MEDIA CLIPS at Boston Bruins January 2, 2020

Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Blue Jackets’ troubles in overtime tied to penalties

By Jacob Myers – The Columbus Dispatch – December 31, 2019

Back in October when the Blue Jackets lost two games in overtime on back-to-back nights, John Tortorella didn’t hesitate to mention the importance of those additional points at the end of seasons when playoff spots are hanging in the balance.

More than two months later, the Jackets have posted a 1-4 record in games decided in overtime or a shootout in December, prior to Tuesday night’s game against the , while sitting six points out of the final wild card spot. In each of those overtime or shootout losses, the Jackets either lost on the kill or had to kill one off.

Three-on-three overtime can be a crapshoot, with its fast-paced nature and high frequency of odd-man rushes. But the improvement in those extra periods — and avoiding them entirely — starts with cutting out unnecessary penalties that have limited the Jackets’ ability to sustain any offense.

"It's not so much getting back in the race, it's about winning the next game," Tortorella said Tuesday after morning skate. "It's about giving yourself a chance to win the game and not lose sitting in the box and taking more than two or three (penalties) during a game. Your whole bench is disrupted. It's hard to do."

Overall, the Jackets are one of the least-penalized teams in the league. Their 115 times shorthanded were tied for sixth fewest.

However, penalties in overtime, which gave Pittsburgh, , Washington and Chicago four-on-three advantages, make getting that extra incredibly difficult for the Jackets. The 10 times shorthanded combined against the Capitals and Blackhawks also allowed dynamic offensive players to get into a rhythm and stagnated the Jackets’ already stagnant offense.

Jackets defenseman Zack Werenski said they can handle the physical penalties like boarding or roughing, but ones that need eliminated are the more avoidable ones like high-sticking, hooking or tripping.

"I think a lot of it is moving our feet, not taking stick penalties," Werenski said. "You can kind of control your own stick, so you have to be aware of that."

The Jackets penalty kill has played better as of late. They have risen to 16th in penalty-kill percentage at 80.9, propelled by killing off 28 of 33 penalties (84%) in the past 10 games. But the more opportunities the Jackets give a power-play like Washington’s, or give to elite offensive players like and Patrick Kane, it’s an uphill battle they don’t need.

"We talk about it," Jackets forward Alexander Wennberg said. "We say, ‘Stay out of the box,’ but right now it feels like we've been a little bit sloppy."

Nine of the 10 times shorthanded in those two games came from a stick penalty. Regardless of the penalty, the Jackets need to be disciplined to hang on to victories as one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. After going ahead two goals after one period against the Blackhawks, the Jackets went stagnant and left the door open for the Blackhawks to tie the game as they generated more chances with two power play opportunities late in the period.

Being shorthanded has not only provided confidence to opposing teams’ offenses, but it also hasn’t allowed the Jackets to get to thrive offensively.

With All-Star Joonas Korpisalo out a significant period of time, this area of the game could have greater importance going forward as the Jackets teeter between hope for a playoff spot and chalking up 2019-20 as a lost season.

"We don't want to lose momentum when we're playing good offensively," Werenski said. "We've been scoring goals lately. We're finding ways to win. I think penalties just kind of kill that. We’ve got to be disciplined."

The Jackets announced that Korpisalo had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss four to six weeks.

Korpisalo left the game with the injury after the first round of the shootout Sunday against the Blackhawks. Tortorella said Monday that Korpisalo would be out "weeks."

After Tuesday’s morning skate, Korpisalo told reporters that he had undergone arthroscopic surgery, thus explaining why his recovery time is weeks and not months.

Elvis Merzlikins, who made his ninth career start Tuesday night against the Panthers, will be relied on heavily until Korpisalo returns. No other goaltender in the organization has NHL experience.

The Blue Jackets planned to welcome Sergei Bobrovsky back with more than just a nice video compilation of their former goalie’s seven memorable seasons in Columbus.

They also wanted to crowd his space more than they did Dec. 7 in Sunrise, Fla., when the Panthers won 4-1 at BB&T Center.

