing, worked well with skill, he’s a pain for the opponent. He’s almost through the first period of his first NHL game this year and I can’t Kailer Yamamoto became the 28th player to appear in a 2019-20 game identify a single moment when he’s in the wrong place or does the wrong for the Edmonton Oilers on New Year’s Eve, narrowly beating out William thing. How might that compare with the other wingers on this team? Lagesson, who made his first NHL appearance at 3:40 of the first period. Shift No. 5: Shift begins with the puck heading into the New York end, Yamamoto, whose 26 games in the league in two previous seasons Yamamoto in fast pursuit. Trouba sees him, and sends the puck back meant he was no longer classified as a rookie, impressed everyone with toward his lefty defence partner. Staal swoops down and heads north, his overall play and thrilled the fans with a late goal that combined reflex, with Yamamoto once again on his tail. Play stops on an offside at the timing and guile. That play was a key element in a suddenly close game Edmonton blue line. and gave the Oilers the insurance goal in a game everyone thought had long been put to rest. Yamamoto stays on the ice with his line, puck heads into the New York end, Yamamoto retrieves the puck far left side behind the net after Oilers fans had endured multiple cross-seam passes in the game, Nygard first engaged Staal. Yamamoto has to fend off two Rangers until previous to the moment in the photo, the moment when Yamamoto he sees daylight, then sends a strong pass to the point. Lagesson shot, effectively ended the game with an interception. One such pass saw Sam chaos, Rangers get the rebound. Brett Howden shoots the puck into the Gagner observe it go past him, helpless without a stick. Yamamoto neutral zone, Larsson recovers. Nygard almost sends Draisaitl away but brought all the tools required and made a dynamite defensive play. there’s a turnover at the New York blue line, Yamamoto appears to attempt a tackle on a Ranger in the neutral zone. Puck turns over at the How did he do in the game overall? Here’s a shift-by-shift description of Edmonton line, Yamamoto finds the puck and heads north. He shoots the his first NHL game of the 2019-20 season. puck in, forechecks enough to ensure a successful change, and then Shift No. 1: Yamamoto hits the ice for the first time in 2019-20 as a goes to the bench. He does not turn around and attempt to join the play, penalty killer, there are 31 seconds left in a penalty to Sam Gagner. It even though the puck is in the opposition end. Good discipline. was an uneventful shift, although he was marking his man when a shot Recap: One minute and 11 seconds, two retrievals, two touches, one from Ryan Strome was guided out of play by Mikko Koskinen. good pass, one attempted tackle. Shift was too long but he was effective. Recap: 13 seconds of penalty killing, nothing to report beyond Yamamoto Shift No. 6: This is the first shift of the second period for Yamamoto, being in the right place as the puck entered Edmonton’s zone. about a minute and a half into the stanza. Faceoff just outside the Shift No. 2: Second shift comes after the Gagner penalty, Yamamoto the Edmonton zone, he touches it back to Larsson to help win the draw. last member of his line (Leon Draisaitl, Joakim Nygard) to arrive on the Larsson sends a football pass to Yamamoto, who high-sticks it, faceoff ice. No real possession for either side, until Rangers defenceman Brady back in the Edmonton end. Skjei shoots the puck from centre into the Oilers zone. Yamamoto tries to The faceoff sees New York gain possession and the visiting team goes to hit Skjei but misses. Lagesson, at the end of his first NHL shift, sends a work with some good pressure. A nice passing sequence is followed by a dangerous pass to no one that slides through the high slot and is great look by Adam Fox, who shoots it over the net and out of play. retrieved by Yamamoto. Good positioning by the young right winger. Rangers again win the following faceoff, but Howden slips, the puck He sends a good pass to Draisaitl in the neutral zone, but the big centre bounces right side and Yamamoto gobbles it up. He carries the puck to can’t catch it and it lands near linemate Nygard, who funnels it into the safety, reaching the neutral zone and sending the puck deep into the Rangers end. Yamamoto, who skates well, contests the pass from New other end before engaging the NYC defender with a hit. Hits another New York (behind the Rangers net) and forces a rushed pass. New York gets York player behind the net just as a pass is sent away, interrupting the possession and Jacob Trouba sends a dart to Jesper Fast, who is now pass enough to make it unsuccessful. The puck lands in the corner, one-on-one into the Oilers zone against . Fast finds a Yamamoto is first on the scene. He does not win the puck battle, but the streaking Brett Howden with a pass to the slot, but Draisaitl does just Rangers send a high safety pass to the neutral zone to reset. enough to ruin the play. Puck comes to Yamamoto and he skates to Recap: A minute and four seconds, another long one but there were centre and dumps the puck in, again contesting a behind-the-net outlet, several stoppages in there. Yamamoto touches the puck three times, which lands in the stands. sends it to safety once and played well throughout the shift. Recap: 45 seconds at five-on-five, two touches, two exits from possible Note: The official shift charts show a 10-second shift right after the shift danger, one good pass, two Rangers outlet passes contested. That’s a above, but I checked three times and didn’t see Yamamoto on the ice. solid shift. After that, the Rangers suffered a midgame meltdown and Edmonton Shift No. 3: Begins with a faceoff in the New York end, puck goes behind spent the heart of the second period on the power play. the net immediately. Yamamoto shakes his check and arrives at the puck Shift No. 7: After a long period of special-teams action, Yamamoto at the same time as Jacob Trouba. Trouba, who is 7 inches taller and 56 returns to the ice. It is for a four-second shift. pounds heavier, wins the battle. Breakout ensues for the Rangers, Oilers cover well and the puck squirts out to Yamamoto on the left side, inside Shift No. 8: This shift started with 6:37 left in the second period, meaning his own zone. He’s unable to locate the puck, but does interfere with the Yamamoto hadn’t seen any real action for over 12 minutes in the game. oncoming opponent. It was an amazing period for a lot of reasons, a lot of players on the bench for an extended period. Scrambled play eventually leads to the puck being sent to the neutral zone, where Yamamoto contests Adam Fox on a 50-50 puck at centre Off the faceoff, puck heads into Rangers end, Yamamoto the first man in ice. Nygard sends the puck into the Rangers end. Yamamoto forechecks (that could be his nickname). He contests the pass behind the net again, the outlet and then heads to the bench. but the Rangers get a clean breakout and then promptly ice the puck. Off the draw, he forces a bad pass by New York that could have been Recap: 38 seconds, three contested plays resulting in satisfactory disastrous but there was no one to take advantage. Rangers ice the puck results. No touches. but it is called off, so the Oilers are defending. Shift No. 4: Begins before NHL’s recording of this shift, they have him In the ensuing sequence, Yamamoto makes (in my opinion) his first starting with 7:47 left in the first period, but he touches the puck with 7:50 misstep of the evening. He moved to the middle in coverage and was left. He works the puck from behind the net (right side) to the point and slow to recover, allowing DeAngelo a fairly dangerous look. Nygard gets then drives to the net. Kris Russell’s wrist shot is stopped but the it out, Yamamoto engages and turns it over, but Draisaitl appears injured and heads to the bench (looking past an opportunity so it must have higher up and more to the right side, marking the left defenceman) but been significant). End of shift. has plenty of quickness to block a good look from Ryan Lindgren. Puck gets out, line change. Recap: Not a lot happening, possibly due to sitting on the bench for so long. Yamamoto made a slight error in not following DeAngelo but it did Recap: Yamamoto took a minus on this shift, no fault of his own. What I not result in a goal. liked is that he managed his portion of the game well. He’s a smart player, and remember veterans on this Oilers team were making Shift No. 9: Shift begins with Yamamoto using his speed to thwart mistakes all over the ice during the third period. DeAngelo’s attempt to skate the puck out of the Rangers zone. Seconds later, Draisaitl and Yamamoto are in on a two-on-one. Draisaitl to Shift No. 14: It’s the shift we’ll talk about until the young man does Yamamoto, who gets a fantastic look but is stopped by Henrik Lundqvist. something else impressive, but as a reintroduction to his skill set, Great opportunity, he hit the net and could have cashed. Shift ends as Yamamoto’s goal is a very good sequence to discuss. Shift begins in the Nygard draws a penalty from a very undisciplined New York side. fires of hell, Edmonton having given up five goals in a row and hanging on to a 6-5 lead. Recap: Yamamoto’s first great offensive opportunity and he did all he could. Not scoring on Lundqvist on a 10-bell chance means he is a part The faceoff is in the New York end, after an icing. Notable that of a very big club. Yamamoto lined up with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jujhar Khaira, meaning that coach Dave Tippett had chosen the young recall over Shift No. 10: The first of the third period, a minute 40 seconds into the veteran Gagner, who had a tough third period. Puck is won into the final frame. Shift begins with a faceoff in Edmonton’s end, and the Oilers Rangers’ corner right side, Yamamoto is blatantly interfered with so he are playing like a team with a 6-1 lead. Draisaitl wins a battle, grabs the can’t forecheck as usual. puck behind the Edmonton net and sends it out front, but it is almost intercepted. Yamamoto settles it down, with help from Nurse and sends it Panarin gets it to Zibanejad and now the puck is in Edmonton’s zone. to Riley Sheahan (who I assume is on the ice instead of Nygard for Rangers lose control and now Yamamoto has the puck and is heading faceoff insurance), and the puck is sent into the Rangers end. Filip into the New York zone. He carries the puck into the corner, he and Chytil’s attempt to carry the puck out is contested by Yamamoto, but the Khaira running some time off the clock. Back come the Rangers, and this puck slides into the Edmonton end. Larsson ices the puck. Koskinen is it now, there’s 97 seconds left and the goalie is coming to the bench. stops a shot four seconds later, end of shift. Death or , straight ahead. Panarin sends a stunning pass, it was gorgeous, to Zibanejad and he drives into the Oilers end unmarked. Recap: One fine play to get the puck out of danger, then a series of Nurse contests last second, puck rings around the boards. Strome has smart decisions that had no impact on the game but shone like a the puck, to Zibanejad, almost clicks. diamond compared with the other third-period activities by Oilers forwards. Net is empty at the other end. Rangers have the puck in Edmonton’s zone, down by a goal but with a night’s worth of muscle memory that tells Shift No. 11: Shift begins after a goal against, puck inside New York’s the New York crew the Oilers can’t defend a cross-seam pass. Puck to zone and Yamamoto forechecking again. Chytil roars through the neutral the point and then to Panarin, the best player on the ice by a very long zone, flying by everyone, but Koskinen stopped the shot and set up a mile. As all great players do, Panarin looks for a moment, a chance, a faceoff. seam.

Off the faceoff, puck eventually reaches Yamamoto and he sends a The seam appears. The pass is sent. Kailer Yamamoto reacts fast as touch pass to Draisaitl that doesn’t quite connect. The big centre and the lightning, and it’s game over. Such a simple play, and yet Oilers fans had puck arrive at the New York blue line together, though, and a nice return seen failure several times on identical chances during the period. Great pass is sent to Yamamoto as he enters the offensive zone. He is anticipation, calm feet and good defence from a right winger who can’t be contested by two Rangers, gets a shot away but from a poor angle. 160 pounds. Nygard and Yamamoto work the boards, and with help from Draisaitl, secure possession. Back to Larsson for a shot, which misses the net, Yamamoto’s game Yamamoto retrieval. He tried a pass to Nygard but sticks in the way made it impossible. Outside the line, Larsson resets. Nygard brings the He’s quick, he’s smart and he’s relentless. The move he made on the puck in right side, Draisaitl supports and sends it to the left side blue line. winning goal used to be called a “heady play” 40 years ago, and Yamamoto has already changed, which is the right play. Yamamoto’s entire game on New Year’s Eve speaks to his intelligence. It’s easy to look at his size, or watch him lose a battle to Kakko, and Recap: I want to take a moment and point out how well Yamamoto conclude he’ll be overwhelmed in the NHL. His game Tuesday night played in this shift. Oilers had just given up a goal, and he helped settle highlighted the reasons Edmonton chose him in the first round in 2017. things down with smart plays. Shot on goal, two passes, puck was heading in a good direction most of the time. Yamamoto will thrive in the NHL if he can stay healthy. In my recent top 20 rankings of Oilers prospects I wrote “he is a smaller winger (5-foot-8, Shift No. 12: Shift begins with New York carrying the puck to centre, 158 pounds) and the rigours of pro hockey have made it difficult for him dumping the puck into Edmonton’s end. Yamamoto’s first moment in the to stay healthy and deliver the kind of production that will force an NHL shift was a lost possession battle against Kaapo Kakko, the giant rookie, recall. He has fallen year over year in my rankings but I’m confident he’ll along the left wall in the Oilers zone. Kakko won the puck but Yamamoto rise again if he can stay in the lineup. He has produced at every level.” bothered him enough that he couldn’t do anything with it. A later exchange between the two men saw Yamamoto win the battle, but only The insurance goal was a nice way to end the game, but Yamamoto for a moment, as the pressure sustained. Finally, veteran defender showed with most every shift that he belongs. Intelligent two-way wingers Larsson gained possession and settled things down. never go out of style, no matter what size they come in.

Recap: Kakko is young but is also gigantic, difficult to criticize Yamamoto The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 for losing battles against him. What I liked was KY’s determination even when losing the puck. He can make life miserable for opponents because he’s so relentless. It’s a great quality.

Shift No. 13: Begins on a faceoff in New York’s end, the young winger again battling along the wall for possession. Rangers outman him and send the puck north, with an “alley-oop” pass that didn’t miss the scoreboard by much. Larsson batted it out of the air, and luck being an enemy of the Oilers in the third period, landed on the stick of the truly diabolical (I mean that in a good way) Artemi Panarin. Four seconds later it’s in the back of the net.

Off the faceoff, puck enters New York’s end but it is 6-4 now and the Rangers’ passing skills are now peak level. Three tape-to-tape winners and Edmonton is on its heels again. Draisaitl makes a fine defensive play by marking his man and deflecting a pass into the corner with his skate. Yamamoto sets up shop high slot instead of traditional (which would be 1168909 Florida Panthers

Blue Jackets’ Werenski, Merzlikins spoil Bobrovsky’s return to Columbus

BY BRIAN HEDGER THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH DECEMBER 31, 2019 03:00 AM

COLUMBUS, OHIO-It was a night of new beginnings, New Year’s Eve, and there couldn’t have been a better matchup or result Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in one net, wearing the Florida Panthers’ uniform he chose last summer over the Blue Jackets attire he’d worn the previous seven seasons. Elvis, a 25-year old rookie with the last name of “Merzlikins,” was in the other net – looking for his first NHL win in his first career start in the city of Columbus, whose skyline adorns his pads, blocker and glove.

After 36 saves and defenseman Zach Werenski’s first career hat trick, Elvis finally left the building a winner – helping the Blue Jackets extend the league’s longest active point streak to 11 games with a 4-1 victory to send a sellout crowd of 18,977 into 2020 on a happy note.

“You can kind of tell when someone’s on their game, and tonight he was on his game,” Werenski said of Merzlikins, who made his first start since Dec. 15 in Ottawa and first start since No. 1 goalie Joonas Korpisalo went down with a meniscus tear Sunday. “It was fun to watch. He made some huge saves. They’re a good offensive team, and he shut them down, so it was awesome.”

Indeed, the Panthers (20-14-5) made Merzlikins work for the win. They peppered the net, outshot the Blue Jackets 37-28 and finished with a massive 73-42 advantage in total shot attempts.

He made 14 saves in the first period, 14 more in the second and eight in the third to cap off his impressive night between the pipes. Merzlikins declined interview requests following the game through a team representative, but did quite a bit of talking with his play.

“In the second period, we struggled so badly just to get out of our end zone,” coach John Tortorella said. “I thought that was the most important part of (Merzlikins’) game.”

Werenski, meanwhile, scored at 4:54 of the first period for a 1-0 lead and tacked on two more in the third – at 4:13 and 8:04 to give the Blue Jackets a commanding 4-1 lead.

Colton Sceviour tied it 1-1 for Florida at 3:39 of the second, tipping a shot past Merzlikins, but that was all the Panthers got despite controlling the puck for much of the game.

Boone Jenner’s eighth goal of the season broke the 1-1 tie at 15:34 of the second, capping a power play, and stood up as the winner on a night that belonged to Merzlikins, Werenski and, to a smaller extent, Bobrovsky, who was loudly cheered during a video tribute in the first.

Miami Herald LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168910 Florida Panthers years is a lot. Again, I appreciate this organization for what they have done for me. It was a long day, lots of memories — good memories — and some sadness. It was different.”

An Elvis rockin’ eve: Sergei Bobrovsky’s emotional return to Columbus Bobrovsky obviously really wanted a win in his return to Columbus but it ends in a Blue Jackets’ party looked like it was just one of those nights for the Panthers.

Werenski got his first of the night less than five minutes into the game when the Columbus defenseman slid through and teed off on a puck left By George Richards Jan 1, 2020 by Alexander Wennberg.

Florida tied it on a nifty deflection from Colton Sceviour in the second, but Columbus went to the break up 2-1 on Boone Jenner’s power play goal. COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was supposed to be Bob’s triumphant return, only when the game was done, the DJ at Nationwide Arena threw on an Still, the Panthers controlled the flow of the game for much of the first two Elvis remix and cranked it up. periods.

And why not? Still, their high-flying offense just couldn’t find much room against Columbus’ rookie goalie, who was making his first home start after Blue Jackets fans had plenty to celebrate on their way out of the building Joonas Korpisalo went down with a knee injury trying to make a save on New Year’s Eve after rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins outdueled their old Sunday in a shootout. friend Sergei Bobrovsky in a 4-1 Columbus victory. Instead of Bobrovsky and captain Nick Foligno sharing a hug as they had Columbus, despite missing 10 players because of injury including so many times following wins with the Blue Jackets, it was Merzlikins Bobrovsky’s protégé in net, held on despite being outshot and out- jumping into Foligno’s arms as if he had just won Game 7 of the World chanced by the Panthers through the first 40 minutes and for a lot of the Series. game. The win was the first of Merzlikins’ young NHL career. But after controlling play for big stretches of the first and second periods, the Panthers did not get much going in the third and watched Columbus ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. score twice to spoil Bobrovsky’s homecoming night. CONGRATS ON WIN NO. 1, ELVIS MERZLIKINS (@MERZLY30). In the third, defenseman Zach Werenski polished off his first NHL hat PIC.TWITTER.COM/2MLWCNXPWI trick as he slammed two pucks into the back of the net from his spot in the left circle, and that was just about that. — NHL (@NHL) JANUARY 1, 2020

Bobrovsky, who left Columbus after seven seasons to sign as a free As the party went on outside the arena, the Panthers quietly packed up agent with the Panthers, had to stand near his cage and watch as ready to move on to the next one. hundreds of baseball caps and even some Happy New Year paper hats “It was frustrating because we were getting chances and were trying to littered the ice. get to the net,” said Sasha Barkov, whose team outshot Columbus 37-28 It took a few minutes to clean up the mess and gave Bobrovsky plenty of and had a 73-42 advantage in shot attempts. time to think about how this night was likely going to end. “We were playing the game in their zone, then we give Werenski time Bobrovsky had heard that booming cannon go off after goals thousands with that great shot of his. He’s going to score there. I thought we did a of times over the years — just never in response to one he had given up. lot of good things and we want to play that style all the time. But one goal is not enough. It could have gone differently, but we should be fine.” The Columbus goal song, so welcomed to hear in the past, had to taunt him on Tuesday. After the game, the Panthers flew to Ottawa, where they will kick off 2020 and continue a four-game road trip that is not off to a very good start. “Unfortunately, we did not step up in the third period,” said Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with the Panthers and has Coach Joel Quenneville said he was happy with the way his team played given up four goals or more in each of his past four starts. “I have to be the first two periods but the two goals in the third by Werenski sealed better for the guys, too. In that moment, I have to make a save to give their fate. them confidence … again, I hate to lose and I have to be better. Four The Panthers face the Senators on Thursday night, then have back-to- goals is a lot. There have been lots of goals. But our D worked hard, back games this weekend in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. made plays. “They were around the net a lot, (Bobrovsky) was doing his thing and “I have nothing to complain about, no excuses. I take it and move on. … battling but they were the better team,” Quenneville said. “We are going For some reason, I came up short today. I thought I could do better and to move forward. There were a lot of positives exiting this game … let’s could help more. Congratulations to the Blue Jackets for the win. … go out and regain some momentum here.” We’re going to play some more hockey against them.” Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky makes a save during the second Bobrovsky said before the game he did not know how he would feel period against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty / about returning to Columbus or coming onto the ice at Nationwide again. USA Today) Although he was booed during pregame introductions and seemingly Bounce-back Jackets every time he touched the puck, the Columbus fans took pause in the first period when the team put on a tribute video that highlighted Bob’s Bobrovsky had already met up with his old teammates once this season, seven years in Ohio’s capital city. giving up a goal off 34 shots as the Panthers beat the Jackets 4-1 at BB&T Center on Dec. 7. TODAY, WE SAY THANKS TO THE TOP COP ON THE FORCE. WELCOME BACK BOB! PIC.TWITTER.COM/OCTCXTDI5P Columbus, despite all of its injuries, has not lost in regulation since, improving to 7-0-4 after Tuesday’s win. — COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (@BLUEJACKETSNHL) JANUARY 1, 2020 Even though the Jackets are fielding a team with some AHL players on it, they have been hard to beat and seem to be enjoying their underdog Bobrovsky had skated to the Florida bench during a timeout and watched status. the whole thing from there; players on both benches saluted him as did the majority of the sellout crowd. Columbus has climbed right back into playoff contention and is doing it without some of its top players, such as Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray, He seemed touched by the video and by the return to a town he called Josh Anderson and, now, Korpisalo. home for almost a decade. “They bring hard work, basically a hard-hat mentality right from the “I have lots and lots of memories,” Bobrovsky said. “I went to my old onset,” Quenneville said. “They are up and down the ice, are very direct apartment (Monday night) and cried a few times there. It is tough. Seven and go to the net as good as anyone.” Tuesday, the Panthers did not go to the net and Quenneville felt it cost them. Although the Panthers took aim 73 times, he would have liked to see a more coordinated effort to get good looks down low.

“I thought he made big saves, but I thought we made it easier on him,” Quenneville said postgame. “We didn’t have the net presence that we have had, going against a guy who was on a pretty good roll there. We should have been disruptive.”

Headed to St. Louis

Jonathan Huberdeau is having a career-defining season, rolling into 2020 with 16 goals and 53 points in 39 games.

Last year, he set a career-high with 92 points; this season, he is on pace to eclipse 110.

On Monday, the NHL announced that Huberdeau would be going to All- Star weekend for the first time. St. Louis is hosting this year on Jan. 25.

“Obviously it is great and I always wanted to go at least once in my career,” Huberdeau said. “I want to be better every year and I think I have been doing that throughout my career and that’s what I have wanted to do.”

 JONATHAN HUBERDEAU IS HEADING TO THE 2020 #NHLALLSTAR GAME! 

CONGRATULATIONS, HUBY! 

MORE >> HTTPS://T.CO/VLWU4VCHCS PIC.TWITTER.COM/MGYOOMUVAB

— FLORIDA PANTHERS (@FLAPANTHERS) DECEMBER 30, 2019

All-Star snub? Barkov is cool

Barkov made his first (and so far, only) All-Star appearance in 2018 at Tampa.

Although Barkov can still be voted into the game later this month, he says he does not feel slighted by not being selected and is good with however it ends up.

Barkov set a franchise record with 96 points last season and is on pace to be right in that neighborhood again this year.

“Obviously it is really nice to be recognized like that,” he said. “If you get chosen, that’s great; if not, you get a couple extra days of rest. It was a nice experience when I went and everyone enjoys it. It is a really nice thing to be able to do. To me, it’s a win-win situation.”

SEND BARKY TO THE 2020 #NHLALLSTAR GAME! YOUR VOTES CAN GET HIM THERE! 

'LAST MEN IN' VOTING STARTS TOMORROW! PIC.TWITTER.COM/HSXB2GPUPT

— FLORIDA PANTHERS (@FLAPANTHERS) JANUARY 1, 2020

First video loss for Panthers

Quenneville argued after Werenski’s second goal (which made it 3-1 4:13 into the third) that Bobrovsky had been interfered with as Foligno appeared to get tangled up with his old teammate after a shove from Aaron Ekblad.

The matter went to video review — the first such coaches’ challenge since Quenneville took over behind the Florida bench.

With the new rule in place this season, challenges are much less common than they used to be. If a team loses said challenge, they get charged with a delay of game penalty and have to kill off two minutes.

Which is what happened Tuesday. It was ruled there was no interference (or at least not enough to take the goal off the board) and Mark Pysyk headed to the penalty box.

“It’s a two-goal differential there, thought Bob was impeded so it was worth the risk at the time,” Quenneville said. “It was a gamble, but we’ll live with it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168911 Los Angeles Kings Kaliyev and Turcotte are back in action tomorrow against Finland in the quarterfinals.

Akil Thomas – has one point from four games played in the WORLD JUNIORS UPDATE, PHILLIPS, MACDERMID group stage, though it was a pretty important one. Down 2-0 in the opening game against Team USA, Thomas feathered a pass through to teammate Connor McMichael, who opened Canada’s scoring account for the tournament and sparked a comeback, 6-4 win. ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 1, 2020 Thomas has skated primarily on Canada’s fourth line during the

tournament, though he logged 19:38, third highest amongst all forwards, FINES AND SUSPENSIONSPROSPECTS AND SCOUTING in a 4-1 win over Team Germany with Canada limited to just 11 forwards due to injuries and suspensions. With the group stage in the books, we’re on to knockout play at the 2020 World Juniors. All of the teams represented by LA Kings prospects have “He brings a lot of skill to the table, but he also has the ability to fill a lot advanced to the single-elimination phase, though not all of the Kings of holes for us, if we need him to,” Head Coach Dale Hunter said to prospects in the tournament themselves have done so. A look at the NHL LAKings.com. “He can play right wing or center. He takes faceoffs. He record-tying nine Kings prospects that have been a part of this season’s really does it all and as a coach that just gives you options. He can play tournament – power play. He can play PK, five-on-five. If things aren’t going well or there’s an injury and I need him to fill a different role, he can do that. His On a side note, doesn’t it feel strange that New Year’s Eve didn’t feature skill got him here and earned this opportunity for him, but his versatility is a USA – Canada World Juniors tilt? Felt weird to me. what’s really valuable to us.”

Samuel Fagemo – Oh you know, just casually leading the tournament in Aidan Dudas – Dudas has been a staple of Team Canada’s third line goals (and shots on goal) through the first four games. Fagemo’s six throughout the tournament, landing a role on that unit in each of his tallies are two clear of the next closest player (a group of six, which team’s four games. Dudas has yet to crack the scoresheet thus far, but includes Kaliyev), while his 26 shots on goal are eight more than the has four shots on goal over the four games, and has won both of the nearest player. faceoffs he’s taken thus far.

Fagemo scored once in the tournament opener against Finland, twice Dudas also reached a milestone moment away from the tournament, as against Switzerland and Kazakhstan respectively, and once in Sweden’s he signed his entry-level contract with the Kings on December 27. Dudas’ pool play finale against . Fagemo is also tied for second in the contract is a three-year, entry-level deal, and speaks to his development tournament in points and has helped Team Sweden continue its with the Owen Sound Attack after he was selected by the Kings in the remarkable streak of 52 consecutive victories in the tournament’s first fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. round, as it became the first team ever in the tournament to win 50 consecutive games in pool play with the win over Switzerland. Thomas and Dudas, and all of Team Canada, will play Slovakia in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Tobias Bjornfot – Playing primarily on Team Sweden’s shutdown pairing, Tobias Bjornfot has skated alongside defenseman for the Kim Nousiainen – Kim Nousiainen is the lone remaining Kings prospect majority of the tournament. Bjornfot is scoreless in four games played, still playing with Team Finland – more on below. and posted a +2 rating in Sweden’s most recent game against Slovakia. Nousiainen has paired with Finland captain Lassi Thomson on the team’s first pairing, and has collected three points (1-2-3) from four games Bjornfot has been consistent throughout the showcase, with his ice time played, along with a +2 rating. between 14:11 and 16:30 in all four games in the tournament to date. He’s shown his trademark poise and level play throughout the Nousiainen skated a tournament-high 19:12 in Finland’s final pool game tournament, on a stacked Sweden blueline. against Switzerland, which ranked second highest amongst Finnish defensemen. Nousiainen scored his first career World Juniors goal Sweden takes on Czech Republic in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Read against Kazakhstan in Game 3. more from The Athletic on both Fagemo and Bjornfot, via an interview with Kings Head European Scout Christian Ruuttu. Nousiainen and Team Finland will play against the United States in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Arthur Kaliyev – Arthur Kaliyev has seen his role with Team USA fluctuate greatly from game-to-game throughout the tournament, but the “Kim’s improving. He’s getting his ice time — he’s on the power play. Kings second-round pick is on the upswing – He began as the 13th They beat the Slovaks today 8-1 and he had an assist so that’s good for forward in Game 1, specializing on the power play, and worked his way him,” Christian Ruuttu said, via the aforementioned Athletic article. up the lineup. He was on the second line in Game 4 against Russia and Rasmus Kupari – Slated to play a major role for Team Finland as an played 13:51, his highest time-on-ice of the tournament. assistant captain, Rasmus Kupari suffered a reported knee injury in his Kaliyev has tallied four goals and six points from four games played and opening game against Sweden. Kupari has not played since and will not has a point in each of Team USA’s four games. Kaliyev’s four goals are play for the remainder of the tournament. tied for second most in the tournament, while his six points are tied for As of December 27, Kupari’s status for recovery was unknown and he eighth. Kaliyev tallied twice in a 3-1 win over Russia, helping lead Team was scheduled to return to Los Angeles “over the next few days”, per USA to the second seed in Group B. , through Lisa Dillman of The Athletic. “I’m just trying to help the team win and do whatever it takes,” Kaliyev Kupari was scoreless in his only game played. said after the win over Russia. “I think getting on the board like that was huge after it was a 0-0 game throughout half the game, so it was really Lukas Parik – Parik played in two games for the Czech Republic, the good.” team’s final two pool play games, but left with an injury midway through a 7-2 loss against Team Canada. Parik, playing in place of the injured Alex Turcotte – Turcotte has collected two assists, and two penalty Lukas Dostal, was admirable in the team’s 4-3 overtime loss against minutes, from four games with Team USA. The Kings first-round Team USA, as he made 39 saves on 43 shots in a losing effort. selection in 2019 has skated on the third line for the Americans in each of their four games at the tournament, and assisted on Kaliyev’s goal Parik surrendered four goals on nine shots against Team Canada against Russia in the opening game of the tournament. yesterday, before he left that game with a lower-body injury. The Czechs, playing on home soil, have been ravaged by injuries throughout the Turcotte also executed a give-and-go with his teammate at Wisconsin, tournament and Parik’s status for the quarterfinals is unknown at this Cole Caufield, for the overtime game-winning goal against the Czech time. Republic. Caufield danced through the offensive zone and fed Turcotte down low, who one-touched the puck back to Caufield for the goal. The Czech Republic will play against Sweden tomorrow in the knockout round. “[Caufield and Turcotte] made a great play,” Team USA Head Coach Scott Sandelin said. “They have some great chemistry and it looks like Phillips To Guelph they’ve done that before.” The first roster move of 2020! The Kings announced earlier today that defenseman Markus Phillips has been reassigned from the to the OHL’s Guelph Storm. The organization has a glut of defensemen at the professional level between Los Angeles and Ontario, and the move will allow Phillips to play the second half of his overage season in the OHL.

MacDermid Hearing

Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, in relation to a hit on Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov. The hearing is for an “illegal check to the head”, per the NHL’s post. Read the full post from the NHL here.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168912 Los Angeles Kings LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 01.02.2020

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: JANUARY 1

ZACH DOOLEYJANUARY 1, 2020

Welcome to 2020, Insiders!

And what a way it was to end 2019. The Kings scored four goals in the first period last night and three goals on the power play, accomplishing both feats for the first time this season. And it all culminated in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, who had entered last night’s action winners of five of their prior six games before they visited Los Angeles. The Kings controlled the game on special teams, with the three man- advantage tallies, in addition to one while shorthanded, negating one power-play goal against. Forward chipped in with a point on both units and his shorthanded goal was a good usage of speed between he and Blake Lizotte, turning around a Flyers man advantage that could have stopped the bleeding in the first period, but instead opened up the wound even further.

What impressed me most about the power play is how all three goals were scored in a different fashion, while still encompassing a similar theme – quicker puck movement. Todd McLellan said that “the best power plays in the league are fast. They don’t always score, but they’re fast.” Adrian Kempe talked about the emphasis on moving pucks more quickly on the man advantage, “we’ve been talking about moving the puck a little bit quicker and I think we showed that tonight. We had a shooting mindset and we got three goals. That was big for us.” Anze Kopitar added that “we’re just trying to be faster and have them be out of position, rather than try to make the perfect play and we can score off of that.”

Goal number one was one-touch passing, from Doughty to Iafallo to Kempe to Kopitar, with the quick puck movement creating space for Kopitar at the right point. The Kings captain used a hard pass to Iafallo for a high redirect that got past Elliott. “The play happened so much quicker, “ McLellan said of that sequence. “You could lay a power play from a week ago over the top of that one, video wise, and you could just see the tempo, or the pace of the power play was much quicker tonight than it’s been when we stall things and let people get set up.” That first power-play goal was the classic puck moves quicker than the skater routine. When the one-touch passes, in different directions, are functioning as they should, it moves the penalty killers out of position and opens up new lanes, which the Kings took advantage of on this particular power play.

Goal number two saw Kopitar use his hands and creativity to draw multiple defenders to himself in the left-hand circle, which freed up a lane and space for Doughty moving in from the right point. Doughty’s shot created a big rebound, which Tyler Toffoli buried on the second try, giving him goals from in tight in consecutive games. Goal number three…a Frk’n rocket. The shot was a thing of beauty, but the time and space that Frk had was created by Michael Amadio winning a battle along the boards and a couple of quick passes from Nikolai Prokhorkin and Sean Walker, which gave Frk the opportunity to do what he has done so many times with Ontario this season from the left-hand circle, simply known at Toyota Arena as Frk’s Office.

As the Kings conclude 2019 and move into 2020, they do so with optimism and as the California team with the most points in the standings, after last night’s victory vaulted them one point ahead of both Anaheim and San Jose. Small victories! After last night’s win, McLellan emphasized that the team knows where the organization is at, but isn’t content to simply remain at status quo. His words after last night’s victory spoke perhaps of cautious optimism, encouraged by the fight through adversity that the Kings displayed on the road and the importance of each and every game when it comes to improving. The homestand continues on Saturday, with practice days to come for the Kings both tomorrow and Friday. Here at LA Kings Insider dot com, we will have an update on each of the Kings prospects currently playing in the World Juniors, with the group stage now concluded and the knockout round beginning tomorrow. Until then, hope everyone had a great New Year’s celebration, is enjoying a relaxing day, and remembered to label their rent checks with 2020 instead of 2019! 1168913 Minnesota Wild

Wild at Target: 2021 NHL Winter Classic headed to Minnesota

Associated Press JANUARY 1, 2020 — 5:57PM

DALLAS — The 2021 NHL Winter Classic will be hosted by the Minnesota Wild at Target Field, the home stadium of the MLB's Twins.

NHL officials announced the site for next Winter Classic during this season's game Wednesday at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas.

Minnesota's opponent for the next New Year's Day game will be determined later.

It will be the first Winter Classic for the Wild, and their second outdoor game. They beat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 in a Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis four years ago.

A crowd of 85,630, the second-largest at an NHL game, attended Wednesday's game between the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators.

The game-time temperature in Dallas was 54.9 degrees, the highest for a Winter Classic game. That was about 22 degrees warmer than it was in Minneapolis at the time it was announced that the Wild will host next year's game

Star Tribune LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168914 Minnesota Wild That’s where the focus shifts now, to planning a weeklong celebration that includes Minneapolis and St. Paul and potentially features interactive games, concerts and an art fair.

Wild lands Winter Classic at Target Field for 2021 Which team the Wild faces also must be finalized, although Mayer said the league has “a pretty good idea.” Facility improvements helped land the annual New Year's Day event. Factors such as rivalry, competitiveness, star players, TV ratings and whose fans are likely to travel to Minneapolis are weighed in the discussion. By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune JANUARY 2, 2020 — 12:43AM “We’ll listen to the fans,” Mayer said. “We’ll listen to what people think

would be a good matchup.” Next season’s Wild schedule will feature a first for the franchise in its 20 Designing a jersey for the game is another item on the agenda. Although years of existence. the Winter Classic tends to feature retro looks, it’s unlikely the Wild would The team will host the 2021 NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at don North Stars threads. Target Field. No opponent has been selected yet. “Minnesota is just going to be an incredible host,” Mayer said, “and that’s “We really didn’t know until 10 days ago for sure,” Wild owner Craig one thing we’re going to take advantage of to show the rest of the world Leipold said. “There was another city in the running, but we were just why Minnesota is the State of Hockey.” ecstatic.” Star Tribune LOADED: 01.02.2020 Minnesota was revealed Wednesday afternoon as the next site for what has become the NHL’s signature event, with Commissioner Gary Bettman making the announcement on NBC during the second intermission of the 2020 Winter Classic between the Stars and Predators at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Before that game was awarded to the Stars, the Wild was in the running to host it and didn’t fall out of consideration until about a month before a decision was made.

At the time, the NHL promised to circle back with the Wild, and the team — which has long coveted the game — continued to express interest.

After visiting Target Field in 2018 while mulling the 2020 decision, league officials made another tour in early 2019 and noticed improvements to the facility.

A group that included NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer, who oversees the league’s events department, also took in last year’s NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis, and the NHL was impressed with how the Twin Cities pulled off a significant event.

“It was just first class,” Mayer said. “Everything about it was done so well, and that’s where it really clicked in our mind that, hey, we want to pursue this even greater than we ever had before.”

Still, it wasn’t until late December that Leipold learned the Wild’s bid was successful — this after the team and some of its corporate partners made a push.

“We felt like we should have had one by now, but we’re thrilled to have it now,” team President Matt Majka said.

The Winter Classic was started in 2008 as an annual tradition. The 2021 rendition will be the NHL’s 31st outdoor regular-season game. This will be the second outdoor game for the Wild after it held a Stadium Series matchup against the Blackhawks on Feb. 21, 2016, at TCF Bank Stadium — a 6-1 win for the Wild.

Back then, the team was petitioning for a Winter Classic, but it didn’t meet the criteria the NHL had for the game.

“In fairness to the league, there were some things we were still developing at the time and then over the past number of years we have developed those things — a winning team, a playoff team, stars on our team,” Majka said. “So it was our turn, and we’re thrilled that it got here. No regrets about the time it took.”

What made Target Field appealing was its intimacy. Seating capacity for the game is expected to be around 39,000. More information on tickets will be available in the coming weeks, but season-ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase.

Aside from hosting Twins playoff baseball in 2010 and 2019, Target Field has been the backdrop for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, an international soccer match in 2016 and NCAA football games in 2017 and 2019.

“The challenge has just become how do we make a baseball stadium that has hosted some pretty big games and some great baseball over the years, how do we turn it into a hockey festival and a hockey wonderland and how do we do something that makes people from Minnesota proud,” Mayer said. 1168915 Minnesota Wild

‘It was our turn’: Wild finally get a chance to host the Winter Classic

By DANE MIZUTANI

At long last the Winter Classic is coming to the Twin Cities.

That much was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon when the league announced the Wild will host the annual spectacle at Target Field on New Year’s Day 2021.

“The Minnesota Wild is truly honored to be selected to host the 2021 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic,” Wild owner Craig Leipold said in a release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to treat our fans to an incredibly unique and exciting experience celebrating our favorite game.”

“The Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic is about taking hockey back to its outdoor roots — and there is no better place to celebrate the incredible strength surrounding our game than in Minnesota,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman added in a release. “The Minnesota Wild organization and their fans in the Twin Cities and across the state have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to host the NHL’s New Year’s showcase, and we are thrilled to be bringing next year’s game to Target Field.”

For the Wild, it’s a culmination of many years of hard work, as they have been yearning to host the Winter Classic since its inception more than a decade ago.

In that span, the Chicago Blackhawks have participated a league-high four times, the Boston Bruins have participated three times, and the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, , Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers have participated twice.

“In fairness to the league — of course we had the Stadium Series game — at the time we were lobbying for a Winter Classic they wanted certain things out of teams,” Wild president Matt Majka said. “They want a winning team. They want stars on the team. They want TV ratings. There were some things we were still developing at the time and then over the past number of years we have developed those things.”

While the opponent for the Winter Classic is not yet set, Majka said the league is looking for a team that will travel well with its fans and has a longstanding rivalry with the Wild.

“There are several teams that would fit that description,” Majka said. “It’ll be an interesting process to get to the finish line.”

No matter who it is, the simple fact the Winter Classic is coming to town is a big moment for the franchise and a big moment the Twin Cities as a whole.

“I think it’s a badge of honor and it’s a sign this market is well thought of throughout the league,” Majka said. “That feels good for us.”

Logistically, Target Field will hold close to 40,000 people for the event, making it a more intimate vibe, and Wild season ticket holders will get the first crack at purchasing tickets when they become available in the coming months.

There will also be a concerted effort from the Wild to involve both Minneapolis and St. Paul in festivities leading up to the actual game.

“We have used the term festival,” Majka said. “We want it to be more than a day. We will make sure that this event touches both cities, too, and really the entire state. We want it to feel like Minnesota has gotten the Winter Classic.”

It might have taken awhile for the Winter Classic to get to the Twin Cities. But it was well worth the wait.

“It was our turn and we’re thrilled that it got here,” Majka said. “No regrets about the time it took.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168916 Minnesota Wild “We’ve been working with Gary and the NHL now for 10 years and having the (Stadium Series) game (in 2016) was a lot of fun and a cool thing, but it’s not like the real deal,” said Leipold, who learned only a week ago that the Wild had won the bid to host the 13th Winter Classic. Minnesota gets the 2021 Winter Classic: Here’s everything you need to “We’re going to make the NHL proud and we’re going to make our know market proud.

“We don’t know who we are going to play yet, but whoever it is, it is going to be a great game.” By Michael Russo Jan 1, 2020 The timing of the victorious bid coincides perfectly with the Wild’s 20th

anniversary season, one in which the organization is planning several To be blunt, it was a little conniving how the Wild, the Minnesota Twins things to embrace its past and two decades as a member of the National and Sports Minneapolis, which is the sports marketing arm of Meet Hockey League. Minneapolis, went about finally convincing the National Hockey League The Wild have been one of the winningest, highest-scoring teams in the that they warranted the 2021 Winter Classic at Target Field in NHL for nearly two months, and next year has the ability to be an exciting Minneapolis. one, if, as expected, Russian star debuts for the Wild and The Wild had been pursuing the NHL’s iconic nationally-televised New , Jordan Greenway, , Luke Kunin and Carson Year’s Day outdoor game for years and were once again a disappointed Soucy continue to progress. runner-up to the Dallas Stars for the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton The Wild have nine Americans on this year’s roster, which is a Bowl. marketable factor for rightsholder NBC. And two of those Americans, the But in informing the Wild of the bad news, Steve Mayer, the NHL’s chief top goal-scoring Minnesotan in NHL history Zach Parise and 2012 free- content officer and executive vice president, vowed to owner Craig agent sidekick Ryan Suter, have never played in a Winter Classic. Leipold and president Matt Majka that they should all reengage after the Despite being a decorated NHLer with more than 1,000 points and a first of the year to talk about the 2021 Winter Classic. Stanley Cup, Eric Staal has yet to even play in an outdoor game at 35 years of age. That would indeed happen, but in a strategic maneuver, the Wild didn’t invite the league back into market until late March just before baseball So, there are some pretty neat storylines, although we don’t yet know if season, and most importantly, the Final Four. captain Mikko Koivu or coach will be part of it. Both are in the final year of their respective contracts. “We were trying anything and everything,” Majka said, laughing. “It was with intention, and it worked out great.” In some great, coincidental timing, the Wild actually practice outdoors Thursday at the St. Louis Park Rec Center at 10:30 a.m. While Mayer and his team were re-touring Target Field and downtown Minneapolis, Mayer recalls somebody suddenly piping up and asking, “It really is serendipitous, right?” Majka said of the fact next year will be “Hey, would you guys be interested in coming back in a few weeks for the Wild’s 20th anniversary. “At least sitting here today, we like our team the Final Four?” a lot. We had a really rough start to the season, but I’m so proud of how the team has recovered and played for the last six, seven weeks or so. I The Twin Cities is used to running major sporting events from Super don’t know how the rest of the season is going to go, but it’s a really Bowl LII to All-Star Games, Ryder Cups, the X Games and Final and likable team. Frozen Fours. The Wild and their joint partners desperately wanted the league to see for itself just how well this market organizes and executes “They’re fun. They’re never out of the game. They’re resilient. … There and maybe most importantly supports a big event. seems to be a togetherness and there’s skill on the team. Kaprizov will almost certainly be here and who knows what else could happen over the Mayer accepted the invitation. Two weeks later, Mayer, along with Dean summer. I know (GM) Bill (Guerin) is all about getting better and I believe Matsuzaki, the NHL’s executive vice president of events, and Regina somehow or another he’s going to make some other moves. I would Sullivan, the NHL’s vice president of finance and business operations, expect that will make us better by the time we take the ice next season.” returned to Minnesota and attended the game with Majka and Mitch Helgerson, the Wild’s senior vice president of marketing and ticket sales. It’ll be interesting what sorts of ideas Mayer and his team will come up with for the game. Every Winter Classic is unique based on its setting, so “When we knew that we were serious about the prospects of coming to you know Mayer will want to incorporate our 10,000 blue lakes, our wintry Minnesota, we said, ‘Yeah, we should look at how they run a big event,’” weather and this state’s absolute love of the sport. Mayer said. “We watched how the event ran, and really got a lot of great ideas about where we could activate a Winter Classic. We met a lot of Here's Your Replay ḏ the folks from Meet Minneapolis on that trip, and then spent a lot of time also with the Wild personnel. @HeresYourReplay

“I thought the city did a lot of things really, really well. It was easy to get What an opening. #WinterClassic2020 around, everything seemed compact, and we just felt like this could work Embedded video out.” 315 That was the final convincing factor. 1:59 PM - Jan 1, 2020 Up against a number of other markets and teams, the Wild, Twins and Sports Minneapolis spent the rest of the year checking all the boxes they Twitter Ads info and privacy were required to from the Twins committing to fully winterize Target Field to the partners negotiating with the league what a potential deal would 65 people are talking about this look like. “The Winter Classic is special, and this was something that Minnesota’s There’s obviously a huge revenue drop-off when you play the Winter always been on the list for, but for one reason or another, we just haven’t Classic inside 39,000-seat Target Field as opposed to the 85,630 fans at pulled the trigger,” Mayer said. “Well, I’m super excited to do so and I think we need to take advantage of what is the State of Hockey in every Wednesday’s game at the Cotton Bowl. way. We want to do things to cater toward a super fan who just can’t get So, the partners needed to brainstorm all sorts of ideas that would make enough hockey. That’s going to be the goal in the next year.” up for that lost revenue by coming up with a weeklong Winter Festival rather than just one single outdoor hockey game. The only real nervousness about having the game in Minnesota is the hope that the weather cooperates. On Wednesday, the Wild’s lengthy, seemingly never-ending pursuit of the Winter Classic officially became reality when NHL commissioner For instance, the league would take Wednesday’s partly cloudy weather Gary Bettman announced during the second intermission of this year’s with a temperature in the 30s. But last Saturday’s freezing rain would be Winter Classic that the Wild and State of Hockey will be the hosts of next an absolute nightmare. year’s game on Jan. 1, 2021. According to Fox 9’s chief meteorologist Ian Leonard, the average Jan. 1 opportunities, but we made it known to Craig Leipold and Matt Majka a high in Minneapolis is 24 degrees and the average low is eight degrees. few years ago that we wanted to go all-in with them on a Winter Classic The record high was 48 in 1897 and the record low was minus-12 in or bust, and we’re just really happy that it’s coming together now for 1974. 2021.”

In an understatement, as Minnesotans learned the past few days, There is no chance the Wild would have been awarded this game unless snowfall is always a possibility. the Twins were willing to personally invest in winterizing their ballpark so fans are delivered a first-class experience. The coldest recorded outdoor temperature for an NHL outdoor game was the at in Edmonton Coldest outdoor games in NHL history between the Oilers and Canadiens. Event Date Location Teams Temp. Jose Theodore 2003 Heritage Classic Nov. 22, 2003 Edmonton MTL at “What a difference a year will make,” Mayer said, laughing, referring to EDM 0°F the fact that the opening puck drop during Wednesday’s Classic in Dallas was 53 degrees with an overcast sky. 2014 Winter Classic Jan. 1, 2014 Ann Arbor, Mich. TOR at DET 13°F In reporting the past month for this story, The Athletic talked to several people from Mayer, Majka and Leipold to Twins president and CEO Dave 2017 NHL100 Classic Dec. 16, 2017 Ottawa MTL at St. Peter and Sports Minneapolis executive director Melvin Tennant. OTT 13°F

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 Winter Classic in 2014 Stadium Series March 1, 2014 Chicago PIT at CHI 17°F Minneapolis. Feb. 20, 2011 Calgary MTL at Why now? CGY 18°F

Frankly, it’s their time. 2018 Winter Classic Jan. 1, 2018 New York NYR at BUF 21°F “Of all the markets in the United States, yeah, we’re biased, but come on, this is the State of Hockey,” Leipold said. “This is where 2014 Stadium Series Jan. 29, 2014 New York NYR at NYI started in the United States, was in Minnesota (said to be in 1883). We’re 22°F glad to have it here. It’s been a few years coming, but that’s all fine. 2014 Stadium Series Jan. 26, 2014 New York NYR at NJD We’re excited.” 25°F

This will be the fourth big NHL event hosted by the Wild. They previously Oct. 26 , 2019 Regina, Sask. hosted the 2004 All-Star Game and 2011 NHL Draft at Xcel Energy CGY at WPG 27°F Center and the 2016 NHL Stadium Series at TCF Bank Stadium. 2009 Winter Classic Jan. 1, 2009 Chicago DET at CHI The Wild, with interim coach John Torchetti making his “home debut,” 32°F beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-1, with 50,426 in attendance on a 35- degree, cloudy February day. Source: NHL.com

“I think (Minnesota hockey fans) were OK with the Stadium Series game, “When Target Field opened in 2010, it was really built for the six, seven but at the end of the day, they wanted more, and I think we recognized months of baseball, April through October,” St. Peter said. “Over time that,” Mayer said. we’ve done a little bit of winterization to help make for a better experience in maybe March or for October, but the building was never Maybe that was proven by the fact that the Stadium Series was actually a meant to be open for business on January 1. tough sell, and as much as the Wild loved getting and ultimately winning their lone outdoor game, Majka said, “I think the fans and the community “So we’re going to fully winterize the building as part of this. It’s our and all of us here at the Wild felt like we were deserving of the big one … commitment to the process. Restrooms, all the concessions. All those the marquee game. So we feel justified in getting this now and grateful at things central to a great fan experience have to be open fully for the same time.” business. So running water or things of that nature need to be fully functional. The entire building will be open, just as it is for a soldout St. Peter couldn’t be more excited. baseball game. We have a lot of advantages for the Winter Classic “I think outdoor hockey can be overdone, but I think that the Winter because we have a lot of great indoor spaces. Of all the ballparks that Classic just continues to stand the test of time,” he said. “It’s been a great have been built, there’s not a ballpark built that has more great interior event for the NHL. It’s long overdue that the State of Hockey can have spaces that have views of the field. There’s not a ballpark built that has their opportunity to demonstrate really how it can be done at the best, the more radiant heat than Target Field. highest level possible.” “But the outfield concession stands and a lot of the concessions and Majka admits when the Wild struggled so mightily out of the gate this restrooms on the terrace level were not meant to be open on Jan. 1, so season (one win in their first seven games, four in their first 14), he they’re drained out and closed. Obviously, we’re going to need to add started to worry the Wild’s joint bid for the Winter Classic could be some infrastructure, add some heat, add a lot of things to make this a derailed. But the Wild, even though TV ratings are a little down compared Grade A experience on Jan. 1, 2021. to last year, are perennially a top-five TV-rated team in the United States. “It’s not like this is a huge economic driver for the Twins on the “So, I do think we’re an attractive team these days,” Majka said. “Going investments being made. But the Pohlad family wanted to do everything back six, seven, eight years ago, not so much from the league they could to help the Wild bring the Winter Classic here. It’s good for our standpoint.” community and certainly to have Target Field host this event is wonderful, not only for our Target Field brand, but the Minnesota Twins’ Why Target Field, and what does winterization entail? brand. We thought it was well worth it.”

First, as long as Mayer’s running things, the Winter Classic will never be While the Twins may assist with some of the ancillary events surrounding played in a stadium with a roof, so U.S. Bank Stadium wasn’t an option. the Winter Classic, their primary focus behind a quality fan experience is And the league already went to TCF Bank Stadium. to make sure Target Field is ready to roll in terms of snow removal and making sure the league can have the best ice possible. But what it really comes down to is the Twins, led by St. Peter, have long made it crystal clear to the Wild that they wanted to be the partner toward Heads groundskeeper Larry Divito, senior director of facilities Gary bringing an eventual Winter Classic to the Twin Cities. Glawe and senior vice president of operations Matt Hoy have been in Dallas all week shadowing the NHL and especially the NHL’s facilities “Obviously, the World Series is top on our list, but we’ve long wanted to operations manager, Dan Craig, to fully understand the ice install at the bring hockey to Target Field and the Winter Classic is the premier Cotton Bowl. Sports Minneapolis also sent a team of people. outdoor hockey event,” St. Peter said. “We’ve had multitudes of discussions over the years with the Wild and for college hockey What would a Winter Festival entail? There are the usual ideas and some really cool, outside the box ideas, regulation-size rink to the creative process into the overall look of the and the Wild, based in St. Paul, want to integrate some St. Paul events event. They also show how the game is broadcast to fans worldwide and into the week of festivities. how the pregame ceremony and intermission entertainment is pulled off, as well as how the Stars and Predators’ equipment staff prepared for the “I hesitate a little bit here because I don’t want to create expectations that Classic. all of which won’t come true,” Majka said. “But I believe that this market has the ability to pull off a truly hockey-oriented festival sort of Who will be the opponent? atmosphere. It’ll be really fun to see how it all comes together and what actually happens a year from now.” The Wild’s opponent was not announced Wednesday because it has not been determined. They’ve talked about college games, a youth hockey tournament and either an alumni game or some sort of history of Minnesota hockey The NHL, NBC and the Wild will make the decision mutually, although luncheon or dinner or panel discussion where big hockey-name alumni Mayer admits NBC has the biggest say because sponsorships and would be involved. There will, of course, be the usual kid-friendly Fan ratings rule the roost. An announcement will come later this season. Fair or Winter Carnival perhaps in multiple buildings and they’ve even The Athletic wrote in December about the potential options and asked for discussed having things like a hockey arts exhibit and hockey movie reader opinions in the comments. festival. And to increase the lost revenue of playing hockey at a smaller ballpark rather than a football stadium, there very likely will It’s believed the Wild’s preference would be the Winnipeg Jets because accompanying concerts at Xcel Energy Center, even on New Year’s Eve. they’re a geographical rival and would draw thousands of Jets fans. But that may be a tough sell for NBC. “We want to make it more of a weeklong event rather than just a couple of days and activate Minneapolis and St. Paul so we give fans an The favorite is the St. Louis Blues, but the Colorado Avalanche, Chicago opportunity to do a lot of different things,” Mayer said. “We’re trying to get Blackhawks and Jets are believed to be in the mix. Mayer would only say creative. We’re going to have 86,000 in Dallas, and let’s face it, we’re that it’s a good bet it will be a conventional opponent and Wild rival. almost half of that in Minnesota. Road teams are 16-9-4 in the NHL’s 29 all-time outdoor games (7-2-1 in “So that’s a significant financial blow, and we’re not going to gouge the the past 10), and 8-3-1 in 12 Winter Classics. fans. That’s not what we want to do. It’s a little more expensive to go to Minnesota Wild an outdoor game than it is a regular game, but we also provide the fans with an incredible experience, music and fan fairs — a lot more than just Where will the rink be configured, and how will tickets be distributed? a regular game. This is up in the air and one reason why the Wild, Twins and NHL are “But just because we’re in a smaller venue, we’re not going to triple the hedging on the exact attendance figure. price of a ticket. So you have to figure out creative ways to help pay for the event. Now, a lot of the thing won’t be NHL-driven. They probably will Normally when NHL outdoor games take place at baseball stadiums, the be Minnesota Wild-driven. We love when we could make it more than just rink sits from third base to first base horizontally covering second base a hockey game, and if we can do all these other things in your neck of starting above the pitcher’s mound. But this will be the 11th outdoor the woods, we really feel people will respond to that stuff. So the more game played at a baseball stadium. The NHL is considering changing the we can do, the better.” rink configuration up next year and that could lead to auxiliary seating in the outfield. Target Field also has the ability to do a lot of standing-room Tennant said Sports Minneapolis is still in the early planning with the Wild only spots, so it’s up in the air how much they’ll be able to sell. and Twins, but he said a lot of the surrounding events will be similar to what took place during the Super Bowl two years ago. “I’ll personally be surprised if we don’t go north of 40,000 ticketed customers for the game,” St. Peter said. “We embrace the fact that Minnesota is a four-season state. We embrace the theme of Bold North,” Tennant said. “We had many, many outdoor The Wild essentially lose one home game at Xcel Energy Center, so the activities to share with the fans that came to that event.” Winter Classic will not be part of the season-ticket package for next season. What other things come with a Winter Classic? But once the Target Field seating is outfitted by the NHL, confirmed Two quick things come to mind: A special, unique uniform for the game 2020-21 Wild season-ticket holders will have the priority opportunity to and one of those old 24/7 HBO-style documentaries that made Boudreau purchase Winter Classic tickets based on their fan priority number. After famous during the preparation for the 2011 Winter Classic. those tickets are established, tickets will be released to the public.

“We’re just starting because that is very much in concert with the league,” What could the economic impact be to the Twin Cities? Majka said of the sweater that will be worn by Wild players next Jan. 1. “We will have input, but the league has substantial input on all outdoor Basically, it’s up in the air. game jerseys. But we had a great time working with them last time The Dallas Sports Commission estimates a projected economic impact of around (for the Stadium Series) and I think we did well there. $30-35 million for Wednesday’s 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. “Looking forward to what this year will present as well.” Sports Minneapolis, which is the sports marketing arm of Meet The Winter Classic jersey will not be the same as the Wild’s new third Minneapolis, typically does its economic impact studies after all events jersey, which will likely be released in two or three seasons depending on are over to ensure it has the most accurate information in order to do a potential throwback jersey the league is considering for each team in calculations. the coming years. “What I can tell you from an economic impact perspective is that hosting “Becoming Wild” and the inside-looks to the intimate moments players a major event such as the Winter Classic at the time of the year where it share in the locker room are some of the cool web and Fox Sports North is taking place is going to be a huge boost for tourism,” Tennant said. features the Wild produce. Fans seem to love them, so they should enjoy “Right during that part of the year is not typically a time where our tourism next year’s “Road to the NHL Winter Classic” documentary that will peaks. We found the same type of phenomenon during the Super Bowl.” shadow the Wild and their opponent as they prep for the game in the few “Economic impact” constitutes all expenditures that take place within the weeks before. community from shopping to hotels to restaurants to other entertainment This season, the NHL also introduced a documentary series exclusively options. for their web and social channels. If it’s well-received, they’ll likely re- The 2019 NCAA Final Four generated an economic impact of $143 introduce it next year. million and brought 91,000 visitors to the region and $23 million in state It’s called, “Making of the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic,” and it and local taxes, according to the Minneapolis Local Organizing follows a group of NHL staffers and collaborators that help conceive and Committee. execute the New Year’s Day game. In a survey of visitors, it was their first men’s Final Four for 71 percent. Cameras focus on the key figures behind the scenes that work tirelessly About 57 percent of those same visitors made their first trip to on the event, including the construction and maintenance of the NHL Minneapolis, 94 percent of which said they would return for business, leisure or both.

As for Super Bowl LII, the Super Bowl Host Committee announced that the event generated $450 million in gross local spending, an average of $608 per day per visitor in spending and 266,000 hotel room nights used. Eighty-three percent of first-time visitors said they would return to the Twin Cities.

“We’re very proud as a community to be able to host this outstanding event in 2021,” Tennant said. “We certainly have been waiting a long time for it, considering the fact that we are the State of Hockey and have had so much success in hosting other major events.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168917 One part of his game that apparently doesn’t need any honing is an ability to talk.

“He’s a funny kid,” U.S. captain Mattias Samuelsson said. “Everybody 'They all count’: Habs star Cole Caufield on scoring goals and playing for loves him. You can joke around with him and he’ll give it right back, and an Original Six franchise he’s pretty good at it. It’s always entertaining.”

Caufield said he looked to future pint-sized Hall of Fame winger Martin St. Louis, who made his living when the NHL was geared heavily toward JOSHUA CLIPPERTON OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC hulking behemoths, as proof when he was growing up that smaller players could excel. THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED JANUARY 1, 2020 “I wore No. 26 when I was younger because of him,” said Caufield, who

turns 19 on Thursday. “Just having someone like that to look up to in the Cole Caufield speaks to the media after being selected fifteenth overall league, who’s having success, even when it was bigger and heavier, it by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft was something pretty cool. at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. “Now that it’s changed, there’s a bunch of [smaller] guys in the league Cole Caufield is getting used to the attention. that are doing great things. The league’s just getting faster and smarter. I don’t think I’ll have any problem with the size issue.” Since being selected 15th over all by the Montreal Canadiens at last June’s NHL draft, the diminutive winger has been visited by numerous So what’s Caufield’s favourite memory of past U.S. teams at the world reporters, seen his mentions on social media balloon, and is often one of juniors? the top trending names on the website hockeydb.com. “The John Carlson OT winner [at the 2010 tournament],” he said without People want to know all about him. And he knows that’s simply life with missing a beat. “That’s the one kids our age look to and dream about an Original Six franchise. doing one day.”

“I’m not [in Montreal] yet, so I don’t really worry about that,” Caufield said. With any luck, his moment could be right around the corner. “It’s special to be part of that organization. They’ve got so much history. Globe And Mail LOADED: 01.02.2020 “It’s nice to have my name be talked about, but I’m still in college and that’s what I’m focusing on.”

Right now, however, he’s got his sights set on gold for the United States at the world junior hockey championship.

The 5-foot-7, 163-pound goal-scoring sensation failed to find the back of the net in his team’s first three round-robin games, but buried a shot in overtime against the host Czech Republic to help his country secure second in Group B, one point back of Canada.

Caufield and the Americans face a tough test in the quarter-finals Thursday against Finland in a rematch of last year’s gold-medal game in Vancouver, one the U.S. lost on a late goal by Kaapo Kakko.

A native of Stevens Point, Wis., Caufied’s dry run to start the under-20 tournament was surprising. He scored a record 126 goals in two seasons with his country’s national team development program, tied Alex Ovechkin’s mark of 14 at the under-18 worlds, and has 12 in 18 games as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin.

“Everyone loves to score goals,” Caufield said. “I think I just love it more.”

Nicknamed Goal Caufield, he wired a laser from a ridiculous angle against Canada at an event this summer – one that was replayed countless times and even caught the attention of some NHL players.

While his dynamic talent with the puck is well documented, teammates point out one of his underrated skills is finding soft spots in the offensive zone before striking.

“I don’t think people realize you’ve got to put yourself in those positions,” U.S. centre Shane Pinto said. “He’s really smart in the way he plays his game. He’s just so crafty.”

“He’s a hungry kid,” added winger Oliver Wahlstrom. “On the ice, off the ice, he’s so determined.”

And every goal doesn’t have to find its way onto a highlight reel.

“They all count,” Caufield said with a grin. “It doesn’t matter how you get it done. My whole life I’ve been on the smaller side, and I think that’s helped me find quiet areas. I just put myself in an area where I have to beat a goalie, not really pick a corner.”

In short, Caufield has learned to use his dimensions as an advantage.

“That’s where most people struggle – putting themselves in an area where they can get lost to get away from guys,” he explained. “There’s so little time now in this game. It’s a pretty hard skill to find spots and even get a shot off.

“That’s what I continue to work on and find ways to get better at it.” 1168918 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens call up Dale Weise from the AHL's

It looks like Brendan Gallagher won't be in lineup Thursday night vs. Lightning at after suffering upper-body injury.

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: January 1, 2020

The Canadiens had the day off on New Year’s Day, but they did make a roster move, announcing after 5 p.m. that they have called up Dale Weise from the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

Weise, 31, has 3-4-7 totals and is minus-3 in 27 games this season with the Rocket. The Canadiens acquired the veteran right-winger from the Philadelphia Flyers last Feb. 9, along with defenceman Christian Folin, in exchange for Byron Froese and David Schlemko. Weise was pointless in nine games with the Canadiens last season after the trade.

Canadiens right-winger Brendan Gallagher suffered an upper-body injury that appeared to be a concussion during the second period of Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes in Carolina. It was the third straight loss for the Canadiens, who have played their last seven games on the road, posting a 3-4-0 record. Gallagher has 15-17-32 totals in 40 games this season and has played in 229 consecutive games dating back to Feb. 11, 2017.

The Canadiens have an 18-16-6 record and are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third and final playoff spot in the division and trail the fourth-place Florida Panthers by three points. The Lightning hold two games in hand and the Panthers have one game in hand. The Canadiens trail the Philadelphia Flyers by seven points for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Canadiens have a morning skate scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the in Brossard before playing the Lightning Thursday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). It is the first of three straight home games for the Canadiens, with the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Bell Centre on Saturday (7 p.m., SNE, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM), followed by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday (7 p.m., TSN2, TSN3, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168919 Nashville Predators why it hurts a little bit more. You want to make this a special game, and it was, nonetheless, even though we lost."

There are plenty of games left to turn things around, but it’s got to In Winter Classic spotlight, Predators more impressive off the ice than on happen at some point. it | Estes Emotionally, a victory in the Winter Classic would have been a huge boost at a needed time. That opportunity got away. It may not have been a huge step back, but it wasn’t a step forward for a team tied for last in Gentry Estes, Nashville Tennessean Published 4:01 p.m. CT Jan. 1, the Central Division. 2020 | Updated 5:32 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020 From a larger standpoint, though, you can’t view this Winter Classic experience as a net loss for the organization, no matter the result.

DALLAS – In the first period, an unmistakably familiar chant rang deep in Bettman may not have known the correct color preferred by the the heart of Texas, directed at the home team’s goalie. Predators, but he certainly knew how many of their fans were in the seats Wednesday. So did everyone in attendance. “It’s all your fault.” It was fun. It was a moment. It was an experience. If being tapped for an NHL Winter Classic was a nod to the growing league-wide respect for Nashville’s franchise, the Predators backed it up But it wasn’t a win. Wednesday afternoon. Such has been the case for too much of this season for the Predators, Well, off the ice, at least. who after all, were already accustomed to packed crowds and support that "is really special for us," captain Roman Josi said. On it, the Predators started strong and folded late for a disappointing result in the most lively environment possible. The Dallas Stars overcame Those Predators fans, it's certainly not their fault. an early two-goal deficit and rolled in the final period to a 4-2 victory before 85,630 fans in a packed Cotton Bowl, a significant portion of them Tennessean LOADED: 01.02.2020 wearing gold and white.

Yes, Smashville traveled, just how we all — the Predators included — expected it would.

“There were more people here in yellow from Nashville than would fit in Bridgestone Arena,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said between periods. “So that’s how well Predators fans travel. All in all, it has been sensational.”

Nashville Predators fans cheer during the first period of the 2020 NHL Winter Classic against the Dallas Stars at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.

It’s a bit telling that Bettman didn’t think to say gold, rather than yellow. The NHL in many ways is still getting to know Nashville's team.

Boosted by the team’s success — in particular, its recent appearance in the Stanley Cup Final — the city is on the hockey radar like never before, as evidenced by Wednesday’s event. This was designed to spotlight two non-traditional, new-money franchises from the South in a game that has so often matched more established teams.

Asked about the potential for hockey’s growth in this part of the United States, Bettman replied, “People questioned it. We never did, which is why we brought the game here. … Hockey, I’m delighted to say, is alive and well in Dallas, as it is in Nashville.”

In terms of this season, this defeat was only the latest disappointment for a Predators team that so far has logged too many of them — and far more than was expected this season. It was a rowdy, rugged, choppy game on the outdoor surface.

Once the Stars’ Corey Perry was ejected in the first three minutes for a cheap-shot elbow to the face that knocked the Preds’ Ryan Ellis out of the game, the fun, friendly vibes that marked Tuesday’s pregame were gone. This was going to be a physical fight, and it was one in which the Stars had more in the tank in the later rounds than the Predators, scoring the game's final four goals and shutting out Nashville for all but a couple of early power-play strikes.

"That's kind of something that we've been experiencing a lot over the last couple of months," said the Predators' Austin Watson. "We'll put together a period or 10 minutes, and then for whatever reason, if it starts to go not our way, we have a hard time clawing out of it. ...

"It's tough, because everybody cares and we're all trying. But something has got to give. This is happening a lot to us."

Deal-breaker for the season? Not at all.

But it is another punch in the gut, perhaps the toughest yet to take this season because of the setting and the support the Predators received in the stadium.

"You could hear them," goalie Pekka Rinne said. "It was a blast. It was awesome and for sure an experience you'll remember. I feel like that's 1168920 Nashville Predators can't imagine what all these men and women working on it are going, probably 24/7, barely getting any sleep. You're grateful to them."

Weather or not, the Winter Classic is coming. Ice, ice, baby: No meltdown after ice melted in Dallas ahead of Preds- Tennessean LOADED: 01.02.2020 Stars Winter Classic

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 3:22 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020

DALLAS -- Filip Forsberg said Tuesday there was "no dipping your toes in the water" when it comes to the Winter Classic.

Had Forsberg and his Predators been at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, that's exactly what they would have been doing.

The ice, which had been begun being prepared for a week ahead of the NHL's marquee regular-season outdoor game against the Stars, had melted. Thanks to temperatures in the high 60s, high humidity and a rainstorm, the league's big stage was reduced to a two-inch puddle of water.

The logos and lines are not painted onto the ice, but rather they are fabric for this game. They were removed, washed and reinstalled. The boards had to be removed so all the water could be drained.

Most sheets of ice in NHL arenas are an inch to an inch-and-a-half thick, but the sheet in Dallas for the outdoor game was to be 2 to 2 1/2 inches.

NHL senior manager of facility operations told NHL.com that "it was like a wading pool."

The entire ice had been redone by Tuesday, basically from scratch, seven days worth of work -- and many months worth of planning -- redone in three days

"Who would have thought they were going to play hockey this far south outdoors," Forsberg said. "It's impressive what the guys working with the ice are doing. The NHL is putting it together. It's a really cool thing we get to be a part of."

Most players' families were there for Tuesday's practice. Forsberg said his parents scouted out their seats before the team practiced and said they were ready for the team to "get this big win."

"Two huge points on the line," Forsberg said.

Forsberg said he was surprised how "wide" the stadium was. Close to 90,000 people are expected to attend the game, which would make the second-highest attended outdoor game in league history.

The NHL said around 20,000 people from Nashville traveled to Dallas for the game.

"I was expecting higher stands and stuff like that, but it's going to be a good scene in here," he said.

Rocco Grimaldi said he waited until the last moment to try to soak the atmosphere in.

"I stayed in the room before practice to have that first walkout be more special and be surprised by everything instead of seeing it before you go out there," he said. "You see through that little tunnel. Once you see through the tunnel, you see everything and try to take it all in."

It's part of the strangeness of this game, which on paper is just another regular-season game but in reality has much more attached it.

Finding that balance

"There's a balance," Grimaldi said. "It's another game, businesslike. It's Dallas. It's a rival. All those things are true. On the other hand it's a unique experience. You're playing outside in front of 80,000 people. ... You have to find the balance of 'Hey, we're here to win and get two points,' but we're also here to have a good time and enjoy this experience."

Which wouldn't have been possible if not for the men and women who turned water into usable ice again in such a short time.

"I'm sure there's a lot of things I don't know about it, but I can imagine the work it takes," Grimaldi. "Elements like the weather, you can't control. I 1168921 Nashville Predators The Predators, who entered with the fourth-worst penalty kill, also allowed two power-play goals. They are tied for last place with the Blackhawks in the Central Division with 42 points.

Five observations from the Winter Classic between the Predators, Stars Weather or not

Four days after having to essentially redo the entire ice sheet because it melted thanks to rain, high temperatures and humidity, Wednesday’s Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 12:35 p.m. CT Jan. 1, game began at 1:04 p.m. (CST). The temperature was 54 degrees with 2020 | Updated 5:23 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020 overcast skies and no sun.

"What's also interesting to see is a ton of green and yellow," Bettman said. "There are more people here in yellow than would fit in Bridgestone DALLAS – Predators players arrived at the Cotton Bowl wearing all-black Arena." suits Wednesday morning, an ode to Johnny Cash. The league estimated more than 20,000 Predators fans made the trip to They soon changed into their work gear – special Winter Classic Dallas. sweaters and helmets and pants – for the first outdoor game in the history of the franchise. Pigs, pigs

Players from the Predators and Stars made their grand entrance onto the There were two pig races during the first period, right next to the ice ice together, walking down a long ramp leading to the ice, which behind the Stars goal. Ro"Ham" Josi finished last in his race. And “Pork- miraculously was playable after essentially being reduced to a puddle a" Rinne didn’t fare well, either. Saturday thanks to rain, humidity and high temperatures. Ryan Jo"Ham"sen participated in the third race, which was held during Here are five observations from the Predators’ 4-2 loss, their third in a the second period. row, in the NHL’s only game on the schedule Wednesday. Tennessean LOADED: 01.02.2020 First things first

Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis laid on the ice for a good two or three minutes, motionless near center ice Wednesday after taking an elbow to the head from the Stars’ Corey Perry less than three minutes into the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl.

Ellis' stick flew from his hands after the hit.

He was helped off the ice by three teammates and taken to a golf cart.

Perry was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and was ejected from the game.

"Hopefully it's not too long," Predators coach said of how much time Ellis might miss. "But he got banged up pretty good."

Corey Perry with a bad hit on Ryan Ellis pic.twitter.com/DzUWE27gVV

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 1, 2020

The Stars also were awarded a penalty shot during the period, and, later in the first, Austin Watson hit Blake Comeau, who hit his head on the ice after falling.

Ellis did not return, forcing the Predators to play five defensemen. Losing him for any length of time could be devastating for the Predators.

Ellis (28 points) is second on the team in points behind Roman Josi (39).

"That's the kind of headshot you're trying to get out of the game," Josi said. "He's shooting the puck and he gets him in the head. I thought it was really, really bad hit."

They’re No. 2

Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, and 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams dropped the ceremonial first puck in front of an announced crowd of 85,630, the second-largest crowd for an NHL game behind only the 2014 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, where 105,491 saw the Red Wings play the Maple Leafs.

“The only complaints we’ve been getting is that it’s been too crowded,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “In this business you’ll take that. … There’s been a pretty good game going on and clearly players came out energized.”

Bettman also announced that next year's Winter Classic will be held at Target Field in Minneapolis, with the Wild as the host.

They have the power

The Predators scored two power-play goals during the first period Wednesday, the fourth time this season they've scored more than one in a game. Matt Duchene and Dante Fabbro scored for the Predators.

Nashville entered the game with the eighth-worst power play at 15.9%. 1168922 Nashville Predators

Predators' Ryan Ellis leaves Winter Classic after taking elbow to head from Corey Perry

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 1:23 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020 | Updated 5:03 p.m. CT Jan. 1, 2020

DALLAS -- Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis laid on the ice for a good two or three minutes, motionless near center ice Wednesday after taking an elbow to the head from the Stars’ Corey Perry less than three minutes into the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl.

Ellis' stick flew from his hands after the hit. He did not return. Predators coach Peter Laviolette said he is hopeful Ellis won't miss too much time.

Corey Perry ejected early in Winter Classic for elbowing Ryan Ellis. Ellis to the locker room. (Via @BradyTrett)

Ugly hit. #Preds #WinterClassic2020pic.twitter.com/88BxcsvgNF

— tnsports (@tnsports) January 1, 2020

He was helped off the ice by three teammates and taken to a golf cart.

"Hopefully it's not too long," Laviolette said. "But he got banged up pretty good."

Perry, who has a history of suspensions, including for elbowing, was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and was ejected from the game. He could face disciplinary action from the league.

Stars coach Rick Bowness said his team "won the game for Corey."

A little more than three minutes after the hit, Matt Duchene's power-play goal gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 14:14 of the first. Dante Fabbro added another power-play goal at 12:24.

Predators forward Austin Watson then hit Blake Comeau, who hit his head on the ice after the hit and was helped to the bench.

Tennessean LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168923 New Jersey Devils Some players thought Severson changed his plan midway through his skate toward net before ultimately scoring. The defenseman said that wasn’t the case.

4 observations from Devils’ shootout win over Bruins | How they took “There was a lot of accusations after the game that I didn’t know what I control in 3rd-period comeback was doing there,” Severson laughed. “But I saw everyone else seemed to be going to the glove side. (Nikita) Gusev started off by going five hole. I figured if I could make good fake and go backhand and get it upstairs and have a better chance to score. It ultimately went in, so that was a big By Chris Ryan one. Felt good.”

The goal was Severson’s second career shootout conversion, making The Devils ended 2019 on a high note, rallying past the Boston Bruins for him 2-for-6 since entering the NHL. a 3-2 shootout win on Tuesday at Prudential Center, giving New Jersey Jack Hughes on injury its second straight win and seven out of a possible eight points over the past four games. Outcome aside, the game had the chance to turn into a disaster for the Devils in the third period. Near the start of a power play in the first half of As the calendar turns to 2020, here’s a look back at some key takeaways the frame, Jack Hughes went crashing into the boards behind the Bruins’ from the Devils’ final game of the decade. net, where he stayed down for a few seconds before slowly skating to the How Devils took control in third period Devils’ bench — despite the puck still being in their possession in the offensive zone. Trailing by one goal entering the third period, the Devils needed to tilt the tables offensively to get themselves the equalizer while limiting Boston’s That move confirmed something clearly wasn’t right with Hughes, who chances of extending the lead. appeared to favor his left arm and shoulder heading off the ice.

They did just that. Hughes stayed on the bench and talked to trainers, but he took only one more shift in the third period. He also briefly went down the tunnel Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes following that shift. observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers Fortunately for the Devils, Hughes was able to play two shifts in overtime, The Devils had 22 shot attempts at 5-on-5 against 14 for the Bruins, and and he was the fifth shooter in the shootout, where he converted an they created eight scoring chances to just three for Boston. The Devils attempt for the first time in his career. Hughes said he was fine after the also had the only two power plays of the frame, allowing them to rack up game, and he walked around the locker room without any obvious signs five more scoring chances and five shots. They ended the frame with a of discomfort. 19-5 shot advantage at all strengths, and the Bruins didn’t get their first shot on net until the 11:20 mark of the period. The chance to start 2020 on a high note

“I thought it was textbook. We came in and we felt really good about our 2019 was a rough year for the Devils. They ended the 2018-19 season second period," Devils interim head coach Alain Nasreddine said. "We battling a long list of injuries in a season that was already lost. The high wanted to do the same thing going into the third. It’s sometimes easier expectations at the start of 2019-20 faded quickly, putting them right back said than done because you know you’re facing a pretty good team in a similar spot before they fired coach John Hynes and traded Taylor there. But I felt we carried the play for most of that period. Had our Hall. chances. Hit the post, puck wouldn’t go in, and eventually we made a big And in that 365-day run, the Devils failed to win three games in a row at play, puck went in to tie it up.” any point. Their last three-game winning streak came in the three games That late run in the third period and overtime put the Devils over the 40- after the Christmas break in 2018. shot mark for the second time in four games after doing so just three If the Devils perform on Thursday, they’ll have the chance to end that times through their first 35 games. drought. They won their final two games of 2019 while going 3-0-1 over Their two-goal rally also came against a Bruins team that outscored the the last four contests, and they can stretch their winning streak to three Devils 10-1 over the first 150 minutes played this season, counting the games when they visit the New York Islanders on Thursday. first 30 minutes of Tuesday’s contest. Star Ledger LOADED: 01.02.2020 “It’s just a different feel I think. I feel like we played the same game for 60 minutes," forward Black Coleman said. "You’re aware of the score in the sense that you want to play the right way at key moments, but we’re not passive. It’s a tie game late in the third, we’re trying to go score the goal instead of sitting back. Just a mindset and I think a lot of guys around the room are starting to really start to play confident and we’re starting to look like a different team.”

Damon Severson got his moment

The last time the Devils skated off their home ice, Damon Severson did so in disbelief after knocking a puck into his own net for an overtime- winning goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When he skated off on Tuesday, he did so as the hero.

Severson’s shootout winner capped the six-round marathon between the Devils and Bruins, and thanks to one final glove save by Mackenzie Blackwood, his shot stood up.

“Everyones was there for him, the bad bounce, but that’s the way our team’s been. We’re so even keel, nobody’s upset about that bounce," Coleman said. "It’s hockey. Things are going to go that way and we love each other in this in this room and we picked him right up, and that’s why you do it. You know he’s gonna come back and and pick the team up and reward us.”

While Coleman and the rest of the Devils supported Severson following Friday’s own goal, Severson’s teammates did give him some good- natured ribbing after his shootout goal. 1168924 New Jersey Devils leads the Devils with 15 goals and 27 points. He’s also only the fifth forward in Devils history to make multiple All-Star games, joining Hall, Patrik Elias, John MacLean and Kirk Muller. Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski also were named to 20/20: What went right for the Devils during a disappointing 2019, and multiple All-Star games for the Devils. what is on the to-do list for 2020 6. Traded for Nikita Gusev

New Jersey already had been one of the most active teams in the 2019 By Corey Masisak Jan 1, 2020 offseason, but adding Gusev for two draft picks in late July it cemented 2019 as the “Summer of Shero.” All three of Shero’s high-profile

additions — P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and Gusev — got off to When the calendar flipped to 2019, the Devils were in the midst of a mini- slow starts this season, but the man they call “Goose” has looked more surge despite their best player recently leaving the lineup with what was like the star he was in the KHL of late. Gusev finished 2019 with 15 deemed at first to be a minor injury. points in his final 16 games. He has found a home next to Zajac and Blake Coleman on the team’s second line and is tied for third on the team Taylor Hall’s knee injury did not turn out to be minor, and he ended up with 22 points while avoiding some of the defensive mistakes and missing the rest of the season. The Devils’ late-December success was breakdowns that were hurting whatever line he played on in the first six fleeting, and they remained mired near the bottom of the NHL standings. weeks of the NHL season. A busy offseason led to increased hope and expectations, but another bad start to a season left 2019 as one of the least successful years on 7. Andy Greene played in his 900th game the ice for the Devils in franchise history. Greene became the sixth player in franchise history to play 900 games The losses and injuries piled up, but some things did go right for the with the club. Four of the other five were first-round picks, and Elias was franchise, and some of it may lead to future success. With that in mind, a second-rounder. Greene became the first undrafted player to do it and let’s take a look at the 20 things that were positive for New Jersey in only the eighth in the league in the past 30 years. 2019 and draw up a to-do list for general manager Ray Shero and the 8. Zajac passed Scott Stevens franchise in 2020. On the same night as Greene’s 900th game, Zajac played in his 957th. What went right in 2019 That gave him one more than Stevens in a New Jersey uniform, which is 1. Won the 2019 draft lottery the third-most in franchise history. Zajac is at 960 now, with 43 games left in this season. He obviously could hit another major milestone late in Travis Zajac’s overtime goal in the final game of the season at Florida this season if he can stay healthy. pushed the Devils up a spot ahead of the Kings to 29th in the final league standings. That actually decreased New Jersey’s chances of landing the 9. Hischier made his senior international debut No. 1 pick, but for the second time in three years, the franchise won the The Devils’ disappointing 2018-19 did allow Hischier, the crown prince of lottery and earned the top selection anyway. The Rangers ended up with Swiss hockey, to represent his country at the men’s level for the first the No. 2 pick, and it marked the first time the Hudson River rivals ended time. He had four goals and nine points in eight games at the world up at the top of an NHL Draft together. championships in Slovakia. Given where the Devils are in the standings 2. Selected Jack Hughes with the No. 1 pick this season, he might get a chance to play at the worlds in 2020 … in his home country. Hughes versus Kaapo Kakko became a top storyline in the NHL leading into the draft, and the two phenoms landing about 12 miles apart should 10. arrived in North America make it one for the next decade. Hughes is expected to pair with Nico Boqvist was the team’s top forward prospect last season while he was Hischier as two pillars for the franchise as it tries to climb back to Stanley one of the top young players in the Swedish Hockey League. He had a Cup contention. Hughes has the potential to be one of the best players in contract for this season in the SHL, but it had an NHL out clause, and he the NHL in the 2020s and one of the most marketable, too. signed with the Devils. Boqvist made the team with a strong training READ: Given all his connections to the Devils, it feels like Jack Hughes is camp, and the Devils decided he was staying in New Jersey for the entire coming home season. The Devils didn’t play him a lot early in the year as they tried to ease his transition, but he has become a regular in the lineup over the 3. signed a $50.25 million contract past 20 games.

Several top restricted free agents have played the waiting game with READ: For the Boqvists, two successful NHL draft trips in two years ‘was contracts the past two offseasons, but Hischier and the Devils avoided like a dream’ any potential drama this summer. Hischier signed a seven-year, $50.25 million contract in October and will count $7.25 million against the salary 11. Coleman’s goal of the year candidate cap through the 2026-27 season. Hischier is one of the top young two- Coleman already had one incredible one-handed goal on his résumé way players in the league, and how much his offensive game can grow in before this season, but he one-upped his goal from March 2018 on the next couple of seasons will determine if he’s going to be an elite NHL opening night this year. Not only was it an incredible individual effort, it player or just a really, really good one. came minutes after some triage dental work. Coleman has become an 4. Mackenzie Blackwood established himself as an NHL goalie integral member of the Devils because of his versatility, physicality and work ethic, but he also tied Palmieri for the most goals scored in 2019 Blackwood entered 2019 with six career games at the NHL level. He had with 23 and looks poised for another 20-25 goal season. one really bad period in Calgary in March but otherwise finished his first season strong. Still, it was only 23 games — far too small of a sample OH OK PIC.TWITTER.COM/JW9Q1KPMTQ size to draw much in the way of conclusions. Fast forward, and he’s up to — NEW JERSEY DEVILS (@NJDEVILS) OCTOBER 5, 2019 53 career games as he enters 2020. There were some struggles early in this season, but just posting a league-average save percentage this READ: Inside Blake Coleman’s crazy opening night, which featured season would be huge because he’s going to get a much larger share of emergency dental work and a goal of the year candidate the workload than the Devils had planned for. He is 20-19-5 with a .906 save percentage in 47 games in 2019, and most of that work came 12. Kurtis Gabriel’s evolution as an LGBTQ ally before his 23rd birthday in December. When NHL teams host Pride night to help raise awareness for the READ: The long journey that led to Devils breakout star Mackenzie LGBTQ community, players typically wrap their sticks with rainbow- Blackwood’s ‘overnight success’ colored Pride tape for warmups. Gabriel left the tape on his stick for the game and then scored a goal against Montreal. It was a significant 5. Kyle Palmieri played in his first All-Star game, named to his second moment for the community, and when Gabriel saw the reaction, he decided to keep the tape on his sticks for the rest of his career. He Palmieri was an injury replacement for Taylor Hall at the All-Star game signed with the Flyers in the offseason, and he’s using the tape with the last season, but he was selected on the original roster this season as he Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. THAT’S A PROPER GOAL-SCORING STICK ON PRIDE NIGHT AT 20. Highlight-reel goals for Hughes THE ROCK. PIC.TWITTER.COM/IFSCYIBBXB Hughes has six goals and 16 points in his first 36 games in the NHL, but — COREY MASISAK (@CMASISAK22) FEBRUARY 26, 2019 there have been plenty of flashes of his dynamic skill and elite potential. He closed 2019 with his first overtime goal and his first shootout goal, 13. Hosted the franchise’s first Mental Health Awareness night and there are likely to be many more memorable moments to come.

The Devils hosted their first Mental Health Awareness night on Feb. 5. A checklist for 2020 One of the key people involved in the creation and planning of the event was former Player Information/Video analyst Rachel Doerrie. It was an 1. Reset or rebuild? important step for the organization to help raise awareness for a cause that nearly everyone, both in and out of hockey, has some personal This is the most important question for the near-term future of the Devils. connection to. After trading Hall (and likely others before the deadline), does New Jersey have a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot and pushing READ: Rachel Doerrie’s rise in hockey will continue elsewhere, but the forward towards Stanley Cup contention next season, or would another impact she left on the Devils goes beyond the ice rebuilding year be better for the long-term future of the franchise? If the decision is the latter, that could mean trading more players than just the 14. Tyce Thompson became a breakout NCAA star pending UFAs in the next two months. If it is the former, it could be Thompson was passed over in the NHL Draft twice before the Devils another busy offseason with several win-now holes to fill. tabbed him in the fourth round in June after his freshman season at 2. Decide on a coach Providence. He currently leads the country with 14 goals in 19 games and is second in points with 28 behind only linemate Jack Dugan. If the Nasreddine could have the rest of the season to make his case for the Devils hadn’t drafted Thompson, he would be one of the top future free job on a permanent basis. Shero traded away his best player and is likely agents in college hockey, and he’s likely going to land inside the top 10 to make the roster worse before it gets better. Nasreddine’s best chance of New Jersey’s top prospects list at the end of the season (The Athletic’s to earn the job might lie in the development of some of the younger Corey Pronman had him at No. 20 before the season started). players, if Subban can start producing more and if the team can improve its share of the shot attempts and scoring chances despite a talent 15. Akira Schmid took the USHL by storm deficit. There could also be some intriguing names on the market this Schmid had a wild start to his 2018-19 season, which included sitting offseason. around for a month with no team and playing a couple of games in 3. Add a franchise player in the 2020 draft Corpus Christi, Texas. He went to the world junior championships to play for Switzerland and then returned to his new home in Omaha, Neb. He The Devils currently have the second-best odds to land the No. 1 pick in then proceeded to dominate in the USHL, nearly rescuing his Lancers the 2020 draft, which is expected to be Alexis Lafreniere (who could be a from a 25-point hole to a playoff spot. Schmid finished with a .926 save natural replacement for Hall). More importantly, they would be percentage (tops in the league) and a 2.18 goals-against average guaranteed to pick no lower than No. 5. This is a very strong draft at the (second). His incredible finish to the season made him one of the Devils’ top, with at least four prospects with franchise player potential. And after top prospects, although an injury has stalled his progress in the second trading Hall, the Devils need at least one of those types of players to put half of 2019. with Hischier and Hughes, if not two, before they can really compete for a Stanley Cup again. 16. Aarne Talvitie struck gold at the WJC 4. New contract or trade for Sami Vatanen Talvitie captained Finland to the gold medal at the world junior championships. What made it more remarkable was Talvitie sustained a Vatanen is having a strong season after an off-year in 2018-19, in part torn ACL in his knee early in the game but continued to play and help the because of injuries. Given his production and his contract, he could be Finns knock off the Americans. Talvitie was off to a great start as a one of the most attractive rental players on the trade market. The Devils freshman at Penn State but missed the rest of the season after surgery. also might try to sign him to a new contract, but there have been no talks He’s back scoring at almost a point per game as a sophomore in State so far, and his injury history could make a long-term deal risky. If there is College. a strong market for Vatanen’s services, he could be worth a second- round pick and an additional asset or even a first-round pick. 17. Shero had a strong trade deadline 5. New contract or trade for Simmonds It didn’t earn him as many plaudits as his offseason shopping spree, but the Devils’ general manager did some tidy business in February, which Simmonds is now eligible to sign a new contract (players who sign one- helped set up the busy summer. Shero traded Brian Boyle for a second- year deals can’t sign another one with that team until Jan. 1). He has round pick, Ben Lovejoy for a third-round selection and Connor Carrick been a welcome addition in the locker room and earned plenty of praise and Marcus Johansson for second- and fourth-round choices and Keith from teammates and the coaching staff for everything that makes him a Kinkaid for a fifth-rounder. Those first three trades were all good value for player teams covet. But he also hasn’t produced as expected and has the players, who were all looming unrestricted free agents. only five goals in 63 games since leaving Philadelphia. He’s also making $5 million, and a new contract likely would need to be for less. 18. Eight NHL debuts 6. New contract or trade for Greene There were lots of losses and lots of injuries during the 2018-19 campaign, but that also allowed several young players to make their NHL Greene’s situation is a little different than the other UFAs, in part because debuts. Nathan Bastian, Brandon Gignac, Josh Jacobs and Colton White he’s the captain but also because he’s 37 years old. He certainly could all saw their first NHL action in the second half of last season, and Gilles help a contending team, particularly one that could use a boost on the Senn joined Hughes, Boqvist and Gusev on the list in the first half of this penalty kill. If he returns next season, he likely would reach 1,000 games. season. Given the circumstances, it will be an interesting case to monitor in early 2020. 19. Alain Nasreddine’s first chance to run an NHL team 7. Any trades of someone under contract? It was not the circumstances he wanted, but John Hynes’ dismissal Dec. 3 meant that Nasreddine was elevated to interim head coach. Shero has only traded one player with time left on his contract when he Nasreddine had worked for Hynes his entire coaching career, first for five was in “seller” mode — near the deadline with a team out of playoff seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL and the past four in New contention — and that was Eric Gelinas in his first season in charge. This Jersey. People in the Pittsburgh and New Jersey organizations saw him goes back to the first item on the list. If Shero and the managing partners as a future NHL head coach during his time as an assistant. It was a are in agreement that improving the future talent base is more important tough situation to drop him into, with frustration high and confidence low than winning in 2020-21, several other players could be trade candidates. after preseason expectations gave way to a 9-13-4 start. The Devils lost If the franchise wants to compete for a playoff spot next season, that list his first five games in charge (0-4-1), but a 5-2-1 spurt to finish the gets much smaller, but Shero still could move someone else to shake up calendar year that has included an uptick in attacking play has provided a the core of the roster. flicker of hope at the start of 2020. READ: A list of Devils most likely to be traded, depending on how much the club from Binghamton during the second half of this season, but change is coming McLeod and Anderson are two who probably have the best chances of securing a regular role on the 2020-21 team. Getting them at least 20-25 8. More impact depth in the system games at the end of this season could help facilitate that.

This one is tied to all of the trade and draft questions. The Devils have READ: A midseason look at which way some of the Devils’ top prospects two elite young players (Hughes and Hischier) and could add a third at or are trending near the top of the 2020 draft. There are young players who could be top- six forwards/top-four defensemen on a Stanley Cup contending team 16. Sign Reilly Walsh (Boqvist, , Damon Severson, Will Butcher) already in New Jersey. There are a lot of interesting prospects in the pipeline, but how Walsh is a junior at Harvard and is having another productive season for many impact guys beyond ? The Devils also do not have a the Crimson. The Devils will want him to turn pro after this season, second- or a third-round pick in the 2020 draft right now after the Subban because if he returns for his senior season, he could opt to not sign until and Gusev trades. August 2021 and become an unrestricted free agent. If he does sign, he likely would spend all of next season with Binghamton, but he is the top 9. Long-term deal for Palmieri? right-handed defenseman in the pipeline.

Palmieri has one year left on his contract at $4.65 million. He’s a READ: Catching up with Devils prospect Reilly Walsh, who’s learning consistent scorer, a hometown kid and a fan favorite (and on the short list from a year packed with adversity of potential captains after Greene retires or moves on). Palmieri also likely would be a valuable trade chip next month, if the Devils were willing 17. Sign Talvitie or Thompson? to make him available. This goes back to the timeline and direction of the Talvitie and Thompson are both sophomores, so there isn’t the same franchise. Palmieri turns 29 in February and could be a candidate for a urgency as Walsh. But both players could sign and get a jumpstart on long-term contract in the summer. Or he might be able to return their professional careers. Thompson is having a monster season, while something similar to what the Devils got for Hall, considering the Talvitie is having a solid one after ACL surgery in early 2019. They’re acquiring team would have him for two playoff runs, not just one. both intriguing prospects, and the Devils likely would make room at 10. New contract for Bratt Binghamton for either or both of them if they are ready to sign.