"We’ve got to get more traffic at him," Nick Foligno said. "That’s just standard. I don’t think we really tested him. We had shots, but they were all from the outside. We’ve got to get around him — and that’s not (just) for Bob, that’s any goalie."

In this case, getting more traffic in the goalie’s kitchen might have felt a little weird if it weren’t for one significant detail.

"It’s funny, in practice I did it all the time, so I’m used to it," Foligno said. "I think now, getting that (first) one out of the way, I don’t even notice (Bobrovsky). I think this is a bigger story for our fans than for us. We’ve already played against Bob. That story’s already been written for us. Now, we’re just looking at it like we’ve got to get a big win against a good team."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.01.2020

Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo out 4-6 weeks with torn meniscus

By Jacob Myers – The Columbus Dispatch – December 31, 2019

Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo tore the meniscus in his right knee Sunday night against the and will miss four to six weeks, the Blue Jackets announced Tuesday morning.

The team said Korpisalo underwent surgery on Monday to repair the injury. On Tuesday morning, Korpisalo was in the team locker room on crutches.

After the morning skate ahead of a game against the Florida Panthers, Korpisalo told reporters that he had undergone arthroscopic surgery, thus explaining why his recovery time is weeks and not months.

Jackets coach John Tortorella said Monday it would be “weeks” without the goaltender, who was selected to his first NHL All-Star game Monday afternoon. Elvis Merzlikins will make his first home start and ninth start of his career against the Panthers.

Korpisalo left Sunday’s game after the first round of the shootout after giving up a to Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews. Korpisalo tried to cover up the five-hole and moved to his left, but as soon as he stood up, he lifted his right leg in pain. As he eventually made it to the bench and down the tunnel, Korpisalo looked like he was in even more pain.

Korpisalo is 17-10-4 this season with a 2.49 goals against average and .913 save percentage.

Merzlikins is 0-4-4 in 10 games entering Tuesday night with a 3.41 GAA and .889 save percentage.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.01.2020

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella accepts blame for postgame rant on officiating

By Brian Hedger – The Columbus Dispatch – December 31, 2019

Less than 24 hours later, John Tortorella pointed a finger at himself.

Following practice Monday at Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets coach said that his rant after a 3-2 shootout loss Sunday to the Chicago Blackhawks wasn’t the right way to handle a beef about a timekeeping mistake that played a key role in the loss.

“I asked my team to be disciplined,” said Tortorella, who only took questions that didn’t pertain to the timekeeping issue. “I think it’s quite honestly a big part of our loss last night was the lack of discipline with our team, and I think the coach followed through with a lack of discipline after the game, too, with you guys (reporters).” Tortorella, though measured in his initial tone, seethed about the error and lack of effort to correct it during his postgame news conference. At issue were 1.1 seconds that were run off the clock after a whistle stopping play for a too many players on the ice penalty against the Blackhawks late in overtime.

Referees Dan O’Halloran and Chris Schlenker decided not to add time back or review video of the play, which wound up being a huge point of contention when Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski scored an apparent winning goal as time expired. Replays showed the puck did not cross the goal line before time ran out but would have had the 1.1 seconds from the penalty been reinstated.

Further angering Tortorella is what happened in the shootout. The Blackhawks won and Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who was selected Monday for the NHL All-Star Game next month, suffered a knee injury on Chicago’s first attempt that will require weeks to heal.

“So, instead of resetting the clock, we have them tell our captain, ‘We’re not going to do it,’” Tortorella said postgame. “Toronto doesn’t step in, the refs don’t do their freaking job and now we lose a game, and we lose our goalie.”

He also lambasted the league for not using oversight via its video-review hub in Toronto and emphasized his anger with a few expletives and pounding the lectern as he spoke.

“I think if I have a problem with something that’s gone in the game, with whom or with what, I think it needs to be handled internally, not in a public manner as it was last night,” Tortorella told reporters Monday. “You need to understand that. I owe you time today because I didn’t give it to you last night, but that is a total lack of discipline on my part.”