Bratt’s play has been inconsistent at times this season, but it has perked 18. Add Smith to the lineup up since moving to the top line with Hischier and Palmieri. That has been Smith was penciled into the opening-night lineup in a lot of preseason part of a pattern in his three years — spurts of great impact but also prognostications, but then he struggled at times during training camp and bouts of inconsistency and lack of production. He’s a restricted free agent the Devils decided he wasn’t ready. Another year in the WHL and at the this summer and likely a candidate for a long-term extension. It could be WJC should help, and he likely will be a favorite to land a spot next fall. a fascinating negotiation, because we still don’t have a great idea of what Even if he doesn’t, the Devils can send him to Binghamton at the start of Bratt’s ultimate role on a contending team is going to be. the year for a little extra seasoning, unlike this past October. Expect 11. New contract for Blackwood Smith to make his NHL debut at some point in 2020.

There are several other RFAs, as well, but Blackwood is the other priority READ: ‘A special player’: From prodigy to WHL superstar, Devils and another interesting case. He’s likely going to play 55-60 games this prospect Ty Smith is ready for the NHL spotlight season, unless one of the other three potential backup goalies finds more 19. Find another top-four defenseman (or two) success. He’s also probably still a year or two away from finding the consistent level he’s going to settle at in the NHL (although some Even if the Devils signed Vatanen to a new contract and welcomed Smith goaltenders never really find one because they are goalies and trying to to the lineup at the start of next season, they still need another impact predict the future with them is voodoo). Best guess is likely a two- or player at the position. Subban was added to be the anchor at the top of three-year deal. Most young goalies end up with a “bridge deal” for a the group, but he, Severson and Vatanen all likely slot in the 2-4 range second contract. on a Stanley Cup contending defense corps. Smith and Butcher likely will max out in that range, as well. If Vatanen is traded, the Devils might need 12. A resolution for two guys at the position. Even if the club decides to take more time to Schneider has had back-to-back strong games for Binghamton. If he rebuild, finding a young top-pairing defenseman would be a priority in continues to play well, he likely will get another chance with New Jersey. 2020. If he has another strong finish to the season like he did a year ago, will 20. Find a place for Elias? Shero want to start next year with him and Blackwood as the tandem again? If Schneider doesn’t earn a promotion and doesn’t string together Elias is currently coaching the Czech Republic at world juniors. His some strong NHL games, it seems like a buyout in the summer is likely. commitment ends after the tournament, and he’s expected to be back He has two years left on his contract, and a buyout would cost the Devils with the Devils in a guest coaching role again at some point in early $2 million per season for the next four years. 2020. What about a permanent role for him moving forward? It will depend on whether Elias wants to be a full-time coach, but it seems likely 13. Improve the goalie situation that the Devils would be interested if he is. Would that be as an assistant Blackwood has played well of late, but he’s still 23, and the Devils have for New Jersey, either for Nasreddine or the new coach? That’s to find someone who can at least spell him more moving forward and something the Devils would need to work out. ideally turn the position into a true tandem. It could be Schneider. It could The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 be Louis Domingue or Gilles Senn, if one of them has a strong second half. It could also be someone from outside the organization, which would allow Senn, Schmid and Evan Cormier to continue to develop in the minors.

14. Find more opportunity for Boqvist

Boqvist is playing in almost every game now after being a healthy scratch in 11 of the first 17 games. He has bounced around the lineup before settling in on the fourth line recently. If the Devils do trade more players and have more injuries, Boqvist should have a chance to move up in the lineup. Once development for next year becomes more of a priority, it would help to see Boqvist earn more minutes and play in more impactful situations.

15. Recall Michael McLeod and Joey Anderson

McLeod played pretty well in a four-game stint earlier this season, while Anderson has yet to return to the NHL. There could be others who join 1168925 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz seems to favor Semyon Varlamov in Islanders' goal

By Andrew Gross

Really, there’s no telling whether Semyon Varlamov is going to make a third straight start and fourth straight appearance — both would be a first for an Islanders goalie this season — let alone be selected as an All-Star replacement for injured Blue Jackets netminder Joonas Korpisalo later this month.

But Varlamov’s recent play in his first season with the Islanders would suggest either is a possibility.

“In his games, he looks more comfortable on a consistent basis than maybe earlier in the year,” coach Barry Trotz said after Wednesday’s practice in East Meadow. “And that’s because he’s been around. He’s worked with the goaltending coaches. He’s seen how the group in front of him plays. It becomes more natural for him.”

The Islanders face the Devils for the first time this season on Thursday night at NYCB Live’s Nassual Coliseum — the teams also play Tuesday at New Jersey — after completing a 2-1-0 road trip with a 4-3 win at Washington on Tuesday afternoon.

Varlamov started both victories on the trip, making 25 saves in a 3-1 win at Minnesota on Sunday and 36 saves, including 18 in the third period, against the Capitals. He stopped 17 of 19 shots after relieving Thomas Greiss in the first period of Friday’s 5-2 loss at Chicago.

He has started four of the Islanders’ last six games, improving to 14-3-3 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage while Greiss is 11-7-0 with a 2.58 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Trotz alternated the goalies for a franchise-record 33 games to start the season.

Trotz, as is his practice, did not indicate who would start against the Devils.

“When I have an opportunity to play, I play,” Varlamov said. “It’s all up to the coaching staff.”

It will be up to the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department whether Varlamov gets to participate in the NHL All-Star Weekend, Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis.

The Capitals’ Braden Holtby (17-7-4, 2.99 GAA, .902 save percentage) and Korpisalo (17-10-4, 2.49 GAA, .913 save percentage) were selected as the Metropolitan Division goalies for the three-on-three tournament. But the Blue Jackets announced on Tuesday Korpisalo would miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered on Sunday against the Blackhawks.

He hasn’t officially been ruled out of the All-Star Game yet, but it is highly doubtful he will participate.

Glancing around the Metropolitan, the top candidates to replace Korpisalo would seem to be Varlamov or the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry (13- 5-0, 1.88 GAA, .938 save percentage), who has leapfrogged Matt Murray the past month. Perhaps the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist would be a sentimental choice, even though he splits time with Alexandar Georgiev.

“It’s three weeks ahead, a lot of things can change in three weeks,” said Varlamov, in his 12th NHL season. “I think, for every player, it’s an honor to participate in the All-Star Game. I’ve never been there. But there’s no point in talking about it, either. I don’t know what to say.”

Which is fine. His play will ultimately speak for itself.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168926 New York Rangers

The Henrik Lundqvist moment Rangers are trying to ride

By Brett Cyrgalis January 1, 2020 | 10:39PM

CALGARY, Alberta — It seemed like a great play, but almost meaningless at the time.

With the Rangers down 6-0 late in the second period in Edmonton on Tuesday night, coach David Quinn pulled Alexandar Gerogiev from the net and inserted Henrik Lundqvist. The first shot Lundqvist saw was from a 2-on-1 rush coming at him, and he made a great save, post-to-post to get his glove on a shot from Kailer Yamamoto.

“That goes in, 7-0, that thing can get away from you in a hurry,” coach David Quinn said a day later, after his team rallied to make it 6-5 with 3:45 left in regulation before Yamamoto ended the dramatic comeback bid with an empty-netter.

“I thought it put us in a little bit of a different mindset to start the third,” Quinn said. “We kind of thrived off it, and that save was certainly huge.”

So Quinn was going back to Lundqvist to start the next leg of this road trip, against the Flames on Thursday night. Lundqvist had started three straight bridging the Christmas break, following a stretch when he got just three starts in 10 games. But Georgiev got the start in Toronto on Saturday night that started this trip and got the second game on New Year’s Eve, allowing six goals on 24 shots before he was pulled.

Quinn hardly put the blame on his 23-year-old netminder, who has been outstanding while sharing the net with Lundqvist.

“It was just one of those nights,” Quinn said. “We certainly left him out to dry on way too many occasions.”

Top-line center Mika Zibanejad got a maintenance day on Wednesday, the only player not to practice. Rugged winger Micheal Haley skated as his placeholder.

Quinn said he was unsure of his lineup for Thursday night, having juggled Haley and Brendan Smith as fourth-line forwards the past two games.

Smith had seen his penalty-kill time as a defenseman decrease recently as Ryan Lindgren has moved into a more prominent role, but Quinn gave Smith 2:00 of shorthanded time on Tuesday. Lindgren got 2:10. Also getting time on the penalty kill was recent call-up, winger Steven Fogarty. After getting a paltry 2:46 of total ice time in his season debut on Saturday in Toronto, Fogarty got 8:46 on Tuesday, including 50 seconds while a man down.

New York Post LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168927 New York Rangers

Rangers’ crushing comeback fail still bothering David Quinn

By Brett Cyrgalis January 1, 2020 | 8:53pm | Updated

CALGARY, Alberta — There was a night to sleep on it, a calendar year to flip, some frozen tundra to traverse — and still, the loss is upsetting.

The Rangers weren’t exactly reeling and weren’t exactly over it when they arrived in Calgary for a practice less than 24 hours after their thrilling comeback-that-wasn’t, a 7-5 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton on Tuesday night. The Blueshirts used New Year’s Eve to almost be the first team in NHL history to overcome a six-goal deficit, their’s being a 6-0 hole late in the second period that was turned into 6-5 with 3:45 remaining in regulation.

But the hole they dug themselves was too big, and they were still trying to piece together the good with the bad as they patched the scar from a wild night.

“It’s still disappointing that we lost. It’s still very disappointing that we started the game the way we did, and we certainly don’t want to lose sight of that,” coach David Quinn said after a practice Wednesday in the shadow of the Olympic ski hill as they prepare for the next leg of this four-game trip, against the Flames on Thursday night.

“I’m sure [the Oilers] dropped their intensity, as most teams do at 6-0,” Quinn added. “That being said, I don’t care what they did. I’m more focused on what we did. We did a lot of good things, even when it was 6- 0. We didn’t waver. We didn’t put our heads between our legs and kiss the game goodbye. We just kept playing, and we almost pulled it off.”

The Rangers fell to the Oilers, 7-5, on Tuesday night.AP

It’s quite appropriate that was the way the Rangers ended the year, with a back-and-forth affair that displayed major flaws and major resilience.

They are the youngest team in the league, and it often shows. They gave the Oilers all the space in front of the net, they never pressured the point, and they were soft along the walls. It was common to the way they played even during the two wins coming out of the Christmas break, a victory at home against the Hurricanes and an overtime win in Toronto on Saturday that opened this trip. Quinn was still hoping those results wouldn’t fool his team into thinking they were playing well.

This time, they couldn’t be saved by great goaltending, as Alexandar Georgiev was ambushed from the drop of the puck. It was one of the toughest nights of his career, with visions of splinters dancing through his head the next day. The normally poised netminder shattered his stick with three aggressive blows to the pipe when the Oilers made it 6-0, and he was pulled soon thereafter, Quinn saying he looked “rattled” after giving up six goals on 24 shots.

“It’s easier [to get over] when you come to the rink the next day and get to practice and do the same thing that you love to do,” said Georgiev, who will back up Henrik Lundqvist against the Flames. “I don’t think anything has changed in terms of me as a goalie, before [Tuesday] night and afterward. I just have to keep working. Things will turn around next time.”

The Rangers are hoping the same will be true for them as a whole. They still fancy themselves in the playoff race, seven points out of the second wild-card spot with three teams to leapfrog. There is still more than half the season left, and the lead-up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline — and the aftermath of whatever happens — will have a huge impact on if the Blueshirts can break a string of two straight seasons without a playoff appearance.

But this has all been done in the name of rebuilding. And so games like Tuesday happen, when the good and the bad each come in large helpings. It was a draining night, and if they’ve totally moved on was a question that Quinn couldn’t answer until his team took the ice on Thursday.

“We’ll find out,” he said with a shrug.

New York Post LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168928 New York Rangers

Rangers' Alexandar Georgiev has shown he can rebound after having an off night

By Colin Stephenson

CALGARY — Henrik Lundqvist will be in goal when the Rangers visit the Flames Thursday in the second game of their swing through Western Canada, and that was most likely predetermined, decided long before Alexandar Georgiev destroyed his goal stick after the Blueshirts fell behind 6-0 in the second period of Tuesday’s game against Edmonton. Coach David Quinn replaced Georgiev with Lundqvist shortly after that goal and the Rangers made an improbable rally that saw them score five goals in a span of 16:40 and get to within 6-5, before surrendering an empty-net goal and losing 7-5.

On Wednesday, Georgiev looked a little sheepish when he was asked about his stick-smashing display a night earlier.

“[It was] obviously frustrating,’’ Georgiev said after the Rangers’ practice at WinSport, the Canadian Olympic facility, in Calgary. “Tough game. Tough start. They’re a very skilled team, and we got off to a bad start, and it was a tough game to play afterwards. Lots of penalties in the second period, and they’re a good power play team. It is what it is.’’

Quinn had absolved Georgiev of blame Tuesday night for any of the goals he allowed. Three came on power plays (the Oilers were 3-for-6 with the man advantage) and four came on tips or rebounds or plays right in front of the net. The Rangers, Quinn said after the game, were “soft’’ around their net.

Georgiev, who wasn’t in the locker room Tuesday when reporters entered after the game, was asked if there was anything he could have done differently on any of the goals. “There is always something that could be done better,’’ he said. “Obviously, too many goals. I have to find a way to cut some of those.’’

Quinn on Wednesday chalked up the six goals allowed by Georgiev (on 24 shots), to “just one of those nights,’’ and said he fully expects the 23- year-old to rebound from the outing. He pointed to the night Georgiev had in Tampa Nov. 14, when he allowed five goals on 26 shots to the Lightning and was pulled in the first period, before re-entering in the third. In his next start in Montreal, the Rangers fell behind 4-0 before rallying to win 6-5. Beginning with that game, Georgiev went 4-1 in five starts, allowing nine goals on 194 shots (.954 save percentage) and posting two shutouts.

“It was a similar situation [to the Tampa game], and he came back and played great hockey after that,’’ Quinn said. “And that's what we know is gonna happen.’’

As well as he has played this season (10-8-1, 3.08 goals-against average, .908 save percentage, two shutouts) Georgiev is facing pressure in the form of Igor Shesterkin, the 24-year-old Russian who is playing at AHL Hartford, putting up great numbers there and pressing to earn a call-up to the NHL. Georgiev is resolved to put Tuesday night behind him quickly, and bounce back strong.

“I don’t think anything changed, in terms of me, as a goalie, before last night, and afterward,’’ Georgiev said. “I just have to keep working and things will turn around better next time.’’

Notes & quotes: Mika Zibanejad did not practice Wednesday after getting a "maintenance day," the Rangers said. His goal in Tuesday's loss in Edmonton capped a stellar month for the center, who went 10-7-17 in 15 games in December.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168929 NHL Inside, there was a bunch of Dallas green rather than the 50-yard line split of burnt orange and crimson, and a strong contingent of yellow-clad Predators fans.

Outdoor hockey in Texas? Sure thang, and was a hoot to boot Among them was Sonya Baird, a lifelong resident of southeast Texas who can’t really explain how she became a Nashville fan. Baird did say she liked the style and energy of , who spent his first 11 seasons with the Predators. By SCHUYLER DIXON The Associated Press And Baird’s never been to the state fair, so …

“I didn’t know where this place was,” she said. “It’s pretty cool. I don’t like DALLAS (AP) — Ryan Clare chewed on a turkey leg as he milled about crowds for some reason. It wasn’t going to keep me away.” the Texas state fairgrounds hours before another major sporting event inside historic Cotton Bowl Stadium. Same with Bryan Granstaff, who came from outside Nashville because his daughter wanted to attend. He wasn’t much of a football fan, and No, this wasn’t the Texas-Oklahoma football game, always held in couldn’t say he’d seen a football game from the Cotton Bowl on TV. October during the fair. Clare has never been to the annual Red River rivalry, but the Dallas resident has been a fan of hockey and the Stars for “The only thing I keep up with is hockey,” said Granstaff, a Predators fan more than 20 years. for about five years. “Hockey and huntin’.”

Getting tickets to the NHL’s Winter Classic for Dallas’ 4-2 win over Well, at least half of that is quintessential Texas. As for the hockey half, it Nashville was a no-brainer for Clare, and probably many others among took quite a step to start 2020. the 85,630 who filled a venue that used to be famous for college football on New Year’s Day. Seattle Times LOADED: 01.02.2020

“This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event and everything,” said Clare, the bottom of the Dallas resident’s green No. 4 Miro Heiskanen jersey covering the top of his black kilt. “When are you going to something like this in Texas ever again?”

Yes, outdoor hockey in Texas was as much the spectacle as that phrase sounds, with racing pigs just outside the rink on the stadium floor, and horses spooked by fireworks during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

At one end of the stadium, line dancers stepped to the beat of live country music in front of a stage that wasn’t far from a mechanical bull.

“I understand Twitter is going nuts in a good way about the pig races,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We tried to blend Texas and hockey. Each year we try and learn something and do it a little bit better.”

The midway on the fairgrounds was filled with thousands of fans several hours before the game, some riding the giant Ferris wheel just southwest of the stadium and others on the swinging pirate ship or the haunted house ride.

Some waited in line at least an hour for the other headliner alongside a turkey leg at the State Fair of Texas every fall: a corn dog. “It was worth it,” one said. There were so many lines, some didn’t know where one started and the other ended.

Others almost ended up on the sky tram that crisscrosses the fairgrounds, when all they wanted to do was get in the stadium.

“We didn’t know,” said Samantha Williams, a Nashville season ticket- holder visiting Dallas for the first time.

There was some impatience in a huge cluster of fans outside the main entrance to the Cotton Bowl about an hour and a half before the start, a standstill bad enough for some to think it was the only way into the stadium when there were actually plenty of other entrances.

“It’s been sensational,” Bettman said. “The only complaints that we’ve been getting is that it’s been too crowded. And in this business, you’ll take that.”

Bettman said the weather was perfect in every way: a temperature in the mid-50s with overcast skies that blocked the sun to prevent glare without bringing rain, which would have been an even bigger problem for the ice.

The Predators took a 2-0 lead early in the first period before the Stars thrilled the huge crowd with four goals in less than eight minutes in the second and third periods.

“We’re very fortunate to be a part of it, hockey down in Texas and a couple of Southern teams, and fill the building the way we did,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “It was an incredible day. You want the score to go in a different direction if you’re part of the game. But the game overall, the ice, the atmosphere, it was excellent.”

The biggest difference from the Texas-OU spectacle was the fairgrounds emptying out once the game started. When the Longhorns and Sooners play, there are still thousands of regular fair-goers to see in the aerial television shots. 1168930 Ottawa Senators one of the things we’ve been good at is not giving up a ton and we’ve given up a lot recently.

“I would say we’re in a really good spot for the franchise for me. This is GARRIOCH: Ottawa Senators determined to improve in the second half the first 41 games a lot of guys have gotten to play minutes. A lot of guys of the NHL season have gotten better, and, if you look at (Brady) Tkachuk and (Thomas) Chabot, they’re playing important minutes and they’re a big piece of this and they continue to get better.”

Bruce Garrioch Smith said the atmosphere had remained positive.

January 1, 2020 9:05 PM EST “Our culture is very good. (Senators players) know what to expect and I think we’re trending in the right direction.”

Anderson, 38, said he also liked what he had seen thus far. They ranked 27th overall in the standings, but they're 14 points ahead of the last-place Detroit Red Wings and there have been few nights where “This team is improving,” said Anderson, who noted the Senators had to they haven't given themselves a chance to win. be better defensively than they were in losses to New Jersey (4-3 in OT) on Sunday and at Pittsburgh on Monday. “We’ve got to continue to see The Ottawa Senators will hit the midway point of the National Hockey growth and we need to see guys continue to improve and continue to find League schedule on Thursday night. their role and be able to compete on a nightly basis. A fair assessment of the first half: They’ve been a pleasant surprise. “For the most part, we’ve done a good job of doing that. You can’t be While many pre-season prognosticators didn’t give the Senators much of perfect for 82 games. We know that. But the consistency thing is what an opportunity to even compete in many games, they’ll face off against guys chase after for years, and even good teams chase consistency, so the Florida Panthers at in Game 41 of the season we’re not different than a team that’s got gobs of talent and is looking to with a 16-19-5 record and 37 points. make a run. If we can be consistent with our game plan, then we’re having success.” With the start of the second half set for Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Senators are ranked 27th overall in the standings, but AT THE MIDWAY POINT they’re 14 points ahead of the last-place Detroit Red Wings and there The Senators will hit the midway point of the season with Game 41 of the have been few nights where they haven’t given themselves a chance to season against the Florida Panthers at home on Thursday. Here’s a look win. Of course the Senators will be outmatched by better teams, but they at the Senators’s records at the halfway mark of the past five seasons. don’t want to be outworked and that’s rarely been the case. 2019-20: 40 GP, 16-19-5, 37 PTS “I thought we surprised a lot of people,” centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has 18 goals and 11 assists in 39 games, said Wednesday. “We’ve 2018-19:41 GP, 15-21-5, 35 PTS competed most of the (first) half of the season. I’m very happy with the effort that we’ve given. We want to work on being consistent every game 2017-18: 41 GP, 14-18-9, 37 PTS and that’s something that we’re still working on. 2016-17 41 GP, 19-16-6, 44 PTS “The second half of the season, it will be really important … If we want to 2015-16: 41 GP, 16-18-7, 39 PTS keep pushing and keeping winning games, then that’s going to be the key.”

After having New Year’s Eve off following Monday’s disappointing 5-2 Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 loss against the host Pittsburgh Penguins, the Senators opened 2020 with a 45-minute skate.

Because they can’t focus on what’s going to happen in the future, they can only look at the present and this group wants to be respectable. Naturally, players know that changes could be on the horizon with the NHL trade deadline set for 3 p.m. on Feb. 24 and decisions on 10 potential unrestricted free agents to make before then.

It’s expected Senators management will talk with the likes of Pageau and defencemen Mark Borowiecki and Dylan DeMelo, who are three of the key players in that group. With scouting department meetings next week in Fort Lauderdale, Senators general manager will sit with his key decision makers to determine what route the organization will take.

Once those sessions are completed, you’d have to think things could start happening quickly because the Senators must decide what’s next for forwards , and Scott Sabourin and defencemen and Cody Goloubef. Veteran goalie Craig Anderson will only be dealt if other NHL teams show interest, but it’s not known if that’s been the case yet.

Dorion has always been aggressive in trade talks and he’s willing to deal at any time, so this situation will remain remain fluid. That’s why the best bet for this group of Senators is to continue to try to get the job done on the ice.

Head coach D.J. Smith is generally pleased with where the Senators stand at this point. The Senators came into this season wanting to develop their young players and Smith hasn’t been afraid to give everybody opportunities. That approach is one reason why 24-year-old winger has had big-time success, producing 21 goals, and is headed to St. Louis for NHL all-star weekend on Jan. 24-25.

“Our team has played really hard,” Smith said. “We’ve been very competitive and we’ve run into a rash of injuries here of late where we haven’t played as good. We’ve certainly been giving up too much and 1168931 Ottawa Senators “It’s impressive. He skates so well and he can log those minutes without really looking that tired, but, in saying that, the nights he really has it and is playing well, maybe he will play 30 (minutes) … you never know.”

SNAPSHOTS: Senators centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau surprised he was Smith made a couple of changes to Senators forward lines Wednesday, fined by the NHL and he’s going to try them to start the game against Florida.

Brady Tkachuk, who had been skating with Pageau and Connor Brown, was moved to the left side of Chris Tierney and Anthony Duclair. Nick Bruce Garrioch Paul moved up from the fourth line to play with Pageau and Brown. Vladislav Namestnikov was dropped to the fourth unit. January 1, 2020 7:40 PM EST “I’m hoping it will spark a little bit offensively,” Smith said. “With Brady

going with Duke and Tierney on that line, it will give them a little more of The $2,500 penalty by the National Hockey League was for a punch to an opportunity to score.” the head of Pittsburgh Penguins centre Evgeni Malkin on Monday night. The Senators sent centre J.C. Beaudin back to their American Hockey It turned out to be a costly New Year’s Eve for Jean-Gabriel Pageau. League affiliate in Belleville on Wednesday. Winger Rudolfs Balcers was recalled from Belleville on Wednesday night, which means Colin White Just as the Ottawa Senators’ centre was getting ready to close the book will likely move back to centre against the Panthers. on 2019, he was surprised to learn from general manager Pierre Dorion that he had been fined $2,500 by the National Hockey League for a Defenceman Ron Hainsey’s knee injury hasn’t healed as quickly as punch to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins centre Evgeni Malkin with 19.6 expected and he’ll be out at least another week. The 38-year-old wasn’t seconds left in the game the Senators lost 5-2 in Pittsburgh on Monday on the ice Wednesday. night. Initially, the Senators hoped to have Hainsey back after the Christmas Malkin was slapped with the same fine for cross-checking Pageau, but break. the discipline still caught the 27-year-old Senator off-guard because this There was good news on the injury front, though, because goaltender kind of stuff has taken place in countless games before and nobody was Anders Nilsson has resumed skating after being diagnosed with a fined or suspended. concussion on Dec. 19. “It’s never fun, a suspension or a fine. I went through it last year and I’m not happy about,” Pageau said Wednesday after the Senators skated at Canadian Tire Centre. “That’s the decision and I’ve got to live with it. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 “I was actually surprised. I understand their point of view, but, at the same time, I think that something that happens every game and after every whistle. I understand that the game was over and there was no goal really behind that. It just happened. I’m just going to put it behind me, but there might be one less gift for my wife next year.”

The fracas started because Malkin became incensed with Ottawa centre J.C. Beaudin, and at one point every player on the ice was involved. By the time Malkin and Pageau clashed, players from both teams were heading separate ways.

It almost looks as if NHL disciplinarians felt messages needed to be sent to both teams.

“There’s a little difference between a stick in the neck and a push,” Pageau said. “I haven’t had the chance to talk with the player safety department. At the same time, the game was over and I definitely could’ve not touched him and just walked away and go home.

“There’s a lot of emotion at the end of a game and I let myself go and I got fined for it. I’m not going to say I agree, but I can’t disagree on trying to have control.”

The Senators could have defenceman Nikita Zaitsev back for Thursday’s home game against the Florida Panthers.

Zaitsev hasn’t played since he blocked one shot with his hand and another with his foot during a Dec. 14 matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has been skating for the past three or four days, though, and wore a full-contact jersey for Wednesday’s practice.

Zaitsev is optimistic he’ll be able to suit up against the Panthers. Despite the injuries from blocking shots, he’s not going to back away from that part of the game.

“It was really nice to skate with the boys again,” he said. “We’ll see how it feels in the morning, but today was good. It’s progress, huge progress, so hopefully I’ll play (Thursday).

“It was double (injuries) in absolutely different areas of the body.”

Since Zaitsev is about to return, defenceman Thomas Chabot should expect to have his ice time drop back to normal levels.

“They’ll start coming down as those older guys start coming back,” Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. “They’ll go back to more feasible numbers and something he can sustain, which would be under 25 minutes a night. 1168932 Ottawa Senators

Ottawa 67's tie franchise record with 14th consecutive victory

Bruce Garrioch

January 1, 2020 6:48 PM EST

The 67’s rang in the new year with a 5-2 victory against the Oshawa Generals on Wednesday afternoon, and their 14th straight win in the regular season tied a franchise record first set in 1972-73 and matched in 1998-99.

They also won 14 in a row in the 2019 Ontario Hockey League playoffs before being eliminated by the Guelph Storm in the final.

The 67’s (27-6-0) will take another shot at history against the Kingston Frontenacs at TD Place arena on Thursday at 2 p.m.

All hands were on deck Wednesday in Oshawa. Joseph Garreffa and Jack Quinn scored two goals each for the 67’s, while Cameron Tolnai also tallied. Netminder Cédrick Andrée came up big with 28 saves on 30 shots, and he has won his past 11 starts, which is also pretty remarkable.

Ottawa pulled out to a 2-0 first-period lead over the Generals on goals by Garreffa and Tolnai. Oshawa pulled to within a goal in the second, when Brett Neumann beat Andrée with a shot, but Quinn got that one back and that was really all the 67’s needed. Brett Harrison again got the Generals (18-12-4) back within one goal late in the second, but Garreffa reached the 20-goal mark for the third season in a row by scoring again in the final period.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168933 Ottawa Senators

GAME DAY: Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators

Bruce Garrioch

January 1, 2020 7:39 PM EST

THE BIG MATCHUP

Brady Tkachuk vs. Jonathan Huberdeau

Tkachuk competes every night and the Senators don’t need their second- year winger to be any different against the Panthers. Tkachuk had only one shot with 16 minutes six seconds of ice time against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday and the Senators have to get more out of him. Huberdeau has been a force for the Panthers this season and the Senators must find a way to shut him down or it’ll be a long night.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. CRAIG ANDERSON RETURNS

The Senators will start Anderson in net against the Panthers and that’s a good choice because Marcus Hogberg was a little shaky in Pittsburgh. Anderson has a 16-9-2 lifetime record against the Panthers, plus a .921 save-percentage. The Senators have been able to rely on Anderson and he has to be solid against Florida.

2. RING IN THE NEW YEAR

The Senators have been solid on home ice this season, and they’ll play nine of their 11 games this month at Canadian Tire Centre. They’re 11-5- 2 overall at home and are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Ottawa does a better job getting the matchups it wants at home and has to take advantage of that.

3. HARD TO PLAY AGAINST

The Senators got into it with Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins at the end of Monday’s game in Pittsburgh. Malkin became frustrated and was fined $2,500, just as Senators centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau was. The Senators have to make life difficult for their opponents and perhaps the Panthers will take some bad penalties.

4. STAY COMPETITIVE

The Senators haven’t had many off-nights this season, but they did the last time they faced the Panthers, losing 6-1 in Florida. The Senators are 1-4-0 in their past five games against the Panthers over two seasons and has been outscored 25-11. Those trends must change.

5. TIME FOR SOME OFFENCE

Chris Tierney had a nice start to the season for the Senators, but that hasn’t continued and he needs to start producing. Tierney has three assists in the past nine games, and those three points came in two games, plus he has to be more involved physically. He gets his share of playing time and is one of the Senators counted on to contribute.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168934 Philadelphia Flyers “We just needed to be a little harder on bodies, a little harder on the puck,” said Elliott, who was replaced by Hart after allowing four first- period goals, though he could be faulted for only one them. “I wanted to come out a little better than that. It was disappointing.” Flyers’ stunning disparity in home-road play ‘could be a mental thing,’ says Matt Niskanen Defenseman Phil Myers, benched the last two games, is expected to return to the lineup Thursday. … The Flyers’ penalty kill fell from sixth to 12th after Tuesday’s performance. The Kings scored two of their power- play goals with Scott Laughton in the penalty box for roughing and by Sam Carchidi boarding. “A couple calls I didn’t agree with, but what are you going to do?” said Laughton, who didn’t get any PK time Tuesday but will probably be back on the unit Thursday. – If the Flyers are going to have a successful road trip, they are going to have to do it the hard way -- by beating quality opponents.

Halfway through their season-high, six-game journey, the Flyers are 1-2 Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 01.02.2020 and have been outscored, 12-6.

Flyers’ normally reliable penalty kill falls apart in 5-3 loss to L.A. Kings

Worse yet, they have played the three games that were considered the easiest on the trip – matchups against San Jose, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, the three worst teams in the Western Conference.

The next three games are against Vegas (.581 points percentage), Arizona (.571), and Carolina (.625), three teams in playoff spots. Vegas is in first place in the Pacific Division, just ahead of Arizona, and Carolina is in a wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.

In other words, the Flyers (.613) need to be much better -- especially on the defensive end -- or this could turn into a nightmarish trip.

“We have to find a way to be consistent, whether at home or on the road,” goalie said.

Hart, shelled in a trip-starting 6-1 loss in San Jose, will get the call Thursday in Vegas. He stopped 13 of 14 shots in relief of Brian Elliott in a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Los Angeles. Maybe that will stabilize his game on the road, where he is 2-7-1, compared with 11-1-2 at home.

The Flyers are 13-2-4 at home (.789 points percentage, tops in the NHL), and 9-11-1 (.452 points percentage, 23rd in NHL) on the road.

“We’re trying to figure it out. It’s got to be a mental thing,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said.

“We prepare the same, do the same thing,” Hart said. “We’ll find a way to fix that.”

The Flyers have allowed 3.62 goals per game (27th in NHL) on the road, and just 1.95 goals per game (No. 1 in the NHL) at home.

Elliott said that whether playing at home or on the road, “you have to stick to the same game plan and what makes you successful."

“We really have to focus on being a little bit more of the aggressor,” he said. "Going on the forecheck and making a simple game on the road, where guys can be predictable to each other and know where each other are going to be. And at the end, it comes down to us goaltenders as well and making saves at key times.”

On Thursday, they will face a Vegas team that has won the first two games of a season-high, seven-game homestand.

“We’re going to be playing against one of the best teams in the league," coach Alain Vigneault said. "Great atmosphere in that building, so it should be a good game for us to get back on track. They have a lot of speed up front and they have some [defensemen] that join the rush. Their rush game is a real strong one.”

After the loss in L.A., Vigneault said the Flyers had a couple of players who, "for whatever reason, don’t seem to have a lot of energy on the ice, so we’re going to have to find out why and obviously get better.”

On Wednesday, he said he didn’t want to give any specific names.

“But we are no different than any team in the league," he said. "You need your goaltender to make key saves at the right times, and you need your top players -- forwards and D’s – to play at a top-end level..”

The Flyers allowed the Kings three goals on three power-play chances, their worst penalty-killing effort of the season, and gave up a goal while on their own power play. They also allowed three power-play goals against Winnipeg, but the Jets had five chances. 1168935 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins forward Sam Lafferty hopes to learn from healthy scratch

SETH RORABAUGH

Wednesday, January 1, 2020 4:42 p.m.

After being a healthy scratch on Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Sam Lafferty could find himself back in the lineup for Thursday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks.

On Wednesday, with forward Jake Guentzel sidelined following surgery on his right shoulder, Lafferty skated on the right wing of the fourth line with Dominik Kahun at left wing and Joseph Blandisi at center.

“It’s definitely a learning lesson,” Lafferty said. “It’s something that I’ve been through before when I first got to (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). I know how to approach it. You look at why, then you look at what you do different and what you can work on to get better. That’s the way I’m taking it. I’ve just to keep working and keep getting better.

“When your number is called, the way I look at it is that it’s an opportunity. The next chance I get, I’m going to go out there.”

Prior to being scratched, Lafferty had gone 10 consecutive games without a point.

“I had a conversation with him on why we made the the decision that we made,” Sullivan said. “(Assistant coach Mark Recchi) sat with him and watched his shifts to try to point out some of the areas where we feel he needs to be better and more consistent in order for him to play to his strengths and help us win games. Part of my responsibility as the coach is to try to define a player’s individual game and how they need to play to help us win. With young players, I think it’s even more so.

“We’ve communicated with Sam, and we’ve shown him on film and given him specific examples in the games and areas where we think he could make better decisions that could give him an opportunity to play to his strengths. We believe this is just part of the process for the player to help him improve his overall game.”

A native of Hollidaysburg, Lafferty has appeared in 31 games this season and has 10 points (four goals, six assists).

Notes:

• The lines and pairs in practice Wednesday were:

Alex Galchenyuk — Evgeni Malkin — Bryan Rust

Dominik Simon — Jared McCann — Patric Hornqvist

Zach Aston—Reese — Teddy Blueger — Brandon Tanev

Dominik Kahun — Joseph Blandisi — Sam Lafferty

Jack Johnson — Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson — John Marino

Juuso Riikola — Chad Ruhwedel

• The top power-play unit included Hornqvist, Letang, Malkin, McCann and Rust. The second power-play unit was Aston-Reese, Galchenyuk, Kahun, Marino and Riikola.

• Penguins forward Sidney Crosby skated prior to practice with coaches. There remains no time table for his return to the lineup as he recovers from surgery for a core muscle injury. He has not played since Nov. 9.

• Forward Nick Bjugstad, also sidelined because of a core muscle ailment, had a scheduled day off. He has been sidelined since Nov. 15.

• Defenseman Justin Schultz remains off the ice as he recovers from an undisclosed injury he suffered Dec. 17. According to Sullivan, Schultz is engaged in his prescribed off-ice rehabilitation.

Tribune Review LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168936 Pittsburgh Penguins For the time being, they’ll look to in-house options they have available, such as Galchenyuk, to replace what they lost with Guentzel.

“Alex is a good player,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’re trying to put him How do the Penguins replace Jake Guentzel’s offense? positions where he can play to his strengths, and he can be successful. Given the circumstances that we’re under right now, it’s a good opportunity for Alex. We’re looking for guys to step up and play more significant roles for us. Alex is very capable. It’s an option for us. We’ll SETH RORABAUGH see where it goes. We thought we would start there.” Wednesday, January 1, 2020 4:12 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 01.02.2020 Alex Galchenyuk knows he can’t replace Jake Guentzel. After all, Guentzel is an All-Star and leads the Pittsburgh Penguins with 20 goals.

But someone has to be the team’s top left winger.

Based on the team’s practice Wednesday in Cranberry, Galchenyuk will get the first crack at that daunting assignment.

Galchenyuk skated on the team’s top line with Evgeni Malkin at center and Bryan Rust at right wing.

“I’m just trying to come in and do my best and bring what I can bring to the line to help the team win,” Galchenyuk said. “Obviously, (Malkin) and (Rust) and Guentzel were playing great. I’m going to come in and bring my skill set and help those guys keep being successful.”

The promotion comes during an all-too-scant spell of productive play for Galchenyuk, who has scored two goals in the Penguins’ three games since their holiday break.

One of those goals came on a power play, and the other came just as a power-play chance had expired.

“I definitely feel better now than before the break,” Galchenyuk said. “But I’ve got to skill keep working on it and keep contributing.”

Contributions have been few and far between for Galchenyuk in his first season with the Penguins.

Limited to 30 games because of a suspected groin injury as well as an unspecificed allergic reaction he dealt with in October, Galchenyuk has only 13 points (four goals, nine assists).

Plans devised during the preseason would have had him flanking Malkin most of the regular season, but his health woes, as well as an injury to Malkin, derailed those hopes.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Galchenyuk and Malkin have shared only 56 minutes, 22 seconds of five-on-five ice time this season. Galchenyuk’s most common five-on-five ice time among his fellow forwards has come with Jared McCann (110:34) and Brandon Tanev (100:31).

He’s appreciative of the second chance with Malkin.

“He’s been on fire, like he said he is,” Galchenyuk said. “Just coming in, it’s a good opportunity for me to play with those guys. I’ve just got to take advantage of it.”

Replacing Guentzel in even-strength play is one thing. The power play is another. He leads the team with six power-play goals and 10 points this season.

On Wednesday, McCann inhabited the left wall on the team’s top power- play squad.

“Obviously it (stinks),” McCann said. “Jake is a big part of our team. It’s tough seeing a guy like that going down like that because he does so much for us. But we’ve done a good job of this year of guys stepping up and stepping in.

“I’m going to try to step up for the team and do whatever they need me to do.”

The sole luxury — if such a word can be applied to this the situation — provided by Guentzel’s injury, which is scheduled to keep him sidelined four to six months, is the team can place him on long-term injured reserve and get salary cap relief from his ample average annual value of $6 million.

That would allow the team to kick tires on some of the pricier players potentially available on the market with the NHL’s trade deadline approaching in less than eight weeks (Feb. 24.) 1168937 Pittsburgh Penguins But the Penguins have little (if any) legit NHL talent playing at their affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Should Rutherford trade picks and/or prospects playing Major Junior for a rental like Kreider or Toffoli, neither of whom is likely to come cheap? Should Mark Madden: Jake Guentzel’s injury is Penguins’ worst yet he sacrifice recent high draft choices like winger Samuel Poulin or defenseman ?

You want to maximize the Crosby-Malkin era. But you’ve got to ice a MARK MADDEN team and sell tickets after it’s over. Wednesday, January 1, 2020 3:19 p.m. Rutherford is known for trading a lot, making 42 swaps since assuming GM duties in Pittsburgh on June 6, 2014.

Of all the injuries suffered by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a campaign that Ironically, this shaped up as a season where Rutherford wouldn’t need to resembles the Battle of Gettysburg more than any hockey season, Jake make impact at the Feb. 24 trade deadline. But then Guentzel got hurt. Guentzel’s might have hurt worst.

The 25-year-old winger was following a career year with yet another Tribune Review LOADED: 01.02.2020 career year. What will almost certainly be Guentzel’s last competitive touch of a puck until October went into the net.

Key players such as Sidney Crosby, Brian Dumoulin, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Justin Schultz have been sidelined for significant spells. But none had his season ended like Guentzel.

But the Penguins’ season isn’t over. They still have 43 games to go. They are 24-11-4 and an amazing 14-5-3 without Crosby, who should return within two weeks.

Guentzel’s injury seems crippling. But the Penguins navigated the 2017 playoffs without Letang and still won the Stanley Cup. Their speed replenished and their structure rebuilt, the Penguins could be a special team yet.

But who plays with Crosby? He and Guentzel fit hand in glove.

So do Guentzel and Malkin, for that matter. But Malkin will doubtless keep Bryan Rust on his line as each has been a big part of the other’s recent surge.

In-house options are available for Crosby’s wings.

Crosby likes analytics darling . He shouldn’t. Crosby doesn’t seem to feel he and Patric Hornqvist are compatible, and at this stage of Hornqvist’s career, perhaps that’s true.

Jared McCann has the speed. But he’s better at center than at wing, and moving McCann out of the middle means trusting Nick Bjugstad as the third-line center when he returns from injury.

Dominik Kahun intrigues. He’s up to nine goals after a rocky start. He was Jonathan Toews’ linemate in Chicago last season and came to Pittsburgh with a rep for playing well in the top six.

But GM Jim Rutherford is going to make a trade. He always does.

Of obvious interest: The New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider and Los Angeles’ Tyler Toffoli. (So obvious that Rutherford reportedly inquired after both even before Guentzel got hurt.) Each carries a cap figure of $4.6 million, easily handled with Guentzel’s hit of $6 million temporarily negated. Both skate well — that’s a must — and both can score. Kreider has 12 goals in 39 games, Toffoli 11 in 41. Each has one year left on his contract. Each is on a team likely going nowhere this season and looking to the future.

Other potential rentals: Ottawa’s J-G Pageau, primarily a center but also a wing. Florida’s Mike Hoffman is fast, but keep his girlfriend off the internet. Buffalo’s Conor Sheary knows where the Penguins’ rink is (and how to skate with Crosby). Ottawa’a Tyler Ennis is tiny (5-foot-9) but having a decent year (10 goals in 40 games) and carries a bargain- basement cap number of $800K.

The New York Islanders’ Derick Brassard is in the last year of his deal. But the Penguins likely have more interest in David Clarkson and Nathan Horton, also on expiring contracts.

Of those perceived available, my pick is Kreider. He’s 6-3 and a straight- line speedster.

To get, you’ve got to give. What do the Penguins have to give?

The Penguins have all their first-round draft picks moving forward. They traded their second- and seventh-round choices for 2020 and their fourth- and sixth-round selections for 2021, picking up an additional seventh- rounder for that year. 1168938 Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel’s shoulder surgery has forced the Penguins to fill several holes. During 5-on-5 play, Alex Galchenyuk stepped into the top line to play with Malkin and Bryan Rust.

Penguins coaches making sure more-disciplined Evgeni Malkin stays 'on On the power play, Jared McCann earned a promotion to the top special the right side of the line' teams unit. It’s a logical move. McCann is currently tied for fourth on the team with 10 goals. He’s also fifth in points (23). Recently, he spent several games with the top unit after Schutlz was injured in Calgary and before Patric Hornqvist returned. MIKE DEFABO McCann’s big, left-handed shot and offensive instincts should make him Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a natural addition. Plus, his experience playing center gives the Penguins JAN 1, 2020 8:01 PM another faceoff option should Malkin get thrown out of the circle.

“Just shoot the puck as much as possible,” McCann said. “I feel like I’m pretty good at getting in positions to shoot and getting pucks to the net. I Scoring wasn’t the problem. just try to do that as much as I can.”

It never has been for Evgeni Malkin. The former Hart Trophy-winner and Goalie-to-goalie 1,000-point scorer netted his 400th career goal last month and seems destined to get to 500 sooner than later. Penguins goalie Matt Murray put on his coaching hat during Monday’s win against the Ottawa Senators. But last year, in a season that Malkin admitted was not his best, there was one issue: discipline. At one point during the game, the net was dislodged from its mooring. Tristan Jarry tried to put it on before the officials eventually stopped play. Though he tallied 72 points, the 33-year-old Russian was careless at During a timeout, Murray relayed a cheeky piece of advice: Skate to the times with the puck, racking up a career-high 84 giveaways. He let bench instead and the Penguins can throw a forward on the ice as an emotion get the best of him, piling up the second-most penalty minutes extra attacker. (89) of his career. And defensively, his minus-25 was the low water mark for his career. Murray got that piece of advice from an official a couple years back. He was watching a game earlier this year when Minnesota Wild goalie The Penguins coaching staff has talked with Malkin about these issues. Devan Dubnyk did the same thing, sparking his memory. And this year, the changes in his game are evident. Turnovers are down. Penalty minutes are down. And defensively, the tone he’s setting is “It made perfect sense, because when the net comes off, they let your providing the example for the rest of the team. team play out the scoring chance,” Murray said. “Then, when the other team touches the puck, they have to blow the whistle. So it’s kind of like “What’s really impressed me about Geno’s game right now is just his a delayed penalty.” attention to detail,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Off of a won faceoff or a lost faceoff, he knows what his responsibilities are and he’s paying Minutes later, the net was dislodged again. This time, Jarry raced to the attention to it. He’s really focused on the details of our overall team game bench as the action continued in the Penguins offensive zone. One away from the puck. That’s where he’s so capable. When he does that, problem. he becomes a complete 200-foot player. That’s what we’ve seen here “No one else on the bench knew that was happening,” Murray said. “So over the last six weeks or so.” nobody jumped in for him. Coach was yelling at him. So I felt really bad. I Recently, there is one bad habit that has resurfaced. Over Malkin’s first thought guys knew before, but apparently we were the only ones.” 21 games, he had just eight penalty minutes. But in the past five games? Well, hopefully not anymore. He has racked up 16, including 14 in the past three games.

The coaches have conversations with Malkin through the season — and even in between especially feisty shifts — about keeping his emotions in Post Gazette LOADED: 01.02.2020 check. That’s especially true when other teams try to antagonize him, like the Ottawa Senators did Monday.

“My experience in coaching him is he’s at his best when he’s invested emotionally,” Sullivan said. “I talk to him a lot about being on the right side of the line. Because he’s a passionate guy, sometimes his emotions can get the best of him. He’s done a really good job, I think, in making sure he’s channeling his energy the right way

“We obviously don’t want him in the penalty box. We want him on the ice. That’s when he’s at his best.”

One day after skating with teammates in a very skills-oriented, noncontact practice, Sidney Crosby was absent from the team’s practice on Wednesday — and that was the plan.

The nature of Tuesday’s practice made it conducive for a player who still hasn’t been cleared for contact to participate. Wednesday’s practice was much more rigorous, featuring full line rushes, power play practice, six- on-five situations and more.

Instead of participating, Crosby skated individually with the skills coach, Ty Hennes. The star center hinted that this was the most likely scenario when he spoke with reporters Tuesday.

“That was just part of the process,” Sullivan said. “We’ll take each day as it comes. He’s still on the ice. He’s still making progress.”

In other injury news, Nick Bjugstad took a scheduled day off from skating as his rehab from core muscle surgery continues. Defenseman Justin Schultz, who suffered a lower-body injury Dec. 17, has not skated yet. He’s still in the off-ice part of his rehab. Fellow defenseman Brian Dumoulin is expected to miss at least all of January after undergoing ankle surgery to repair lacerated tendons. 1168939 Pittsburgh Penguins “It doesn’t matter what happened in the past,” Galchenyuk said. “This is a new opportunity. … I feel completely different about my game. I hope it transfers better than we started.”

Alex Galchenyuk gets first crack at replacing injured Penguins star Jake The timing for this second chance is interesting. Both players are finally Guentzel on Evgeni Malkin's left wing healthy at the same time. Malkin is playing some of the best 200-foot hockey of his career. And Galchenyuk has created a bit of momentum for himself after scoring on back-to-back nights Dec. 27 and 28 to double his season goal total. Plus, he knows the system. He’s playing with MIKE DEFABO confidence. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette It’s time to give the experiment a second chance. JAN 1, 2020 5:10 PM “I think Alex has played very well in his last couple weeks here,” Sullivan said. “That certainly influences some of the coaching staff’s decisions.”

At one point before the NHL’s Christmas break, it was fair to wonder if Galchenyuk has both pedigree and raw ability. He was selected third Alex Galchenyuk might soon be a healthy scratch. overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL draft. His wicked left- handed shot helped his score 30 goals in his 2015-16 season in Patric Hornqvist, Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad all appeared close to Montreal. rejoining the team after lengthy absences. That meant three forwards — essentially an entire line — would find themselves as the odd-men out. He’s not going to completely “replace” a 40-goal scorer in Guentzel. But, Perhaps Galchenyuk, who had tallied just two goals through his first 27 then again, that’s not his goal. games, would be one of them. “It’s pretty hard to replace that. I don’t think too beneficial for me to go out How quickly things change. there and think I need to replace someone else. I’ve just got to go out there and do my best and see what I can do.” Jake Guentzel’s violent collision into the boards Monday forced him to have shoulder surgery just hours after he found out he’d made the All- Star team for the first time in his career. The rehab process is expected Post Gazette LOADED: 01.02.2020 to keep the 25-year-old winger out four to six months, likely ending his season.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin skates up ice against the Islanders in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Islanders on April 16, 2019, at the PPG Paints Arena Uptown in this file image

Penguins coaches making sure more-disciplined Evgeni Malkin stays 'on the right side of the line'

The injury leaves the Penguins without a player who was on pace for 42 goals and 90 points. It also leaves Evgeni Malkin without a left winger.

Insert Galchenyuk.

From essentially on the fringe of the roster and trade rumors, he has earned a promotion to the top line to play alongside Malkin and right winger Bryan Rust in Wednesday’s practice, the first full-contact team event since Guentzel’s injury.

“Given the circumstances we’re under right now, it’s a great opportunity for Alex,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’re looking for guys to step up and play more significant roles for us. Alex is very capable.”

“It’s an option for us. We’ll see where it goes.”

Really, it’s like a second opportunity.

When Galchenyuk was acquired from Arizona in the Phil Kessel trade, the Penguins initially imagined that the American-born winger with Russian roots would play in a tandem with Malkin.

However, instant chemistry never really materialized. That’s at least partially because Malkin missed a month with a lower-body injury and Galchenyuk battled a nagging lower-body issue that caused two different prolonged stints away from the club.

By Nov. 8, Galchenyuk had played in seven games — five of them with Malkin — and had tallied just three points and no goals. The Penguins were willing to admit the Galchenyuk-Malkin tandem wasn’t working.

They moved Galchenyuk up to Crosby’s line in an effort to create a spark. When that didn’t work, he slid down the lineup.

Digging deeper into those first five games together, look at some stats from Natural Stat Trick. During five-on-five situations, Malkin and Galchenyuk were on the ice together for 4.2 scoring chances per game and 1.8 high-danger chances. In his 19 games without Galchenyuk, Malkin was on the ice for more than twice that number of scoring chance (10.4) and more than twice as many high-danger chances (4.8).

Obviously, playing next to the team’s lone All-Star in Guentzel is part of it. In addition, Rust — who is on the best goal-scoring pace of his career — wasn’t on the line during the first foray into the Galchenyuk-Malkin experiment. His speed, ability to create space and defensive conscience could help kick-start this combination. 1168940 Pittsburgh Penguins To even his own surprise, Rutherford kept the pick last season. Good thing, too.

By holding that pick and allowing scouts to select winger Samuel Poulin, What creative ways could the Penguins make up for the loss of Jake Rutherford need not feel obligated to continue with his keep-the-pick Guentzel? experiment. With Poulin and 2019 third-round pick, forward Nathan Legare, in the Penguins system, Rutherford should feel comfortable exchanging his 2020 first-round pick — even if it is for a rental player. By Rob Rossi His top target should be Chris Kreider, a left winger for the New York Jan 1, 2020 Rangers. Kreider would come with a $4.625 million cap hit, but he is on an expiring contract. Only 28, he is unlikely to pass up becoming an

unrestricted free agent, so the Penguins would essentially be renting Jim Rutherford’s last morning of 2019 was his worst of the year. Kreider for the rest of this season.

“Most of us were sick to the stomach through (Monday) night, and I still If they could, they should. am,” Rutherford said Tuesday after the Penguins announced winger Jake The Rangers are reportedly seeking a first-round pick for Kreider. They Guentzel had undergone shoulder surgery that would keep him out likely wouldn’t care if that pick came from a divisional opponent, though between four and six months. they probably would prefer the return for Kreider be a first-round pick Rutherford wears his feelings like his sweaters: constantly. higher than where the Penguins figure to be selecting — in the 20s.

He has admitted in the past that a general manager is not best served by As of Tuesday, Kreider had scored 11 goals and 34 points in 38 games being emotional, but Rutherford conceded Tuesday that Guentzel’s for the Rangers. His build is that of a classic power forward, but Kreider situation bothered him for reasons that extended beyond the confines of remains an upper-echelon skater for a player listed at 6-foot-3 and 217 an ice rink. Only 25 and on pace for a second consecutive 40-goal pounds. He also has 77 games of postseason experience. season, Guentzel went from earning his first All-Star Game invitation to Mike Sullivan is familiar with Kreider, having worked as his assistant likely not playing again until training camp next season — and that coach with the Rangers. Seemingly, that would ease any transition transition happened within a matter of hours Monday. Kreider would need to go from donning a Blueshirt to wearing the Skating “It’s really tough to process, to be honest,” Rutherford said. “He’s such a Penguin crest. deliberate player for us. He’s such an impactful part of the team. He’s Or maybe the prospect of playing to the left of Crosby would be enough probably the most under-appreciated star in our league.” to ease Kreider into temporary Pittsburgh life. Crosby will need a new left Guentzel’s teammates were aware Monday night that his injury would winger with Guentzel unavailable, and Kreider — while not in Guentzel’s require surgery. Though, as forward Jared McCann said Tuesday, most class as a goal scorer — would not look out of place in a top-line role for players were relieved to know Guentzel had not injured his neck or spine the Penguins. on a fall into the end-zone boards after scoring his 20th goal in the Dangle the goalie with two Cup rings Penguins’ win over the Ottawa Senators. Fortune favors the bold. “He’s lucky,” McCann said. “When he went down, you feared worse.” At least, Rutherford has always operated as though that is how hockey Said center Evgeni Malkin: “Not good. Scary. Jake’s tough; if he (stays) life works. As he has said, rarely has there been a trade proposal he down, it’s bad injury.” wouldn’t consider. Guentzel isn’t the Penguins’ best player. That designation belongs to He could — and should — put out feelers on what kind of return goalie captain Sidney Crosby, who joined teammates for a practice composed Matt Murray might bring to the Penguins. Rutherford might want to of skill drills Tuesday. It was Crosby’s first practice with teammates since consider offering Murray in a trade because (A) Tristan Jarry is he underwent sports hernia/core surgery Nov. 14. performing at a Vezina Trophy-caliber level and (B) there is no indication Crosby was not a contact participant in practice. He said he “probably will Murray and the Penguins are on the same page about a long-term future go back to being on my own” Wednesday when the Penguins again together. practice at Lemieux Sports Complex. Murray is in the final season of a contract that counts $3.75 million Crosby is not expected to play against the San Jose Sharks at PPG against the cap. He is eligible to become a restricted free agent, meaning Paints Arena on Thursday night. His absence, combined with that of the Penguins could choose to match any offer sheet he would sign in the Guentzel and a few other players, will leave the Penguins without players offseason with another club. who account for 35 percent of their payroll — or $27.9 million in salary- Of course, the Penguins could also sign Murray to an extension. cap space. But they’ve been eligible to do that since July 1, 2019, and Rutherford is There is a silver lining to the cloud cast by Guentzel’s injury. The not known to have seriously engaged Murray’s camp in negotiations. Penguins could breach the cap by his average annual value, $6 million, Rutherford has said repeatedly he was not looking to talk contract with because he can be placed on the long-term injury (LTI) list. Murray’s representatives during the season, and he no longer speaks as If other players return and the Penguins sustain no other significant though Murray’s securing a long-term deal with the Penguins is a injuries, Rutherford could use a potential Guentzel LTI designation to add guarantee. a player or players before the trade deadline. A lot has changed for Matt Murray since he helped the Penguins win the That deadline is Feb. 24, and Rutherford had told The Athletic he was Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. (Charles LeClaire / USA Today) probably going to wait until the day of it to make any moves. In the wake Also, never forget that Rutherford was burned big time as GM with of Guentzel’s injury, Rutherford said Tuesday “was too early to tell” if his Carolina when he gave a long-term contract to Cam Ward, the Conn plan had changed. Smythe-winning goalie for the Hurricanes in 2006. Ward carried a $6.3 “I need some time to think through this,” Rutherford said. million hit for the lower-budget Hurricanes while playing in only 64 percent of the Hurricanes’ games over Rutherford’s five final seasons A look at some moves the Penguins could — and likely won’t — with Carolina. consider. Rutherford is famous for his long memory. He also has shown no qualms Last season, there was a running joke between Rutherford and members about moving on from goalies who did great things for the Penguins. of the media as to whether he could resist trading the Penguins’ 2019 (See: Marc-Andre Fleury.) first-round draft pick. He hadn’t had one since his first draft in 2014, choosing instead to mortgage future prospects for players who could help A year ago, Murray still looked like a lock to be the face of the franchise the Penguins chase the Stanley Cup. in a post-Crosby/Malkin era. He was 24 and had those 2016 and 2017 Cup wins on his résumé. He still has those wins. He’ll turn 26 in May.

Not every NHL organization is blessed with the Penguins’ abundance of quality goaltenders. A rebuilding organization — say, those Ottawa Senators who were in Pittsburgh on Monday night — could easily justify doing a deal for Murray. And the Senators would have the salary-cap space to at least double Murray’s current salary, whereas the cap- strapped Penguins would probably be better positioned to maintain a contending nucleus around Crosby, Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang by not committing at least $7 million to a goaltender.

Moving Murray would not come without enormous risk.

Specifically, there is the chance Jarry is on a hot streak as opposed to breaking out. If it’s the former, the Penguins would be banking on an unknown entity in the playoffs with Jarry. Murray, at least, has that Cup pedigree.

Also, the Penguins would want to sell high on Murray because he is a proven, controllable asset. However, his struggles the past couple of months wouldn’t appear to work in the Penguins’ favor.

The dream for Rutherford would be a package that involves Murray and winger Alex Galchenyuk, with the Penguins’ return being a potential third- line center and a veteran goaltender.

Would the Senators be willing to give up center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and goalie Craig Anderson, each of whom is on an expiring contract? Murray, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, would be an easy sell to beleaguered fans in Ottawa who witnessed firsthand in the 2017 Eastern Conference final what he looks like at his best.

Rutherford probably isn’t going to trade Murray. He doesn’t seem all that likely to even broach the subject with other GMs.

Still, the dots can be connected on an in-season Murray trade. Given Rutherford’s go-for-it track record, nothing should be ruled out.

A few days after he was waived by the Los Angeles Kings, winger Ilya Kovalchuk received some texts of encouragement from Malkin. The two have become close over the years, with many in the Moscow hockey community believing Kovalchuk is laying the groundwork for Malkin to supplant him as the veteran after whom a new generation of Russian players model themselves.

Malkin and Kovalchuk live in the same condominium complex on Fisher Island near Miami. They train together in Moscow during the offseason. Kovalchuk is free to sign with any NHL team. He has never won the Cup. He possesses the dangerous type of right-handed shot the Penguins have lacked on the power play without Phil Kessel.

For half of a season and on the cheap, Kovalchuk joining the Penguins would seem to make a lot of sense.

Forget it. Not happening.

Rutherford is not interested. And even Malkin doesn’t see the fit.

Made for a fun thought exercise, though.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168941 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks’ 10 worst records by the halfway point

By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: January 1, 2020 at 12:58 pm | UPDATED: January 1, 2020 at 3:30 PM

There’s no getting around it: the San Jose Sharks’ record of 17-21-3 is one of the top 10 worst in team history at the midway point of the season.

The 37 points the team has after 41 games, for a .451 points percentage, ranks fifth-worst in team history among all regular seasons with 82 games. For all 28 seasons, the record is the ninth-worst in terms of points percentage.

There have been times where the Sharks have made the NHL playoffs despite not having a winning record at the halfway point of the season. It’s going to take quite a second half run by this season’s Sharks team to do the same, though, as they entered Wednesday in 15th and last place in the Western Conference.

The Sharks lost to the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 on Tuesday, and play the second game of their five-game road trip Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The trip ends with games against Columbus on Saturday, Washington on Sunday and St. Louis on Tuesday.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168942 San Jose Sharks The Sharks have been getting better goaltending of late. Since Dec. 12, Boughner’s first game as interim coach, Jones, who stopped 21 of 22 shots, has a .904 save percentage in four games. Aaron Dell has a .915 save percentage in four games. Sharks at the halfway mark: How much worse can it get? That only goes so far, though, considering how hard it has been all season to create offense. As they stumbled to a 2-9-2 through December, the Sharks managed just 27 goals, tied for fewest in the NHL By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay with — you guessed it — Detroit. Area News Group “We didn’t get traffic in front of the net and make things hard on their PUBLISHED: January 1, 2020 at 9:38 am | UPDATED: January 1, 2020 goaltender,” said Couture, who added that goalie Martin Jones. “was at 5:13 PM great and we did some nice things on the penalty kill, but we’ve got to be better offensively if we are going to win games.”

PITTSBURGH — Not once in the last 20 years have the Sharks hit the midpoint of the season in such a sorry state. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 01.02.2020 At 17-21-3, they are in last place in the Western Conference. They are 29th in the NHL in goals scored and 30th in goals allowed. Their power play, so often a source of organizational pride, is 2-for-49 over their last 20 games and entered 2020 third-last in the league at 14.3 percent.

A coaching change has done little to provide a spark. The Sharks fell to 2-5-1 under interim coach Bob Boughner with Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the worst team in the league by a wide margin.

Their 37 points at the midpoint is the lowest total since 1998-99 when they had 36. ( was in his first months leading the Sharks out of the darkness of the one-season Al Sims era.) The last time it was close to this bad was in 2002-03, when they had 38 points at the midway point and went on to miss the playoffs. That season also included a coaching change, as the team transitioned from Sutter to Ron Wilson.

How much worse can it get now?

We’re about to find out.

The Sharks continue their five-game trip Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins who have won eight of their last 10. After a stop in Columbus, they play the last two Stanley Cup winners — the Washington Capitals on Sunday and the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

Of the Sharks’ next nine games, seven are against teams that currently hold a playoff position. The only exceptions are the two games against Columbus, which opened the new year five points out of a postseason position.

That’s what made Tuesday’s loss so tough to digest, as the Red Wings (10-28-3) were easily the most beatable opponent the Sharks will have on this road trip.

Scoring the first goal against a fragile Wings team, which had lost six straight, probably would have gone long way Tuesday. Instead, the Sharks fell behind in the second period and were shut out for the first time this season as they couldn’t solve goalie Jonathan Bernier despite 34 shots on net.

The most disappointing part for the Sharks, though, was that they had established a blueprint for how they needed to play to have success just three days earlier.

In their 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, the Sharks were the more physical team, played with urgency and were direct in getting shots to the net.

It happened only in bits and pieces against the Wings.

They did not have a good start, managing only one shot on net through nearly the first seven minutes of the first period. When they did play in the Wings’ zone, there was a lot of one-and-done, a recurring theme for a team that scored two goals or fewer in 10 of 13 games in December.

Boughner tweaked his lines for the third period, moving Stefan Noesen up to play with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, Kevin Labanc down with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen and Patrick Marleau to the fourth line with Antti Suomela and Joel Kellman.

The Sharks outshot the Wings 14-3 in the third, not including Filip Hronek’s empty-net goal with 49 seconds left.

“You try not to get frustrated, and you say the right things on the bench,” Boughner said. “Even going into the third period, we felt pretty good with where we were at. We weren’t giving up a lot, and we said ‘win a period, win a game.'” 1168943 San Jose Sharks

Tomas Hertl is Sharks' Last Men In player for NHL All-Star Game voting

By Dalton Johnson

January 01, 2020 8:34 AM

Tomas Hertl has been in the NHL for seven years, but he's yet to make an All-Star Game. That could change, with the help of Sharks fans.

The Sharks center is part of the NHL's "Last Men In" voting for the All- Star Game, which starts Wednesday.

Voting begins at 9 a.m. PT and ends on Jan. 10 at 8:59 a.m. PT. The player with the most votes for each of the NHL's four divisions will be added to the All-Star Game rosters.

You can vote for Hertl on the NHL's website. You must have an NHL.com account, or create one, to cast your vote.

Hertl, 26, has scored 30 points -- 14 goals, 16 assists -- in 37 games this season.

So far, Sharks captain Logan Couture is San Jose's lone player in the game.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168944 San Jose Sharks 40 GP, 14g, 14a, 28 pts

Grade: C Sharks midseason report card: Aaron Dell offers a glimmer of hope, but Brent Burns and others have to be much better There’s probably no player on the roster whose play has declined from the first quarter of the season to the second more than Kane, who has

one goal in a manned net in his last 21 games. After it looked like he By Kevin Kurz might have a chance to hit 40 goals earlier this season, especially considering his success on the top power play unit, Kane might not come Jan 1, 2020 close to 30 unless he starts playing a harder game, particularly in front of the opposing team’s net.

Melker Karlsson If there was any hope that the Sharks might get their act together for a second half run, it was probably dashed on New Year’s Eve. In a game 37 GP, 3g, 3a, 6 pts that marked the official midway point of the regular season, the apathetic club dropped a 2-0 decision to the Detroit Red Wings, the worst team in Grade: C- the league — by a wide margin — in the first of a five-game road trip that Karlsson is currently out with a head injury, and the Sharks miss him on will only get much tougher. the penalty kill, but not at 5-on-5. He is a pending unrestricted free agent, How much tougher? The Pittsburgh Penguins, Thursday’s opponent, are and perhaps a playoff team that needs a good penalty killer will come 10-2-0 in their last 12 games. The Columbus Blue Jackets, hosting the calling before the trade deadline. Sharks on Saturday, are 7-0-4 in their last 11. The Washington Capitals Joel Kellman lead the NHL with 59 points and host the Sharks on Sunday, while the trip concludes on Jan. 7 in St. Louis against a Blues team that had an 5 GP, 1g, 0a, 1 pt eight-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night. Grade: Incomplete This could get worse before it gets better, even as the Sharks wake up on New Year’s Day in last place in the Western Conference (17-21-3, 37 Kellman is the latest player to get a chance on the fourth line as others points), nine points out of the second wild-card spot. like Dylan Gambrell, Lukas Radil, Noah Gregor, Lean Bergmann and Danil Yurtaykin have failed to hold down a roster spot. He’s had some The last time we handed out grades was in mid-November at the quarter- decent games and looks responsible (he has yet to be on the ice for a 5- point, when the Sharks were stringing some wins together and looked on-5 goal-against), but like any young player, he’ll have to do it like they might be putting a miserable October behind them. Then consistently to stick around. December hit, Pete DeBoer got fired on Dec. 11, and the Sharks posted a miserable 2-9-2 record in the final month of the decade. Kevin Labanc

Not surprisingly, these grades aren’t pretty, and most of them are worse 41 GP, 8g, 11a, 19 pts than the first time we did this exercise. Grade: D

Let’s get to it. The Sharks gave him every opportunity in the first half to prove he was Forwards deserving of a bigger role, but Labanc just may not be anything more than a third-line winger. The Red Wings game was his seventh straight Logan Couture without a point, and in 19 games since Nov. 21, Labanc has just one goal and five assists. A pending restricted free agent with only a $1 million 41 GP, 12g, 21a, 33 pts salary cap hit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Labanc dangled in the right Grade: B deal before the trade deadline if the Sharks are looking for, say, a young goaltender. The captain is on the shortlist of Sharks players who has pretty much been carrying his weight this season, earning a trip to the All-Star Game Patrick Marleau later this month as the team’s lone representative. He is the Sharks’ 37 GP, 7g, 7a, 14 pts leading scorer, and his even rating is second among all forwards on the team. Still, even Couture hasn’t been immune from scoring droughts — Grade: C he finished the month with just one point, a goal, in his last six games. Marleau isn’t having the best season, including a recent 11-game scoring Barclay Goodrow drought, but at 40 years old that really shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. In the game after Christmas coming out of the break, the Sharks’ 3-2 41 GP, 6g, 11a, 17 pts overtime loss to the Kings, he was their best player, however. On a team Grade: B+ where half the roster looks disinterested at times, Marleau’s professionalism in a difficult situation like that served as a reminder of After a first quarter in which Goodrow was arguably the only player on what this team seems to be lacking on a nightly basis. the team exceeding expectations, the 26-year-old has come back down to earth. Prior to his three-assist night on Dec. 28 against the Flyers, Goodrow had just three points, all assists, in his previous 17 games. He 41 GP, 14g, 11a, 25 pts hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 19. Still, with 17 points, Goodrow has already equaled his career high from last season. Grade: D+

Tomas Hertl On paper, Meier isn’t too far behind his pace from last season, when he reached 30 goals for the first time in his career. A hat trick against the 37 GP, 14g, 16a, 30 pts Flyers on Saturday was a reminder of just how effective Meier can be Grade: B- when he sets his mind to it. But at 23 years old and in the first year of a four-year contract extension, Meier shouldn’t be a guy that interim coach Since recovering from an ankle injury, Hertl has shown flashes of being Bob Boughner still has to send messages to, which is what the coach the dominant forward he can be. He posted a six-game point streak from deemed necessary when he benched Meier late in the two games prior Dec. 10-22, with four goals and three assists over that span, while his to that performance against Philadelphia. 58.1 shot-attempt percentage was the team’s best throughout the final month of 2019. Still, Hertl seems to be getting caught out on the ice for Stefan Noesen too many goals-against, as reflected by his -14 rating during 5-on-5 play. 5 GP, 1g, 0a, 1 pt Hertl hasn’t been the problem, but there’s room for him to be better and Grade: Incomplete more consistent over the second half. Noesen looks like a responsible player who isn’t afraid to get physical, Heed played decently in a seven-game stretch in December, but he’s and so far he looks like a decent pick up off of the waiver wire. supposedly an offensive defenseman, and still has just one point in 24 games. He’s been pushed out of the lineup by Ferraro. Marcus Sorensen 38 GP, 5g, 5a, 10 pts 40 GP, 4g, 24a, 28 pts Grade: D Grade: C- Sorensen has shown in the past that he can play a feisty, pest-like game, while having an ability to create in the offensive zone. Unfortunately for Karlsson’s grade hasn’t changed since the first quarter. He has his the Sharks, that game shows up about once a month, and a case can be moments where he’s the best player on the ice, sometimes for entire made that he’s just not a top-nine NHL player on a good team. His assist games, but those moments just haven’t been frequent enough for a guy against the Flyers on Saturday snapped a nine-game scoring drought, who is the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. His lower-than-normal and since Nov. 25, Sorensen has just one goal and two assists in his last point total probably has as much to do with the team’s forward group 17 games. On a deeper club, he probably would have been a healthy underperforming and not getting to the front of the net, but defensively scratch long ago. Karlsson gets beat too often, and he still makes too many egregious turnovers — like in Detroit, when his neutral zone misplay resulted in the Antti Suomela only 5-on-5 goal of the evening by the Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi.

6 GP, 0g, 1a, 1 pt Radim Simek

Grade: Incomplete 19 GP, 1a, 5g, 6 pts

Suomela was one of the Sharks’ most effective forwards against the Red Grade: C Wings. That might be because he was one of the few visiting players who looked to be really competing, but he probably earned a chance to stay in The Sharks’ record with Simek in the lineup is still positive, at 12-5-2. But the lineup for at least another game on Thursday in Pittsburgh. Simek was only so-so in November when the Sharks were winning, and eventually he and the team’s medical staff decided on a cleanup Joe Thornton procedure for his previous repaired meniscus. We’ll monitor Simek over 41 GP, 1g, 14a, 15 pts the next little while, as the Sharks could use the responsibility and physicality he gives the team’s defense corps when he’s healthy. He Grade: D posted an assist in his first two games back against the Kings and Flyers over the weekend, including one on a pretty pass to Kellman for a The big question around Thornton in the second half might be, does he breakaway score. want to be traded to a contending team that is in need of a fourth-line center? It’s looking more and more like this is the future Hall of Famer’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic last NHL season. Might he want one last, real shot at getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup? And if so, is there a team that would want 41 GP, 5g, 5a, 10 pts him? Grade: C

Defense After a second consecutive horrific start to the season, Vlasic has been Brent Burns fine over the past six weeks or so, playing a harder and more responsible game than he was early on. He could be better, with one point in his last 41 GP, 6g, 20a, 26 pts 10 games, but at least he hasn’t been a problem like he was through October. Grade: D Goalies After leading the Sharks with 83 points last season, Burns won’t come close to that total this season, with 26 points so far. A stretch from mid- Aaron Dell November through mid-December was perhaps his worst hockey in a teal sweater, as he had little-to-no impact on the offensive end (including 15 GP, 4-6-2, 3.15 GAA, .900 SP an 11-game scoring drought) while hurting the team with his poor Grade: C- decision-making in the neutral and defensive zones. He’s been marginally better since the coaching change, and has found the Do the Sharks really have a goalie with a save percentage in the .900s? scoresheet in four of the last six games, but Burns’ time as a perennial They do, barely, thanks to Dell’s recent string of improved starts. Norris Trophy candidate could very well be over. He turns 35 in March. Boughner’s best move so far has been to give Dell a longer look in net, and the 30-year-old is stepping up. That doesn’t erase what was a tough Brenden Dillon first couple months for Dell, but at least he’s trending in the right direction 41 GP, 1g, 9a, 10 pts as the new No. 1 goalie.

Grade: B Martin Jones

It will be a shame when the Sharks likely trade Dillon, someone who 30 GP, 13-15-1, 3.13 GAA, .893 SP would do anything for his teammates and who is universally liked off the Grade: D- ice. But there’s really no reason to keep the pending unrestricted free agent, as he’s one of the few easily movable assets the Sharks have. Jones’ .893 save percentage is 34th in the league among the 35 goalies who have played at least 20 games. Boughner giving Jones the lowly Mario Ferraro Red Wings while saving Dell for the powerful Penguins on Thursday is 35 GP, 1g, 6a, 7 pts further evidence that Jones has lost his job as the team’s top option. While he played well in games against Philadelphia and Detroit, Jones’ Grade: A second straight season of subpar play could result in the Sharks looking for help in net either at the trade deadline or in the offseason. Jones just Ferraro’s grade benefits from the fact that there wasn’t much reason to doesn’t look like the long-term solution here. think he’d make the team out of training camp, so anything he provides is really just a bonus. He’s been a breath of fresh air in a suffocating season. The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 Tim Heed

24 GP, 0g, 1a, 1 pt

Grade: D 1168945 St Louis Blues “I think ‘Petro’ might have handcuffed him,” Allen said. “It flipped off my glove, it was almost like slow-motion. He’s got a pretty quick release. He’s been one of the best shooters in the league for a long time. . . . I should have had it.” Blues end the year on a down note as streak-busting Coyotes spoil the party But it came in almost like a changeup, either because of the defense by Pietrangelo or the fact that the puck was bouncing when Kessel struck it, which probably threw off Allen’s timing.

Jim Thomas Nick Schmaltz scored into an empty net with 51.9 seconds left to make it 3-1.

The real issue in the game was the Blues’ power play. They went 0 for GLENDALE, Ariz. — Every time the Blues get a nice winning streak four for the night, and could’ve taken control of the 1-1 game had they going, along come the Arizona Coyotes. Call them the Streakbusters. gotten anything done on the five-on-three situation early in the second Back on Nov. 12 in St. Louis, the Blues had a seven-game winning period. streak going and led after the first and second periods against Arizona. Just 1:41 into the second, Raanta was whistled for tripping Jaden But the Coyotes rallied for a 3-2 shootout victory. Schwartz in front of the net. Twelve seconds later Oliver Ekman-Larsson And then came Tuesday. The Blues arrived in the Phoenix area with an was sent off for hooking . eight-game winning streak and designs on ringing in the New Year with a St. Louis had some chances with four shots on goal and three missed ninth win in a row. shots, but never moved the puck quickly enough to get Raanta Nope. scrambling or out of position. It was the fifth five-on-three opportunity of the season for the Blues. And they are 0 for five. Arizona spoiled the Blues’ New Year’s Eve party with a 3-1 victory at Gila River Arena. Blues fans should be used to this by now. Arizona has “I don’t think we got good enough quality shots on the five on three,” missed the playoffs in each of the past seven years, but you’d never coach Craig Berube said. “But I’m not gonna go by the past. Just didn’t know it by how the Coyotes play against St. Louis. execute good enough.”

“They play great defensively,” said Tyler Bozak, who scored the Blues’ On a night when the Blues’ top two lines were silenced, the only bright goal. “They don’t give up a lot of Grade A scoring chances. And their spot offensively came on Bozak’s eighth goal of the season, tying the goalies play well.” game at 1-1 with 5:07 left in the first.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Coyotes have a 6-1-1 record “A good play by a few guys,” Bozak said. “ ‘Bobo’ (Robert Bortuzzo) kept against the Blues. They have outscored the Blues 28-14 in those games. it in, made a nice pass to ‘Thommer’ (Robert Thomas). ‘Steener’ (Alexander Steen) made a great play to me. I just kinda had an open net Why have they been so tough to handle lately? there. So I was in the right spot at the right time.”

“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” said Blues goalie Jake Allen, who Instances like that were few and far between Tuesday. was seeking his third straight victory. “They’re a quick team. They’ve got a fast group of top nine forwards, obviously with a lot of skill. They’ve got good goalies.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020 Yes, another tip of the cap to the Arizona goaltending. All-Star Darcy Kuemper is out because of a lower-body injury, but Antti Raanta is no slouch either. He stopped 38 of 39 shots Tuesday by the Blues.

“They’re a tough team to beat,” Allen continued. “They’re definitely a team on the rise. We just didn’t have our ‘A’ game the whole game tonight. We’ve had a good run. It was a good 2019. Ready to turn the page and move on to a good second half” of the season.

They hand out no trophies, no cups at midseason. But even with their loss Tuesday, the Blues are sitting pretty at the exact midpoint of the 2019-20 campaign. They are 26-9-6 through 41 games, for 58 points. That’s the most in the Western Conference. Only Washington, with 59, has more points in the entire league.

You might remember where the Blues were exactly a year ago at this time. They entered 2019 tied for last in the NHL with Ottawa. Both teams had 34 points.

Arizona, looking like a bona fide playoff contender in the Pacific Division, improved to 22-16-4, for 46 points.

For the Blues, Tuesday wasn’t a case of lack of effort or energy. With those 39 shots on goal they had more than their share of chances. But they just weren’t as crisp as usual. They squandered — again — a five- on-three scoring opportunity. And a bit of sloppy play in their own zone led to the game-winning goal by former Pittsburgh Penguin Phil Kessel with 13 minutes 40 seconds to play.

“I don’t think we played quite as well as we would have liked to tonight,” Blues defenseman said. “But we won eight games in a row — you’re not gonna win them all. We just regroup. They’re a pesky team. They kind of clog things up, don’t give you a lot of really good chances.”

The game had been stuck at 1-1 since late in the first period before Kessel struck. Arizona’s sent a pass from the left circle between Blues defensemen Justin Faulk and . In swooped Kessel for a shot that trickled off Allen’s glove, off the post, and into the net for his ninth goal of the season. 1168946 St Louis Blues “Definitely. Always learning, always getting better each day,” he said. “You learn so much and obviously being around such great players now in Phil (Kessel) and “Hallsie” (Taylor Hall) and Oliver-Ekman-Larsson — all the leadership guys have really helped me out a lot. Coyotes' Keller loved the Blues' Cup run “They took me under their wing. We have a lot of young guys here, so we kinda all hang out and have a good relationship with everyone. It’s probably the closest team that I’ve been on.” Jim Thomas

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020 GLENDALE, Ariz. — He donned an Arizona Coyotes’ jersey Tuesday night against the Blues. But from the rink at U.S. Ice in Fairview Heights, to the old Chesterfield ice complex, to the AAA Blues, Clayton Keller is St. Louis through and through.

Growing up in Swansea, near Belleville, Keller went to Blues games whenever he could.

“All the time,” Keller said. “My dad had season tickets, and I would either go with him or my grandpa and watch as many games as I could. I loved going.”

The tickets came from his father’s work, so they were prime — four rows behind one of the nets.

“So I’d just follow closely,” Keller said. “I could see the whole ice. It was great.”

His favorite players? Then-Blues Barret Jackman and Keith Tkachuk.

Tkachuk also coached him growing up.

“That was pretty cool,” Keller said. “I played with both of his kids (Matthew and Brady), so I know him real well.”

Keller went on to become one of the “St. Louis 6,” the six St. Louis area players selected in the 2016 NHL draft. Matthew Tkachuk (No. 6 overall), Keller (No. 7), Logan Brown (No. 11), Luke Kunin (No. 15), and Trent Frederic (No. 28) all went in the first round. Joseph Woll was taken in the third round.

“I think back then, none of us would’ve imagined this, that all of us would’ve made it,” Keller said. “But yeah, I just give thanks to the guys who got us here — Jeff Brown, Keith Tkachuk, Jordan Janes, Al MacInnins. The list goes on and on of all the guys that really helped out the AAA Blues program and got us to where we are today.”

So short of winning the Cup with the Coyotes, Keller couldn’t have been happier seeing his hometown Blues win the Stanley Cup last June over the Boston Bruins.

“It was awesome for the city to get a Stanley Cup,” Keller said. “The buzz around there was crazy and even more so now. It’s awesome.”

Keller watched all but one of the Blues’ playoff games from home. The one exception? In the Stanley Cup Final against Boston, he watched from the stands at Enterprise Center with younger brother Jake.

“I must have brought bad luck,” Keller said. “They lost like 6-1 or something.”

So that would’ve been either Game 3, a 7-2 loss by Blues. Or Game 6, a 5-1 defeat.

But the “bad luck” didn’t stick in Game 7, as you may recall.

Still only 21, Keller signed an eight-year, $57.2 million contract extension in September. Not bad for a kid from Swansea.

The Coyotes haven’t made the playoffs in seven seasons. But they definitely have the look of a young, up-and-coming team bolstered by the additions of established veterans Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall.

“We’re a very fast team and we want to be responsible in the defensive zone,” Keller said. “Usually when you’re responsible back there, it leads to chances in the offensive zone. So I think we’re fast, and obviously good goaltending. And we have some skill. A lot of guys with skill actually. So it’s a fun team to be a part of it.”

Keller, a right winger, was second on the Coyotes in points (29) entering Tuesday’s game, with 10 goals and 19 assists. He made the NHL All- Star Game last season and is Arizona’s candidate for “last men in” this year.

Now in his third full NHL season, Keller’s game still has room to grow. 1168947 St Louis Blues

See you next year: Blues win streak ends at eight

Tom Timmermann

Dec 31, 2019

In the big picture, 2019 was the best of all years for the Blues, but it ended on a down note with a 3-1 loss to Arizona on New Year's Eve in Glendale, Ariz., that snapped the team's eight-game win streak.

It was the second time this season the Coyotes have ended a long win streak for the Blues. When the Blues won seven in a row in October and November, it was Arizona's 3-2 win in a shootout that ended it.

"We didn’t execute good enough," said coach Craig Berube, whose team outshot Arizona 38-27. "That’s the bottom line. We didn’t execute good enough. There were a lot of opportunities to score in different areas. We didn’t execute good enough. That’s basically what it boils down to.”

"We just didn’t have our A game the whole game tonight," goalie Jake Allen said. "We’ve had a good run, it was a good 2019 and we’re ready to turn the page and move on to a good second half.”

Arizona went ahead to stay with 12:40 to go in the third. It looked like the Blues were going to clear the puck out of their zone but didn't. Instead, the puck squirted past everyone to Phil Kessel, who had no one between him and the net and he beat Jake Allen for his ninth goal of the season.

The Blues had a power play with 6:51 to go in the third and couldn't score, then had their comeback hopes take a hit when was called for boarding with 2:32 to go. The Blues pulled Allen when they forced an offensive zone faceoff, but Nick Schmaltz scored with 52 seconds left to clinch it.

The Blues went 0 for 4 on the power play and had a five-on-three for 1:48 early in the second period with the game tied and couldn't score. The Blues haven't scored a goal in a five-on-three in the regular season since 2016.

“I don’t think we had enough good-quality shots on the 5-on-3," Berube said, "but I’m not going to go by the past. We just didn’t execute good enough.”

The Blues fell behind 1-0 on a power-play goal by Conor Garland with four seconds to go on a penalty on Jordan Kyrou. In their eight-game win streak, the Blues gave up the first goal only twice.

The Blues got even with 5:07 to play in the first on a goal by Tyler Bozak, his eighth of the season. Robert Thomas fed Alexander Steen, who skated the puck deep into Coyotes zone. Just before the goal line, he backhanded a pass to Bozak, who was low in the slow and drove it home.

Bozak has three goals in the past three games and has gotten five of his eight goals since Dec. 14.

The Blues had to hold on late in the period when was called for holding, expressed his dismay, and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct by referee Brad Meier with 3:58 to go in the period. The Coyotes put a lot of shots on Jake Allen in goal, and at one point Jay Bouwmeester lost his stick and had to borrow Steen's, and the team managed to kill it off.

In the second, Arizona was called for penalties 12 seconds apart but as usual, the Blues punted on the chance. They had four shots on goal but didn't produce any really dangerous chances. They also had a standard power play in the second and didn't score. Still, for the period, the Blues outshot Arizona 17-9.

The Blues hit the halfway mark of the season at 26-9-6 and with the best record in the Western Conference.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168948 St Louis Blues “So we need the puck tonight. We need to be good with it. And when we don’t have it, we need to check. . . .They’re a good rush team obviously with their speed, so if we can have good gaps by our defense and be tight on people, that’ll kill their speed.” Coyotes have had Blues' number lately HOT BLUES

Jaden Schwartz and David Perron both take six-game point streaks into Jim Thomas tonight’s game. Schwartz has four goals and seven assists in that span; Perron had four goals and six assists. Dec 31, 2019 Schenn has a five-game streak (three goals, five assists); Alex

Pietrangelo has a four-game streak (three goals, four assists). GLENDALE, Ariz. _ Yes, the Blues are reigning Stanley Cup champs and AT THE WORLD JUNIORS all that. But their New Year’s Eve opponent, the Arizona Coyotes, seem to bring out the worst in them. With an assist in Russia's 6-1 win over Germany Tuesday, Blues prospect Nikita Alexandrov kept his point streak going in the World Junior Since the start of the 2017-18 season, a Coyotes franchise that has Championship. He has a point in all four tournament games and has five missed the playoffs seven straight seasons, is 5-1-1 against St. Louis. points overall (one goal, four assists). They have outscored the Blues 25-13 in those games. Alexandrov was the first player chosen by the Blues in the draft last June, “I was talking about that actually, amongst the guys,” defenseman Vince selected with the last pick of the second round, No. 62 overall. Dunn said. “We haven’t played our best games against them. I don’t know what it is. With Blues prospect Joel Hofer back in goal again, Team Canada routed the Czech Republic 7-2 Tuesday on the final day of pool play. Hofer, a “There’s obviously better teams than them and there’s teams that aren’t 4th-round pick (No. 107 overall) in 2018, stopped 17 of 19 shots. as good as them. We have the ability to win all those games that we’ve lost before. But they always gives us their best game I feel like. Their BLUE NOTES goaltending’s always very good against us. Ryan O’Reilly had a season-high 20 faceoff wins and a season’s-best "They play very well defensively and don’t give us a lot of room. They’re faceoff percentage (80 percent) in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Winnipeg. That very aggressive in all three zones. So maybe we get into trouble when helped the team post a season-high 64 percent faceoff percentage. we try to over-handle the puck a little bit. _ Pietrangelo has led or shared the team lead in overall shot attempts _ “I think it’s just about being direct and being simple tonight. And I think encompassing shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots _ in 11 of that’ll lead to our offense.” the Blues’ last 14 games. He is generating offense.

The puck drops shortly after 8 p.m. Central tonight at Gila River Arena. _ Pietrangelo is plus-9 over his last four games. His pairing mate, Justin Faulk, is plus-8 over that span. In their only meeting so far this season, shootout goals by Nick Schmaltz and Conor Garland gave Arizona a 3-2 win Nov. 12 at Enterprise Center. The Blues led after both the first and second periods in that game, but couldn’t close it out in regulation. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020

“I think we played well,” coach Craig Berube said. “We had a lot of shots. We didn’t generate enough goals.”

The Blues outshot the Coyotes 35-22 in that November contest, with their plus-13 shot differential tying for their third-best differential of the season. But all-star goalie Darcy Kuemper was the difference in that game for Arizona.

“I played Midget AAA with him,” forward Brayden Schenn said. “Played against him my whole life and with him a lot. Know him very well. He’s having a heck of a year, NHL all-star. And it’s showing in the team’s record.”

But Kuemper is sidelined with a lower-body injury. Antti Raanta gets the start tonight. Raanta’s been very good against the Blues himself, with a 3-1-2 record, a 2.12 goals-against average and a save percentage of .934 over his career.

The Coyotes will have a new face in the lineup tonight as far as the Blues are concerned _ star forward Taylor Hall. This will be Hall’s seventh game with the Coyotes since the Dec 16 trade with the New Jersey Devils brought the former league MVP to the Valley of the Sun. (It's overcast today.)

“He’s got power, speed, skill, goal-scoring ability,” Schenn said. “Just gives them another weapon up front. I feel like with their lineup up front, they got guys like (Phil) Kessel, (Clayton) Keller, Hall now. A lot of speed up the wings. Pretty responsible centers. So they’re deep and their gonna be tough to play against.”

Speed, defense and goaltending have been the strengths of Arizona recently, but now they’ve got some skill as well. Noting that the Coyotes had 22 first-period shots against Dallas in their most recent game, Berube does not want the Blues to come out flat-footed.

“We gotta be tight on guys,” Berube said. “We talked to our team already about getting the pucks in deep right away and making them play in their end. Controlling the play in the offensive zone. That’s gonna nullify their speed quite a bit when we have the puck. 1168949 St Louis Blues

MacKinnon, Avalanche to host the Blues

Staff Report

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JANUARY 01, 2020 02:10 AM

BOTTOM LINE: Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado into a matchup with St. Louis. He ranks fifth in the NHL with 58 points, scoring 24 goals and totaling 34 assists.

The Avalanche are 13-11-2 in Western Conference games. Colorado leads the NHL averaging 3.6 goals per game, led by MacKinnon with 24.

The Blues are 10-1-1 against the rest of their division. St. Louis has given up 21 power-play goals, killing 82.8% of opponent chances.

In their last matchup on Dec. 16, St. Louis won 5-2. David Perron recorded a team-high 3 points for the Blues.

TOP PERFORMERS: MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 34 assists and has collected 58 points this season. Mikko Rantanen has collected 9 points over the last 10 games for Colorado.

Ryan O’Reilly leads the Blues with 26 total assists and has collected 34 points. has five goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for St. Louis.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blues: 8-2-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.5 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game with a .928 save percentage.

Avalanche: 4-5-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.3 penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game with a .916 save percentage.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Philipp Grubauer: day to day (undisclosed), Andre Burakovsky: out (upper body).

Blues: None listed.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168950 St Louis Blues Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 01.02.2020

Kessel, Raanta help Coyotes stop Blues’ 8-game win streak

JOSE M. ROMERO ASSOCIATED PRESS

DECEMBER 31, 2019 11:40 PM

GLENDALE, ARIZ.

The Arizona Coyotes got the kind of third period effort they’d been seeking at home after two previous lackluster finishes — against the NHL’s hottest team, no less.

Phil Kessel scored the go-ahead goal in the third and the Coyotes beat St. Louis 3-1 on Tuesday night to halt the Blues’ eight-game winning streak.

Conor Garland also scored, Jakob Chychrun assisted on both goals and Antti Raanta stopped 38 shots as the Coyotes ended a three-game losing streak. Nick Schmaltz added an empty-net, power-play goal.

“We had to worry about the details of our game,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “We believed that we were going to win the game, and that’s what we need, is that belief.”

Kessel took a pass from Lawson Crouse behind two defenders and buried one to make it 2-1 7:20 into the third period.

“We knew we needed a bounce-back game here,” Kessel said. “We got back to our game, getting pucks in and going after it.”

Schmaltz raised his team-leading point total to 32. The Coyotes earned the 1,300th win in franchise history.

Tyler Bozak scored the Blues’ only goal. The Blues ended up 0 for 4 on power plays and lost despite outshooting the Coyotes 38-27. St. Louis failed to score on a power play for the first time in five games.

The Coyotes had been 0 for 11 over their last four games on the power play before going 2 for 4 on Tuesday.

Garland went high over goaltender Jake Allen’s glove with four seconds left on the Coyotes’ first power play to give Arizona the lead at 8:05 of the first period. It gave Garland his team-leading 14th goal.

The Blues tied it at 14:53. With the Coyotes unable to clear the puck from their zone, Alex Steen drove in and backhanded a pass to Bozak for his eighth goal of the season.

The Coyotes finished the first period on a four-minute power play, thanks to a double minor for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct against the Blues’ Ivan Barbashev. St. Louis kept Arizona from scoring, drawing cheers from Blues fans.

St. Louis went on a 5-on-3 power play early in the second period after a tripping call against Raanta and a hooking penalty on defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Blues couldn’t convert.

“That was huge momentum for us right there,” Tocchet said. “That’s hard work there. After we killed it we kind of got back in the game.”

Raanta said the Coyotes took away the middle of the zone on defense.

“That was first or second 5-on-3 for me this year,” Raanta said. “They really didn’t get the one-timers, so that made my life a little bit easier.”

Arizona’s hit the crossbar with a shot at 5:59 of the second period. Despite several chances for both teams, neither managed a goal in the second 20 minutes.

Allen had 23 saves for St. Louis, which lost for just the fifth time in regulation time on the road this season.

“They’re a quick team. They’re fast, they’ve got a fast group of top nine forwards obviously with a lot of skill, and they’ve got a quick goalie. They’re a tough team to beat,” Allen said of the Coyotes. “They’re definitely a team on the rise and we just didn’t have our ‘A’ game. ... We’ve had a good run, it was a good 2019 and we’re ready to turn the page and move on to a good second half.” 1168951 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning prospects look good at World Juniors

By Diana C. Nearhos

Published Yesterday

Updated Earlier today

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For NHL general management teams, the World Junior Championship is basically a giant prospect showcase.

Half of the 200 players in this season’s international under-20 tournament, which started the day after Christmas in the Czech Republic, have been drafted. The others are up for grabs, so to speak.

The tournament, which has its quarterfinals Thursday, is the pre-NHL highlight of many young players’ careers. The Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli played in it in 2017 for Canada and has called it the most fun he has had playing hockey.

From the perspective of someone who is evaluating young talent, World Juniors is a golden opportunity.

Every NHL team has at least one prospect in the tournament; the Kings have nine. The Lightning are in the middle of the pack with three: wing Nolan Foote (Canada), goalie (Sweden) and wing Maxim Cajkovic (Slovakia).

“It’s the best players in their age group,” Lightning assistant general manager and director of player development Stacy Roest said. “We love when our guys make the team. Whether they play a lot or not, it’s good experience.”

There can be a bit of an asterisk in evaluating players at a tournament like this. Some players will be used differently, shifting from wing to center, for example, or to a different line.

That’s not the case for any of the Lightning prospects this season. But there is a caveat for Cajkovic in that he’s playing for a not-great Slovakia team.

Cajkovic, who turns 19 Friday, has two assists in three games entering Thursday’s quarterfinal against Canada. Roest likes seeing the ice time he is getting, especially in his first year in the tournament, calling him “one of the more relied-upon guys on that team.” Cajkovic, a Lightning third-round draft pick last year, is playing this season in the Quebec Major Junior League with Saint John.

Alnefelt, 18, is another first-year player in a big role as Sweden’s starting goalie. He helped the Swedes, who play the Czech Republic in the quarters today, extend their preliminary-round winning streak to 52 games since 2006.

Alnefelt is one of four goalies in the tournament with a save percentage over .900 (.914) and one of three with a goals-against average under 2.00 (1.95). Roest likes the progress Alnefelt has made this season overall playing in Sweden since the Lightning drafted him in the third round in June.