The league agreed, issuing a five-part response to the situation Monday by Colin Campbell, the NHL’s director of hockey operations. Campbell didn’t explain why the clock continued to run after the whistle blew but said he has spoken with Tortorella and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about the coach’s postgame comments — which he called “unprofessional along with unacceptable.”

Campbell’s response also included four facts about the timekeeping situation, pointing out that:

• There was a timeout called, so the decision wasn’t rushed.

• The league has video of Schlenker talking to the official clock operator and then giving an explanation to Blue Jackets assistant Brad Shaw.

• The whistle was blown after too many men was determined to be the call, not the second Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane touched the puck to initiate the penalty.

• The official clock operator can adjust the clock if they feel it is necessary and/or notify on-ice officials of issues.

Campbell also noted that it is difficult for the league’s video overseers in Toronto to determine when whistles are blown from their off-site location.

The whistle sounds around 19.2 seconds, but the clock keeps running. It briefly stopped, then ran again until stopping at 18.1 seconds, which the referees used as the official time without reviewing.

Although Tortorella declined to speak further about it, players still had some thoughts, especially after seeing the video themselves. “For us not to get the benefit of the doubt, especially at home, with even just looking at it and knowing what we see … I mean, it’s clear as day,” captain Nick Foligno said. “There’s a second gone and all we needed was 2/10ths of a second to win that game. That’s the disappointing part of it.”

Foligno wasn’t told by the refs that 18.1 seconds was accurate, but that is apparently what Shaw was told.

“I just told them to check the time,” Foligno said. “I guess Brad Shaw was told that it was correct, which is ludicrous. I don’t understand that. But I’m not going to dwell on it. It’s over. I’d just like to see it be rectified in the future.”

Tortorella said he and the team are moving past it.

“We’re good,” he said. “We’re good. They’re in good spirits. We haven’t even talked about anything as far as ... we’re not going to have a conversation about it. We won’t even have a conversation about not getting the result (Sunday) night.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.01.2020

Sergei Bobrovsky’s return vs. Blue Jackets should make for an electric atmosphere in Nationwide Arena

By Aaron Portzline and George Richards – The Athletic – December 31, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — March 21, 2014, remains one of the most surreal days in Blue Jackets history. Heck, it was one of the strangest days in the history of Columbus sports.

Rick Nash, traded nearly two years earlier to the , made his return to Nationwide Arena, where he’d been nothing but cheered and idolized by local fans.

It was a triumphant return for Nash, in that the Rangers beat the Blue Jackets 3-1, but the game turned incredibly dramatic — almost incomprehensibly dramatic — when Nash got into a shoving match with Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and later a gloves-off fight with his former teammate, scrappy Matt Calvert.

That scene may never be matched, but the atmosphere tonight in Nationwide Arena will have a similar tinderbox feel.

Bobrovsky, who like Nash was a fan favorite in Nationwide for most of a decade, returns with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, a game that was circled with a smile on many calendars when the NHL released its schedule of games last summer.

The Blue Jackets faced Bobrovsky and the Panthers earlier this month in Sunrise, Fla., but the game — in a half-filled BB&T Center — had zero atmosphere or drama.

The game in Nationwide Arena is sold out. Players had trouble getting extra tickets for family and friends. And with this being New Year’s Eve, the libations will start flowing early. Bobrovsky knows that walking into Nationwide will have a much different feel.

“For sure it’s exciting,” Bobrovsky said. “I don’t know how I am going to feel, but I know it is going to be emotional. You only can really feel it when you are there, you cannot guess.

“I am the kind of person who takes things step-by-step, so when I am there, I will deal with it. I am not going to try and build up any illusions to what I will feel.”

Bobrovsky’s name dominated the Blue Jackets’ record book for , much like Nash’s name is all over the record book for skaters.

He went 213-130-27 in seven seasons, winning two Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender, and finally — finally! — carrying the Jackets into the second round of the playoffs last spring.

“Seven years is a long time,” Bobrovsky said. “It is the most time I spent in my professional career and it was there (in Columbus) where I became who I am. I developed a lot, we developed a lot as a team.

“When I got there, we were at the bottom of the league and then, in the end, we were making the playoffs and won the (first-round playoff) series against Tampa.”

But it was not an easy marriage at the end.

Bobrovsky was hailed early in his time with the Blue Jackets as the club’s hardest worker and a player whose no-fuss approach belied his superstar status.

Nobody has ever questioned Bobrovsky’s work ethic. But he took it personally when the Blue Jackets’ playoff struggles — they were bounced in the first round three times with him in nets — were placed at his feet.

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, never one to sugarcoat or placate, did not shy away from calling out Bobrovsky’s play as part of the Blue Jackets’ postseason struggles, noting repeatedly that the Vezina trophies, for which Bobrovsky was extremely proud, were “regular-season trophies.”

Bobrovsky was at the center of most of the drama that dragged down the Blue Jackets’ 2018-19 regular season, from his pre-training camp news conference that infuriated the front office to the January night in Tampa where he walked out on his team.

After getting pulled from a start against the Lightning, Bobrovsky headed to the showers and later to the bus rather than remain on the bench for the rest of the game. He was suspended by the Blue Jackets.

It came as no surprise when Bobrovsky left last summer, signing a seven-year, $70 million contract with the Panthers as an unrestricted free agent.

“I remember the first time I went back to Philadelphia after I had been traded to Columbus,” Bobrovsky said. “We went back and that was emotional. We landed at the airport, then drove down all the old streets you remember. There were a lot of emotions there, a lot of memories.”

Bobrovsky lived in the Arena District (his condo is still for sale, by the way) and used to walk to games in Nationwide Arena. He was planning to stay with the Panthers in the team hotel, however, noting that a walk to the rink as the visiting goaltender might make for a different stroll. The Blue Jackets’ focus Tuesday will be on their end of the rink, where Elvis Merzlikins will make his first start in Nationwide Arena. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, of course.

Bobrovsky was expected to face Joonas Korpisalo, his understudy the last four seasons, but Korpisalo is out of the lineup for four to six weeks after having surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus.

So Merzlikins, in search of his first NHL win, will draw the marquee assignment as the Blue Jackets try to keep alive their 10-game point streak, the longest current streak in the league.

Bobrovsky has not had a good season so far with the Panthers. He’s 14-10-4 and ranks as one of the league’s worst goaltenders with a 3.26 goals-against average (51st) and .898 save percentage (42nd).

The best way for the Blue Jackets to make life easy for Merzlikins is to make it hard on Bobrovsky, something they didn’t do when they met earlier this month in Florida.

“We have to get more traffic at him,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “That’s just standard. We didn’t really test him. We had shots, but they were all from the outside. We have to get around him. That’s not just for Bob, that’s for any goalie.”

Just seeing Bobrovsky in a Panthers uniform was strange, Foligno acknowledged. But playing the game earlier this month was all the Blue Jackets needed to make the game seem more normal.

“This is a bigger story for our fans than us,” Foligno said. “We’ve already played against Bob. That story’s been written for us; now we’re just looking to get a big win against a good team. But for the fans …

“I’m sure Bob is fully anticipating whatever is going to happen, but hopefully it can get under his skin.”

There will be cheers from fans who can’t forget what Bobrovsky meant to the organization for most of the last decade. There will be boos from those who can’t forgive him for walking away to a new club this summer.

They’ll be especially loud, in both directions, when the Blue Jackets welcome him back with a video tribute during an early timeout in the first period.

“It was a unique situation, but at the end of the day he did a lot of good things for this organization,” Foligno said. “They’re going to respond however they feel. That’s their right.

“I’m not too concerned about it as long as they’re cheering for us, that’s my main concern.”

The Athletic LOADED: 01.01.2020

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

By Brian Hedger – The Columbus Dispatch – December 31, 2019

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 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.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.01.2020

Blue Jackets 4, Panthers 1 | 3-2-1 breakdown

By Brian Hedger – The Columbus Dispatch – December 31, 2019

’Bob’ was back in town, but the Blue Jackets’ welcoming party included a hat trick by Zach Werenski and Elvis Merzlikins’ first career victory.