Foote is showing off his scoring. The Lightning’s 2019 first-round pick is tied for Canada’s team lead with three goals in four games. Foote, who plays in the junior Western League with Kelowna, scored on a rocket of a wrist shot in an opening win against the United States and on a one-timer from the top of the circle against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Roest this season isn’t at the tournament, which is his preference. He watched full games Tuesday, and sometimes he watches clips from them.

“You get a good feel for it,” he said. “But you have to go to the games. You watch all the stuff behind, in-between whistles. There’s something about going to a game that you get a feel for the crowd and the (officiating).”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168952 Tampa Bay Lightning impact on the team, though he may or may not have been talking about fighting lessons.

“I like the veteran presence he’s had,” Cooper said. “Experience is what Lightning complete a season sweep of the Sabres he brings both in our locker room and on the ice. He adds toughness and is a team first guy.”

Schenn began Tuesday’s game playing with as Jan Rutta By Diana C. Nearhos is “banged up” and missed his second game. Cooper didn’t have a timeline for Rutta’s return. Published Yesterday AHL trade Updated Yesterday The Lightning made a minor-league trade, sending forward Chris Mueller

to Anaheim in exchange for defenseman Patrick Sieloff. BUFFALO — The Lightning finished off 2019 on a high note within the Sieloff has played the vast majority of his seven-year career in the AHL. Atlantic Division. They swept Buffalo to continue a season-high four- He has one NHL game with each Calgary and Ottawa, but with a goal in game win streak, all against division opponents, and moved into third each. The 25-year-old has played 290 AHL games with five teams in place. three organizations (there was a lot of shuffling in that league for a “You have to win these games, these are the big ones,” coach Jon couple of years). Cooper said before Tuesday’s 6-4 win over Buffalo. “There’s wild cards This season, Sieloff has played 19 games with San Diego, Anaheim’s and different scenarios to get into the playoffs, but you give yourself a affiliate, with one goal and 16 penalty minutes. chance when you win.” Mueller has also bounced around, playing for nine organizations, and this Each division game carries a potential four-point swing. Some mean less, will be his second stint in San Diego. He had 23 points in 31 games for like Sunday’s win over bottom-dwelling Detroit. But the middle five teams the Crunch this season. are all within eight points.

“To win in regulation, not to give them any points (is huge),” Victor Hedman said. “We get two and we push them two more points behind Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 01.02.2020 us.”

They have two more division games next, in Montreal and Ottawa. The Lightning would like to keep the win streak going, but also figure out their slow starts.

They put only three shots on net in Tuesday’s first period, then gave up three goals in the second. The Lightning finished with five unanswered goals to win, but is wasn’t a perfect recipe.

“Emotionally we weren’t in the game (early),” said Alex Killorn, who scored two goals including the game-winner. “Good teams find a way to win. We didn’t have the start we wanted, but we did find a way to win.”

That win is the key point, but the Lightning had to out-score some issues, something they’re trying to rely on less this year.

Buffalo took a 4-1 lead midway through the second period, on nice play by Jack Eichel. He stripped the puck in his defensive zone, on a penalty kill no less, and then beat Kevin Shattenkirk and put an impressive backhand past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The Lightning felt momentum turned their favor before that, when Mikhail Sergachev put a big hit on Eichel and then answered Jake McCabe’s call, dropping the gloves.

In hindsight, that play did make a big difference. But Buffalo scored on the ensuing power play, and the game could easily have continued in the Sabres’ favor at that point.

Instead, Killorn scored a power-play goal a few minutes later, and then Tyler Johnson brought the Lighting within one on a breakaway with about three minutes left. That was the goal that Cooper felt gave them more life.

The Lightning came out in the third period and added two more goals from Shattenkirk and Killorn, before Anthony Cirelli sealed the game with an empty-netter.

A fighting lesson

Luke Schenn hasn’t played a major role for the Lightning this year, but he taught a little lesson Tuesday morning.

Schenn, a veteran of 46 NHL fights, gave Erik Černák, three fights, some pointers at the end of morning skate. He demonstrated squaring off the shoulders, grabbing the jersey to face off with someone.

Černák was not the one to use those pointers in Tuesday’s game against Buffalo, though. Schenn got into a tussle with Dalton Smith, an AHL heavyweight called up for the game, that wasn’t really a fight. Then Sergachev dropped the gloves for the first time in his NHL career.

Schenn has played in 15 of the Lightning’s 38 games this season, after starting out in Syracuse. Before the game, coach Jon Cooper praised his 1168953 Toronto Maple Leafs

Short-handed Leafs defence makes a little room for the Specialist

By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter

Wed., Jan. 1, 2020

When he coached the Maple Leafs’ defence, D.J. Smith had a nickname for Martin Marincin: the Specialist.

Marincin, in fact, has a variety of nicknames. His teammates call him Marv. But the Specialist is apropos, especially with injuries mounting these days.

“It was because I was good on the penalty kill,” says Marincin. “That’s why he called me the Specialist.”

Basically, Marincin plays when needed. With Jake Muzzin out week-to- week with a broken foot, the Leafs need Marincin now.

“That’s hockey,” says Marincin. “Injuries in hockey are normal. So I get a chance, and I’ll try to play good. We’ll see.”

Marincin hasn’t looked out of place the last two games in place of Muzzin, and should be back in the lineup Thursday in Winnipeg. He plays mostly with Justin Holl, Marincin’s partner in the AHL when the Marlies won the Calder Cup.

“When he’s confident and feeling good, he’s a good player,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Marincin. “I’ve seen them play very well. He and Holl, in my time in the American league, that was the dominant pairing, the big reason why we were able to win a Calder Cup.

“We’ve seen a lot of progression here from Holl, obviously. Of course, Marincin has got a bigger sample in the NHL and hasn’t quite found his way, but this is a good opportunity for him.”

Marincin has been up and down with the Marlies, one of a handful of players getting the yo-yo treatment, though the motivation to send him down is different.

Mason Marchment was recalled Wednesday and will be at Thursday’s game in Winnipeg. Like other callups yet to play an NHL game — , Jeremy Bracco, and Teemu Kivihalme – Marchment’s recall is to get him acclimatized to life in the NHL. In Marincin’s case, the idea was to get in game time with the Marlies rather than sit as a healthy scratch with the Leafs.

“We’re a very good team this year,” said Marincin. “So, a lot of good players. They’re playing good now. I understand the situation … I just want to be ready for my chance.”

Marincin has had an interesting tenure with the Leafs. Claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers, he played 65 games in 2015-16, the year the Leafs finished dead last and drafted Auston Matthews first overall.

Since then, he’s been a role player with games here and there, frequently a healthy scratch, and now an up-and-down relationship with the AHL Marlies.

While players such as Miro Aaltonen went back to Europe when the NHL didn’t work out at first, Marincin chose to stay.

He’s always seemed to be a bit of a tweener on defence: not a scorer, not the best puck mover and not really a brute in terms of pushing guys off pucks, but a defence-first defenceman. Former Leafs coach Mike Babcock frequently praised Marincin, but seldom played him. Marincin declined to speak about playing for Babcock.

“I know that he can kill penalties very well,” said Keefe. “So that’ll help … we want to give Marincin a good chance here to get going.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168954 Toronto Maple Leafs Wild, and got their shots from better places. In their past 10 games they are second in the NHL in expected goals, which measures where the shots come from, with puck possession still in line with their elite season- long numbers. Cut down turnovers and the resulting deficiency in Keefe’s Leafs enter new year with wins beneath their wings — chaos is reorganizing quickly and what do these Leafs look like? so 2019 “(Keefe isn’t) telling us to just kind of play and do whatever we want,” says veteran winger Jason Spezza. “There’s a lot of structure to what we’re trying to do. It’s just different structure than what everyone’s used By Bruce Arthur Sports Columnist to talking about. So there’s still a lot of emphasis on, like, a third guy high Wed., Jan. 1, 2020 and guys tracking the puck and, you know, getting them by the red line and just traditional coaching stuff. It’s just, it just looks a little different at times.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, until quite recently, had been playing chaos “I think what we’re getting used to is the motion, being able to then cover hockey. Blow a lead, or nearly blow a lead. Come back from a deficit, for our mistakes too. That’s the last piece — it’s coming, I think. It’s outscore your problems. Win 8-6, win 5-4 in overtime, lose 5-4 in definitely achievable. And it’s a little bit of a feeling, too. It’s like, once you overtime, whichever, and that was all within a week. From an do it a few times then you get confident in it, and then everything entertainment standpoint, the Leafs have been a gas. becomes a little easier.

Because this is hockey, people tut-tutted that this won’t win in the “Like … the Rangers game (where Toronto came back from a 4-2 deficit playoffs, and in fairness it hasn’t in a long time. This is hockey. Chaos in the third before losing in OT), I don’t think we get a point there maybe doesn’t cut it. a month ago. Like even at the start with Keefer, you know, the belief wasn’t there. Now we believe that we can come back in games. It’s like But it’s not like this Leafs team sets out to paint a Jackson Pollock you never feel like you’re out of it. That game felt like we were going to painting every time out. It’s not like still-new coach Sheldon Keefe is tie it up. Like, it just felt like it was only a matter of time, you know? It’s telling them to just have fun out there. And even before their often-clinical coming. It’s feeling more natural.” 4-1 win in Minnesota on New Year’s Eve, there was a feeling that this team was in fact very close to seizing a reasonable amount of control, in Controlling shot attempts, good shots, elite finishers, good goaltending as much as hockey allows. and covering up your mistakes. That formula might not sound so crazy in the playoffs, but that’s still a debate for the future. Right now the “We’re not far at all, I think,” said defenceman on Monday. schedule is about to get a little tougher, which will be a good test. But “To have control of the game often means to have control of the puck, whatever it’s worth, the Leafs feel like they’re about to ace it. and I think if you look at the game there are long stretches of time where we do have control of the puck, and when we have a lead and have the puck, that’s great. That’s kind of what we define as having control of the game. Toronto Star LOADED: 01.02.2020

“So, it’s important to play with the lead, play well defensively, keep it, and you know once you have the lead, you keep the puck. But I think we’re right there. You have conversations with your teammates and it’s oftentimes, ‘We’re almost there, we’re right there,’ and the train of thought is that we’re almost really good. And I think we’re right on the brink of it.”

Then they went to Minnesota and took control for a test drive. The Leafs took a lead, built the lead and buttoned up long stretches of the game. They didn’t allow a shot for the first 6:22 of the second period, up 2-0; halfway through the game the Wild had four shots on goal at five-on-five.

And in the third period, with Toronto up 3-1, Minnesota had five shots on goal and not much that was very dangerous. The Wild aren’t an offensive monster, but it’s something.

“We’ve handled all sorts of different situations, right?” Keefe told reporters in Minneapolis. “So we’re gaining experience from that.”

The experiences often involved the Leafs giving up goals off turnovers, over and over. Calgary on Dec. 12 was the best example: three goals allowed in three minutes, and the game turned. Part of it is the fact that the Leafs are prioritizing possession over attack; if you have the puck more, you can turn it over more.

But more, the Leafs are given licence to try things — for defencemen to dive in the offensive zone, replaced by forwards, with everyone in near- constant motion — and they don’t always work out. And the Leafs haven’t been good at the immediate cleanup.

“I think if you really look at it, a lot of our issues that have come up that have cost us goals against, it’s easy to say they’re defensive issues, because you know it’s going into our net,” said Keefe earlier this week. “But we think they’re offensive issues. They’re turning the puck over in a bad spot, and you can’t have any structure defensively when you turn the puck over in a bad spot.

“The difficult part of it is, man, you’ve got such offensive players that are really feeling it, and they feel like they can make a difference and they can score a goal at any time, that they push a little extra.

“But … we think (fixing it is) pretty simple.”

He noted the Leafs had spent almost twice as much time in the offensive zone as in their own of late: adjusted for the score by the website Natural Stat Trick, Toronto had 61.2 per cent of the shot attempts to 38.8 for the 1168955 Toronto Maple Leafs Exposing players such as Marchment and Brooks — who will play in his third NHL game against the Jets, in his home town — to life in the NHL is part of the greater plan.

Tavares' up-close look at Nylander has Leafs captain impressed “Part of getting that opportunity is to be prepared for when it comes so even if they don’t get in the lineup, we think just having them around gets them the chance to be comfortable with the staff, with teammates, with what we’re doing with the NHL and everything that the NHL brings,” Terry Koshan Keefe said. “We did that with Brooks and it worked well.” January 1, 2020 10:09 PM EST LOOSE LEAFS

The Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche on New Year’s Eve, winning 7-4 WINNIPEG — Working on the same line with William Nylander has given on the road, but have been sputtering. Winnipeg has lost six of its past Maple Leafs captain John Tavares a greater appreciation of what nine games and has not won two in a row since Dec. 8 and Dec. 10, but Nylander potentially brings to each shift. that didn’t matter to Keefe. “They have dangerous offensive weapons and if we make mistakes, they will make us pay for it,” Keefe said. “We’re “Just the way he thinks the game and his poise,” Tavares said. “I think going to have to be prepared for that. We were much better defensively he’s underrated with how strong he is on the puck. He can hold on to it (in winning in Minnesota on Tuesday) but it will be put to the test even for long periods with a lot of pressure on him. more (against the Jets).” … Among the observers at Leafs practice was Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea, who guided the “You have a lot of trust when you give it to him, and then I think we just Bombers in November to their first Grey Cup championship since 1990 read off each other well. It’s nice when you get put together and you have … Jason Spezza didn’t want to give concussion spotters any ideas when some good results early. he took a deflected shot off the back of his head against the Wild, “When you get out there with him you see so many little things right up popping back up and heading to the bench. “I wanted to show that I was close. (Nylander’s) sense of the game and how quick those decisions fine,” Spezza said. “It was scary when it was coming at me, but when I have to be made and sometimes not even taking a look, just having a turned and it hit me, I knew that it got the meaty part of the helmet, so I feel for where everyone is. It’s really impressive.” was fine.”

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, who hasn’t been hesitant to move players around even when most are healthy, has had to make changes with Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 forwards Ilya Mikheyev, Trevor Moore and Andreas Johnsson nursing injuries.

As well as Tavares meshed with , it’s encouraging for the staff that the Tavares-Nylander duo has been effective. Partly because of that, Nylander has scored a goal in four consecutive games for the first time in his National Hockey League career, and has become the third player in franchise history to score the winning goal in three consecutive road games.

“He has been really good,” Keefe said of Nylander’s consistency. “Whether it’s him just finding his own game and being comfortable or the chemistry there with the presence of John on this line. His presence on the power play, he has got a lot more comfortable with his role. All those sort of things seem to be falling into place and he has been excellent.”

Mason Marchment has developed rather well since toiling in the ECHL just three seasons ago, and the forward’s dream of playing in the NHL took a large step on Wednesday when he was recalled from the .

Toronto didn’t have an extra forward on the trip and needed a body after some were banged up against Minnesota on Tuesday.

But while Marchment didn’t take regular line rushes at practice on Wednesday and did not expect to play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, the fact he’s this close to the NHL had him in a fine mood as he peeled off his equipment.

“It’s huge,” Marchment said. “It has been a long time to get here and a long road, so it’s definitely a cool day.”

The 6-foot-4, 204-pound Marchment has persevered through injuries and has four points in 11 games for the Marlies. If he gets into a game with the Leafs, expect that he would provide the kind of sandpaper the Leafs don’t have in great supply.

“I’ve been really impressed with how he has worked through my time with the Marlies,” Keefe said. “He has put himself in the position to get this call. He has had a long journey.”

Of course, one of Marchment’s first calls was to his dad Bryan, whose 926-game NHL career took root in the 1988-89 season with the Jets and later included one season with the Leafs.

That Marchment has a relationship with Keefe is a bonus.

“He never really took it too easy on me (with the Marlies) and he was always pushing me,” Marchment said. “He helped make me better, like he did with (Adam) Brooks and (Trevor) Moore.” 1168956 Toronto Maple Leafs

Goal drought is not eating away at Leafs' Rielly

Terry Koshan

January 1, 2020 8:48 PM EST

WINNIPEG — Three goals in 41 games, on pace for six.

This after Morgan Rielly scored a career-high 20 last season.

The 25-year-old defenceman isn’t lying awake at night wondering when he is going to score again.

“It’s a good work environment, we feel good around each other, and as an individual it’s important to keep the big picture in mind,” Rielly said. “Wins are more important than anything else. I don’t really care about what anyone else has to say. I feel good.”

Rielly has not scored since Oct. 25, a span of 29 games, his longest run without a goal since he went 32 games in 2016-17 without scoring.

Strictly on the scoresheet, Rielly’s offensive value has been apparent. His 22 assists are second on the Leafs, five fewer than leader Mitch Marner and one more than Auston Matthews.

Rielly said he has not found a big adjustment in playing with the offensive-minded Tyson Barrie after skating alongside steady veteran Ron Hainsey in previous seasons.

“There’s not a huge difference, to be honest,” Rielly said. “The goal is the same — break out quick, move pucks, don’t get scored on. I think we can do a better job of it.”

Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168957 Toronto Maple Leafs “I wanted to make sure I would keep a proper perspective and focus on every day as it comes. It’s important for us to do that and not lose ourselves.”

Leafs driven by optimism, but keeping feet on ground, as second half And at the same time, starting to take a longer look at the standings. The starts Leafs are in second in the Atlantic Division with 49 points, and here comes the Tampa Bay Lightning with four wins in a row, three points behind Toronto and with three games in hand.

Terry Koshan “There’s lots of talk early in the season, but there’s no point in looking back at the first 15-20 games,” Rielly said. “Now it becomes important, January 1, 2020 8:40 PM EST you start to look toward the playoffs.”

WINNIPEG — While the tendency might be to take a glance back once Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 the calendar flips to a new year, the Maple Leafs’ main interest is to look ahead.

When the Leafs take the ice at Bell MTS Place on Thursday night to clash with the Winnipeg Jets in Game No. 42 of the 2019-20 regular season, they will start the second half not only brimming with optimism, but also with the sense that much remains to be accomplished.

Thirteen wins in 18 games since Sheldon Keefe took over as coach, the Leafs are thinking, represents a nice start to something bigger.

“We have a young group that feels confident with the structure and playing well, and there are lots of reasons to be optimistic,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said after the Leafs practised on New Year’s Day at the Jets’ home arena.

“(The wins) were bound to happen. Once you start getting confidence, it becomes easier to get rolling. I’m not surprised, just because of the people we have.

“There was no way we were going to go through a full season without a push back (from within). I’m not saying we’re all the way there yet, but we are straightening things out.”

The Leafs on Wednesday recalled forward Mason Marchment from the Toronto Marlies, but Keefe didn’t make changes to his lines or defence pairings at practice and expected to use the same lineup that beat the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Tuesday.

Several factors have been encouraging under Keefe. Mike Babcock’s successor hasn’t simply opened the barn door and let the Leafs run wild, emphasizing puck possession as much as playing with an offensive thrust at the forefront. While the Leafs have run into trouble at times defensively, they’ve made in-game adjustments and have been able to recover when it has been required.

On top of that, where Babcock often couldn’t get his team to start on time, no matter the opponent or the location, the Leafs have been a heck of a lot more enthused from the opening faceoff since Keefe became their guide. Toronto has held a 1-0 lead 13 times in the Keefe era.

“We understand the attention to detail and how difficult things are even when they are going well,” captain John Tavares said. “We’ve taken ownership as a team and as guys individually, that we just didn’t play up to our standard. It’s up to us every night to do our job a lot better than we were.”

It’s true that Keefe has encouraged the Leafs to play to their strengths, but for veteran centre Jason Spezza, who has experienced plenty in his National Hockey League career as he nears 1,100 games, there’s more in the details that has helped result in success.

“The biggest message (when Keefe was hired) was that we’re going to not listen to the outside noise and we’re going to play to how we think this team should play and we’re going to try to win games that way,” Spezza said. “We’ve had that strong belief, but I think Keefer has done a really good job of identifying when things are slipping and making the tweaks in practice so it doesn’t trail into games.”

That’s one area that never falls from Keefe’s attention. As he built his coaching resume with the winning ways he had with the Marlies, Keefe kept a close eye on the NHL, taking mental notes that he probably knew would one day work in his favour.

“One of the things that was clear to me is that there are a lot of big swings,” Keefe said. “Teams go on stretches where everything goes their way, and then things can turn in an instant, it goes the other way and it’s hard to get back. 1168958 Toronto Maple Leafs Heat was on at the start of the year for off-ice antics, but he persevered through that and a late November slide. Hit it off with new coach.

Mitch Marner Maple Leaf first half report cards 30 GP, 10-27-37, +2

A Lance Hornby Delivering on his new big contract and has begun to take a vital January 1, 2020 5:54 PM EST leadership role.

Zach Hyman

Frederik Andersen 22 GP, 9-6-15, +8

20-8-4, 2.66 GAA .915 Save % B plus

A How much did Babcock miss this guy? Leaf penalty killing and line deployment improved once he returned from knee surgery. Over-reliance on the Dane has cost the Leafs in previous seasons so they have to proceed cautiously approaching April. John Tavares

Michael Hutchinson 34 GP, 16-19-35, Even

2-5-1, 4.03 GAA .883 Save % A

D Consistent in scoring and maintaining team narrative in the media. Whether you think Leafs needed a captain or not, it’s good to see Everyone in the dressing room is in his corner, now the rest is up to him. someone wearing a C again.

DEFENCEMEN William Nylander

Morgan Rielly 41 GP, 17-18-35, +5

41 GP, 3-22-25, +7 C plus

C plus This is his best stretch of hockey as a Leaf right now, but the acid test will come in playoffs. Doesn’t have the offensive numbers from last year and currently in a goal funk, but at this stage of his Leaf career, he’s only thinking team success. Kasperi Kapanen

Tyson Barrie 41 GP, 9-12-21, -2

41 GP, 4-17-21, -3 C minus

B minus Been off his game from the start when he he was put on Hyman’s spot, but will be heard from befor the season is through. Perhaps the veteran who most benefitted from the coaching change. Alex Kerfoot Cody Ceci 36 GP, 7-8-15, +1 41 GP, 1-6-7, +7 B minus C minus As advertised, he’s a strong checker and though he doesn’t have Nazem Hard to get a read on the former Senator, who has had different partners Kadri’s snarl, he’s not gone over the edge, either. and a new system to learn. Has had coverage issues. Frederik Gauthier Justin Holl 37 GP, 4-4-8, +1 39 GP 1-10-11, +12 C B minus A 58.3% success rate on the draw is just one of the things The Goat can Up around 20 minutes of vital ice time a night for last year’s frequent do on the fourth line. healthy scratch. Jason Spezza Jake Muzzin 29 GP, 5-10-15, -4 38 GP, 3-10-13, +8 C B plus The ‘Swiss Army Knife’ on the Leafs can still cut it, despite a rocky start The warrior of the blueline is shelved for a bit. Leafs need him at 100% under Babcock. for playoffs. Dmytro Timashov Travis Dermott 29 GP, 3-5-8, +1 28 GP, 3-4-7, +7 C C plus Will likely be pressed the most of all the Marlie call-ups to hold his job A whiz with the puck, but how he stands up to physical punishment when injured forwards start returning. dictates his effectiveness. Trevor Moore FORWARDS 22 GP, 3-2-5, -1 Auston Matthews C 41 GP, 27-21-48, +15 Won a spot last year, but now challenged by his recent injuries. A minus Pierre Engvall

19 GP, 4-4-8, +3

C plus

Already being trusted with vital minutes with veterans and special teams’ work, the biggest surprise of the Marlie call-ups so far.

Ilya Mikheyev

39 GP, 8-15-23, +7

C plus

What could’ve been the Leafs best rookie story in awhile was derailed by hand surgery. But if he fully recovers as expected, a vital piece of playoff help.

Andreas Johnsson

30 GP, 6-10-16, +2

C plus

Little Swede goes to the front of the net where angels fear to tread, but paid the price last month for his shot blocking.

Incomplete grades – D Martin Marincin, F , F Adam Brooks

Coach Sheldon Keefe

B plus

What’s not to like about a record of 13-4-1 when the Leafs were close to falling out of playoff contention? His team still has some own-zone issues to address.

General manager

C plus

Promoted Keefe to the Leafs at the right moment, but elements of the slow start were still on him. Second half will say a lot about his future.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168959 Toronto Maple Leafs Nylander has resembled a more tantalizing, consistent version of the player who notched 61 points in each of his first two seasons, as a 20- and 21-year-old. He has real 30-goal potential for the first time this season for one thing, and while there’s a slight shooting percentage Maple Leafs midseason awards: Most intriguing, best newcomer, top bump happening here (15 percent), it’s not so outrageously out of line for forward, most disappointing, MVP someone with a shot like Nylander. As Auston Matthews and other teammates like to crack, he’s hitting the net more these days, too, and

firing from more opportune areas. By Jonas Siegel Consider his shot selection as a rookie during the 2016-17 season: Jan 1, 2020 And now, this season:

What also has helped the 23-year-old is locking down a spot on the The Maple Leafs’ season is halfway done. Leafs’ No. 1 power-play unit.

Without further ado, let’s hand out some awards! Nylander didn’t get there until Marner hurt his ankle in mid-November, but Sheldon Keefe made it permanent even after Marner returned. Best newcomer: Ilya Mikheyev Nylander has played a big part in helping the unit grow more unpredictable and dangerous with that wicked shot, passing ability and Almost two weeks after dropping Game 7 to the Bruins last spring, the vision. He’s fourth on the team with 10 points. Leafs plucked a little-known winger from the KHL and signed him to a one-year, entry-level deal. That has been a factor in Nylander landing almost 18 minutes per game, a potential career-high. It looks like arguably their finest strike of the offseason. Why most intriguing? Whatever expectations Kyle Dubas and company might have had back then for the Russian — a potential replacement for Patrick Marleau at left Because we’re seeing Nylander scratch even more of the surface than wing? — were surely surpassed in the first half of the season. he did before. We have a pretty good idea by now of what Matthews is. Same thing with Marner. But the ceiling doesn’t feel established yet with In 39 games, Mikheyev showed he could do a little bit of everything: Nylander. score some; chug up and down the ice with surprising speed; put his 6- foot-3, 195-pound frame to work retrieving pucks; disrupt power plays; We’re getting closer to figuring it out this season, and it’s looking well, and be a nuisance to play against, with a certain sticktoitiveness. most intriguing.

Mikheyev dipped a little in November but came on strong after that, even Some of that comes down to Nylander making considerable strides with looking like a top-6 winger before an artery and tendons in his right wrist consistency this year. He briefly slowed down in mid-December before were scarily severed last week in New Jersey. Mikheyev was sitting heating back up again here recently — not with Matthews, interestingly fourth in the rookie scoring race at the time of the injury and first in even- enough, but Tavares. strength points and shots. He was top-40 league-wide in 5-on-5 points, with the same number as players like , , and Nylander is a top-40 scorer in the league right now (top-30 at even- Mark Stone. strength) and on pace for 34 goals and 70 points.

His per-60 minute 5-on-5 production wasn’t far off from Mitch Marner. Most surprising performance: Justin Holl

The 25-year-old found a snug fit on just about every line he joined, Could even Dubas, the biggest Holl booster around, have imagined that particularly with John Tavares. The Leafs’ captain managed more shots, by midseason Holl would be soaking up 20 minutes most nights scoring chances and high-danger shot attempts per 60 when he played effectively (53 percent expected goals) in the Leafs’ top-4? Could he with Mikheyev than he did with the team’s top left winger, Zach Hyman. have imagined signing Holl to a three-year extension, with a $2 million a year cap hit, on Dec. 31? Just before Holl played his 52nd career NHL All this amounts to a huge win for the Leafs. game?

Hitting a home run on a player like Mikheyev — an undrafted free agent Probably not. — is hugely important to any team, but especially one living in Capmaggedon like the Leafs. They essentially nabbed a top-9 winger, What a year it has been for the 27-year-old, an out-of-nowhere half- who was on pace for 17 goals and 48 points before the injury, for almost season that has seen him leap from healthy scratch in 87 percent of the nothing. It’s how they can survive paying all that money to their stars — Leafs’ regular-season games last season, passed over for minutes by by finding talent in unusual places (as well as usual places, like the draft) Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov, to one of the most stable elements of on the cheap. the Leafs’ defence.

Where it gets tricky with Mikheyev: He’s a restricted free agent this Holl wasn’t even in the lineup on opening night. summer and will cost a lot more than $925,000 on the cap next season. The guy who forever struggled to earn the trust of former Leafs coach How much more? Well, not having him around now for most, if not all, of Mike Babcock is now checking top lines, killing penalties and even the remaining regular season, might just keep the price down — although driving the bus on the rush more often now that Keefe is running the the team surely would prefer him being around to chase a playoff spot. bench. Mikheyev was a real darkhorse for this (most prestigious, imaginary) It’s the most unlikely of stories. award coming into the year. The Colorado newcomers, Tyson Barrie and Alex Kerfoot, had much stronger odds, and while Barrie has surged Holl was coming out of the ECHL not all that long ago, just trying to offensively since the coaching change, Kerfoot (as we’ll discuss later) is scratch out a spot under Keefe with the Marlies in the fall of 2015. Now, still finding his way. Holl is under contract longer than any defenceman on the roster.

Neither has had the consistent impact that Mikheyev had before getting Top defenceman: Morgan Rielly hurt. This was easily the hardest award to give out. Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall, meanwhile, get shout-outs for their contributions in supporting roles. With apologies to Holl, who has surpassed any and all expectations so far, the race came down to Rielly and the now-injured Jake Muzzin. Most intriguing player: William Nylander First instinct was Muzzin. He had been the most sturdy piece of the This is why, if you were Dubas last fall, you resist the urge to trade puzzle on the Leafs’ defence before he broke his foot last week, the Nylander during the months-long contract squabble. And why, even when wiliest defender, including on the penalty kill. He was boxing with top a $6.9 million cap hit looks a little pricey at the time, you get it done lines in recent weeks and bests Rielly in underlying defensive categories anyway. like shots against, scoring chances against, shot attempts against and expected goals against per 60 minutes through half a season. The Leafs You do it hoping you get something like this. don’t have anyone on the back-end with his combination of subtle cheaper model in Kerfoot, whom they signed to a four-year deal with an defensive brilliance and veteran know-how. annual $3.5 million cap hit.

He leads the team in both hits and blocked shots. It just hasn’t happened yet.

Rielly’s season, on the other hand, feels like a disappointment so far. But The 25-year-old hasn’t delivered the same punch from lower in the lineup I’m wondering if he’s being judged too harshly against last season when as Kadri might have. His apparent creativity and passing ability haven’t he potted a wild 20 goals and 72 points and finished in the Norris Trophy translated yet into much offence for himself or those who surround him race, as well as some Jake Gardiner-esque decisions, which have (although some of the underlying numbers — scoring chances, expected occasionally blown up. goals, high-danger shot attempts — look a little stronger). He scored for only the second time in 20 games in the Leafs New Year’s Eve bash in Would we look at his season differently if he was scoring individually like Minnesota and has only one more 5-on-5 assist than Dmytro Timashov he did a year ago? Rielly is firing about the same number of shots on all season. average as last year, but shooting an Arctic-like 2.7 percent. Last season, that number was a sizzling nine percent. Kerfoot has won under 46 percent of his faceoffs this year, meanwhile, including 41 percent in the defensive zone. It’s not a slam-dunk either Rielly landed 10 shots on goal last week against the Rangers and didn’t that he ends up at centre. Of late, with a rash of injuries up front, the score on any of them. He has gone 29 straight games without a goal. Leafs have moved him to wing where he has found some comfort with Still, he remains on pace for about six goals and 50 points — despite Nylander and Tavares. Kerfoot presumably will end up back in the middle falling off the top power-play unit when Keefe took over — or about the once Andreas Johnsson returns from injury, but if not, the Leafs will have production he managed the year before his big breakout. He has a big question mark in the third centre spot (Engvall? Spezza?). mustered 1.10 assists per 60 minutes 5-on-5, about on par with last All that said, Kerfoot isn’t all that far off from putting up the same kind of season’s mark (1.12). He still has more power-play points than Barrie numbers — 17 goals and 42.5 points on average — he did in his first two and about double Muzzin’s overall production. NHL seasons with the Avalanche. He’s on pace for 15 goals and 32 The Leafs aren’t destroying teams like they did when he was on the ice points. His 5-on-5 production actually exceeds last season (1.6 points per last year. Consider that at 5-on-5 last season, the Leafs outscored foes 60 minutes versus 1.4) but still falls well below what Kadri is producing by 31 goals(!) when Rielly was out there, 99-68. this season for Colorado (2.2) and even last season (1.8) for the Leafs.

This year, that number through 41 games: 38-33. Another culprit: the power play, where Kerfoot and the second unit troop are largely forgotten. He had 16 power-play points for the Avalanche last Some of the shooting dropoff is proper regression. Some of it seems tied year but only three to this point for the Leafs. to Rielly taking a less forceful role in the offence. We haven’t seen nearly as many of the end-to-end rushes that made his season last year pop so To truly make the offseason trade worthwhile, the Leafs need Kerfoot to forcefully, although he has been coming on a bit that way lately. ascend a little higher in the second half. It’s worth recalling that this is only his third NHL season. In other words, he’s still figuring things out Was he limited by injury? Almost certainly. Was the apparent slowdown and has plenty of runway to get far away from this conversation by the also because of who he has been partnered with this season? That’s time the season comes to an end. probably an important part of the story, too. Last season, Rielly had the stable genius that is Ron Hainsey at his side. There was no worrying Top forward: Auston Matthews about what knows-where-to-stand Hainsey would do. He was predictable This one is easy, and that’s sort of surprising. and safe, which made life easier for Rielly to make plays and defend. Heading into the season, one would imagine the race for top Leafs Safe or dangerous? forward at the midway mark to be the most challenging. But because Cody Ceci clearly leans more to the latter, and for a quarter of the Marner and Tavares were a bit out of sorts to start the season, and season, Rielly lugged Ceci around against top lines, and while it often because Matthews has been a goal-scoring machine all year, it’s a wasn’t pretty, the Leafs still came out ahead (17-16) on the overall tally, runaway win for the 22-year-old centre. with an expected goals tepidly around 50 percent. He’s already around the corner from hitting 30 goals for the fourth time in Of late, it has been Barrie at Rielly’s side, a big-time improvement in as many NHL seasons, now with 27 goals after scoring for the 11th time ability over Ceci but also an unpredictable force who likes to attack the in 11 games against the Wild on Tuesday night. same way that Rielly does. Matthews trails only David Pastrnak in the Rocket Richard race and A perennial Lady Byng candidate before this season, Rielly has taken 11 leads the league with 18 5-on-5 markers and seven multi-goal games. penalties already this season. Know who has taken more? Muzzin, with The Leafs are 13-2-4 when he scores. 16. He has added a one-timer to his scoring arsenal this season and Ultimately, even 75 percent of Rielly tops a solid Muzzin half-season and believes he has another gear to reach still on the power play; he’s just some unlikely dependability from Holl. Rielly remains the chief of the outside the top-5 league-wide with seven such markers. Toronto breakout, plays more minutes — a career-best of more than 24 He’s shooting pretty wickedly at 18 percent, but that doesn’t feel per game — than anyone on the team in all situations, and might be unsustainable for a shooter like him — and in fact, Matthews shot 18 viewed differently right now if a few more of his 110 shots had found percent as a sophomore when he popped 34 in 62 games. twine. He’s on pace to become only the fourth player in Leafs history to score He’s one hot streak away from returning to top-10 scoring status among 50 goals, potentially joining Dave Andreychuk, Rick Vaive and Gary NHL d-men; he’s hovering around the top-20 right now. Leeman.

Most disappointing performance: Alex Kerfoot If Matthews keeps rolling along like this, either in tandem with Marner or If Rielly not meeting last year’s high bar leaves you wanting more, he back with Nylander, and the Leafs keep winning games, Matthews will might be your guy here. Twenty games ago, this would have been Barrie. find himself in the Hart Trophy conversation for the first time, joining the And there’s an argument to be made that Kasperi Kapanen, despite likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Pastrnak, Nathan MacKinnon being on pace for almost exactly last season’s production, has and Jack Eichel. disappointed a bit so far, especially after the Leafs gave him a three-year His case gets more convincing by the day. contract last summer. Travis Dermott, too, is still finding his way. Most valuable player: Frederik Andersen But while he has largely slipped under the radar so far, Kerfoot gets the nod as most disappointing through 41 games. He’s yet to give the Leafs This race has tightened up in recent weeks with Matthews continuing to a near-facsimile of Nazem Kadri, who he’s replacing this season score like crazy and Andersen suddenly struggling, if looking sharp in a following a Canada Day swap that landed Kadri in Colorado and Kerfoot win over the Wild. and Barrie in Toronto. And that was part of the thinking behind the trade: The Leafs would upgrade their blueline and replace Kadri with a younger, Andersen gets the slight nod primarily because of how important he is to the Leafs — how wide the gap is, in short, between him and his backup, Michael Hutchinson.

Wins

Andersen: 20

Hutchinson: 2

Save percentage

Andersen: .915

Hutchinson: .883

5-on-5 save percentage

Andersen: .926

Hutchinson: .884

5-on-5 goals saved above average

Andersen: 8.4

Hutchinson: -6.9

Arguably, the most impactful move Lou Lamoriello made during his three seasons running the Leafs was trading for and then signing Andersen to a five-year deal (which has one year remaining after this one). Andersen’s $5 million cap hit ranks 15th at his position this season. It’s the same clip that Lamoriello’s Islanders are paying Semyon Varlamov this season for part-time work and that the Blackhawks are paying Robin Lehner, also for part-time work.

Consider that the Panthers are giving double that to Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million), as are the Canadiens to ($10.5).

Matthews may end up grabbing this title by the time the year’s done. Fifty goals probably top another dependable .918 save percentage season from Andersen.

But given what Andersen’s nightly dependability, under one of the league’s heaviest workloads, means to the Leafs, maybe not.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168960 Toronto Maple Leafs stretch — more than four goals per game — and boast the top power play.

“I think we’ve shown everybody that we’re a real contender,” Kapanen The Leafs believe they’re set up for big things in 2020: ‘I think we’ve said. “Obviously, there’s still things that we need to be better at, need to shown everybody that we’re a real contender’ improve in, but I think whenever we’re playing with the puck and we’re attacking, I feel like teams know what we’re all about. They know that we have a lot of talent and we’ve been playing better now, so it’s fun to see.”

By Jonas Siegel Growth and transition are the two words that come to mind for Zach Hyman when he looks back at 2019 for the Leafs. Dec 31, 2019 There was the stinging loss to Boston, he said, and all that change over

the summer that followed. ST. PAUL, Minn. — Morgan Rielly isn’t really into the whole look back on “And then obviously off to a rocky start,” Hyman continued on the start to the 2010s or the past year, or even looking to what lies ahead in 2020. the 2019-20 season. “Change. Transition. And then we’re kinda back on “I don’t think it’s even the end of a decade,” Rielly said, grinning and in track (now). Obviously, 2020 looks to be a lot different than the 2018-19 good spirits on New Year’s Eve after the Leafs’ 13th win in 18 tries under team.” Sheldon Keefe. “Every new year is the end of a decade. Two thousand If we’re looking at the past decade for the Leafs — sorry, Morgan — then and eight to 2018 is a decade. Two thousand and nine to 2019 is a 2019 may end up being the year when the franchise really, truly decade. Every fucking one is the end of a decade. So all these people changed. You could point to 2014, when Brendan Shanahan was hired, saying the decade’s come to an end — that happens every new year. or 2015, when Babcock began building the team from the ground up, or “So, it’s the end of the century, it’s the end of you-name-it.” even 2016, when Matthews went first overall. But it’s only this past year when the Leafs were playing with not just Stanley Cup hopes but also The last day of 2019 was, however, the midway point of this regular expectations, and when those failed to be met — last year in the playoffs season for the Leafs. And because of the surge under Keefe, the Leafs and again early this fall — change came knocking. Hard. are sitting second in the Atlantic Division and back on pace for nearly 100 points. Just as important was all the experience gleaned in 2019 and how that might impact Matthews, Marner, William Nylander, Rielly, Kapanen and So what does Rielly, the 25-year-old, longest-serving member of the Hyman in the year, and years, ahead. For this group, for instance, to franchise, hope the second half brings? have its very first chance to clinch a playoff series and fail — and then fail again in another Game 7. “See, that I can get behind because that’s a smaller scale,” Rielly said before delving deep into his beliefs for the potential of the club in 2020 — That’s the growth Hyman was talking about. er, the second half. “The best way to grow is to experience pain and adversity and loss,” the “I think that we have had a chance now to become more comfortable in 27-year-old said. “That’s the way that you get better because you have to our systems and with a new coach, personnel, and all that kind of stuff. get better. You don’t want to have those experiences again. You don’t And I think now it’s time for us to get rolling and have certain parts of our want to be in that position. You don’t want to have that feeling when you game become automatic. I think if you look at the really good teams lose and then you watch other teams go on, so you try to grow, you try to around the league and around sports, they get rolling like a machine, and get better. And as a player and as a team, you try to get to the next step they operate fluidly and they just go, go, and they become hard to stop. I so that you can put yourself in a better position because you’re probably guess the overall word for that would be just consistency every single gonna be in a Game 7 again. Hockey’s so tight that Game 7s are gonna day, being good, good, good, building. happen.

“I like that. “I think that most teams that win a Cup play in a Game 7.”

“That’s what we should be striving here for the next …” He paused. “… Hyman actually thought the early struggles this season, ending in 41.” Babcock’s dismissal, may end up proving useful.

The last year for the Leafs could be described as some combination of “Last year in a sense,” he said, “we kinda got to a point where we locked disappointment, frustration, a few thrills, missed expectations and a into a (playoff) spot. Maybe we were a little bit complacent in that sense. whole bunch of turnover. But this year, we got off to a bad start so every point kind of matters, even now it does — the division’s close. Nazem Kadri, the longest-serving Leaf before Rielly, was shipped out months after he was suspended in the playoffs for the second time in two “I think that it’s really good to face that type of adversity because it makes years. Jake Gardiner left, too. So did Nikita Zaitsev, Patrick Marleau and the team stronger.” Ron Hainsey as Kyle Dubas turned over a large chunk of the roster in his second summer in charge. The Leafs GM also went through high drama As upbeat and positive as things have been under Keefe, the coach and in trying to get Mitch Marner’s second contract done, and way back in players feel like there’s more room to climb. They’re still learning about February, he signed Auston Matthews to what was then the second- each other and the formulas Keefe wants established. The Leafs’ new highest cap hit in the league. John Tavares was named the team’s first coach mentioned the other day how much better he thought his team captain since Dion Phaneuf. could be in eliminating perilous breakdowns right in Frederik Andersen’s kitchen. He’s talked about showing better poise when playing with the And of course, the Leafs lost their second straight Game 7 to the Bruins lead. last spring, then stumbled their way out of the gate this season, leading to Mike Babcock’s dismissal in late November and Keefe’s promotion Both were positives against the Wild in the early New Year’s Eve bash. from the Marlies. The Leafs played keep-away most of the night. They won more than 60 “I guess if we’re talking about 2019,” Kasperi Kapanen said, “then percent of the shot attempts and scoring chances, and they took home obviously (it’s) disappointing the way last season ended, considering we the expected-goals trophy, at 62 percent. Scoring chances were 2-2 as had a great team, we were playing good, and another Game 7 (we) the Leafs closed things out in a low-event third. couldn’t really pull it off.” The picture has gotten pretty clear pretty quick about who the Leafs want “The way we’ve been playing right now,” he went on, “I think we’re one of to be in 2020 with Keefe and Dubas at the helm. That whole identity thing the better teams in the league, so it’s fun. It’s fun coming to the rink, and is suddenly sorting itself out nicely. Night to night, this is a team that everybody’s in a good mood, energy’s high. All in all, I think it’s been a wants to dominate the puck and put its skill to work. roller-coaster of a year, I guess, but at least we’re gonna end it on a high “Exactly,” Rielly said. — high note.” “I think that now, halfway in, and as you know as well as I do, on this In fact, the Leafs are tied for first in the league in wins, points and points home stretch, games get tougher, points become more important, wins percentage under Keefe. They’ve scored more than anybody in that become harder to come by for teams that are out of it — or chasing, you know what I mean? We want to be one of those teams that just rolls and just builds steam and keeps trending in the right direction. Just up and down — win three, lose two, win two, lose three type thing, we just want to get rolling. And that’s just my opinion. That’s not something that we talked about.

“I just see us as being on the brink of really becoming that.”

Winning has changed the vibe, certainly. It’s gone from tight, tense and heavy to loose, light and optimistic. It’s a group that seems to really see what a future playing like this could bring.

As for goals in 2020, Hyman said, “I think everybody knows what we’re striving for.”

“It’s what everybody strives for,” he said of the Cup. “But I think that we just want to continue to grow and to see progress. And that’s the most important thing is the results matter and results are how you feel about your team and yourself at the end of the day, but there’s a lot that goes into it. For instance, last year’s result was the same as the year before, but I think the growth was much different. I think the series was much different, but at the end of the day, same result. But it’s still showed growth, and even if it wasn’t in the sense of a result, we had that series — we had the opportunity to win it in Game 6 at home.

“You want to have growth, and you want to show progress, and you want to continue to build off what we’re doing. Because I think right now we’re still learning — I think it’s still early on in this transition period— but I think that we’ve seen results that are really encouraging and times of games where we’re dominating play and not giving up much. And if we’re able to sustain that and build off that, then that’s a good sign moving forward and in the playoffs.

“And we’re not there,” Hyman added, “which is exciting. When you see that there’s so much room for growth it’s really an exciting thing, because when you’re kinda capped and you don’t see where you could go, then I think it’s a little bit scarier.

“But I think that when you see the opportunity and potential and how much better we can be, that’s really exciting.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168961 Toronto Maple Leafs As a side note, there are going to be a lot of three-star grades. Few players stood out, but at the same time, no one really stunk up the joint. That’s in my book, so just keep that in mind when you see most of the team ranked here. Leafs Report Cards: William Nylander dazzles in New Year’s Eve stinker against the Wild Justin Holl (RD, No. 3) — It’s pretty cool that the Minnesota native who was a healthy scratch 70 times last year signed a contract guaranteeing him $2 million per season over the next three years. I’m so happy for Holl, who’s been my highest-rated Leaf this year on average, mainly By Ian Tulloch because he’s blown past expectations. This wasn’t his greatest game, Dec 31, 2019 but he made smart plays to get the puck up the ice, defended the rush well and even got into a bit of a scuffle with Ryan Suter.

The Rielly-Barrie Pairing — I’ve been watching a lot more soccer lately Sometimes I ask myself why I decided to do all 82 of the postgame Leafs (and playing way too much “FIFA 20” for my own good), and this pairing Report Cards this season — why do I choose to do this for a living? I reminds me a lot of the fullbacks we tend to see on possession-style can’t lie, it has been a lot of fun doing these. In a weird way, it’s been a teams. They’re not very useful when their team is on defence, but when dream come true writing about this team after every game, but from 6 the Leafs have the puck, Morgan Rielly and Tyson Barrie are great at p.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, there were a lot more things I using their speed to activate into the play and make life difficult for the would’ve rather been doing than watching the Minnesota Wild play opposition. I’m still not sure whether it’s an ideal fit — I’d argue that both hockey — and then writing about it. would be better alongside a partner with great gap control.

As you might’ve expected, it was an ugly game Tuesday night. Neither Alexander Kerfoot (LW, No. 15) — Fun fact: Kerfoot was open in the slot team looked super interested in the final 30 minutes, which did bode well and actually shot the puck. Even more fun fact: It went in! for the Maple Leafs, who held on to a 3-1 lead for most of the game before potting an empty-netter in the dying minutes. It wasn’t the prettiest In all seriousness, I was a fan of Kerfoot’s game. He was making clever win, but considering most people had other things on their mind — little saucer passes all evening, and although he wasn’t able to make including a lot of the players, by the looks of things — I don’t think much happen in the attacking zone, you have to give him credit for anyone’s going to be too upset about the outcome. beating Devan Dubnyk with that great one-timer.

If you’re sober enough to read this, I’m so sorry. Pierre Engvall (LW, No. 47) — After watching him go elbow-first into the boards awkwardly and straight to the locker room, I started to wonder Player reports whether the left-wing position is cursed in Toronto.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Zach Hyman: ACL injury (which he somehow played through in the playoffs) Game Ball : William Nylander (RW, No. 88) — He’s been on fire lately. I love watching Nylander play with confidence; he holds on to the Ilya Mikheyev: laceration (from a skate that ended up slicing the tendon puck for that extra half-second before making a saucer pass to break in his wrist) down the defence. It’s how he set up John Tavares for countless Trevor Moore: concussion (which we mysteriously haven’t heard much chances at even strength, not to mention Auston Matthews on the power about) play with this brilliant cross-seam feed. It was nice to see him come back and make an impact. There were a few Nylander has been making plays with the man advantage, driving plays that stood out to me, notably his little backhand pass to Kapanen possession at even strength, and most importantly, he’s producing. He’s backdoor for a great scoring chance, but I’ve still come to expect more now on pace for 70 points, which is where a lot of us had him projected from Engvall. With his size, skating ability, confidence with the puck and to start the season. Atta boy, Willy. heavy wrist shot, I feel like there’s still some untapped potential. Frederik Andersen (G, No. 31) — We need a 4.5-star grade. Andersen Zach Hyman (LW, No. 11) and Mitch Marner (RW, No. 16) — Matthews was excellent, with the exception of a power-play goal when he lost track was a notch above them, so it felt right to group Hyman and Marner. The of the puck through a screen, but he wasn’t exactly facing the 1980s former was doing his dirty work in the corners — as always — while the Oilers with respect to shot quality. Part of me wants to dock him a whole latter was making some creative one-touch passes to make things grade for not taking a shot at the empty net with a two-goal lead — give happen in the offensive end. I wouldn’t say it was either player’s “A” us something to cheer for, you coward! — but the rational side of me game, but it was still a solid performance from two-thirds of Toronto’s top knows this was a strong performance in net. Maybe it’s the booze, but line. I’m feeling generous. Five stars it is! Kasperi Kapanen (RW, No. 24) — After he ploughed by the Wild defence ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for a breakaway, it wasn’t the most eventful night for Kapanen, but he did Auston Matthews (C, No. 34) — Sometimes Matthews dekes himself out have some nice moments in transition. He also had some awful moments off the rush with some of the weird moves he makes with the puck. He that made me question whether he’d ever made a pass on a three-on- gets his hands wiggling in weird directions, neither the defencemen nor two before, but sometimes that’s what you get with Kapanen: a whole lot his teammates really know what’s going to happen, but it helps create a of speed and skill, but not the greatest passing decisions. I’ve learned to bunch of open space in transition. Those dangles led to a bunch of live with it … have you? chances off the rush, not to mention the sustained pressure that followed. Travis Dermott (LD, No. 23) — This was a frustrating game for Dermott John Tavares (C, No. 91) — He’s been generating so many chances after he got run from behind with no call, followed by an interference lately. Tavares’ ability to get into open space seems to mesh well with penalty where he hit Jordan Greenway a tad late. As a Dermott superfan, Nylander’s cross-ice passing — the two connected on quite a few of I’m willing to concede the hit was late, but can we get some consistency those against Minnesota. Tavares wasn’t able to bury any of them at when it comes to the penalty standard in the NHL? even strength, but he did redeem himself with an empty-netter at the end Officiating complaints aside, this was a solid game for Dermott. He of the game. Sometimes you miss the ones you’re supposed to score wasn’t as stellar on the breakout as usual, but his strong gap control and score the ones you probably shouldn’t. Hockey’s a weird sport. helped keep the Leafs on the right side of the puck. I’d still like to see him Jason Spezza (C, No. 19) — I really enjoyed Spezza’s game. He looked skate down the wall more in the offensive zone; it feels like there’s an excellent on PP2, gaining the zone with speed and creating quality invisible forcefield he knows he isn’t allowed to skate past from the chances with his slap-passes through the seam. Spezza also made a hashmarks downward. I’d imagine that’s been coached into him since his great pass up the ice to Pierre Engvall later in the game, who set up peewee days, so it’s up to Sheldon Keefe to convince him he has the Kapanen with a beautiful backdoor feed. You don’t always get rewarded talent to take more risks in the offensive zone. If Justin Holl can be a top- on the scoresheet for strong play, but this was a strong game for No. 19. four defenceman in this league, so can Travis Dermott.

⭐⭐⭐ Coaching staff — It was interesting to see Kerfoot alongside Tavares and Nylander. Personally, I would’ve gone with Engvall in that spot, but it’s hard to argue with that goal Kerfoot was able to score. With respect to on-ice strategy, I’m still not loving the PP1 entries — it feels like there’s this attempt to make Matthews a zone entry wizard when it’s clear to everyone that Nylander is much better in that regard. Let No. 29 circle back on the play so your best offensive player can rest on the zone entry — it’s what Alex Ovechkin, and do.

That said, I loved the timeout after Toronto gave up its first goal. It came after a power-play goal for Minnesota right after the Travis Dermott penalty, which got most of the Leafs fired up after the non-call prior. This team has a tendency to let one bad goal turn into two or three pretty quickly when the opponent starts gaining momentum, which is why I thought it was a smart move by Keefe to take some extra time to settle the bench down. The Leafs responded with 30 of the most boring minutes of hockey I’ve watched all season — which coaches love to see when you’re holding a multi-goal lead.

Cody Ceci (RD, No. 83) — My New Year’s resolution is to find things to appreciate in Ceci’s game. I love that he always tries to make the right play with the puck, and he’s actually really good at winning puck battles along the wall. Now, most plays tend to die on his stick, but he’s trying his best. If anyone expected big things from Cody Ceci in 2019-20, that’s your fault. He’s a bottom-pairing NHL defenceman, and if we evaluate him on that scale, I’d say he’s been doing all right this season.

⭐⭐

The fourth line — So it turns out I forgot to include a section for Adam Brooks the other night. I’m pretty upset with myself, because I had a bunch of notes on him. I liked the fact he made quick one-touch passes under pressure in the neutral zone to maintain possession. In both of these NHL games he’s played, Brooks hasn’t made any game-changing plays, but I can see why Keefe values him as a player. Much like Engvall, he makes smart decisions with the puck, which is valuable in a system that prioritizes possession.

I can’t say too much about Dmytro Timashov or Frederik Gauthier. One player has flashes of brilliance but ultimately ends up disappointing me, while the other manages to make me completely forget about the game I’m watching. Sometimes both players fit that description, which is why I’d like to see someone else in their place. Are we sure Kenny Agostino can’t be better than these guys? Because I think he can.

Martin Marincin (LD, No. 52) — Poor Marty. We’re always so hard on him after bad turnovers — and understandably so — but he does make up for it with some of his play without the puck. I really liked him on the penalty kill and thought he did a great job defending the neutral zone, but it’s hard to overlook some of the plays he makes with the puck. Much like Ceci and Gauthier, I just don’t see how a player with his skill set fits in with a team that’s trying to zip the puck around the ice tiki-taka style.

Heat map

Here’s a quick look at where each team’s shots were coming from, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

That Minnesota visual sums up their offence pretty well. The fact Bruce Boudreau has that roster in the playoff hunt says a lot about his coaching ability. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he does with his next team.

Game score

Game score is a metric developed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn to quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game.

It’s not perfect, but it can help give us a decent idea of how well players performed in a particular game based on their numbers — although I’d always recommend combining stats with video, since single-game numbers can be wonky.

Trending up or down?

This is where we break down the latest trends in my Leafs Report Cards courtesy of Mark Norman. You can play around with the data at his tableau page if you’re interested.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168962 Toronto Maple Leafs “He’s very cerebral and he’s very calm under pressure with the puck,” said Marlies head coach Greg Moore. “He certainly has the tools, he just needs to keep getting experience and keep growing as an athlete. I think his ability to think the game and make plays in transition is elite.” With call up Teemu Kivihalme hopes for consistency, stability with Leafs in the new year So much of the learning curve this season has been due to the fact that Kivihalme’s role has changed from what he was as a player in Finland to the AHL. With Karpat, he was a point-producing, offensively-inclined blueliner. His 30 points in 60 games last season was ninth in the league By Joshua Kloke among defencemen. Dec 31, 2019 With the Marlies, the focus with Kivihalme’s development has been his play away from the puck, so that he could develop into what he calls “a role guy playing a very good 200-foot game.” When Teemu Kivihalme listens to some of the surprising events of the last year recited back to him, he raises his eyebrows and smiles. Kivihalme was held without a point for his first 11 AHL games as he attempted to master that new role. He now has three goals and four His Finnish team, Karpat, came flying into 2019 before finishing with assists through 28 games. 137 points in the regular season, the most of any team since the league moved to a 60-game season in 2010-11. After steamrolling through the “I think there’s times I’ve created quite a bit but just the pucks haven’t first two rounds of the playoffs, Karpat lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 of gone in,” said Kivihalme. “I think I’ve set guys up and they’re not going to the finals in overtime. Three days later, Kivihalme — a free agent — go in all the time. And every player has little droughts.” signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs. He had a Kivihalme’s strong skating has always been a big element of his game, strong prospect tournament with Toronto in September, but still wasn’t and with the Marlies, he was encouraged to utilize his skating skills more able to crack the NHL roster out of camp. frequently than just when joining the rush. Then came more surprises in his first season in the AHL with the Toronto “I can use my skating joining the rush to create offence, but I can also Marlies. use it to shut down plays in the neutral zone,” said Kivihalme. “And that’s “There’s much more dump and chase and getting rid of the puck kind of the big emphasis that (former Marlies and current Leafs head quicker,” said Kivihalme, who had grown accustomed to maintaining coach Sheldon Keefe) was teaching me, is closing plays down before possession in Finland. they even get to your zone.”

The final surprise came on Sunday afternoon, when, after 28 games with Early in his Marlies tenure, he continued to make mistakes in front of his the Marlies, Leafs assistant GM Laurence Gilman called to tell him he own net, failing to gain proper positioning on opposition forwards. would be going on the Leafs’ upcoming road trip. “That was an issue, those small battles,” said Kivihalme. It took a few moments for the news to sink in. A lot of those mistakes might be overlooked by a very good Marlies team “I was excited, but a little shocked though,” said the 24-year-old. that has managed to outscore some of their problems. But they were the kind of errors the coaching staff would continue to talk to him about, The Leafs will carry 12 forwards and seven defencemen on the two- aware that a lost puck battle could be the difference between a win and a game road trip against the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets. It’s an loss in the NHL. opportunity for Kivihalme, who hails from Cloquet, Minn., to potentially make his NHL debut on the blue line. After nearly three months with the Marlies, the individual skill sessions that are commonplace after practices have paid off for Kivihalme. His He’s hoping this will be the last surprise for some time. high-end skating could help the Leafs keep the puck moving in the neutral zone and open up passing lanes. He’s been able to marry his On the surface, being signed to one-year contract doesn’t exactly make puck-moving style with more responsibility in the defensive zone. Kivihalme a long-term project for the Leafs. He wanted to make an immediate impact with the organization, so he had to treat every game “He’s starting to pick up on the things that we want him to be good at, in and practice like a tryout. terms of his skating and his defending,” said Keefe.

“It’s in the back of your head,” said Kivihalme. “I know if I play well and I “I’ve been playing with more consistency,” said Kivihalme. “I’ve been do what I know I can do I think there’s going to be (opportunities) there in better in front of our own net. And I’m providing a little bit more offence. the future for me.” That helps, too.”

Out of training camp, Kivihalme tried to study the practice habits of Yes, Kivihalme has developed even more confidence with the puck, as players who have played in the NHL like forwards Tyler Gaudet and evidenced by his power-play goal in his most recent Marlies game. Kenny Agostino. He admitted to feeling a little nervous walking across the hall in the Ford “They work their bag off every day,” said Kivihalme. “Seeing that just Performance Centre from the familiar surroundings of the Marlies pushes you.” dressing room into the Leafs room for the first time on Monday morning. Former Marlie Trevor Moore was one of the first to welcome him. He The Leafs have faith in Kivihalme’s upside. With the Marlies, they wanted gave Kivihalme the same piece of advice that coach Greg Moore had him to gain more experience and become stronger in reading through sent via text: “Good luck. Don’t change who you are as a player. What different scenarios on the ice. His hockey IQ was there, it simply needed you’ve done up to this point has given you this opportunity.” more exposure. Keefe said that Kivihalme’s call-up was in part an acknowledgement of In October, the physicality gave him pause after having come from his his development, but also an opportunity to provide the same kind of stint playing in Finland’s Liiga. It took him longer than expected to experience of being around the Leafs that other Marlies, such as Timothy understand how to maximize his offensive game against constant Liljegren, have received this year. checking — and that’s what he struggled with the most. Once he took a seat at breakfast with the Leafs and tucked into his “It was was handling that pressure, getting hit all the time and being able omelette, he began to relax a little. to create plays when you’re getting hit,” said Kivihalme. “I think that was a big emphasis, being able to break out the puck efficiently. I think that’s “I’m just trying to enjoy it right now,” he said. a huge, huge part to be being a good defenceman is being able to break pressure. And that was something that really opened my eyes in the Kivihalme wants to find more stability in his life in 2020, and he’ll begin beginning.” working towards the next step of his career as the calendar turns over tonight. It’s his hope that next year, he’ll remain with the Leafs Reading how plays develop and attaining a better understanding of when organization and there won’t be nearly as many surprises along the way. hits are coming is something the team has since seen from him.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020

1168963 Vegas Golden Knights He has just 14 penalty minutes in the last 32 contests, including penalty- free performances in 16 of the last 18 games.

“It was kind of an ugly stretch there,” he said. “I don’t know what it was. It Defenseman Brayden McNabb quietly thriving for Golden Knights was almost a mental thing it seemed like. I don’t know, but it’s definitely something you don’t want to be doing, especially when I play a lot of minutes on the kill and you can’t do that in the box.”

By Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal It’s an issue Gallant hasn’t had to talk about in quite awhile, just the way he likes it. January 1, 2020 - 5:04 PM

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.02.2020

Gerard Gallant isn’t asked about defenseman Brayden McNabb very often.

That’s just the way the Golden Knights’ coach wants it.

“We never have to talk about him,” Gallant said. “Brayden McNabb is another Reilly Smith on the back end. He doesn’t make many mistakes. He goes about his business and is a team character leader. He’s great; everything he does for us is great.”

That kind of lofty praise might be surprising to someone who only looks at the box score where McNabb’s impact is minimal.

The 28-year-old has two goals in five assists while playing in all 43 games this season and placing third among the skaters with 20:03 of average ice time.

McNabb is typically paired with Nate Schmidt and tasked with trying to shut down the most explosive lines the opposition puts on the ice. Thursday’s assignment will be Philadelphia’s dynamic duo of and Claude Giroux when the Flyers visit T-Mobile Arena at 7 p.m.

A good night for McNabb often involves not being noticed at all.

“It’s a fun role for me and a challenge for sure,” McNabb said. “I like playing against the other team’s top players. It’s fun for Schmidt and I. We know we work well together. Some nights are more challenging than others, but it’s a part of the job. I never care if I don’t get any credit, it’s more just pride and wanting to win.”

Gallant has been pleased with McNabb’s performance in that role.

“He’s not the prettiest skater, he doesn’t handle the puck the best, but he does his job every night,” the coach said. “He competes hard and is a character guy. We love having him out there. He does an unbelievable job on our penalty kill, and he plays against the top players every night. We don’t talk a lot about him, but he does his job perfectly.”

His defensive partner is more than happy to speak about “The Jacknabber.”

“He frees up a lot of room for a lot of guys, me in particular, so I really appreciate that,” Schmidt said. “You just have so much faith in him to the point where when the puck is on his side, I can start looking up and trying to find other guys coming into the zone not having to worry because I know he has such a good stick and blocks a lot of shots.

”I just know he’s taking care of it so I can not so much cheat, but shade other areas a little more knowing I don’t have to come help him out. He’s a big fella to get around.”

Schmidt pointed to Saturday’s 4-1 win over Arizona. McNabb had no shots or points while recording an even plus/minus rating, but had four hits, blocked three shots and was a major factor in a key win.

McNabb said he has developed a pretty good ability to assess his performance beyond the impact on the stat sheet.

“It’s more self-awareness and evaluation,” he said. “It’s about measuring how many chances you give up and if there’s plays to be made do you make them kind of thing.

“I like where it’s at right now. There’s still some areas where you can always get better.”

He has already addressed one area of concern this season.

McNabb had 22 penalty minutes in the first 11 games of the season, a stretch that included serving time in the box in six straight outings. 1168964 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights optimistic about what 2020 will bring

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

January 1, 2020 - 4:28 PM

The year of 2019 featured plenty of ups-and-downs for the Golden Knights. They’re optimistic about what 2020 holds.

The Knights added right wing Mark Stone, suffered a heartbreaking postseason exit against the San Jose Sharks and scuffled to start their third season in 2019. But they finished the year with a 9-4-2 record in December that has them feeling good about their game as January begins.

“I think we kind of found ourselves a little bit in December,” Stone said. “Obviously, that month of November there were a lot of ups and downs. December was more ups. We obviously had a few letdowns but most teams do.”

The Knights made a number of changes in December to charge into January in first in the Pacific Division. They continued a Nov. 27 switch and played zone coverage in their defensive zone. They traded for and moved him to second-line center. They were more consistent, started games “on time,” according to Stone, and used all four lines effectively.

Now it’s on the Knights to keep that up as they begin 2020 with five straight home games. They’re 12-7-3 at T-Mobile Arena this season.

“We’ve laid the foundation here going into 2020, but being good at home is a New Year’s resolution for our group,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said.

Cody Eakin isn’t usually one to seek attention, but all eyes at City National Arena were on him Wednesday.

The injured center, who hasn’t played since Nov. 29, stepped on the ice while his teammates were stretching at the end of practice. Eakin received a warm ovation from the numerous Knights fans in attendance and was goaded into a solo lap around the ice.

“We were trying to get him to take his helmet off. Let the eagle fly,” Schmidt said of the red-headed Eakin. “It was fantastic. Honestly. It’s been a long recovery, tough recovery for him. It’s awesome to see him back on the ice.”

Coach Gerard Gallant said Eakin is still “a little ways away” from playing.

All-Star Game in reach for Gallant

Gallant has a chance Thursday to join Marc-Andre Fleury at the NHL All- Star Game.

Thursday marks the halfway point of the NHL season. The coach of the four division leaders by points percentage at the halfway point become the coach of his division’s All-Star team Jan. 25 in St. Louis.

The Knights (.581 points percentage) will clinch the honor for Gallant with a win against the Philadelphia Flyers. If they lose, the Vancouver Canucks (.575) or Arizona Coyotes (.571) could potentially overtake them.

Roy recalled

The Knights recalled center from the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves on Wednesday.

The rookie has three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games this season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168965 Washington Capitals The Metropolitan has turned out to be the toughest division in the league. The Capitals, Islanders, Penguins, Flyers and Hurricanes all have at least 49 standings points as of Wednesday. No other division has more than two teams at 49 or better. Capitals lead NHL at season's midpoint, but see themselves as 'work in progress' Reirden called it “kind of a strange schedule” but was certain the remaining slate will sharpen up the team come playoff time.

“We’re going through some adversity right now and in our room, just By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times trying to find our way here through some tough times,” the coach said. “That’ll make us better, going against teams that are in our division. Wednesday, January 1, 2020 They’re all good teams. We’re working through it.”

The Washington Capitals have led the NHL in standings points, or tied Washington Post LOADED: 01.02.2020 for the lead, every day since Oct. 29 without interruption. For perspective, on Oct. 29, the Nationals had not yet won the World Series, while the Redskins were 1-7 and coming off a loss to Kirk Cousins’ Vikings.

Despite a loss Tuesday to the New York Islanders, the Capitals (27-9-5, 59 points) remain in the lead with 41 games behind them and 41 games to go. There’s no reason to expect a collapse that prevents Washington from making the playoffs for the 12th time in the past 13 seasons.

In fact, there’s several encouraging things for fans to take from the stellar start. But the Capitals themselves are hardly satisfied.

Coach Todd Reirden was careful to separate how the Capitals played in their first 30 games from more recent performances — they’re just 5-5-0 in their last 10.

“Just figuring out how to slot other people in different lines and dealt with the injury to Nick (Backstrom), and now dealing with some of the adversity of guys not being perfect, we’re trying to find our way again,” Reirden said. “I think there were some good things, but obviously we’re a work in progress.”

“We obviously got a lot of points in the standings and won a lot of games, but we know we still have a long way to go to get where we want to be,” goaltender Braden Holtby added.

The most noticeable surprise of the Capitals‘ season is how quickly their new fourth line has meshed and how important they’ve become. None of three regular fourth-liners — Brendan Leipsic, Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway — played on Washington’s Stanley Cup-winning team. All three have arrived via free agency since winning the Cup.

That fourth line has shaped Washington’s identity by encouraging a more bruising, pestering forecheck. But the trio also has produced just as many goals (13) as third-liners Carl Hagelin, and Richard Panik have combined for so far.

“I think for the amount of new faces that we have, we’ve come together pretty well,” Tom Wilson said. “It’s tough when you add new pieces and faces. There’s new systems, we’ve tweaked a couple things, so for the first half that we’ve had, guys needed to come together, guys needed to buy in and I think that we did for the most part.”

The first three months of the season were incredibly busy, considering ’s season-opening suspension and several injuries pushing the Capitals tightly against the salary cap. They’ve also weathered an unbalanced schedule so far, with 22 road games — leading to an NHL-best 16 road wins.

The Capitals‘ yearly trips to California and Western Canada are already out of the way. They only have one high-mileage trip left, when they take on Colorado, Arizona and Vegas over the span of a week. Less travel in the second half of the season should give the team a slight edge in resting up for the postseason.

The flip side of that coin, though, is the amount of divisional games that still loom. The Capitals have 17 more games to play against Metropolitan Division opponents. They haven’t even played their archrival Pittsburgh Penguins, and have all four dates with Pittsburgh scheduled in February and March.

“We played some good hockey in the first half and played some teams that play a tough, gritty style of play, so hopefully that will help us down the stretch,” Wilson said. “And we’ve just got to make sure that we’re focused and we’re ready to go against the Metro opponents because obviously those are big points. You know them well, they know you, so we got to be sharp.” 1168966 Washington Capitals has been a huge asset for the penalty kill. I love the way his game is developing. I think he could be a second-pair guy for many years to come.

Midseason grades: The Caps are one of the best teams in the NHL, but I am torn on Michal Kempny. The fancy stats paint a pretty grim picture not without their faults for how he is performing this season. Having said that, the defense is noticeably worse when he’s not in it. He missed the first eight games of the season and the effect he had when he returned was undeniable. That may say more about the drop off between Kempny and his replacements By J.J. Regan (Tyler Lewington, Christian Djoos), but I am reluctant to bury him as a January 01, 2020 6:00 AM result. Perhaps the team should try Siegenthaler on the top pair with Kempny on the third for longer than just Tuesday's game just to see how it looks, but if that does not help things I am fine with riding with Kempny despite what the numbers say. Tuesday was not just the final day of the year, it also marked the halfway point of the season for the Capitals. Washington has now played in 41 Grade: B games and has 41 games remaining on the schedule. According to the standings, everything is great. But just how good are the Caps really? Let’s not overreact here. The Caps are only allowing 2.93 goals per game so it is not as if the defense is terrible. Having said that, top-four It’s report card time! defense is the biggest hole on the roster and the team has to do something to address it. The trickle-down from there should fix any other Team record: 27-9-5, 59 points, first in the Metropolitan Division, Eastern weaknesses on the blue line. Conference and the NHL Goaltending Offense Stats: Stats: 3.49 goals per game, 4th in the NHL Braden Holtby: 29 games, 17-7-4, .902 save percentage, 2.99 GAA Thoughts: Alex Ovechkin is again showing no signs of age and is among the top goal scorers in the NHL, but I may be even more impressed with Ilya Samsonov: 14 games, 10-2-1, .918 save percentage, 2.28 GAA the season T.J. Oshie is having. While we have almost come to expect the impossible from Ovechkin, Oshie has logged a lot of hard minutes in Thoughts: Braden Holtby had a tough start to the season, but rebounded his career. The fact that he still has 15 goals and 28 points is pretty fairly well. He had a very strong November with a .928 save percentage remarkable and a big plus to the offense. Jakub Vrana has also taken a and 8-1-1 record, but tapered off again in December with a 4-5-0 record step forward with 15 goals and Tom Wilson with 13 goals putting them on and .884 save percentage. pace for 30 and 26 respectively. But I don’t think goaltending is as much about who the No. 1 is anymore Nicklas Backstrom has 30 points, but he missed a few games with injury as it is about who your tandem is. When the Caps put Ilya Samsonov in and did seem to be ailing a bit prior to missing time. Evgeny Kuznetsov net, there is no dropoff for the team at all and that is vitally important. has 37 points which is well below what I expected from him this season Grade: B+ even after getting suspended for the first three games of the season. He is on pace for just under 77 points is for the season. When he put Holtby has been OK and Samsonov has been great relative to together that incredible run in the 2018 playoffs, I walked away believing expectations. I still do not see any way Samsonov supplants Holtby as that was who Kuznetsov was and would continue to be. Now it appears the No. 1 in the regular season this year, but I would like to see starts that run was the anomaly. He is an incredibly skilled player with a high- more evenly distributed the second half of the season. If you can keep ceiling, but I am getting off the “he should be a 100-point producer” Holtby under 55 appearances, it just means a more rested No. 1 heading bandwagon. He just is not consistent enough. into the postseason and that seemed to work out alright for Washington in 2018. The biggest offseason changes we saw to the offense came in the bottom-six. The results are great when it comes to the fourth line which Special teams has been a major asset. The results are more mixed when it comes to the third line which has not been able to produce consistently this Stats: season. In an age where top-nine scoring is critical, the third line is the Power play: 21.3-percent, 11th in NHL biggest weakness for the team’s offense. Penalty kill: 84.9-percent, 3rd in the NHL Whatever production the team is not getting from the third line, they are certainly getting from the defense and John Carlson in particular. Thoughts: Before the season, I would have anticipated writing about how the power play was great and the penalty kill needed improvement. In Grade: A- fact, it has been the opposite. The penalty kill has improved dramatically Despite the issues on the third line, this is still one of the top offenses in to third in the NHL at 84.9-percent. The power play, meanwhile, has the NHL. The top six and center depth is as good as any in the NHL and gotten a bit stale. Carlson’s incredible season adds another factor that is tough for teams to It is easy to look at the power play numbers last year and this year and account for. The third line is a weakness, but has improved a bit with just conclude it has been average for the last two seasons. This year more playing time and the strength of the fourth line means the team they are in the top three while last year it ranked 11th at 20.8-percent. does not have to lean too heavily on the top-six. That still puts them in the top half of the NHL, but when you have a top Defense unit of Ovechkin, Oshie, Backstrom, Kuznetsov and Carlson, it should be better than just average. Stats: 2.93 goals against per game, 11th in the NHL But last year’s power play and this year’s had different problems. Last Thoughts: What can you say about Carlson? No, his great season is not year, Washington was completely reliant on the drop pass and they were just about his offensive stats, he has been great on both ends of the ice. awful at it. Their break-ins became completely predictable and they could A lot of what has been going on behind him, however, has been suspect. not get the puck in the offensive zone. If you cleared the puck once, you basically killed off the entire penalty. Dmitry Orlov has played largely well, but his penchant for bad turnovers continues to pop up here and there. This year, the issue is different. They have done a much better job of mixing up their break-in plays. The drop pass is still there, but it is just We can now safely conclude that Nick Jensen is not a top-four another tool in the arsenal and not the only way they know how to get defenseman in Washington. Radko Gudas has been a solid addition, but into the offensive zone. The issue this season has been their inability to both he and Jensen are best suited for the same job as a third pair right score once in the zone. defenseman. That makes right defenseman on the second pair a glaring hole for the blue line. As for the penalty kill, its improvement is due largely to the newcomers. Carl Hagelin is phenomenal on the PK. Garnet Hathaway, Radko Gudas and Jonas Siegenthaler also have significant roles and that means the team does not have to rely so much on players like Backstrom, Oshie he have enough flexibility under the cap or the assets to address the and Carlson. team’s weaknesses?

Grade: B+ This team is strong enough to win the Cup as constructed, but you can also see the potential pitfalls if they do fall short. I know most of you will think this is too high, but the fact is the team has needed the penalty kill more than the power play. No team in the league has taken more minor penalties than the Caps. Where would this team be right now if the penalty kill was not as good as it has been? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.02.2020

The power play has to be better, but for me it is not about making any drastic changes. Kuznetsov and Backstrom need to shoot more. That’s it. The power play wants to get the puck to Ovechkin (via Carlson) or to Oshie in the slot. Everyone knows this and that’s what everyone tries to stop. Kuznetsov and Backstrom simply do not shoot enough. If you force penalty killers to account for them, that will give more room to Ovechkin and Oshie.

Coaching

Thoughts: We are getting a much better sense of the type of coach Todd Reirden is in his second season. Reirden clearly wants the defense more involved offensively and he is not as beholden to the quality over quantity shot theory.

One thing that has been striking is Reirden’s creativity in getting the matchups he wants, especially on the road.

Grade: Incomplete

Reirden has managed a lot of tricky situations with aplomb this season from the Kuznetsov suspension, to the tricky goalie tandem, to managing a lot of new faces and putting together a lineup in an impossible cap situation. He’s done that while coaching the Caps to 27 wins in the first 41 games.

Having said that, I thought Reirden did well last season as well until the playoffs. That’s when the decision-making became suspect.

Because of that I am going to reserve judgment until the playoffs which is where Reirden will ultimately be judged anyway.

Management

Thoughts: Facing a crippling cap crunch, general manager Brian MacLellan had one job in the offseason: shed salary. He did, but he did it in a way that allowed him to add to improve the roster as well.

The forward depth was revamped and the defense was shuffled to make it about as good as last season, but cheaper. The penalty kill was a weakness last year and MacLellan made it a strength.

But adding players with no money comes at a cost and that cost is term. Richard Panik and Nick Jensen have struggled to adjust to their new team and are on the first year of four year deals and, because of the term, that makes them harder to trade if it comes to that.

Grade: B+

I am impressed with how MacLellan was able to bolster the roster despite the need to shed salary. Instead of sitting on his hands and just watching the team got weaker, he worked to address needs and was largely successful.

Yes, the team needs a top-four defenseman and depth scoring is still an issue but MacLellan made the best of a difficult cap situation and has managed it well enough to keep Samsonov in the roster for most of the season.

What I don’t like is how the team has had to manage the cap by keeping a minimum number of players. We have seen already the team have to play a game with seven defensemen. On Tuesday Todd Reirden said the team had the choice of playing Kempny who is still recovering from an illness and playing with five defensemen. And they’re doing this basically without banking any space to help add players later.

Conclusion

Over the first half of the season, the Caps have established themselves as a Cup contender. There are weaknesses to their game which they have been able to overcome in the regular season, but the playoffs have a way of exposing those weaknesses. I think the Caps can overcome not getting much production from the third line, but the defense is a concern. The caps have the offense to win, a solid goaltending tandem and a coach who seems to be finding his footing in his second season. But while they may have one of the top general managers in the game, does 1168967 Winnipeg Jets "Brooksy has played well in the two games with us. The biggest thing I've seen from him is his confidence in his ability and feeling like he belongs, and then just his skating. Part of that is the work he's put in to improve his skating but also with confidence you just dig in a little bit harder and Brooks to anchor fourth line against Jets push a little bit more," said Keefe.

Brooks has an AHL title on his resume after joining the Leafs organization once an exceptional junior career in Regina was over. But By: Jason Bell he's the first to acknowledge things could have turned out far differently if Posted: 01/2/2020 10:55 PM not for a decision to stick it out with the Pats of the in early 2014.

Rarely used as a 17-year-old, Brooks contemplated leaving Regina to He earned the rather obvious nickname Brooksy several years ago but join his brother, Brett, with the Winnipeg Blues of the Manitoba Junior admits it sounds even sweeter when it's tossed around by his Toronto Hockey League but elected to remain in major junior as a role player — Maple Leafs teammates and coaches. managing just a combined eight goals and 23 points in his first two seasons with the Pats. Adam Brooks is just thrilled to belong, for whatever duration of time the NHL team deems it necessary and appropriate to keep him around. But things changed dramatically during his third season when Manitoba product and former Jets 1.0 coach John Paddock took over in Regina, The 23-year-old forward from West Kildonan will play his third NHL game and Brooks finished with 30 goals and 62 points. In his fourth and fifth Thursday night — and it'll happen in his hometown — as the streaking seasons, he proved lethal with 38 goals and 120 points as a 19-year-old Maple Leafs face the Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place in the first of two and then 43 tallies and 87 assists in his final year of junior. meetings in less than a week between the Canadian squads. Game time is 7 p.m. Passed over in two NHL Drafts, the Maple Leafs selected him in the fourth round (92nd overall) in 2016 after that 120-point campaign. Brooks will centre a fourth line that should include Frederik Gauthier and Dmytro Timashov, although Mason Marchment was promoted from the "There was a distinct moment when I was ready to leave Regina. It was Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and something we talked a lot about as a family and I ended up staying. That could slot in on the wing. was a tough rest of the season but it's something that helped me grow as a player and as a person, helped me overcome adversity," Brooks said. "It's definitely surreal," Brooks said on New Year's Day, following Toronto's practice at the downtown rink. He played three games here "Obviously, I owe most of my career to (Paddock). He's someone who's with the Marlies since the beginning of the 2017-18 AHL season but is still very influential in my life, someone I talk to a lot, and I think he's keenly aware this one's a different beast, entirely. "I never thought there'd coming to the game in Winnipeg (Thursday). I can't think him enough for be an opportunity for me to be with the Leafs this year. But after some everything he did for me." injuries and stuff, I was able to get the call-up. Leafs captain John Tavares said Brooks has fit in nicely with a group "I played the first two games but knew coming up on the schedule was an playing some of its finest hockey of the '19-20 season. opportunity to be in Winnipeg and play in front of family and friends, so it's going to be an amazing experience. It'll definitely be a game I never "Brooksy's come through the organization and has done a great job and forget." has earned this opportunity, so all the credit to him for that and he wants to make the most of it. We've been razzing him a bit about playing at Brooks was originally promoted a week before Christmas on an home, but just a really special chance for him to play in front of friends emergency basis but didn't play on Dec. 17 at home against the Buffalo and family so early in his NHL career," said Tavares. "We want to make it Sabres. He went back to the Marlies but was called up again 48 hours a good night for him and for us. We're really lucky to have him, just a lot later and made the trip to New York on Dec. 20 but didn't suit up against of fun and, obviously, a really good hockey player." the Rangers.

After the holiday season, he rejoined former Marlies coach, Sheldon Keefe, and the Leafs and, following a scary wrist injury to winger llya Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.02.2020 Mikheyev, made his NHL debut last Saturday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting Rangers.

"You never want to see a guy go down like that, so it's a tough thing. But getting a chance to play at with that atmosphere was unreal," said Brooks, who played seven shifts and about five minutes of ice time. "I think my first shift was about 19 seconds. It was a controlled forecheck, they iced the puck and I was right off. So, it was actually nice because I kind of got my feet under me and got rid of the nerves."

Three days later in St. Paul, Minn., his usage doubled to 16 shifts and nine minutes in Toronto's 4-1 victory the Wild.

There's a comfortable fit between Gauthier and Timashov, he said. "We obviously know each other really well after playing together with the Marlies the year we won the (Calder Cup) championship (in 2018). We weren't on the same line but we're so familiar with each other."

In parts of three seasons with the Marlies, Brooks has accumulated 37 goals and 38 assists in 138 contests, including eight goals and eight helpers in 20 games this season.

Health issues were prominent part of his AHL journey, from mononucleosis to lower-body injuries to a heart scare in late 2018. He was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a condition that, on rare occasions, speeds up his heart rate. At this point, no medication intervention is required.

Keefe, who took control of the Leafs bench Nov. 20 after Mike Babcock was fired, said the 5-10, 185-pound centre has shown no hesitancy on the forecheck and in puck battles since his arrival. 1168968 Winnipeg Jets There was a prevailing thought by some around these parts that Connor’s offensive totals were artificially inflated by playing with and for most of the past two seasons.

Connor not afraid of new heights But now, with Scheifele and Wheeler on separate lines, Connor is often the driver of his current unit with Scheifele and Patrik Laine, as he was Tuesday.

By: Mike McIntyre And here’s a scary thought for opponents: he’s not the least bit content with his lot in life. Exhibit A was his immediate reaction to his trio of goals Posted: 01/1/2020 9:50 PM against Colorado.

"Honestly, I had two or three (scoring chances), where I just got robbed. When it comes to redemption stories, Kyle Connor wrote a pretty That’s kind of tough, but that’s just the way hockey goes," he said. compelling one on New Year’s Eve. Spoken like a true sniper, always thinking about the ones you didn’t The third-year Winnipeg Jets winger might have been fitted for goat score rather than those you did. He had a team-high eight shots on goal, horns in Denver after a reckless high-stick came back to bite his team. 10 total attempts, and was a threat to score seemingly every time he Instead, he played the role of hero by swooping in to save the day, the came over the boards. latest impressive chapter in a story that seems to be getting better with Throw in some additional comments about needing to find a way to make each passing game. up for the costly, out-of-character penalties he’d taken, and Connor is Fitting that in the Mile High city, we were reminded that the sky seems to sounding like an emerging leader. That’s something that hasn’t always be the limit for a player who may eventually make the seven-year, come naturally to the somewhat shy guy who still prefers to speak softly US$49.98 million contract he signed this fall look like a bargain. and carry a big stick.

"I don’t know is the answer, because the question would be what’s his But there’s no question Connor has grown more comfortable on and off ceiling," Jets head coach said following the game at Pepsi the ice and taken on an ever-increasing role as part of the core group on Center when I asked him how much room for improvement there still is the Jets who are now locked up long-term. with Connor. Jets captain Wheeler, who’s seen a few things in his lengthy career and "Is he just hot? I’m going to say no. I thought early on, maybe the first isn’t one to hand out praise for the sake of saying something nice, sees month, he looked like he had missed training camp. And then he’s back something special in Connor. in game shape. I would rather suggest that’s who he is." "He’s dialed in. The kid’s got world-class hands on him. Just works With the Jets nursing a 3-2 lead in the third period of a game that was the extremely hard. Since his recall (from the ) a couple closest thing to a "must win" as you’ll get this time of year, Connor years ago, he’s just invested in working every single night. You get a guy accidentally clipped Colorado Avalanche defenceman Samuel Girard and who’s willing to work like that, playing with a couple guys like Mark and left him leaking blood on the ice. Patty, he’s going to get opportunities. He’s lethal."

You could hear the collective groans of Jets fans everywhere. Of the 11 NHL players who currently have more goals than Connor this season, only Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and are After all, Winnipeg’s woeful penalty kill had already surrendered a goal — younger. And only MacKinnon, David Pastrnak and Anthony Duclair with Connor in the box for a second-period holding infraction, Avalanche make less than his US$7.14 million annual salary. superstar Nathan MacKinnon scored to make it 2-2 — leaving the Jets an ugly 10 for their last 20 in short-handed situations. Considering his tender age, the room for further growth and his internal drive, that seems like terrific value for a player the Jets are counting on to Now they’d be put to work for four critical minutes on the automatic provide offence, and who keeps rising to the occasion. double minor. You didn’t have to be psychic to see what was going to happen. There will likely be many more nights ahead like the final one of 2019.

It didn’t take long for the game to once again be tied, as Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog blasted a shot past Jets netminder Connor Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 01.02.2020 Hellebuyck. The Jets’ penalty kill was now a dreadful 11 for its last 22, and the home team had all the momentum.

But a funny thing happened on the way to another disappointing loss, which would have been Winnipeg’s seventh in their last nine games to continue a spiral down the Western Conference standings, with a tough stretch of schedule on the horizon.

A determined Connor quickly made amends for his sins, tipping in the go- ahead goal just seven seconds into Winnipeg’s only power play at the midway mark of the final frame, then added his third of a very eventful night a few minutes later for the game-winner.

Just like that, the 23-year-old Michigan product had his second career hat trick, leading the Jets to a 7-4 victory that gets some good feelings flowing around the club once again.

Connor also hit the 20-goal mark, which leads the Jets and has him tied for 12th in the NHL. After campaigns of 31 and 34 goals, he’s on pace to eclipse 40 for the first time.

Connor’s first 40 games this season are all the more impressive when you consider a contract dispute sidelined him until just days before the puck dropped on the regular season. He also has 18 assists, and his 38 points have him tied for 23rd in the NHL scoring race.

The speed is sublime. The hands are absurd, needing almost no time or space to inflict major damage. Just ask St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington, who I suspect is still trying to figure out how Connor beat him high from in tight last Friday night in Winnipeg. 1168969 Winnipeg Jets 2. WINNIPEG JETS AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS — MAY 10, 2018, GAME 7 OF WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND

The biggest win since relocation, hands down. The decade that was: Top 5 Jets games, moments from the 2010s A clutch 4-0 win in Game 6 by the Predators on enemy ice in Winnipeg showed that Nashville knew a thing or two about pressure in the playoffs. The Jets, while they had some individuals with Game 7 experience, Scott Billeck weren’t as collectively practiced in hockey’s greatest winner-takes-all.

January 1, 2020 11:26 PM CST Experience is only part of the equation, as the Predators would soon find out.

The Jets scored twice in 2:06 in the first period to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The 2010s began with no NHL in Winnipeg, but that was quickly Surprisingly, Peter Laviolette pulled the plug on Pekka Rinne’s night with remedied early in the decade. Since then, several games have stood out the game just under 11 minutes in. As shocking as it was to see, the as monumental occasions for the beloved franchise. message was received as Subban wired a one-timer on the power play Here are the five biggest games since the Jets returned: to cut the deficit to 2-1.

5. TEEMU SELANNE’S RETURN TO WINNIPEG — DEC. 17, 2011 That’s as close as Nashville would come.

We’ll get to the other big game in 2011, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t Mark Scheifele extended the lead to 3-1 late in the second, trade list The Finnish Flash’s return to the city for the first time since he was deadline acquisition Paul Stastny would push it to 4-1 in the third and dealt to the Anaheim Ducks 15 years earlier. Scheifele would drive the final nail into the coffin as he slid a puck into the empty net with 2:33 remaining to make it a 5-1 final. The video only really does the atmosphere in the building on that night justice, and even then it pales in comparison to being in the building. The Jets took down the baddest team in the NHL and moved onto the Western Conference Final for the first time in franchise history. From the warmup to the hot laps before the anthems and onto the tribute video that played in the first period, fans stood eagerly on their feet to 1. MONTREAL CANADIENS AT WINNIPEG JETS — OCTOBER 9, welcome Winnipeg’s favourite hockey son. 2011

The Jets would win the game 5-3. Selanne would grab two assists. It won’t be remembered for a dramatic victory or a thrilling playoff series Everyone went home happy. clincher, but Oct. 9, 2011, will stand the test of time because of something arguably more important to the franchise and the city of 4. NASHVILLE PREDATORS AT WINNIPEG JETS — MAY 1, 2018, Winnipeg as a whole. GAME 3 OF WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND The raucousness inside MTS Centre that night has only been rivalled on It looked grim. a handful of occasions since. The first meaningful NHL game in 15 years contested by a team that was once again based in Winnipeg and called After taking a split in Nashville back to Winnipeg during the second round the Jets will do that sort of thing. of the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the mighty Predators appeared to finally be exerting their dominance as they looked to take their Stanley Just months after owner made the announcement that the Cup Final appearance from the year prior one step further. were purchased and would be relocating to Winnipeg, lined up opposite of Canadien’s Tomas Plekanec. Nashville jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period through Mike Fisher, P.K. Subban and Austin Watson to silence the Whiteout. No one The puck was dropped. The NHL was back in Winnipeg. expected the roof to be viciously blown off Bell MTS Place during the next period. No one knew it would come so quickly, either. MONUMENTAL MOMENTS

In a span of 2:51, the Jets would turn the complexion of the game on its And now we countdown the five biggest moments during the 2010s for head. Paul Stastny pulled the Jets to 3-1 at 2:38 of the middle frame. The the Jets: goal was followed up with a Dustin Byfuglien bomb at 5:11, and then one 5. NOEL FIRED, MAURICE HIRED — JAN. 12, 2014 of the loudest moments in Jets 2.0 history came 18 seconds later when Jacob Trouba tied the game on a shot from the left circle. The Jets would Amid a five-game losing streak, and with the team floundering by the lead 4-3 before the period was through and would take a 2-1 series lead day, Winnipeg Jets general manager made the move when the final whistle sounded in the third with a 7-4 win. to pull the plug on Claude Noel’s time as the team’s bench boss.

3. EDMONTON OILERS AT WINNIPEG JETS — OCT. 23, 2016, NHL Noel had been hired to assume the reins as Winnipeg’s head coach HERITAGE CLASSIC shortly after the team moved to the city in the summer of 2011. His time behind the bench ended with zero trips to the post-season and a middling This could have easily been Game 5 of the Western Conference First 80-79-18 record. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a 6-3 loss to Round in 2017-18 when the Jets earned a 5-0 win against the Minnesota the Columbus Blue Jackets, a defeat that ended with a resounding Wild, sending them crashing out of the playoffs and giving Winnipeg a chorus of boos as the Jets left the ice at Bell MTS Place. franchise-first postseason series win. Maurice was hired as his replacement on the same day Noel’s firing was But we’ll go with the first Heritage Classic the Jets played in. announced. While an interim tag was placed on him, it would be shed The final result won’t be a fond memory for the team or the fanbase, but later that summer and Maurice would lead the Jets to their first playoff it was the spectacle of it that will stay etched in their minds. appearance the following year.

Despite the Oilers taking the game 3-0 on the day, seeing 33,000-plus Now in his seventh season at the helm, Maurice has compiled a 257- people packed into an outdoor rink watching a hockey game in Winnipeg 177-51 record, including consecutive playoff appearances over the past was a sight to behold. two seasons.

Connor McDavid vs. Mark Scheifele. Leon Draisaitl vs. Patrik Laine. 4. THE EVANDER KANE TRADE — FEB. 11, 2015

The event also welcomed some of the biggest names in hockey history, Prior to that cold day in February, Cheveldayoff’s trades had been mostly in Winnipeg and beyond. late-round picks for depth players, with only a couple of other deals that had a little more impact. Dale Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne skating alongside one another at the alumni game on Saturday, as did Wayne Gretzky and , Then Feb. 11 came, and a blockbuster from Winnipeg’s front office. who rode again. Evander Kane, one of the team’s most polarizing figures, was shipped off to Buffalo along with Zach Bogosian and minor-league goalie Jason And the winning goal coming off the stick of Selanne, who was awarded Kasdorf for former Calder Trophy winner Tyler Myers, Brendan Lemieux, a last-second penalty shot to seal the win for Winnipeg’s alumni. Joel Armia, and Buffalo’s 2015 first-round pick (via St. Louis), which resulted in the Jets taking 25th overall.

The trade followed the infamous tracksuit incident in Vancouver where Kane allegedly showed up for a team meeting late and underdressed for the occasion. His attire was then (also allegedly) chucked into the showers by Dustin Byfuglien, although Kane has never admitted this and the team has never confirmed any details of the incident.

Kane was also shut down at the time to have shoulder surgery and the players acquired in the deal helped the Jets reach the playoffs for the first time since relocation.

3. DRAFTING PATRIK LAINE — JUNE 24, 2016

You have to go back a couple months to April 30, 2016, when Cheveldayoff walked into the draft lottery with the fifth-best odds to walk away with the second-overall pick defied them all when Bill Daly turned over the sixth-overall pick — which was Winnipeg’s pick — only to show the Calgary Flames. That meant the Jets would pick at either one, two or three. Columbus won the first spot, with Toronto and Winnipeg remaining. Daly turned over Toronto for the first overall pick, meaning the Jets would pick second.

Two months later, Toronto selected Auston Matthews at No. 1; the Jets took Finn Patrik Laine at No. 2 and Lainemania ensued. From his first hat trick to defeat the Maple Leafs in overtime to his 36-goal rookie season and his five-goal game against the St. Louis Blues last season, Laine’s arrival changed the course of the Jets — and he’s still just 21.

2. RUN TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL — APRIL-MAY, 2018

There were so many firsts for the Jets during their playoff run in 2018.

It was their first post-season win in franchise history, their first series win in franchise history, the first time they advanced to the second round and the first time they advanced to the Western Conference final.

Their 114-point season to get there was a franchise record, and once there, they continued their torrid pace, knocking off the Minnesota Wild in five games during Round 1. Game 5 was particularly dominant. At home in front of a packed house, the Jets scored four times in the first period on route to a 5-0 win.