During a season in which the Blue Jackets keep winning despite a litany of players lost to injuries, it made all the sense in the world. Of course, they won again Tuesday night at Nationwide Artena – downing the Florida Panthers 4-1in Sergei Bobrovsky’s first return to Columbus since leaving as a free agent. Of course, they won with rookie Elvis Merzlikins in net for the first time since Joonas Korpisalo went down with a torn meniscus Sunday night in a bitter, controversial shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Of course, they got Merzlikins his first career victory in the NHL – including the preseason – on New Year’s Eve, a night of new beginnings.

Of course, they did.

Taken in context with their 11 injured players, including Alexandre Texier in this game, the Jackets’ 11- game points streak (7-0-4) makes absolutely zero sense and, yet, all the sense in the world.

They keep losing players, they keep winning games or getting points and they’ve kept their playoff hopes alive somehow, some way. This time, it took a hat trick by a defenseman (Zach Werenski) and a rookie goalie named Elvis – who has the hair, looks and personality to bear that name.

He finally matched it by putting together his first complete effort in net and stymied the Panthers – who outshot the Jackets 37-28 and nearly doubled them in total attempts (73-42).

“Both our goalies have been awesome all year,” Werenski said. “Maybe (Merzlikins’) record doesn’t look great, but he’s deserved this win for a while. A couple of games he’s played, he’s made stood tall, made huge saves and we didn’t get it done. Tonight, we found a way and he stood tall in there. Made huge saves for us.”

The next trick will be taking it to Boston on Thursday, where the Jackets will play the Bruins for the first time since losing to them in a six-game second-round playoff series last year.

For now, here’s the 3-2-1 on a fun night in Columbus … three takeaways, two questions and one more thing:

Three Takeaways

1) A little less conversation

A day after respectfully telling a group of reporters that he was shutting down all interviews to better focus on his game, Elvis – when you play like he did it’s OK to use just that name – showed the hockey world that his inner “monster” is waking up.

Merzlikins told the Dispatch earlier this week that he just hasn’t felt like himself this season, like “Elvis,” like the guy who brought crowds out of their seats in both Switzerland and at men’s world championships the past few years.

He’d been pulled after just a period in his previous start, a 4-3 overtime loss Dec. 14 in Ottawa, and brought a bloated 3.41 goals-against average and ice-cold .889 save percentage into this game. Merzlikins was also 0-4-4 in his first nine NHL appearances, hadn’t won in the preseason and didn’t look like a goalie the Blue Jackets could lean upon after Joonas Korpisalo tore a meniscus Sunday in a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. That all changed against the Panthers, from his icy stare during the national anthem through 36 saves and then a huge, leaping post-victory hug with captain Nick Foligno as the Elvis Presley song, “A little less conversation” fittingly played over the arena’s sound system.

In keeping with his vow of silence, Merzlikins declined a postgame interview request through a team representative – but the team issued a two-quote statement on his behalf afterward.

The statement reads as follows:

“Finally, it came. I had 10 shots to do it, so finally it came (laughs). I really appreciated just seeing my teammates in the last seconds, even at 4-1, they were blocking shots because they knew how important it was for me to get that first win. I’m grateful for them.

I was really nervous at the start, playing at home in front of a big crowd. It’s a little different to play at home than on the road. I felt a little bit more pressure. It was really hard, but it’s part of the experience and I’m really happy (to get the win). I think I controlled the puck pretty well. My teammates were blocking shots and they helped me so I’m thankful to them. Happy new year to everyone.”

2) Thrice is nice

Werenski scored two goals on New Year’s Eve a year earlier, so what was one more to usher in 2020?

The Blue Jackets’ 22-year old defenseman has taken huge strides the past two seasons in becoming more of a two-way defender – improving his play in the defensive zone immensely – but we should never forget that he can flat out put the puck in the net when given time to shoot.

That was the case on two of his three goals in this game – the second and third, scored almost four minutes apart in the third – and he buried each one against Bobrovsky, his former locker room neighbor.

“Honestly, I didn’t really think about it too much,” Werenski said of beating his former teammate. “Bob sat right here, actually, right next to me. So, we’re pretty close. I’m going to have to go see him in the hallway and kind of laugh with him about it a little bit. But I’m just happy we got the win.”

The goals were the ninth, 10th and 11th of the season for Werenski, who is just give shy of tying his career-high of 16 – a mark that both he and defense partner Seth Jones each reached in 2017-18 to set the franchise record for goals in a season by a defenseman.

Werenski, who missed seven games with a shoulder sprain, is on pace to score 24 goals this season.

“He wanted a couple more, it felt like too,” said Gustav Nyquist, who had two assists and set up Werenski’s third goal. “He was leading the rush a couple times more (after scoring the third one), but it’s awesome for him. He’s always calling for it.”

3) Another one down

As if the Blue Jackets didn’t have enough injuries to worry about going into the game with 10 guys sidelined, another was added to the list in the first period.

Alexandre Texier sustained an undisclosed upper-body injury and the rookie forward did not return, becoming the 11th guy hurt and second in as many games – joining goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who tore the meniscus in his right knee Sunday against Chicago and will miss 4-to-6 weeks. It’s too soon to know how the Blue Jackets will replace Texier, who had settled into a key role at left wing on the top line with center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Eric Robinson on the right. Texier had six points (two goals, four assists) in the previous eight games and will be missed if he has to miss more than a couple games.

Two Questions

1) Were there more boos or cheers for Bobrovsky?

There were definitely boos smattered about the arena, but this was New Year’s Eve – a night to usher in the new and usher out the old.

Not that Bobrovsky’s old at 31, but you get the drift.

Rather than booing the former Blue Jackets’ star goalie mercilessly, a packed house largely cheered him – loudly – during a video tribute during the game’s first TV timeout 6:12 into the game.

It probably didn’t hurt that Werenski had already beaten him with his slapper at 4:54 to put the Blue Jackets up 1-0, but Bobrovsky’s seven-year career was the biggest reason. Despite a bumpy exit from Columbus, “Bob” played a huge role in helping the Jackets transition from a perennial doormat into a perennial playoff contender.

He was roundly cheered and thanked for it, which was a well-deserved honor and nice to see.

2) Is Nathan Gerbe somebody who should stick around a while?

Gerbe is on the roster because of the Blue Jackets’ seemingly never-ending injury crisis, which got even worse with an upper-body injury that drove rookie Alexandre Texier from the game after one period.

The Jackets’ mountain of injuries will likely keep Gerbe around for the foreseeable future, but his play during this opportunity to prove he’s still NHL worthy might earn him a full-time spot. This was Gerbe’s 400th career NHL game and it was another solid night for the 32-year old veteran.

That term, veteran, is another reason why it might behoove the Jackets to consider keeping him around the rest of the season. Even when healthy, this is a young team that could use his grit and experience up front.

So, the answer at this point is a definite “possibly.”

It’s feels like a minor miracle that Alexander Wennberg is not among the Blue Jackets’ 11 injured players.

He’s definitely hurting, after having a tooth knocked out Dec. 17 in Detroit and getting hit in the right cheek with a slap shot by Vladislav Gavrijkov in the second period, but he’s still in skating order.

Wennberg, who underwent an initial x-ray Tuesday night, spoke with reporters in after the game bearing a cut on his check and a swollen jaw. He hopes to keep playing, after spending some quality time with an ice bag on his face, but would like for his poor luck to cease.

“You can always say, ‘Yeah, it could be a lot worse, but it also could not happen,’” said Wennberg, whose two assists were his first multi-point game since Oct. 12 against the . “Right now, it just feels like a lot of things … sticks, pucks just hit my face and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s just unlucky, I guess.”

This one was a combination of an ill-timed hit from behind and a teammate stepping into a slap shot that he couldn’t stop from firing. Panthers defenseman John Brown pushed Wennberg to the ice right before Gavrikov wound up, causing the Blue Jackets’ center to curl up into a ball and hold his hands over his head.