During the second round, they faced the only team with a better record in the Western Conference. With the series tied 1-1 and heading back to Winnipeg, the Jets found themselves down 3-0 after the first period to the Nashville Predators. The Jets would rattle off four goals in the second period and win the game 7-4.

A Game 7 would be needed to decide it and Winnipeg would produce more magic. They led 2-0 at the 10:47 mark of the first period and chased Pekka Rinne from the crease, ending in an eventual 5-1 win and date with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final.

After winning Game 1, the Jets would lose four straight, but the run that got them there energized a city.

1. THE ANNOUNCEMENT — MAY 31, 2011

It was the sentence that changed everything for Winnipeg.

“Today, on behalf of my family, our partner David Thomson, and our entire organization, I am excited beyond words to announce our purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers,” Mark Chipman said as he stood at the podium inside then MTS Centre.

Never had the city cheered in unison, at the famed Portage and Main intersection just steps from the arena, and at the birthplace of the town itself, The Forks. For the first time in 15 years, the NHL was back in Winnipeg.

In the days to come, the club would sell out their season ticket drive in 17 minutes. Kevin Cheveldayoff would be named the team’s first general manager after Rick Dudley was let go following the purchase. Claude Noel would be hired as the team’s first head coach and True North would stick with the name thousands of fans petitioned to keep: The Jets.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.02.2020 1168970 Winnipeg Jets Connor completed his hat trick at 16:31, a backhand goal off a rebound that wasn’t immediately known until the horn sounded once the call came in from the NHL that the puck crossed the goal-line.

Jets survive Avalanche in New Year's Eve thriller Wheeler’s second of the night would come into the empty net to make it 6-3 after an unselfish play by Jack Roslovic to pass up on a wide-open cage. Kadri pulled the Avs back to 6-4 but Ehlers would seal it with his own empty-netter with 12 seconds left. Scott Billeck “It wasn’t always pretty and it wasn’t always us carrying the play, by any January 1, 2020 8:12 AM CST means, but you don’t have to win in this league like that,” Wheeler said. “You just battle. We had every guy invested in that battle. There were a lot of one-on-one battles that we won tonight. That was the difference.” DENVER — Through (Connor) Hellebuyck and high (Kyle) Connor. Winnipeg did well to contain Colorado’s speed to start the game and it That’s what it took for the Winnipeg Jets to dispatch the Colorado paid off 6:25 in. Avalanche by a 7-4 scoreline at Pepsi Center on Tuesday. made a great outlet pass to Roslovic, who gained the It was an action-packed New Year’s Eve adventure at the base of the zone and left the puck for Ehlers. Ehlers, seeing Wheeler with space on Rocky Mountains, one where Hellebuyck did his best Vezina impression the right side, fed the puck to him and Winnipeg’s captain deposited it and stopped 39 shots for his first win in his past three starts. into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“I like the rhythm,” Hellebuyck said. “I was seeing it well. I was feeling Winnipeg’s lead would last until MacKinnon didn’t want it to anymore. He good. I felt like I was playing my game well, taking it to them and getting sent a floater in from the point that Hellebuyck never saw for his 23rd of to my spots. When I got into my groove, I just stuck in it.” the season. The shot was one of five he had in the first period, and he also missed the net on a breakaway attempt. Hellebuyck’s performance enabled others to follow in his wake, including the team’s other Connor, Kyle, who notched his second-career hat trick, “I didn’t see anything about that shot,” Hellebuyck confirmed. including his team-leading 20th goal — and 41st in the calendar year. He thought he was interfered with by Landeskog. “He’s dialled in,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “The kid has got world- class hands on him and he just works extremely hard. Since his recall a “I think it was Landeskog, backed into me, right into my stomach, forcing couple of years ago, he’s just really invested in working every single night me to come up and out of my spot and my balance and then the play and (when) you get a guy who is willing to work like that, playing with a went on and they scored three seconds later or something like that,” couple of guys like Mark (Scheifele) and Patrik (Laine), he’s going to get Hellebuyck said. “I wasn’t happy about it but those are tough to call his opportunities in tight. He’s lethal.” because you never know. There’s no black and white in this league about goaltender interference.” The game was rife with impressive stat lines. Hellebuyck was stopping everything he could see, however. Despite Wheeler, playing in his 900th NHL game, scored two goals and added an getting doubled up on the shot counter, the Jets would take a 2-1 lead assist while linemate had a goal and two helpers. Mark through Connor when his shot fluttered up and over Grubauer at 8:27. Scheifele, meanwhile, led all Jets with four points, including a goal and three assists. Winnipeg’s penalty kill had been a nightmare of epic proportions as of late, coming into the game 9-for-18 over their past seven contests. They “That’s a big number for sure,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “The hard killed off their first of the night but played with fire and took a second way. I’ve been here six full seasons. Every day, every practice, every penalty in succession in the middle frame and predictably conceded. game, I’m always amazed at his ability to drive his body every day. He plays a hard grinding kind of game.” You can guess who, too.

Any thoughts from Wheeler on the milestone game? MacKinnon’s second of the game came off a well-placed one-timer at 13:47 to pull the game even at 2-2. “Nope,” he said. “Not until I get to four digits.” The Jets would… wait for it… stay in the fight. A hat-trick night for Connor seemed rather unlikely when he took a four- minute high-sticking penalty early in the third period. With the game being played four-on-four after some fisticuffs following MacKinnon’s goal, Mark Scheifele and played a little give and The Jets led 3-2 at that point but had already given up a goal on the go, with Pionk finding Scheifele all alone in the slot for his 18th to take a penalty kill and were now tasked with trying to fend off Nathan 3-2 just 66 seconds after MacKinnon tied it. MacKinnon and Co. for what would have seemed like an eternity. “Well you’re going in against the highest-scoring team in the NHL, and The Jets would benefit from two shots that hit iron and an incredible post- they’re going to be dynamic,” Maurice said. “And they score a different to-post save by Hellebuyck during the first half of the kill, but Gabriel way than a lot of other teams. Some of the things they do, just cutbacks Landeskog would take a rebound off the end boards and pop home his alone, they’re elite. So your goaltender’s going to have to be real good. 10th of the season to tie the game 3-3 at 7:15. And he was. He was outstanding. And then even if it didn’t look pretty or look right, we got the shots blocked when we needed to, we got a big “It sucks,” Connor said. “Kind of one of those ones where you got to battle play, even if there were things you didn’t love about your game. control your stick a little better but it happens. It’s kind of tough to sit But loved the compete enough. Real confident that that game wins most there watch them score, kind of helpless. All you can do is battle back nights.” and try to get one for the team.”

Connor would redeem himself 3:30 later on Winnipeg’s first power play of the evening after Nazem Kadri took an interference call to hand the Jets Winnipeg Sun LOADED 01.02.2020 the man-advantage.

The ensuing draw to the left of Philipp Grubauer saw Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare tying each other up. Connor won the draw when he popped the puck back to Neal Pionk at the point. Connor then moved to the net and Pionk let a blast go from the point that Connor redirected at 10:45.

“It was our first power play and we wanted to establish the shot and we had a lane,” Connor said. “(Pionk) got that through and I just got to the front of the net and got a stick on it. Kind of clicked. It was good.” 1168971 Vancouver Canucks The peak of the 2011-12 season came in January, in a regular-season rematch of the Stanley Cup Final that’s come to be known as Game 8. The Canucks won, which was satisfying, but it also meant nothing and everyone knew it, leading to an ennui that never really went away. This Vancouver Canucks teams of the decade, ranked year just never felt right. The first-round upset, the trade, the David Booth trade, the death of beloved scrapper Rick Rypien — the

2011-12 Vancouver Canucks season was the year’s worst sequel, and I HARRISON MOONEY remind you that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 came out that year. January 1, 2020 5:17 PM PST 4. 2014-15 Vancouver Canucks

The best year of the Jim Benning era is his first, perhaps because he still As we enter the decade of Canucks hockey where they finally win the had the benefit of the doubt. Or maybe it was because of the immediate Stanley Cup (my New Year’s resolution is to be more positive), it only results: after taking over for the departed Mike Gillis as part of a regime seems fitting to look back one last time before turning our eyes to the change that also saw Trevor Linden join the front office as team future. And, as everything this week is about end-of-decade lists, we president and Willie Desjardins replace John Tortorella as head coach, thought it would be appropriate to rank the Canucks teams that took to Benning made several moves that appeared to pay off straight away: he the ice at Rogers Arena over the past 10 years. traded Ryan Kesler and Jason Garrison. He bought out David Booth. He signed Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata, who contributed 31 goals as the This ranking is not based on math, so get out of here with your mathy Canucks upped their seasonal goal total by a staggering 50. corrections. I’m sure these ten iterations of the Canucks are not listed in order of corsi or expected goal percentage, and that’s on purpose. This This was Vrbata’s best one: list is about how it felt to watch these teams. Sometimes, it was thrilling. Other times, it was decidedly not thrilling. Just like life, I guess. The seemingly revitalized Canucks returned to the 100-point form of years prior, and they returned to the postseason after a year on the Let’s get started. outside.

1. 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks It all amounted to another first-round exit, unfortunately, as the Calgary Flames skated circles around Vancouver en route to a 4-2 series win, We’ve inverted the countdown to preserve an element of suspense. To and Canucks fans began to realize that the quick “retool” Benning had do this the usual way, from worst to best, would obliterate all doubt about promised was likelier to be a long rebuild. Still, the 2014-15 Canucks which iteration of the Vancouver Canucks we’ll find at the end of this allowed us to bask in optimism and denial one last time, and for that, we thing: the 2010-11 team that marched all the way to Game 7 of the salute them. Stanley Cup Final before breaking all of our hearts. 5. 2012-13 Vancouver Canucks It’s not even up for debate. Not only was this the best Canucks team of the decade in terms of postseason performance, matching the 1993-94 The lockout-shortened 2012-13 season began in January and saw teams squad with a franchise-best 15 playoff wins, they did everything else well play just 48 games before the playoffs. The whole thing felt over before it too. The 2010-11 Canucks scored the most goals, they allowed the began. fewest, they won the Presidents’ Trophy thanks to a franchise-record 50 wins, and they cleaned up at the year-end awards, taking home the Art A lot of that probably had to do with the Canucks’ postseason Ross, the Lindsay, the Selke, and GM of the Year. Everything but the performance. Many felt the previous year’s quick elimination was a blip, most coveted trophy of all: the Lady Byng. and the Canucks were going to go deep. Instead they got swept in the first round by the San Jose Sharks, eliminated even faster, and a season Also, the Stanley Cup. They didn’t win that either, which is really the only projected to go from October to June instead went from January to April. knock against this group, which gave us a season for the ages that also It sucked, and Alain Vigneault took the blame. He was fired at year’s end. stands as the Canucks’ decade in a microcosm: everything was thrilling, right up until it very much was not. We can even pinpoint the moment There was one notable moment: the standing ovation Henrik Sedin everything changed: Game 7. You could argue this team (and their fans, received after becoming the franchise’s leading scorer. frankly) spent the rest of the decade trying to recover from that This was also the year Roberto Luongo cried his eyes out after the team inauspicious event. It remains a work in progress. failed to trade him, and while there were lots of other notable moments, if 2. 2009-10 Vancouver Canucks anything marked the end of an era in Vancouver hockey, it was probably that. Let it never be said that hockey players don’t show emotion: in the It wasn’t the Canucks’ second-best season statistically, but the first spring of 2013, a goaltender wept because he had to keep playing for the season of the last decade gets extra credit for leaving us intrigued by the Canucks. club’s promise, rather than dismayed by their wasted potential. That has to count for something. The 2009-10 Canucks were on the upswing, with 6. 2018-19 Vancouver Canucks the additions of Mikael Samuelsson and Christian Ehrhoff, not to mention The back half of this count-up is marked by a massive shift in the Sedins taking the next step and proving beyond the shadow of a expectations. Spirits were high at the beginning of the decade, by the doubt that they were worth every penny of their brand-new, five-year, end of the ten-year stretch, an 83-point season was considered a $31-million deals. success. By 2018-19, the past was firmly in the past, and Canucks fans, Here’s the moment we knew for sure, as the twins combined to score the trapped in a pretty uninspiring present, were looking for any reason to get greatest goal in Canucks history: excited about the future. Then came along.

That was Henrik Sedin’s 112th point of the season, enough to win the Pettersson’s arrived as a fully formed difference-maker, scoring his first scoring title. He would go on to lead the Canucks over the Los Angeles career goal almost immediately and remaking the Canucks in his image Kings in a very fun first-round playoff series. Unfortunately, the Canucks within a couple weeks. The Canucks still missed the postseason for the hit the same wall in the postseason that they had the year prior: an fourth-straight year, but won more games, scored more goals, and emerging Chicago Blackhawks team that was, frankly, better. But we all caught their first glimpse of a new era in Vancouver hockey with know what happened the third time out. Pettersson’s Calder-winning season, not to mention the merciful end of the mini-era, as the disappointing defender was traded 3. 2011-12 Vancouver Canucks to Pittsburgh after three years of making the Canucks noticeably worse.

Here’s where things begin to go south. This was the Canucks’ second- All four of the most recent seasons have been utter disasters, to be best season of the decade in terms of points, as they repeated as certain, but the one where Pettersson arrived and Gudbranson departed Presidents’ Trophy winners and returned to the playoffs with an eye is clearly the best. towards another long run, but it didn’t work out. Instead, Vancouver was bounced in a five-game first-round series by an underdog, eighth-seeded 7. 2017-18 Vancouver Canucks Kings squad — the last in a season of lowlights. Second-best? The one where the Sedins retired, and for no other reason than that. The 2017-18 campaign was a total wash, right up until the final month, when Daniel and Henrik announced the end of their 18-year injury to insult, on the last day of the regular season, Daniel Sedin left the careers, and gave us this incredible moment in their final home game: ice on a stretcher after a bad hit.

A very fun night at the rink. Unfortunately, with the exception of Brock The Tortorella season was so bad that the entire hockey world just Boeser’s impressive rookie season, the first in a trio of seasons that saw decided to forget it ever happened, and they must have, because the Canucks formally introduce a new face of the franchise, nothing else Tortorella was back behind an NHL bench just two seasons later. But from 2017-18 bears mentioning. there’s no forgetting in Vancouver, no matter how hard we try. It happened, and it was terrible. 8. 2015-16 Vancouver Canucks

How bad was this season? The highlight was probably the Hunter- Shinkaruk-for-Markus-Granlund trade. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.02.2020

There was some excitement to start the year, as two rookies Jared McCann and made the club out of training camp, but any hope for the future was offset by the dawning realization that the man shaping said future wasn’t as savvy as we’d been led to believe: Jim Benning made several bad moves that offseason, the worst of which was, without question, the sign-and-trade that saw Nick Bonino go to Pittsburgh, where he’d win a Stanley Cup, and come to Vancouver, where he’d sign a five-year contract extension that everybody, the Penguins included, knew was a terrible idea.

The Canucks were eliminated from playoff contention in mid-March. They scored a franchise-low 191 goals and finished with a league-worst goal differential of minus-52. It sure felt like rock bottom…

9. 2016-17 Vancouver Canucks

… except that it wasn’t. Remarkably, the 2016-17 Vancouver Canucks were even worse. They scored just 182 goals. Their differential was an eye-popping minus-61. They collected just 69 points, the worst outcome in almost 20 years. Fans were made to bid a fond farewell to stalwarts Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows, not to mention grit their teeth and acknowledge that Jim Benning had traded Jared McCann for Erik flippin’ Gudbranson, who was not good.

Michael Chaput and Jayson Megna played 68 and 58 games, respectively, and contributed all of 17 points, combined, in curiously major roles. The most memorable moment of the season was a 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks in February that saw Vancouver sit 11 regulars with the mumps. Needless to say, coach Willie Desjardins was fired.

Trash season. But, incredibly, not the trashiest of the decade.

10. 2013-14 Vancouver Canucks

Nobody enjoyed the 2013-14 season. Not the players, not the fans, not the General Manager, not coach John Tortorella, who was so reluctant to even come into work that the Canucks installed a Murphy bed in his office in the hopes of enticing him to put in a little overtime fixing the team’s sudden litany of problems.

After seven seasons of Alain Vigneault, some pundits suggested a coaching change could get the once-formidable Canucks back on track. But Tortorella obliterated any notion of that happening, coaching the Canucks to what was, at that time, their worst regular season since the dawn of the twenty-first century. They failed to crack 85 points for the first time since 1999-2000. They scored fewer than 200 goals for the first time since 1998-99.

The season started poorly. Alex Burrows broke his foot blocking a shot in the first game. But you can’t blame Tortorella for that, and why would you when there’s so much else to blame him for?

Things went fully awry in January, when it became clear over a three- game stretch that the Canucks were not being well-served by their coach. On January 15, they lost to the Anaheim Ducks, 9-1. On January 16, Henrik Sedin was injured in a loss to the Coyotes. On January 18 versus Calgary, Tortorella instigated a line brawl off the opening faceoff, then tried to continue that line brawl during the intermission by attempting to fight Flames coach Bob Hartley in the hallway.

He was suspended for two weeks, and the Canucks would win just two of their next nine games, spiralling all through February.

The Heritage Classic in March was a disaster, as Tortorella sat Roberto Luongo for no reason, ending what remained of his relationship with the Canucks’ organization. He was traded the next day. Less than a week later, the Canucks suffered a 7-4 loss to the Islanders — a notable defeat considering Vancouver had entered the third period with a 3-0 lead.

How bad was Tortorella? General Manager Mike Gillis was fired for hiring him before the season even ended. That’s almost insulting. And to add 1168972 Vancouver Canucks watch. He just loves hockey. He’s like a 16-year-old kid. He’s always the last one to leave the ice.

“If it’s a shootout, or just stick handling, he’s always doing it after Ben Kuzma: Hughes-A-Palooza all-star hype won't steal showdown practice. And that’s good for the team. When he’s doing it, everybody spotlight else hops in and it’s contagious.”

So, how do you stop a guy who can stickhandle in a phone booth, make ridiculous passes and pick corners? BEN KUZMA “He’s elusive and you never know where he’s going to go with the puck,” January 1, 2020 5:39 PM PST said Hughes. “A guy like that is harder sometimes than a guy who has got a lot of speed and is going to take you wide.

“With Kaner, you don’t know if he’s going to go backhand sauce (pass) If you want a real read on how Quinn Hughes lives in the moment and across the ice, or pull up or take you wide. I have to let him make the first isn’t distracted by a significant event on the hockey horizon, consider the move and that’s different for me.” following: And it’s a challenge he relishes. • His cellphone isn’t blowing up from additional All-Star Game hype. Hughes led the Canucks in average ice time in December and he leads • His parents aren’t rushing to the NHL website to cast a Last Men In all rookies with 21:15 of average minutes. He has logged 27 and 28 vote. minutes when called upon and has lapped up the extra pressure to • His biggest concern is stopping Patrick Kane on Thursday at Rogers perform. With him there’s no angst, just anticipation. Arena. “When Eddie (Alex Edler) was out, there was a bigger role for me and it The Vancouver Canucks’ standout rookie defenceman would obviously was good and challenging,” he said. “I was thinking earlier that last year I cherish being added to the Pacific Division team — he would have to top was at the world juniors and playing against Finland. Sometimes, I Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, couldn’t even get on the ice and I wasn’t on the first power play. So, it’s , Tomas Hertl and in online voting that pretty good.” ends Jan. 10 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific — but he also sees the bigger picture. Pretty good? Maybe Travis Green put it best about Hughes. The voting initiative is a means to generate more All-Star Weekend “He’s a great kid,” said the Canucks coach. “He doesn’t get ahead of interest for the Jan. 24-25 event in St. Louis. himself and doesn’t need to sit and talk about himself or pat himself on You could argue the 20-year-old Hughes should have supplanted Mark the back. He just likes to play the game and be a good teammate. Giordano on the division roster because the Calder Trophy candidate has “I don’t need to say a lot. His work on the ice does and he’s an exciting better numbers — 28 points (3-25) compared to 19 points (4-15) for the player. We’re lucky to have him.” Calgary Flames captain — and would be a better crowd-pleaser for the skills competition and uptempo 3-on-3 games.

However, this could be by design to drive some Hughes-A-Palooza hype Vancouver Province: LOADED: 01.02.2020 and right a wrong. But don’t expect his father, Jim, and mother, Ellen, to stuff the electronic ballot box — even though they have fostered a rich family sporting lineage.

“No,” laughed Hughes. “My parents are so chill. They’re not really like that.”

Not that Hughes doesn’t think the ASG isn’t a big deal. While Dylan Larkin, his former World Hockey Championship roommate, said this about the Last Men In initiative: “Please don’t vote — I like the days off more,” it had more to do with the Detroit Red Wings centre having participated in the 2016 ASG.

“Any time you can go to one of those events, it’s pretty special,” Hughes said Wednesday following practice. “It would be a great opportunity and be really fun, but at the same time if it doesn’t happen, I’ll go home for a couple of days and that will be nice, too.

“But it’s an experience a lot of people don’t get to have and it would be really cool to be there with Petey (Elias Pettersson), but I’ve got to focus on tomorrow (Thursday).”

Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche in Vancouver, on Saturday November 16, 2019. Darryl Dyck, The Canadian Press / PNG

The Canucks are riding a five-game win streak and the Chicago Blackhawks have won three straight and five of their last six to climb back into playoff contention. And Kane is leading the charge.

The puck-wizard winger is ninth in league scoring with 51 points (22-29) and finished the decade as the NHL’s top point-producer with 802. Sidney Crosby had 788 and Alex Ovechkin 781 points.

For Hughes, shutting down Kane would mean more than just negating one of the game’s better players. They were teammates on the last two world championship teams and the respect runs from the ice to the room. And it will force Hughes to display a defensive game that doesn’t get enough credit for speed, smarts, angling and stick position.

“Kaner is probably the best American player ever,” added Hughes. “For every American kid, that’s the guy they watch. Getting to know him is pretty special because of how good of a guy he is and how good he is to 1168973 Vancouver Canucks And is the Canucks’ rebuilding project far enough along to warrant such a move?

2. Pettersson and Hughes extension talks The 9 biggest Canucks storylines to track in 2020 Pending unrestricted free agent Jacob Markstrom has dominated extension chatter, rumours and analysis in the Vancouver market this fall, but far and away the most important contracts the Canucks will be able to By Thomas Drance sign in 2020 are the second contracts for star defenseman Quinn Hughes and star centreman Elias Pettersson. Jan 1, 2020 Pettersson and Hughes are already superstar-level contributors. While

neither is a pending free agent, they’ll be eligible to sign their second Happy New Year, VIPs. contracts beginning on July 1, 2020.

Welcome to the year 2020. It’s crazy to type that out. It remains a Those contracts will be expensive, especially in Pettersson’s case. supreme disappointment that we don’t have replicants or flying cars, Pettersson has racked up a sparkling 107 points in 111 career games much less a cure to the common cold. played. He has an outside shot of finishing the season as a point-per- We have made progress, though. We have phenomenal communications game player in his first two seasons of professional hockey. media that we can use to argue with fellow Canucks fans, composite In the contemporary era of expensive second contracts, there aren’t sticks, iPads on the bench, the reverse-VH post-integration technique, many players who’ve gone into second contract negotiations as point- another promise from the NHL that player tracking is nigh and a deep per-game players for their careers. So, yeah, the annual average value of understanding of shot-based metrics, which we can use to better gauge Pettersson’s next contract will be eight figures for sure. team and player quality and predict outcomes in a deeply variable sport. Hoorah! Hughes’ case is a bit more complicated, in part because of his 10.2(c) status and in part because he’ll have only one year of full-time NHL As the calendar turns to 2020, let’s look into the major storylines we’ll experience. Also, as we saw this past summer with Charlie McAvoy and monitor together as the new year unfolds. These are storylines that will Zach Werenski, the market value of second contracts for NHL reverberate significantly over the next 12 months and into the future of defensemen hasn’t been hit by the same inflationary pressure as the the Canucks franchise. market value of second contracts for elite NHL forwards. 1. The playoff race That may be slowly changing, though. Thomas Chabot set a new This seems like a pedestrian starting point, but it’s justified based on how benchmark, breaking the $7.5 million barrier, which had held firm as the incredibly high the stakes are for the Canucks over the latter half of this maximum value for elite defensemen leaving their entry-level deal since season. Drew Doughty’s contract back in 2012 (and matched only by Aaron Ekblad’s eight-year extension in 2016). The Canucks haven’t qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2014- 15. This extended lean stretch hurts the organization’s credibility locally, In Chabot’s first two seasons, he managed a rate of .55 points per game, but more importantly, it also hurts the bottom line. although he did log well over 24 minutes per game in his platform season. In Hughes’ first 44 career games, his points-per-game rate sits In fact, according to the flawed but interesting team valuations estimates at .72, though he’s logging somewhat fewer minutes with a per-game produced by Forbes, Vancouver is the only team in the entire NHL that average that sits north of 21. has lost value over the past five years. Clearly, the return of playoff hockey would be a significant boost in a Vancouver marketplace that has Either way, the comparison is strong and favourable for Hughes, as is the sized the Canucks up with some measure of apathy over the past half- incentive of the Hughes camp to wait and see how similar situations play decade. out with players like Colorado Avalanche defender Cale Makar, Dallas Stars defender Miro Heiskanen and Buffalo Sabres defender Rasmus With so much riding on the Canucks’ fortunes on the business side, you Dahlin — all of whom are on entry-level deals that will expire in July can imagine what the stakes are internally. The Aquilini family, which 2021. owns Canucks Sports and Entertainment, has been uncharacteristically patient since firing Mike Gillis in 2014 after the first season of his tenure Despite his relatively shallow track record, if Hughes can maintain his in which the Canucks missed the playoffs, but despite Francesco first-half form over the balance of the season, then his representatives Aquilini’s public endorsement of the club’s progress in the first half, can are going to be able to make a compelling argument that he deserves the head coach Travis Green or general manager Jim Benning survive richest second contract for an NHL defenseman in the history of the missing the postseason again if things go sideways down the stretch? sport.

If the Canucks fail to qualify for the postseason, after all, it would be It’ll be fascinating to see how this all plays out. Obviously, the Canucks Green’s third consecutive season missing the playoffs and Benning’s fifth will do what they can to sign their cornerstone pieces to team-friendly consecutive miss. If the coach or general manager were to retain his job deals, but there’s a real benefit, too, to getting these essential contracts in that scenario, we’d be entering historic territory in regards to the done as early as possible. Cost certainty is a significant advantage for an patience a stable ownership group has afforded Vancouver’s executive NHL front office, particularly when it regards the cap allocation required leadership during this rebuild. to lock up their best players into the club’s contention window.

There’s also the fallout in terms of draft capital. This is a team that 3. Expansion preparation and the Markstrom extension surrendered a conditional first-round pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Jacob Markstrom was the Canucks’ best player in the 2019 calendar The Canucks will maintain their first-round pick only if they fail to make year. the postseason. If the Canucks qualify, the pick goes to Tampa Bay, and the J.T. Miller trade will look like a stroke of genius — if it doesn’t already. From Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 30, 2019, only 10 goaltenders in the NHL appeared in more games than Markstrom did. Only eight If the Canucks miss the playoffs, that amps up the stakes further for the goaltenders, who appeared in at least 40 games during that stretch, 2020-21 campaign, when the pick becomes unprotected. recorded a better save percentage. All of which makes two things worth following obsessively in 2020: Markstrom has been the singular driving force behind the Canucks’ five- Vancouver’s performance down the stretch and its posture ahead of the game win streak, his save percentage is up to .919 on the season, and NHL trade deadline. based on the goals saved above expectation data found at Benning has been open about his desire to add a top-six winger. Could ChartingHockey.ca, he has performed like a top-five NHL starter through the pressure on Canucks management and the organization’s overall the first three months: desire to compete in the postseason add incentive for the club to make a The Canucks are expected to work toward a Markstrom extension in the win-now type of trade before the Feb. 24 trade deadline? months ahead, and those negotiations could prove to be complicated, particularly because of the impact of the 2021 NHL expansion draft. The obvious high-end comparable for a Markstrom contract is the deal has an excellent underlying profile despite durability concerns, has now 31-year-old goaltender Semyon Varlamov signed with the New York cleared waivers twice this season. Islanders this past summer. Varlamov’s deal was a four-year contract worth $20 million ($5 million AAV). At this juncture, it’s hard to imagine how Vancouver can accommodate Baertschi without taking some money back. Vancouver will continue to Varlamov was a similar age to Markstrom when the deal was signed, but look for a trade and would be willing to retain money to make it work, but he actually has much better career numbers and didn’t receive no-move it seems possible that this may end up in a buyout in June. protection. That latter point is key, since a no-movement clause (NMC) would block the Canucks from having the flexibility of exposing As for Eriksson, his contract is a true millstone. The Markstrom in the 2021 expansion draft. corollary states that there’s no such thing as an immovable contract in the NHL, but Eriksson’s comes close. There’s only limited value in You can understand, then, why a contract with an NMC could be a exercising a buyout on his contract either for the 2020-21 season, since priority for Markstrom’s camp. No one who can avoid it wants to agree to the cap benefit for that season comes in at under $500,000. a long-term extension this close to the expansion draft without having some degree of certainty about his future. Thankfully for the Canucks, Eriksson has played well in top-six minutes on ’s wing since Josh Leivo sustained a kneecap fracture two How the Canucks manage to navigate these talks and what that means weeks back. Though he’s a distressed asset on the books, he at least for prized Canucks backup Thatcher Demko — and, it should be noted, has some hockey value as a utility player. there are ways of structuring a Markstrom contract to discourage Seattle from selecting him — is worth monitoring, as is the overall impact It will require enormous creativity — and possibly some real assets — for expansion will have on Canucks decision-making throughout 2020. the Canucks to sort through these issues and clear the books. Figuring something out would be a significant benefit for a team that has a chance The expansion process is based around the concept of player volume, so to improve rapidly if it can untie some of the knots it’s worked itself into. for every player a team brings in through free agency or trade, there is a knock-on effect elsewhere on the roster. It goes without saying that this 6. Tanev, Stecher and some tough decisions on the right side of the time around, the Canucks will likely be surrendering an asset worth more Canucks’ blue line than was. Chris Tanev is a pending unrestricted free agent who will be looking for As 2020 rolls along, every move the Canucks make will increasingly be at least a modest raise on the $4.45 million AAV his deal carried this viewed and analyzed through the expansion prism. And no move more season. Troy Stecher is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration so than a possible Markstrom extension. rights who will be looking for at least a modest raise on the $2.325 million his deal carried this season. 4. Will Micheal Ferland bounce back? In Stecher’s case, the whole thing is complicated further by the fact that Micheal Ferland has missed 26 of Vancouver’s first 40 games, 17 as a his camp can make a good case at arbitration — based on the minutes result of a concussion and nine more as a result of an undisclosed he’s logged in his NHL career to this point — that he should be valued as ailment believed to be connected to his previous head injury. more than a third-pair defender.

These are circumstances beyond Ferland or Vancouver’s control, and It’s hard to figure out, particularly considering the premium the club has the first priority has to be his health. placed on preserving cap flexibility beyond the 2020-21 season, how Vancouver can keep both. It’s fair to say, though, that the start of Ferland’s Canucks career has unfolded in an unfortunate manner. And, in all honesty, with how Brogan Rafferty has excelled at the American League level and considering that he has a one-way contract When he’s healthy, Ferland is a rough-and-tumble forward with enough with a possible steal $700,000 cap hit signed through the 2020-21 skill to complement players at the top of the lineup. That’s what the season, it’s probably not efficient to try to keep both anyway. Canucks were betting on when they signed Ferland to a four-year deal worth $14 million in July. It’s likely that the Canucks will have to make a decision on the right side of their blue line between a well-respected, albeit aging defensive ace in It was a decent bet. Ferland had appeared in at least 70 games in each Tanev and a scrappy, undersized and underrated puck mover in Stecher. of the previous five seasons before his first with Vancouver, but his expanding track record of injury issues — and head injuries, in particular As extension talks unfold and the trade deadline approaches, how — poses some uncomfortable questions. Vancouver opts to handle the right side of the defense corps will impact the makeup and quality of their backend for years to come. Can Ferland bounce back? Can he play the same game that’s made him so effective in the NHL while remaining healthy? Will he be durable 7. Does Adam Gaudette take the next step? enough to justify the investment in treasure and term that the Canucks made this summer? Adam Gaudette forced his way onto the Canucks roster with an impressive showing at training camp, improved his two-way game, How these questions are answered will prove crucial for the club as the continues to produce with his absolute weapon of a shot and has carved 2020 calendar year unfolds, particularly because of how burdened the out a permanent spot in the Canucks lineup. roster is with inefficient contracts to players who have been marginal contributors this season, such as Loui Eriksson ($6 million cap hit), Sven After playing only three games for the Canucks in October, Gaudette has Baertschi ($3.6 million cap hit) and Brandon Sutter ($4.375 million cap been a mainstay since Nov. 10. He’s produced 17 points in 30 games. hit). And he’s on the last year of his entry-level deal, which means the Canucks will need to figure out an extension for him, too. Speaking of which … Gaudette will be a 10.2(c) player, so he’s not going to have free-agent 5. The Loui Eriksson and Sven Baertschi situations rights, but he’ll have some leverage, particularly if he continues to be a productive, regular player. Eriksson has been a healthy scratch on 19 occasions this season. Baertschi has appeared in only six contests. They’ve combined for just The question now is: What can Gaudette become? At 23, Gaudette is a five points. young player, but he’s not significantly younger than Horvat (the difference in their age is about 16 months), who seems so veteran in Together, with Baertschi’s contract buried in the American League, they comparison. If Gaudette is going to take a significant step as a two-way take up about $8.3 million in cap space. Both players are signed through player, it has to happen now. next season, with Eriksson’s deal extending a year beyond that. If Gaudette’s two-way play can catch up to his offensive toolkit and his It goes without saying that these are burdensome deals for the Canucks, commendable work rate, he could be the third-line centre of the future for particularly as the club enters the final year of Pettersson and Hughes’ Vancouver. If he can’t take that step, though, then he’s likely to max out super-efficient entry-level contracts. They’re deals that tie the club’s as a power-play specialist with the ability to contribute at an average hands, to some degree, in terms of improving the roster. level in the bottom six.

Baertschi’s camp publicly demanded a trade in mid-December, but the This will be a crucial year for Gaudette’s growth as a player, and how the Swiss-born winger, who is clearly too good for the American League and Canucks handle his next deal — do they bet that he’ll figure it out, or sign a short-term show-me contract? — will have significant ramifications on the future of Vancouver’s forward group.

8. Can Jake Virtanen maintain his two-way improvement?

Inconsistent throughout his career, Virtanen authored a mammoth December.

Carving out consistent minutes on Vancouver’s third forward line, with an occasional look alongside Pettersson and Miller, Virtanen — a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights — finished December second in scoring among all Canucks skaters with 11 points in 13 games. He took advantage of regular power-play time. He flashed some much- improved decision-making with the puck. For the first time since his rookie season, the 23-year-old genuinely drove play.

Virtanen is going to turn 24 in 2020. He’s really not a young player anymore, though obviously there’s still some capacity for improvement and for refining his overall game.

Can Virtanen sustain the improved form he showed in December? Can he continue to hone his defensive game and decision-making, even as some of the offensive bounces he’s benefitted from dry up?

If he can, then he certainly has the ability to re-establish himself as a core piece for the Canucks. Considering that this is a contract year for Virtanen, though, if the Canucks have any lingering doubts, then this may be the time to sell high on a unique asset.

However it plays out, 2020 will be a significant year for Virtanen.

9. The Abbotsford thing

This isn’t a story that will unfold this calendar year, but it’s one to track as it develops.

Currently, the Canucks are the only Pacific Division team, other than the Vegas Golden Knights (who are affiliated with the Chicago Wolves), with an American League affiliate that plays outside the Pacific time zone.

The Canucks can’t exercise their first opt-out from their recently extended affiliation agreement with the Utica Comets until 2021. That said, the prospect of Vancouver moving their American League team westward, likely somewhere in or adjacent to the lower mainland, is more a matter of when than if.

Even Comets brass expect that, at some point, Vancouver will bring its American League affiliate to British Columbia.

Abbotsford has long been linked to the Canucks. There was probably a deal to be made back in 2013, before it fell apart.

There’s an obvious appetite among Abbotsford politicians to bring professional-level hockey back to the , despite the failure of the era. Meanwhile, as the western expansion of the American League has developed, it’s certainly become a more attractive prospect for the Canucks.

If there’s going to be movement on this, I’d expect we’ll begin to hear some rumblings in 2020. We’ll certainly be watching for it.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168974 Websites The Penguins have quietly redefined themselves as a deep, very difficult team to play against, as witnessed by their impressive goal differential – second only to Boston – in spite of ongoing injury issues to top players.

The Athletic / The Athletic’s NHL Power Rankings: How do the teams 6. New York Islanders stack up with the trade deadline approaching Record: 25-10-3

Previous Ranking: No. 3 By Scott Burnside It’s an interesting time for the Isles, who have hit their first bit of adversity Jan 1, 2020 under Barry Trotz with an up and down December. GM Lou Lamoriello needs to add scoring if this team is going to be a real threat in the spring.

7. Carolina Hurricanes Interesting dynamic once again where a significant number of top offensive performers are tracking toward missing the playoffs, which will Record: 24-14-2 make for some interesting choices for Hart Trophy voters as the second Previous Ranking: No. 6 half unfolds. The Canes are one of the most dynamic teams in the NHL but need to Of the top 10 point producers as of Dec. 31, it is possible that at least five get better, more consistent goaltending if they’re going to be a real will miss the playoffs – Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, contender. Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. Jonathan Huberdeau would make it six if the Panthers fall out, which is possible given Tampa and Toronto 8. Toronto Maple Leafs uprisings. Record: 22-14-5 Points aren’t the only factor in picking a Hart Trophy winner, of course. At least it shouldn’t be. But if your team doesn’t make the playoffs, unless Previous Ranking: No. 17 you are absolutely running away with the scoring title, you’re not in the The Leafs are on the move under Sheldon Keefe. At some point, though, top three of my Hart ballot. Sorry. A league MVP has to lead his team to they’ll need to figure out how to win games that aren’t track meets. the postseason. That’s my line in the sand. (The last time a Hart Trophy winner didn’t play in the playoffs was Mario Lemieux in 1988). 9. Dallas Stars

So, my top three New Year’s Hart ballot, in no particular order, would Record: 22-14-4 include David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and John Carlson. Previous Ranking: No. 7 Now let’s take a look at which teams are trending toward the postseason and which are looking to the NHL Draft lottery. The Stars need to figure out winning on the road but have to be pleased with their lot in life as they host the Winter Classic. The rankings are a compilation of voting by The Athletic’s NHL team and will be done at the beginning of every month of the regular season. 10. Philadelphia Flyers

1. Washington Capitals (16 first-place votes) Record: 22-13-5

Record: 27-9-5 Previous Ranking: No. 18

Previous Ranking: No. 1 There is still lots of ups and downs to the Flyers’ play but they have responded well to the emotional news of Oskar Lindblom, who is lost for The NHL’s best team on the road probably still hasn’t hit its top gear yet, the season after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. which is a bit scary for the rest of the Eastern Conference. 11. Vegas Golden Knights 2. St. Louis Blues (nine first-place votes) Record: 22-15-6 Record: 26-9-6 Previous Ranking: No. 15 Previous Ranking: No. 4 The Golden Knights are finally hitting on most, if not all, cylinders and A torrid pace of play to end the calendar year makes the defending Cup have taken over the top spot in the middling Pacific Division. champions as dangerous as any team in the NHL. Can you imagine a Blues-Caps final? Wowzer. 12. Tampa Bay Lightning (one first-place vote)

3. Boston Bruins (one first-place vote) Record: 21-13-4

Record: 24-7-10 Previous Ranking: No. 12

Previous Ranking: No. 2 Love the enthusiasm for our one lone first-place voter here. And it may prove prophetic as the Lightning are slowly coming out of their season- The Bruins are the one legitimate challenge to Washington in the east at long funk. midseason as they continue to plug along without any meaningful competition in the Atlantic Division and in spite of a plague of injuries, 13. Arizona Coyotes now including Charlie McAvoy. Record: 22-16-4

4. Colorado Avalanche Previous Ranking: No. 9

Record: 23-13-4 The loss of Darcy Kuemper is a huge blow and the returns on the Taylor Previous Ranking: No. 8 Hall deal are thus far muted at best as the Coyotes have slumped their way out of first place in the Pacific. The Avs hit a bit of a flat spot heading into January but are still a Cup- worthy team. The next big question is what does GM Joe Sakic do come 14. Florida Panthers trade deadline to put them over the top? Record: 20-14-5

5. Pittsburgh Penguins Previous Ranking: No. 11

Record: 24-11-4 Florida, like Toronto, seems to need to win every game 6-5. Fun to watch Previous Ranking: No. 10 but hardly a recipe for earning a playoff berth. The Cats are 28th in the league in goals allowed per game. Yikes.

15. Winnipeg Jets Record: 22-15-3 Remember when the Sabres were vying for first place in the Atlantic? Nope? Can’t say we blame you as the Sabres headed for another Previous Ranking: No. 13 lamentable descent into irrelevance in Buffalo.

The Jets hit a bit of a dip in December. No doubt they will be looking 25. Chicago Blackhawks forward to some clarity on Dustin Byfuglien in the coming days as they struggle to stay in the Central Division fight. Record: 18-17-6

16. Vancouver Canucks Previous Ranking: No. 23

Record: 21-15-4 For a team that was so dominant for so long, being wholly average is a difficult pill to swallow for fans and players alike. Previous Ranking: No. 16 26. Ottawa Senators The Canucks, with an impressive push to end the calendar year, are back in a playoff spot. Sustainable? Jacob Markstrom is the key and that Record: 16-19-5 should bode well for the Canucks. Previous Ranking: No. 24 17. Calgary Flames There’s no award for coaching a bad team into respectability (but still out Record: 20-17-5 of the playoffs), but if there was, D.J. Smith would get my vote.

Previous Ranking: No. 22 27. San Jose Sharks

The Flames are much better with Geoff Ward behind the bench but they Record: 17-21-3 won’t be a real contender until their top players start producing at even strength. Previous Ranking: No. 19

18. Nashville Predators Guess it wasn’t all Pete DeBoer’s fault in San Jose as the Sharks continue to bumble along near the bottom of the Western Conference Record: 18-14-6 standings in a shocking fall from grace.

Previous Ranking: No. 20 28. Anaheim Ducks

The Predators are out of the playoffs, and one of the worst teams in the Record: 16-19-5 league on the penalty kill and in goals allowed per game. Didn’t see that coming. Previous Ranking: No. 27

19. Minnesota Wild The Ducks could use some lottery luck in April. That’s all I’ve got.

Record: 19-17-5 29. Los Angeles Kings

Previous Ranking: No. 28 Record: 17-21-4

Once buried, the Wild have undergone an impressive renaissance under Previous Ranking: No. 30 Bruce Boudreau, scoring like crazy and getting contributions from up and The Kings are part of a strange battle for the bottom in the Western down the lineup. Playoffs? Why not. Conference with their California colleagues. That is bonkers.

20. Montreal Canadiens 30. New Jersey Devils

Record: 18-16-6 Record: 14-19-6

Previous Ranking: No. 14 Previous Ranking: No. 29

Critical losses in late December prove the Habs are not quite ready for The Devils are actually no worse off after Taylor Hall trade. Not sure primetime. Playing just .500 at Bell Center is no way to earn a playoff whether that is a comment on Hall or the Devils. berth. 31. Detroit Red Wings 21. Edmonton Oilers Record: 10-28-3 Record: 21-17-4 Previous Ranking: No. 31 Previous Ranking: No. 5 A unanimous decision to put the Wings at No. 31, with a disgraceful The long slow slide back into oblivion is hard to watch for an Oilers team minus-70 goal differential as of Dec. 31. Tank rhymes with stank in that showed such promise in October and November. Motown.

22. New York Rangers Storylines to watch in 2020

Record: 19-16-4 A year ago at the All-Star Game in San Jose one of the main storylines Previous Ranking: No. 25 was “poor Connor,” how sad for the world’s best player to be playing for a sinkhole of a franchise. Sorry, I couldn’t work up one salty tear for that If the Rangers can somehow find their way into the playoffs, Artemi entire narrative and good on McDavid for insisting that he was only Panarin is going to get some well-earned Hart Trophy love. interested in being part of the solution in Edmonton. Now a year later, after a blazing start fueled in large part by the exploits of McDavid and 23. Columbus Blue Jackets fellow Hart Trophy front-runner Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are back in a Record: 18-14-8 familiar pattern of allowing way too many soft goals and having little to no scoring depth. They will hit the New Year outside the playoffs but now Previous Ranking: No. 26 there are lots of questions about how Draisaitl and McDavid should be more of a factor in turning this ship around with their overall play. Long For the record, I thought John Tortorella was right on. But the loss of shifts, turnovers, monster plus/minus issues, are all fodder for discussion netminder Joonas Korpisalo will be a tough one for the plucky Blue in Edmonton. Draisaitl, a forthright soul, told reporters this week he’s Jackets to overcome. been “pretty shit” lately. Recent history has shown that the game’s 24. Buffalo Sabres brightest offensive stars have modified their games for the greater good with Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Record: 17-17-7 among others evolving their games to make them equal threats on both sides of the puck or at the very least not a liability without the puck. The Previous Ranking: No. 21 Oilers aren’t close to being a championship team as those other star players’ teams became. There remains serious work for new GM Ken netminder said. “It’s only halfway through the season, however, and Holland in building a supporting cast similar to the casts in Chicago, Murray’s past Stanley Cup success could still play a factor. I think this Pittsburgh and Washington. But it’s also clear McDavid and Draisaitl one is fluid.” need to be more of the solution in Edmonton than they’ve been in terms of creating a culture of accountability and dedication to team play. This Looking ahead to next summer where there will be lots of options for isn’t about effort or caring but understanding the big picture of what it teams looking to upgrade their goaltending – hello, San Jose, Detroit, means to be a winning team. There is still lots of time for this team to New Jersey, Ottawa – our goalie guru suggested one lower profile resurrect its once-bright playoff hopes, but with Calgary better under netminder who should be getting a lot of attention. “Pavel Francouz is Geoff Ward, Vegas finally hitting its stride and Arizona adding Taylor worth keeping an eye on. His numbers have been eye-popping in every Hall, the competition has improved since the start of the season. It would league he’s played in,” he said. “At 29, he’s experienced quite a lot … seem the Oilers need a different approach from their superstar forwards just not in the NHL. It doesn’t seem to faze him one bit. He’s going to get to match that. paid this summer by someone.” Francouz has an impressive .927 save percentage in 17 games heading into the New Year, and he has been a Interesting to look at the career arcs of the two generational stars at the nice safety net for Grubauer in Denver. The native of the Czech Republic top of the 2015 NHL Draft – McDavid and Jack Eichel in Buffalo. is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Interesting to McDavid has been to the playoffs once. Eichel is still looking for his first see how much more responsibility he is given in Colorado and whether playoff experience. Early last season and then again early in this that translates to an opportunity to be a No. 1 (sorry) guy somewhere in campaign, the Sabres tore off lengthy streaks to surge into playoff the NHL. discussions only to fall completely off the map. As the calendar turns to 2020, they are once again an afterthought as Toronto and Tampa have Talked to a GM not long ago about the . The NHL surged into the midst of the Atlantic Division playoff race with up and and NHLPA scrapped a tentative plan to hold a mini-World Cup of down Florida – all of whom are chasing runaway division leader Boston. Hockey in early 2021. What will replace it is unknown at this point but this The Sabres have run dry offensively and have struggled once again to GM suggested, if you’re going to do something, why not a Ryder Cup- find consistent goaltending in spite of Eichel’s monster season, which type event pitting the top players in North America against the top saw him collect 52 points in 39 games to earn well-deserved Hart Trophy European teams? This GM, who has experience with best-on-best discussion. Sound familiar, Connor McDavid? The truth of the matter is tournaments, suggested putting a whack of cash on the table and playing that both Edmonton and Buffalo are deeply flawed teams. They put faith a best-of-three. Want to throw in a skills competition with the winning in players who haven’t responded, whether it was Mikko Koskinen or the team earning home ice benefits for the series or something along those Milan Lucic in Edmonton, or Jeff Skinner, who was signed to a whopper lines? Sure. Take the fans out of the selection process. Sorry, but if you eight-year, $72-million contract and then disappeared with just one goal want the teams to have real meaning they have to be selected by the in his past 13 games before being injured and lost to the team for a respective management teams. Even that would create lots of month, by which time the Sabres could be cooked once again. Both discussion, especially as it relates to a North American team. Perhaps teams have lots of promising young players in the pipeline but it’s hard to even include a leadership group from both squads in the process of preach patience to fans in Buffalo, who are looking at a ninth straight selecting the team, although that might create some awkward moments season out of the playoffs, and in Edmonton, where the Oilers have been for those players. We want these kinds of events to have some sort of to the playoff dance once since 2006. meaning and, short of a true best-on-best competition, this might be a good way to do it, the GM suggested. And to make this a true hockey We talk often about goaltenders and their workloads, and one longtime event why not have a Canada versus the U.S. women’s event to include netminder noted this week that it’s probably not entirely accurate these the best women in the world? Along with a cash prize for the winning days to label a goalie starter or backup. If you don’t have goaltending teams, have sponsors match it with a donation to a few charities picked depth your chances at success go down dramatically. Certainly, one of by the winning team. the interesting storylines through the first half of the season has been the potential transition from veteran starters to the next generation. But our goaltender suggested we shouldn’t be too hasty in pronouncing the The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 passing of the torch. Take Pekka Rinne in Nashville, for instance. While has been knocking at the door to the No. 1 role, if the underachieving Preds are to make a run in the second half, Rinne’s puck-handling ability and experience in big games will likely see him continue to be “the man” in Nashville, the source predicted. Same in New York where the retooled Rangers are positioning themselves to play meaningful games down the stretch. “I view the situation as almost identical to Nashville,” he said. “You’d have to have a damn good reason to keep Hank (Henrik Lundqvist) out of the net. He deserves the opportunity and has a history of rising to the challenge.