The puck still managed to strike him in the face.

“Obviously, he didn’t mean to hurt me, but that play … like, it’s hard for me to react to something and the puck is obviously coming,” Wennberg said. “It’s not a nice move for a D-man to do it, but it’s just the timing is unlucky to get hit in the face or whatever. It’s just how it works. Gavvy’s apologizing, but it’s not his fault. There’s nothing you can do.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.01.2020

Portzline: Elvis’ big night, plus other observations from Blue Jackets’ 4-1 win

By Aaron Portzline – The Athletic – January 1, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ten observations from the Blue Jackets’ 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in Nationwide Arena:

1. Elvis’ big night

It’s hard to imagine Zach Werenski’s hat trick not claiming top billing, but goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was the headliner in the Blue Jackets’ 4-1 win in front of a thunderous, sold-out crowd on New Year’s Eve.

Merzlikins had 36 saves and was the Blue Jackets’ best player for long stretches of the first and second periods, earning his long-anticipated first NHL win.

It was a memorable night on so many levels, not the least of which was the return of former Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who signed as a free agent with Florida over the summer.

But Merzlikins was the better goaltender, allowing only a deflected goal early in the second period.

His postgame celebration was pure joy, and the largest crowd of the season — 18,997 — devoured it.

“I was not expecting that,” Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno said after Merzlikins nearly barreled him over with an airborne hug. “He’s pumped. I’m pumped for him. We’re all pumped for him. We know what it feels like, the pressure he puts on himself.

“He made some big saves. That’s what we see on a daily basis in practice, and it was nice to see him do it in a game.”

The Blue Jackets will be without All-Star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for 4 to 6 weeks following knee surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. It’s a big blow, to be sure, but Merzlikins became the latest player on Tuesday to step up on the depth chart because of an injury.

In his past four starts, he had allowed a goal on one of the first three shots he faced. But he looked composed and quick early, especially with his glove. He snared a slapshot from the slot by Florida’s Brett Connolly early in the first with alarming ease.

But his best stretch came late in the second just after Boone Jenner put the Blue Jackets up 2-1 with a power-play goal. The Panthers made a massive push in the final five minutes of the period, but Merzlikins stood firm.

“We just struggled so badly to get out of our end zone,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “I thought that was the most important part of his game.”

Merzlikins had been winless (0-4-4) in his first nine NHL starts and hadn’t played since a Dec. 14 loss in Ottawa when he was pulled after the rough first period.

On Tuesday, he was embraced for the first time by his Blue Jackets’ teammates, even earning the postgame kepi.

2. Werenski’s first hat trick

As far back as he could remember — through his time with AHL Cleveland, the University of Michigan, and the U.S. National Team Development Program — Werenski couldn’t remember making it rain hats with three goals in one game.

But on Tuesday he scored the all-important 1-0 goal just 4:54 into the game, and he added two more goals less than four minutes apart early in the third period (4:13 and 8:04) to open it up.

He became just the third Blue Jackets’ defensemen to score a hat trick, joining Bryan Berard (Jan. 8, 2006) and Deron Quint (March 9, 2001).

“I would have been happy to get it against any goaltender in this league,” Werenski said. “It just so happened it was (Bobrovsky), the guy I sat next to for three years.

“I’m happy we got the win. I approached this game the same way I always approach games. The puck was just finding its way for me.”

Werenski, who had twice before scored two goals in a game, said he saw some peculiar lids hit the ice.

“I saw some New Year’s ones,” he said. “I thought about taking a couple of them home with me.”

Despite missing more than two weeks with a shoulder injury, Werenski is fifth in goals (11) among NHL defensemen. Only Nashville’s Roman Josi (14), Calgary’s Dougie Hamilton and Washington’s John Carlson (13) and Montreal’s Shea Weber (12) have scored more.