Another goaltending situations that continue to bear watching include Washington where the league-leading Capitals will at some point have to decide on veteran Braden Holtby (a former Vezina Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion) or goalie of the future Ilya Samsonov, who has excelled in a smaller role for the Caps. Two years ago, of course, Philipp Grubauer wrested the starting job away from Holtby, but it was Holtby who came on in relief early in the postseason and basically ran the table as the Caps won their first Stanley Cup. Holtby’s numbers are more pedestrian this season, and he is in the final year of his contract and could be headed to free agency given the Caps’ salary structure. But knowing how to kick it up a notch in April will no doubt factor into which way head coach Todd Reirden goes.

Not sure why Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan isn’t getting more recognition as the Penguins continue to soldier through injuries to critical performers, including the long-term absence of captain Sidney Crosby (knee) and now maybe Jake Guentzel. The Pens have one of the top goal differentials in the NHL and have moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division. They also appear to be approaching a crossroads in goal with the emergence of Tristan Jarry, who has put up a .938 save percentage in 18 games while Matt Murray has struggled to find the form that saw him take over for Marc-Andre Fleury as the goalie of record during the Pens’ back-to-back Cup runs in 2016 and 2017. “If you’d told me three years ago that Tristan Jarry would have stolen Matt Murray’s job, I would have laughed in your face. But here we are,” a veteran 1168975 Websites country’s top roster. I started with Sean Monahan, even though he’s having a disappointing year so far in Calgary after breaking through in 2018-19. Jonathan Toews falls into that category too, and at 31 I’m not going to count on him magically reverting back to last year’s 81-point The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Filling out a World Cup roster for Team form. But this is a guy with two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup Canada’s B-Team win on his international résumé, and I just can’t leave him off the roster entirely. I’ll round out the line with a guy whose name doesn’t show up in

many of these discussions, as Brendan Gallagher heads toward what By Sean McIndoe would be his third straight 30-goal season. He’ll basically be the B-team’s version of Marchand. Jan 1, 2020 Even with Eric getting first crack at the country’s best and 12 more names in place so far here, I’ve still got a ton of talent to choose from for my 13th forward slot. I could go with yet another two-way forward, like We’ve spent the last week or so on this site having some fun with the Ryan Johansen or Bo Horvat. I could make a sentimental veteran pick World Cup. Or rather, with the lack of a World Cup, since the NHL in its like Ryan Getzlaf, Eric Staal or Joe Thornton. I could go with a hot hand infinite wisdom has apparently decided that hockey fans don’t want to from this season like Anthony Duclair or even . And I even see best-on-best tournaments anymore. We’re not so sure about that, so briefly thought about trying to talk Calgary-born William Nylander into we’ve been coming up with our best guess at what the various rosters abandoning Team Sweden. would look like if the World Cup were revived. But in the end, I decided to tip my cap to the history of the tournament That’s always a fun exercise for any country. But it gets especially and use a forward slot on this year’s presumptive top draft pick, Alexis interesting for Team Canada because the country continues to produce Lafreniere. If Auston Matthews can play for Team North America in his more talent than anyone else. No matter who you pick for a roster, you’re draft year in 2016, Alexander Ovechkin can suit up for Russia in 2004 going to end up leaving out a bunch of stars who’d be easy picks for and Eric Lindros can dominate for Team Canada in 1991, let’s get pretty much any other team in the tournament. Sometimes, it feels like Lafreniere some early experience in the high-pressure world of made-up Canada could do pretty well with a second entry. international tournaments that don’t exist. So let’s do that. We’ll scratch off all the names that wound up on Eric Defense Duhatschek’s Team Canada entry, and see what we can do with the rest of the options. Call it the Canadian B-Team. We’re going to have a few big names to choose from here, but the position isn’t as deep as it is up front. We’re also going to run into some We’ve still got plenty of talent to choose from, and we should be able to issues when it comes to balancing out the righties and lefties, and I’m not put together a decent team. More than decent, actually. In fact, it’s sure how much that should matter. I’m old enough to remember when we tempting to wonder: With some savvy picks, can we build a roster that’s never thought twice about which hand a defenseman played with, but at good enough to give the real Team Canada a run for its money? some point in the last decade it apparently became crucially important. No. No, we cannot. That team has Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. I’m going to split the difference on this roster, landing somewhere It has Mitch Marner on the fourth line. It has the reigning Norris winner on between ignoring the issue and going full Mike Babcock obsessive about the third pairing. They’re good. it. Let’s assume that it matters, but that top-level blueliners can occasionally play the wrong side without completely forgetting how to But can we build a Canadian B-team that could give some of the other hockey. countries in the tournament a run for their money? I think we can. Let’s find out. We’ll go righty/lefty for our first pairing, and a nice mix of a veteran and an emerging stud. Kris Letang continues to put up strong offensive Forwards numbers when he’s healthy, and he can give us 25 minutes a night and I admit that I was hoping Eric would get cocky (or maybe just have a anchor our power play. We’ll pair him with , an analytics senior moment) and leave McDavid off of his list. No such luck. In fact, darling whose come into his own in Vegas. Canada A snaps up the three leading Canadian-born scorers since the The second pairing starts with a big name that I’ll admit to being mildly start of the 2017-18 season in McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and (believe surprised to see left off of Eric’s main team: Brent Burns. I get why he it or not) Brad Marchand. ultimately didn’t make the cut for Team A, since he’s 33 years old and But somewhat surprisingly, the next three leading scorers are all struggling through a brutal year in San Jose. Still, we’re talking about a available, so we’ll happily build our first line around Steven Stamkos, guy who’s just a few months removed from being named a first-team all- Claude Giroux and Jonathan Huberdeau. That’s a solid start. Stamkos is star and the runner-up for the Norris, so I’ll happily pencil him in here and a decorated veteran of international best-on-best, and we’ll make him hope for a rebound. We’ll pair him with a steady hand in fellow righty team captain. Huberdeau is on his way to his second straight 90-point Ryan Ellis, a guy who can pretty much do it all and probably deserves season and is still in his prime; he might be one of the most underrated more credit than he gets. offensive stars in the league right now. And Giroux is a talented scorer The third pairing starts with another big-name veteran, although this one who gives us some versatility because he can play multiple positions. might be a little tougher to defend. Without many lefties to choose from, Plus picking him keeps my chimney dry. I’m going to make room for a two-time Norris winner in Duncan Keith, We’ll build our second line around a pair of teammates from Dallas, as even though he’s 36 and struggling through a tough year. He’s not the Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn form two-thirds of a decent unit. Neither player he once was, and unlike Burns, I can’t even point to the very one is dominating this year, and Benn’s actually been pretty recent past to make a plausible cause for a bounce-back. Still, there’s disappointing. But it speaks to the strength of Team Canada that he’s something to be said for a veteran presence, and a three-time Cup even here, since I can’t imagine too many other countries would be winner and two-time gold medalist is awfully tough to leave off a B-Team slotting a recent Art Ross winner onto the B-Team’s second line. We’ll roster. I’ve got him paired with , who’s in his prime and make this an all-Central unit by adding Matt Duchene, who suited up for having a great year. He should pair well with Keith since he likes to Canada at both the 2016 World Cup and 2014 Olympics. spend time around ancient relics.

The third line can do a little bit of everything, as we’ve got a 40-goal We’ve still got some decent options available for our last slot, including scorer in Jeff Skinner and a pair of two-way stars in Logan Couture and several guys who could make other rosters in the tournament. That list Sean Couturier. Skinner is hurt right now, but we were told to assume includes Colton Parayko, Jared Spurgeon and T.J. Brodie. Maybe you that everyone was healthy, so we’ll pencil him in for what would be his make a case for Cam Fowler, or even somebody like Aaron Ekblad. And first best-on-best action and hope that the play-by-play guys can forgive we’ve left off a member of the 2016 World Cup team in Jake Muzzin, not us for putting Couture and Couturier on the same line. (By the way, to mention a 2014 Olympian in P.K. Subban. Couturier was actually born in Arizona but has suited up for Canada But like we did up front, I’m going to lean towards going with a young internationally.) guy. In this case, I’ll give the nod to Thomas Chabot, who’ll get slightly Things get interesting on the fourth line, as we’ve still got a bunch of less than his usual 40 minutes a night in Ottawa but will earn some names to pick from who would probably make just about any other valuable experience toward future international opportunities. Goaltenders

This hasn’t been a position of strength for Canada in years, dating back to the days when names like Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Curtis Joseph and (when he felt like it) Patrick Roy made it a sure thing. Still, Canada almost always has a star or two available, and that remains true today thanks to names like Marc-Andre Fleury, Carey Price and Braden Holtby.

Unfortunately for us, Eric greedily snapped up all three of those guys, which is going to result in this being our weakest position. But if we have to start somewhere, the reigning Cup winner isn’t a bad option. Jordan Binnington has followed up last year’s Cinderella run with a very solid season, and we know he’s not going to get nervous when he has to stare down McDavid and friends.

The second slot goes to Darcy Kuemper, who was on his way to a second straight season of elite play before getting hurt a few weeks ago. We get to magically make everyone healthy for this tournament, so we’ll go with Kuemper and hope he’s not too disoriented by having actual offensive talent around him for a change.

The third goalie spot could go to a veteran, with names like Devan Dubnyk or Corey Crawford in play. I’m not sure I could trust Matt Murray, but he does have two Cup rings. Mike Smith is at least worth a mention. But once again, I’m going to go with a younger player on the taxi squad, as we’ll hand the final job on the roster to 21-year-old Carter Hart.

So that’s the Team Canada B-Team. On paper, they can’t compete with the Canadian first team, and they’d have a tough time with Craig’s Team USA. But based on the rosters coming in for the European entries, I’m not sure they wouldn’t be the third-best team in the tournament. We’re not as top-heavy as someone like Team Russia, but we’ve got better depth and plenty of guys who know how to win under an international spotlight. Call me an optimist, or maybe just a homer, but I think this squad could at least make Team Sweden sweat a little on the way to the podium. Not bad at all for a B-team.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168976 Websites Bobrovsky is struggling in his first season with the Panthers. However, Semyon Varlamov of the Islanders is in the midst of a major bounce-back season. Anton Khudobin of the Stars is a reliable 1B option and two of the NHL’s brightest young goaltending up-and-comers are Russians, The Athletic / Projecting Team Russia: A team loaded with talent on the Alexandar Georgiev of the Rangers and Ilya Samsonov of the Capitals. wings and in goal but with one glaring hole According to Eronko, a darkhorse candidate in goal could also be Ilya Sorokin, drafted 78th overall by the Islanders in 2014, who currently

plays for CSKA Moscow and last year, en route to leading Red Army to By Eric Duhatschek the Gagarin Cup, won the KHL’s playoff MVP award. Sorokin is arguably the best current goaltender not playing in the NHL. Jan 1, 2020 Where the Russian talent machine falls off is in two critical areas – strength down the middle and depth on defence.

Best on best has not been kind to Russia’s national hockey teams for a Once you get past Kuznetsov and Malkin, it’s a long way down to the considerable time now. next options – and we’ve opted for a semi-controversial choice as the No. 3, the Blues’ Ivan Barbashev who was a valuable role player on the On the one hand, they’ve won their share of world championships (four) Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup-winning team and can provide a little defence since 2008, but that tournament usually features only a sprinkling of the along the way. NHL’s high-end talent, many of whom are participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs when the annual event unfolds. Vladislav Namestnikov of the Senators generally alternates between left wing and centre in his NHL life. And while we have him listed here as the In the five times NHL players were permitted to participate in the Winter team’s fourth centre, he could easily lose his spot to either Kings’ rookie Olympic Games, Russia’s best finish came the first time it occurred – at Nikolai Prokhorkin or veteran Sergei Andronov, a third-round choice of the 1998 event in where they earned a silver medal following a St. Louis in 2009 who plays for CSKA Moscow. tough 1-0 loss to Dominik Hasek and the Czech Republic in the final. Andronov was the alternate captain on the 2018 Olympic championship The three times Russia competed in the official World Cup (1996, 2004 team and while limited offensively, can provide faceoff wins and penalty- and 2016), it managed two fourth- and one fifth-place finishes. If you roll killing on a team that would likely need those qualities. And if not the clock all the way back to its original incarnation, the Canada Cup, Andronov, they might opt for Artem Anisimov, currently playing for Russia (then known politically as the USSR) won the 1981 tournament by Ottawa and a mainstay of Russian international teams for the past routing Canada in the final at the . Wayne Gretzky was in decade. Vadim Shipachyov, who had a brief NHL trial with the Golden his second NHL season. Vladislav Tretiak played goal for the Soviet Knights, would also be in the mix. Even if his NHL experience was less Union. The KLM line was just starting to muscle its way into prominence. than stellar, Shipachyov is currently leading the KHL in scoring, after There was still a mystique surrounding the Soviets back then, hints of putting up more than a point a game last year. politics acting as a back-drop to the event, the talented players shrouded in mystery, but also curious internally to see how they matched The wings are positively loaded. up against the best of what the NHL had to offer. Mostly, Russian forwards like to play the opposite wing, but we’ve taken Different, in other words, from where we are today, with Russian players some liberties here to fold in the best crew, including restoring to good front-and-centre on NHL championship teams and in the major awards health ahead of schedule , who is currently races. recovering from shoulder surgery but would provide another sniper on the right side to support Kucherov and the . The Russians are the reigning Olympic champions, but when they won in 2018 in Pyeongchang, they did so without Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny On the left side, in addition to Ovechkin and Artemi Panarin, there is also Kuznetsov or Evgeni Malkin – three of the most accomplished Russian the first-year Devil Nikita Gusev, who terrorized the KHL the past few players of the current generation. There is little doubt that if Ovechkin years before making the jump to the NHL, and Alexander Radulov, who could accomplish one more feat during his illustrious playing career, it had a productive 72-point season a year ago but has seen his scoring would be to register a victory, in either an Olympics featuring NHL totals fall off considerably this season. players, or more probably a future World Cup, where the competition once again features the world’s best. Radulov has occasionally had some fractious moments with the Russian Federation and if he were left off the team, it would almost Unquestionably, if such an event were to occur anytime soon, the certainly push our 13th forward, Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov, Russians would be among the favoured teams. into the top 12. Kaprizov might be there anyway.

Just as with any of the major international hockey powers, the first In terms of how the lines might actually line up, Eronko noted that handful of choices are uncomplicated and self-evident. Panarin and Gusev would likely flip spots from where they fit on our depth chart, mainly because Gusev and Kucherov have developed nice The wrinkle with Russia – and where it differs from other countries – is chemistry whenever they’ve played together internationally. Eronko that there is a viable, competitive domestic league that feeds a handful of describes them as the “most dynamic duo we’ve seen in a Team Russia players into the NHL every season. uniform for a number of years. There’s a great chemistry. And Panarin Generally speaking, whenever Russia sends a team to a best-on-best with Dadonov have that too.” tournament, it usually includes a handful of players from the KHL. Russia hasn’t developed a really high-end defensive talent since Andrei At the moment, a Russian team would almost certainly be coached by Markov, the former Canadiens rearguard, retired – though that could Alexei Kudashov, the head coach of St. Petersburg SKA, according to finally be changing. Arguably, their two most talented defensemen are Igor Eronko, who covers hockey for Russia’s Sport-Express, and among also two of their youngest: Ivan Provorov, of the Flyers, who has other duties, acts as a sideline reporter on KHL television. emerged as that team’s clear No. 1 defenceman, and Mikhail Sergachev, part of a star-studded defence corps with the Lightning. According to Eronko, Kudashov, who also oversaw the Russian entry at last spring’s world championships, would likely select a handful of players A sign of just how far Sergachev has come this year? On a team that from the KHL to supplement all the NHL talent at his disposal. includes Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk on the blueline, Sergachev is playing almost 19 minutes per night and leads the So without further preamble, here’s a look at Russia’s potential roster D with four power-play goals. and a few thoughts on where the final roster battles might occur: Another player that has developed a little sneakily the last little while has Overall, the high end for Russia remains really high. been Nikita Zadorov of the Avalanche. For the most part, the rest of the In Ovechkin, they have the reigning Rocket Richard winner. In Nikita group – Washington’s Dmitry Orlov, Winnipeg’s Dmitry Kulikov and Kucherov, they have the NHL’s reigning Hart Trophy winner. In Andrei Ottawa’s Nikita Zaitsev are a more pedestrian lot and fall into the Vasilevskiy, they have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Vasilevskiy’s journeyman category. competition in goal would start with a two-time Vezina Trophy winner in The guard may actually be changing defensively at the bottom end of the Sergei Bobrovsky. Russian roster. A couple of names to watch for include the ever- improving in Columbus and Ilya Lyubushkin of the Coyotes. Eronko believes Gavrikov would crack the top-six at this stage, possibly at Kulikov’s expense. Yet another option would be , the former Kings defenceman, who plays for Avangard Omsk and was the leading scorer among Russian-born defencemen in the KHL through Christmas.

Like me, Eronko believes the one area where Russia can’t match the rest of the world’s elite, player-for-player, is on defence – but we are also agreed that based on their forwards and goaltending, this would be a fun team to watch, capable of great things if it could ever get on a roll.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168977 Websites “Corey Perry would never try to hurt anyone. He would play hard,” Bowness defended. “I feel terrible for Corey Perry to be thrown out of that game early like that because when you see that in your calendar in the summer, you’re looking forward to that. You really are. Sportsnet.ca / From crazy comebacks to pig races, 2020 Winter Classic had it all “But our guys won the game for Corey. They battled back.”

The Predators quickly made Dallas pay for Perry’s recklessness. After Blake Comeau flipped a puck over glass, Nashville’s Matt Duchene Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox slammed in the first goal at 5-on-3, then set up defenceman Dante Fabbro at 5-on-4, giving the visitors a 2-0 jump on fresh ice. January 1, 2020, 4:55 PM The Stars pressed back, naturally.

Denis Gurianov earned a first-period penalty shot by driving hard to the DALLAS – It wasn’t enough for Ben Bishop to commission customized net but was foiled by Pekka Rinne. throwback pads and a freshly painted Lone Star State–themed goalie mask for the first Deep South Winter Classic. Comeau, who left halfway through the first frame after Austin Watson hammered him and his head smacked the ice, returned to snap a one- No. He wanted the whole team to give New Year’s Day at the Cotton timer past Rinne and give the seas of green reason to sing late in the Bowl the sense of occasion it deserved. second. Ben Bishop wanted all the Dallas Stars to dress up like cowboys, even if “When you see him come back out and he’s got fire under him, it lights the look didn’t feel natural to the Swedes. up everybody else,” Dickinson said. And once Bishop got his club’s no-BS captain on board, it was a wrap. That would be the first of four unanswered goals the Stars zipped past “Jamie Benn came to everyone and said, ‘Look, this is what we’re going Rinne in a span of 7:42, during which the Predators failed to even muster to do. Let’s do it right,’ ” recalls forward Jason Dickinson. a shot on net.

So, on the afternoon of Dec. 12, the entire roster went to esteemed “We let them just come wave after wave after wave,” Ekholm lamented. cowboy bootfitter Lucchese and got all dude-ranched up. Mattias Janmark tipped home a John Klingberg point shot, then Look good, play good. Klingberg teed up Alexander Radulov on the power play for a fully cocked one-timer from the flank. The bowl erupted. Which the Stars did Wednesday, rallying to swipe the first NHL game of the decade from the rival Nashville Predators 4-2 — “the cherry on top,” “That was the loudest I’ve been on the ice before,” Tyler Seguin said. Bishop said, of a day neither team will forget. The onslaught continued when trailer Andrej Sekera tapped in a rebound With all its gleeful extraneous flair, the 2020 Winter Classic played out off a green rush. like the nightclub of “Weekend Update” guest Stefon’s dreams. Comeback complete. Collapse complete. This event had everything: show horses, fireworks, a hockey team that A disheartening unravelling for the Predators, in a season that has only wore black to honour Johnny Cash (the Preds), a fighter jet flyover, already seen its share. square dancers, headshots, flame balls, country bands, Troy Aikman, penalty shots, golf carts, the longest walk of shame in hockey history, pig “I don’t know. We’re in trouble right now,” said Rinne, despondent. races, 68 body checks, jugglers, fluffy make-believe snow, a viral video of a popular analyst eating a corndog, a mechanical bull, Ricky Williams, “I love this team. I still take this team over any team. I still believe we can power-plays galore, some guy jumping rope on a unicycle, some louder bounce back and we can find ways to win games. fireworks that totally spooked the beige horses…. “This game, it didn’t feel like just a regular-season game. It felt something Oh, and a rather eventual afternoon of outdoor hockey played before bigger, and so that just makes it makes it a little bit worse and makes it 85,630 fans at a sold-out legendary college football stadium. sting a little bit more.”

Prior to puck drop, there was much talk about the importance of the It was of little solace, then, that Ro-HAM Josi won the pig race final. southernmost Classic as not just a celebration of hockey and New Year’s “I saw it on the big screen at one point, and I had to look away,” Day in the sunbelt but as a meaningful “four-point game” between testy Dickinson said. “I knew I’d get in trouble.” divisional rivals in the clusterfight Central. Indeed, the local heroes were all jokes and laughter, feeling, justly, like “We don’t like each other,” said Stars interim head coach Rick Bowness, they’d given a storybook finish for all those tens of thousands draped in making a Texas-sized understatement before overseeing a Texas-size beautiful throwback sweaters and hollering “Dallas! Stars!” in deafening comeback. unison. All the fun pomp of the day turned trite two minutes and 44 seconds after That’s the moment, on that icy 50-yard line, that will cling to Seguin like a puck drop. bolo tie. Dallas fourth-line winger Corey Perry elbowed Nashville’s unsuspecting “Something,” he said, “I’ll never forget.” top-pair defenceman Ryan Ellis directly in the head — a dirty foul that took place under the gaze of NHL’s chief disciplinarian, George Parros, in town for the occasion. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.02.2020 Ellis remained down on the ice for minutes before being helped up by teammates and loaded onto a golf cart. He never returned.

“He hits his head completely, and it’s tough for us to lose a guy that normally plays 25-plus minutes,” said , believing the game’s physicality reached playoff levels.

Roman Josi agreed: “That’s the kind of hit you’re trying to get out of the game. [Ellis] is shooting the puck, and he gets him right in the head. I thought was a really, really bad hit.”

Perry was dealt a five-minute elbowing major plus a game misconduct before making the longest walk of shame in hockey history, down the padded carpet, up the tunnel and back to the showers. 1168978 Websites His NHL experience has been overwhelmingly positive despite the challenges in front of him. He’s already garnered a cult following within the Leafs fanbase, too.

Sportsnet.ca / Leafs' Dubas goes 'above and beyond' in support of "He’s still in the pinch-me mode," said Milstein. "He loves it, he enjoys Mikheyev after scary injury every moment of it. He feels that Toronto is his second home."

The agent has KHL free agents currently drawing significant NHL interest for next season and has made sure they’re all aware of the humanity the Chris Johnston | @reporterchris Leafs exhibited with Mikheyev, telling them: "You should know how Toronto took care of this particular accident." January 1, 2020, 3:12 PM Milstein has done a lot of business with the Leafs organization, dating

back to Lou Lamoriello’s time running the front office. WINNIPEG — Imagine for a second how Ilya Mikheyev must have felt. He had clients Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov leave the KHL to sign in The sheer panic and terror that would come with having an artery and Toronto, negotiated a seven-year extension for Zaitsev with Lamoriello tendons in your right wrist severed by a skate blade. But also the fear and then saw Dubas honour the player’s subsequent trade request by and loneliness that would set in after surgery when you woke up in dealing him to Ottawa last July. hospital, in a foreign country, several thousand kilometres from your What Milstein appreciates most about doing business with them is the closest family and friends. personal touches. The Leafs have senior director of player evaluation Jim That’s why Mikheyev’s camp is so grateful for the way Toronto Maple Paliafito on the ground in Russia throughout the year and make a Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas handled his freak accident last Friday concerted effort to build relationships with players and their families night in New Jersey. Dubas went to great lengths to ensure Mikheyev through multiple face-to-face visits. was as comfortable as possible from the moment he left Prudential The way Dubas handled the Mikheyev situation took it to another level. Center in an ambulance, to when he landed back in Toronto on Monday afternoon. "I’ve been saying this since long ago: The Maple Leafs as an organization, the way they recruit is almost like college recruiting," said "Kyle went above and beyond his duty," Dan Milstein, the player’s agent, Milstein. "Many (other) teams would say ‘Yeah, well they can afford to do told Sportsnet in an interview. it.’ That included not only spending the better part of three days keeping him "But caring for somebody and treating people like this doesn’t cost any company in hospital, but also going out to personally buy him clothes and money. Showing support, showing you care, is about a lot more than other personal effects, according to Milstein. money." When asked why he chose to stay behind with the player, Dubas credited his wife Shannon for the idea. They spoke in the aftermath of Friday’s incident — which saw Mikheyev lose a frightening amount of blood after Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.02.2020 being cut by Jesper Bratt’s skate — and Dubas’s wife pointed out that if roles were reversed and it was their son going through something similar in Russia, that they’d want every assurance he was being properly cared for.

So the second-year Leafs GM cancelled a scouting trip, cleared his calendar and joined assistant athletic trainer Jon Geller at the New Jersey hospital two nights after Christmas.

Once Mikheyev came out of surgery and got some rest, they filled the hours watching sports together. That included Russia’s 6-0 win over Canada at the world junior tournament and the Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

Dubas said they probably watched more soccer than hockey, too.

Mikheyev is still getting comfortable with the English language — he understands more than he’s able to speak — and was really starting to find his footing near the midway point of his first NHL season. He had been elevated to the top-six on a line with John Tavares for that game in New Jersey and scored his eighth goal and 23rd point before having his night ended abruptly.

The 25-year-old is now pain-free and in remarkably good spirits, according to Milstein, despite being given a strict 90-day period of recovery where he’s not allowed to put pressure on his right hand while the tendons heal. That will keep him from being able to grip a stick or shoot a puck until near the end of March.

"I would imagine on the 91st (day) you might see him on the ice," said Milstein.

He’s been joined in Toronto by parents Natalia and Andrey, who arrived Sunday for a pre-planned three-week visit where they intended to watch him play a live NHL game for the first time. His girlfriend Kristina has also returned from Russia after spending time there over the holidays.

Mikheyev was delivered back into their care Monday after being discharged from hospital and flying back with Dubas and Geller. The Leafs maintained regular communication with the family throughout the surgery and everything that came afterwards.

It was a happy homecoming for the man affectionately known by fans as "Soup" or "Souperman" because of an interview he did earlier this season where he said that was the thing he missed most about home. 1168979 Websites Okuliar vows to be on his best behaviour. He has three points so far, but also 16 penalty minutes.

"It's not really how I want," the 19-year-old said of his play, "but every TSN.CA / Dylan Cozens ready to face Lethbridge teammate Oliver game is better and better and hopefully my best game will be against Okuliar in quarters Canada."

'He's perfect': Cozens earns shout out from Yukon premier

Mark Masters With six points, Dylan Cozens is tied for Team Canada's scoring lead in Ostrava. The 18-year-old Sabres prospect is the first player from the Yukon to play at the World Juniors and earned a shout out from the territory's premier, Sandy Silver, after scoring is first goal on New Year's TSN reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Eve. Cozens will be going up against a familiar face in Thursday's Canada. The Canadians practiced at Ostravar Arena on Wednesday quarterfinal as Slovakia's Oliver Okuliar is his linemate with the ahead of Thursday's quarterfinal against Slovakia. Lethbridge Hurricanes. What was thinking during a marathon goal review on Only the Czechs (29) have taken more minor penalties than the Slovaks. Tuesday night? Canada made the host nation pay dearly for a lack of discipline on New "I just felt bad for Cuzy,” the Team Canada captain said. "He made an Year's Eve with five power-play goals. unbelievable play there. I was kind of hitting myself." "We have to be disciplined, because Canada is best team five-on-five Cuzy is Dylan Cozens, who set up Hayton with a nice cross-crease pass and five-on-four, if they have a chance, it's 90 per cent in our net," for what was eventually deemed a good power-play goal in Canada’s 7-2 Okuliar said. blowout of the Czech Republic. Canada leads the World Juniors with a power play humming along at a Cozens is rising in confidence at this year’s World Juniors. After picking 45 per cent clip. up two assists in the first three games, the Lethbridge Hurricane racked Assistant coach Mitch Love has preached simplicity on the man up four points on New Year's Eve, including his first goal. Cozens didn't advantage since Day 1 of camp and is seeing the team reap the benefit score in Canada's two pre-tournament matches so his drought had of that approach now. reached five games. "We got shots from the flanks, we converged, we were competitive, we "It did take a while for me to get my first one and it's nice to get it," he won face-offs, which always starts your power play in the right direction, said. "I was focused about not stressing about it, we were winning and it seems to be a confidence thing," Love said. "When one goes in, games, playing good as a team and it finally came and it’s exciting." they start to go in for you and guys gain confidence and those are the Cozens, a natural centre playing the wing with Canada, is now tied with elite of the elite out there on the ice and when they get confident they're Hayton for the team scoring lead with six points. The Whitehorse native tough to stop." is the first player from the Yukon to make it to the World Juniors. After It was on the power play that Cozens scored his goal, tipping in a point each game Cozens will meet up with parents Michael and Susan, who shot by fellow Hurricane Calen Addison. This is the first time the Sabres' relay messages of support from back home. first-round pick, seventh overall last June, has played consistently in the "They always tell me how many texts they're getting, you know, how net-front role. much support I get from the Yukon. It's unbelievable. Everyone's "It's something new for me, but that's what 's all about, watching there, everyone's sending their good wishes so it's great to see you know, learning new roles, learning new spots so I think I've adapted that." well," Cozens said. After Cozens was named Canada's player of the game on Tuesday even "He's really intelligent in terms of getting to the net front and taking away the premier, Sandy Silver, tweeted his support. the goalie's eyes," said Love, "but also being an option popping out when Cozens will get another cool experience when Canada opens the guys on the flanks need him. He's been real strong there and we've kind knockout stage against a Slovakia team featuring his linemate in of had a carousel of guys going in and out of our units because of the Lethbridge, Oliver Okuliar. The pair exchanged messages on Instagram injuries and the suspensions and what-not. So, the guys have done a once the match-up was set. really good job stepping up in those spots."

"He's a funny guy," said Cozens. "I got to know him quite well this Alexis Lafreniere, who had two power-play assists in the opener against season. He's a shooter so we can't let him shoot. He's got a good shot." the United States, will return to the line-up in the quarterfinals making Canada even more deadly on the man advantage. TSN senior hockey "He's perfect," said Okuliar of Cozens. "On the ice, off the ice, I like him reporter Frank Seravalli has more on Lafreniere's return here. so much. He's a really good person. He's a funny guy and we do a lot of stupid things (laughs). Like normal stupid things, like young guys." Canada uses prolific power play to down Czechs, take top spot in Group B That chemistry has helped Okuliar (23) and Cozens (20) rank in the top 10 in WHL goals this season. The Canadians blew the game wide open early thanks to a record four power play goals in the first period. The World Juniors panel breaks "His skill when we play together, it's unbelievable," said Okuliar. "He's down how Canada was so effective on the man advantage against really good on the puck and he skates well." Czech Republic and the bounce back performances of returning players Barrett Hayton and . That skating ability when coupled with a high hockey IQ has helped Cozens earn the trust of his teammates at both ends of the ice. Canada received a five minute power play in the game against the Czechs after Otakar Sik dropped Bowen Byram with a low-blow spear. "He's starting to use his speed," observed Canadian defenceman , "but it's not just his speed offensively, it's his speed defensively as "It's not something you like to see happen," the Vancouver Giants well. He's on the back check, he's tracking hard, he's cutting people's defenceman said, "but I don't really blame the guy. I mean, it's a hockey hands, you know, not letting people beat him to the net in the D-zone. play, things happen. He probably regrets it ... it happens in hockey, Stuff like that. That's a big one for me, especially in a tournament where tempers boil over." there’s so many offensive threats, the biggest thing is for guys to buy into defence and you can see he's been doing that." Veleno was banned one game in the preliminary round for head-butting Russian player Daniil Misyul. Cozens is hoping his familiarity with Okuliar will help him get under the skin of his friend in the quarterfinals. "I was disappointed with the suspension," Veleno said. "There were far more other plays throughout the tournament way worse than mine." "I believe I'll be able to, maybe, we'll see," he said with a sly grin. "You'll see on the ice. See if we can get him to take some penalties." Veleno specifically cited a play by Russia's Yegor Sokolov on Ty Smith in the third period of Saturday's lopsided loss. "That cross-check on Smitty when it was late in the game, an intent to strike," Veleno said. "I thought there were way more plays that were suspension-worthy."

It was around the time of the Canada-Russia OHL Series games in November that Flint centre was approached by CCM pro athlete representative Tim Schultz with an idea, a wrinkle for the World Juniors when it comes to his skates.

"He showed me a picture and said, 'Would you want to wear these if you make the team?' And I said, 'Yeah.' They looked awesome so I think they’re pretty cool."

The skates feature a red Maple Leaf on one side with red trim on the other. Dellandrea isn't the only Canadian player wearing them. Addison, Byram and Raphael Lavoie are also making a fashion statement in Ostrava.

"They're not for everybody," Dellandrea acknowledged. "Some people are just really calm or standard about their equipment, but I don't mind wearing them. It will be cool to just keep them. I don't think I'll wear them again after this, maybe hang them up somewhere."

Maple Leaf memento: Dellandrea showing off Canada-themed skates at WJC

Four Canadian players are wearing skates with a special red-and-white design at the World Juniors this year. "They're not for everybody," said Ty Dellandrea. "Some people are just really standard about their equipment, but I don’t mind wearing them. It will be cool to just keep them." Equipment maker CCM Hockey approached the Flint centre in the weeks leading up to Canada's selection camp to see if he would be interested.

Dellandrea, 19, is already building a collection of mementos from his career.

"For a while there, I was just keeping plane tickets of everywhere I've flown with Hockey Canada and stuff like that," he said. "I'll keep these skates."

And, yes, Dellandrea did keep the plane ticket to Vienna, which is where Team Canada landed for a pre-tournament camp.

The journey continues on Thursday.

TSN.CA LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168980 Websites more comfortable with his role that he's playing there [at the net front], which has been a new role for him. All those sort of things seem to be falling into place and he's been excellent.”

TSN.CA / Sheldon Keefe's "hunch" on forward lines pays off for Toronto It was just in mid-December that Keefe lamented the inconsistencies to Maple Leafs Nylander’s game, and even limited his shifts in games where Nylander wasn’t engaged defensively. But those speed bumps feel a long way off from Nylander now.

Kristen Shilton “I think I'm just skating a lot,” he said. “Obviously the power play has been clicking too so that gives you some confidence. We've playing a lot

in the o-zone, so that makes the game easy. I think it's just been bounces TSN Toronto reporter Kristen Shilton checks in daily with news and notes and stuff have been going my way too so it's been going pretty good.” on the Maple Leafs. The team held a 1:15pm/ct practice Wednesday at Tavares had shared the ice with Nylander on the power play before, but MTS Centre in Winnipeg ahead of Thursday's game against the Jets. the extra time at 5-on-5 has opened his eyes even further to what makes If his first few weeks on the job are any indication, Maple Leafs head Nylander special. While it’s never a sure thing that players will click, coach Sheldon Keefe doesn’t believe in standing pat offensively. Instead Nylander described his chemistry with Tavares as “instant,” and the Keefe just follows his instincts, like the one that said putting Auston Leafs’ captain felt similarly. Matthews with Mitch Marner and William Nylander with John Tavares “Seeing how quick those decisions have to be made [with the puck] and would help create a dynamic top-six for Toronto. sometimes not even taking a look, just having a feel for where everyone “It’s more just a hunch,” Keefe said after the Leafs’ practice on is, it's really impressive,” Tavares said of Nylander. “And I think he's very Wednesday of what drew him to the new combinations. “And every time underrated with how strong he is on the puck. He can hold on to it for you make one move it kind of has a trickle-down effect. We’re fortunate very long periods of time with a lot of pressure on him. I think we just we have a lot of good players that we can experiment with some different feed off each other well so we’ll try to continue to improve and find areas things and they all seem to work.” where we can attack the opponent. It’s definitely nice when you get put together and you have some good results early.” William Nylander and John Tavares discuss the instant chemistry they feel playing with one another, and the overall solid play of their line in That has included individual returns for Tavares as well, who has nine general with Alexander Kerfoot. Meanwhile, Sheldon Keefe explains that points (three goals, six assists) in his last six games. As their unit pairing Nylander with Tavares was "just a hunch", and discusses his continues to hum along ahead of Thursday’s tilt with the Jets, Nylander is decision to move Kerfoot to the wing. determined to guard against complacency, especially for himself.

Part of that unit with Tavares and Nylander has been Alexander Kerfoot, “It's nice when that [success] happens, but you always want to keep moved off his usual post at centre to play on the wing. Keefe made the going,” he said. “You never want to be satisfied with that so we just want decision in response to Ilya Mikheyev missing the next three months with to keep working hard and battling.” ligament damage, but like everything Keefe does, there are more layers When a team is practicing and playing with as much boisterous to it than that. enthusiasm as the Leafs are lately, it’s not all that difficult to unearth the “It's an experiment, one more out of necessity, and we've liked how it reason why. looks so far,” he said. “We had intended on having Pierre [Engvall] play “It’s the obvious answer, but I think that is the answer – winning,” Keefe the middle on the third line, and then didn't like how that looked early and said. “When you're losing, it's harder to feel that way.” put [Jason] Spezza there and that's got some traction. But the season brings a lot of different things - different opponents, different challenges, Toronto finished out 2019 with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota, marking the injuries, players playing well, players not playing well. So the more of a team’s seventh win in eight games and eighth straight contest where it sample we have with different combinations I think can serve us well has earned at least one point. When it comes to breeding confidence, there.” there’s no substitute for success – or extra team bonding, like the Leafs have had on their many recent road trips. Kerfoot has skated on the wing previously, so when Keefe approached him about moving over last week, he was prepared to make the “We definitely enjoy being around each other and coming to the rink necessary adjustments. every day, going to work and trying to get better,” Tavares said. “But no question I think we understand the attention to detail and how difficult “As a centreman, you're engaged all game long, and when you're in the things are even when they are going well. We’ll just continue to challenge d-zone, you're always on a guy fighting for loose pucks,” he explained. ourselves to be better and to keep things going in the right direction and “Sometimes when you're a winger, you can be stagnant for a little bit getting good results and building momentum, and try to come with the longer. It's just staying in the right spot and being focused on whatever right approach, the right attitude every day.” your responsibility is and then you've got obviously a little bit more leeway to make offensive plays and you can spend a little bit more time Tavares noted how the season didn’t start well for Toronto, and that it’s up ice.” been a point of emphasis for the players to fix mistakes on the ice that lead to that. From Keefe’s perspective, he also had another job to do in While it’s only been a couple of games since the trio started getting taking over coaching responsibilities that would allow the Leafs to relish acclimated, Tavares has seen positive strides made already. in hockey again. “I think we're just trying to be responsible in all three zones and obviously “I tried to ease the pressure a little bit by just allowing them to be we want to be productive and make a difference in the game,” he said. themselves and have fun and try to keep things in perspective all the “We all think the game pretty well. We’re playing off each other's time,” he explained. “The team is playing well, it's a new year, the first of strengths and having a good feel for one another so when we get January, which is probably not the most ideal day to come to the rink and opportunities it's not trying to do too much, it's get the puck to the net, practice but we're here, it's important for us to get some work done but find ways to find rebounds or second opportunities and continue to break do it in an environment where the players can enjoy themselves and still your opponent down and keep generating and have good puck leave the arena feeling like they accomplished something.” possession, so we'll just keep building off it.” “We walk around and have fun and that's obviously very important,” Since Keefe played off his hunch and moved Nylander to Tavares’ flank, surmised Nylander. “I think that's a key to having success. Everybody the winger has become one of the team’s most dominant players, here is having fun with each other.” producing 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his last six games – including five points on the power play - and looking every bit the Keefe had said before the Leafs’ current two-game road swing that he superstar forward. was comfortable traveling with no extra forwards and seven defencemen. But that feeling changed when Engvall exited Tuesday’s game, and “He's been really good here now,” Keefe said. “Whether it's him just Keefe was briefly unsure if he would be able to return due to injury. finding his own game and being comfortable, or the switch in the lines and that chemistry there, or the presence of John on his line, [he’s been good]. And his presence on the power play, where I think he's gotten a lot Engvall did wind up finishing the game, but the team still opted to recall forward Mason Marchment on Wednesday to join the group in Winnipeg in case there are any unforeseen setbacks.

“We wanted to have an extra body around here,” Keefe said. “We had some guys get a little banged up [on Tuesday] so just want to make sure everybody's good. We haven't made any decisions with our lineup here [against the Jets]; we'll just see how everybody is [on Thursday] and go from there.”

Keefe acknowledged it has been a “long journey” for Marchment getting to this point in his career, from suffering through injuries to fighting for playing time. So far this season, he has only appeared in 11 AHL games due to an earlier shoulder surgery, and has produced four points (two goals, two assists).

“He's put in a lot of work on his game, on his body and he's battled injuries,” Keefe said. “And this season again the same thing with a second surgery on the shoulder [after a previous operation last winter]. I've been really impressed with how he's worked. Through my time with the Marlies in the early goings of this season, his attitude and the work that he put in to have to recover from a second surgery within the same calendar year was tough and he handled it very well and he's put himself in the position to get this call.”

Even if Marchment doesn’t make his NHL debut during the recall, Keefe hopes he will gain an appreciation for what life is like at the sport’s highest level. It’s something Keefe did earlier this season with Adam Brooks, and found it was helpful for him later transitioning into a role with the team.

“That's part of what I've been trying to do here is to try to expose as many people as possible to our program,” said Keefe. “Part of getting an opportunity is to be prepared for it when it comes so even if they don't get in the lineup we think just having them around gives them the chance to be comfortable with the staff, with their teammates, with what we're doing with the NHL and everything that the NHL brings, so that when they do get on the ice, they feel more comfortable.”

TSN.CA LOADED: 01.02.2020 1168981 Websites Getting Lafreniere back will also be a big boon for Team Canada’s lineup, which will be full-strength for the first time since the tournament opener.

TSN.CA / Alexis Lafreniere set to return for Canada at World Juniors “Crazy,” is how Kevin Bahl described it. “I mean, does he have like 70 points in the ‘Q’ [QMJHL]? It’s crazy.”

“Huge,” Dylan Cozens said. “You saw what kind of player he is in the Frank Seravalli one game that he played. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s a game- changer. He’s a guy that every time he’s on the ice, he’s a threat to

score.” OSTRAVA, Czech Republic — Team Canada will go roaring into the Assistant coach Mitch Love called Lafreniere an “elite player” and joked 2020s with Alexis Lafreniere on Thursday. that he might be able to squeeze the phenom back onto the team’s That’s because Canada’s brightest young star will return for their power play that poured in five goals against the Czech Republic to close knockout stage quarterfinal clash with Slovakia, according to sources, out the preliminary round. just five days after he left the ice in agony with what appeared to be a “At first glance there on Saturday night, it didn’t look good,” Love said. serious left knee injury. “He just looked happy and excited to be on the ice with his teammates. I The fear was that the injury would not only cost Lafreniere the the know it’s hard for young kids to be off the ice in an event like this.” tournament, but the rest of his draft eligible season.

Au contraire. TSN.CA LOADED: 01.02.2020 Lafreniere, 18, was all smiles on Wednesday. The projected No. 1 overall pick in June’s NHL Draft skated for more than 30 minutes as a full participant in Team Canada’s practice.

He zigged and zagged, cut and turn, shot and passed with ease - and even tested the knee with some light physical contact at the end of the session. Lafreniere left no stone unturned in his on-ice experiment.

“He looked awesome,” captain Barrett Hayton said.

“I didn’t see any rust on him,” teammate Ty Dellandrea said. “It’s pretty shocking, just [how bad] everyone thought it was … to be back skating like he was today was a quick turnaround and we’re all excited.”

Lafreniere was unavailable to speak to the media on Wednesday because Hockey Canada said he was “being evaluated by doctors” after practice.

That examination showed, according to sources, that there was no swelling in the joint, plus Lafreniere told them he did not experience pain on the ice. Lafreniere and his group then met with Team Canada management and doctors.

At that point, with the proper due diligence done that his knee was not at risk for further injury, the decision was made to put him back in the lineup for Thursday’s game (8:30 a.m. ET on TSN 1/3/4/5).

It would have been easy to play it safe and rest for two more days ahead of a potential semifinal matchup on Saturday against the winner of Russia and Switzerland.

After all, Team Canada could play probably Slovakia at half strength; they already won twice against better opponents in Germany and the Czech Republic without Lafreniere. Slovakia was the fourth place finisher in a weaker Group A and they needed only to beat struggling Kazakhstan to survive.

But Lafreniere was told that waiting until Saturday would not change anything.

Because this was a decision with wide-ranging implications for Lafreniere, beyond just Team Canada. His future health and the strength of his knee is much more important than an Under-20 tournament.

That’s why Lafreniere’s agent, Emilie Castonguay from Momentum Hockey, said in a statement earlier in the week that “if there is any risk to aggravate the injury or expose a weakened knee to any further injury, he will not be taking that risk.”

They were all in agreement. There were no tears to ligaments or fractures, it was only about how Lafreniere's knee responded to activity.

Now, NHL scouts can resume drooling about the St. Eustache (Que.) Flash. In one of the most well-scouted World Juniors ever, many NHL teams with lottery hopes have hung around the Czech Republic hoping to get another glimpse of him in a best-on-best setting.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion said this week even if Lafreniere was unable to return for the tournament, they already knew “without a doubt” where he would be on the board. 1168982 Websites

USA TODAY / Dallas Stars' Corey Perry ejected for elbowing Nashville Predators' Ryan Ellis at Winter Classic

Mike Brehm

Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry was ejected Wednesday afternoon for an elbowing infraction early in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl.

Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis had released a shot when Perry caught him in the head with an elbow at 2:44 of the first period of the NHL's premier outdoor game.

Ellis was dazed on the play and had to be helped off the ice by teammates. He then was taken to the dressing room on a cart.

After referees consulted video, they gave Perry a five-minute elbowing penalty, plus a game misconduct.

The Predators got goals from Matt Duchene and Dante Fabbro during the power play to take a 2-0 lead.

"That's the right call. We've got to live with it," Stars interim coach Rick Bowness told NBC.

The Predators announced during the second period that Ellis was done for the day because of an upper-body injury.

“It was an awkward play. It was very unintentional,” Perry told reporters after the game. “I didn’t mean to do it. I hope he’s OK.”

Perry previously has been suspended by the NHL.

In 2009, he received four games for elbowing Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux.

And in 2013, he got four games for a late hit on Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild.

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