“(Werenski’s) been very aggressive offensively for quite a while,” Tortorella said. “We all talked about that at the start of the year. We were holding people back, but we had to take care of things in front of our goalie. “But the last few weeks, we’ve asked especially him and (Seth) Jones to lead the way. He’s been very aggressive offensively for quite a while, and it’s nice to see them go in for him.”

3. Welcome back, Bob

The boos outweighed the cheers when Bobrovsky was announced just before puck-drop. The boos were hard to miss whenever Bobrovsky played the puck in the early stages of the game.

But when the Blue Jackets used the first TV timeout to honor Bobrovsky with a video, most of the fans in Nationwide Arena stood and gave him a robust round of applause.

At the end of his video, with players from both teams tapping their sticks on the ice or wall, Bobrovsky stepped out from the wall and waved to the crowd as he twirled around once.

It was pretty obvious that this trip to Columbus had weighed heavily on his mind.

“Lots of memories,” Bobrovsky said after the game. “I went to my old apartment last night; cried a couple of times there. It is tough. Seven years is a lot. I appreciate this organization and what they have done for me. It was a long day, lots of memories, good memories.”

4. Bobrovsky’s long season continues

You wonder if the Panthers are getting worried about their $10 million man. Certainly, they can’t be pleased with Bobrovsky’s play.

Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $10 million contract in July, allowed four goals on 28 shots. While none of them were “bad” goals, per se, it did continue an ugly trend.

He’s allowed four or more goals in 14 of his 31 starts so far this season. He allowed four-plus in 15 starts all of last season in Columbus, and you’ll recall that wasn’t one of his best campaigns. He did it only 11 times the entire 2016-17 season.

5. Merzlikins is mum

True to his word from Monday, Merzlikins declined through a club spokesman to meet with reporters after the game. He was not in the dressing room when it was open to the media.

Merzlikins said on Monday that he doesn’t want to do interviews, that he instead wants to put all of his focus on his play during this time when Korpisalo is out and injured.

It is against the NHL’s media policy for a player who dressed in a game to not be made available. The Blue Jackets did issue a statement they said came from Merzlikins.

It read:

“Finally it came. I had 10 shots to do it, so finally it came (laughs). I really appreciated just seeing my teammates in the last seconds, even at 4-1, they were blocking shots because they knew how important it was for me to get that first win. I’m grateful for them.

“I was really nervous at the start playing at home in front of a big crowd. It’s a little different to play at home than on the road. I felt a little bit more pressure. It was really hard, but it’s part of the experience and I’m really happy (to get the win). I think I controlled the puck pretty well. My teammates were blocking shots and they helped me so I’m thankful to them. Happy New Year to everyone.”

6. Jenner has been a beast

Since Nov. 27, Boone Jenner has averaged — averaged! — 20 minutes, 58 seconds per game, which is 12th in the NHL among forwards.

That’s more ice time in that span than Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (20:39), Toronto’s (20:33), Boston’s Patrice Bergeron (20:31) and Brad Marchand (20:30), Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (20:12), among others.

Jenner had a goal and an assist on Tuesday, his third multi-point game of the season.

It was his power-play goal that gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 15:34 of the second period. Jenner was in the slot when Gus Nyquist’s centering pass from the right circle was deflected in his area.

He pounced on the goal before Bobrovsky could chart its path.

That was Jenner’s eighth goal and his first game-winner of the season.

7. Two more injured, one returns

What comes after ludicrous on the “crazy” scale? Whatever the word, the Blue Jackets may have hit it on Tuesday.

Rookie forward Alexandre Texier left with an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. The club did not update his status following the game.

Center Alexander Wennberg was struck in the face by a puck fired by Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, leaving the game momentarily to get stitches and have an X-ray.

He was able to return a short time later.

The Blue Jackets seem to lose a player or more in every game they play. After losing Korpisalo against Chicago on Sunday, they played on Tuesday with eight regulars out of the lineup. Texier would make nine if his injury keeps him out of Thursday’s game in Boston.

“When you have this type of situation, coaches always say we have to play as a team; coaches always say that,” Tortorella said. “We are doing that. I’m watching our guys do that. We’re finding our way.

“It was ugly at times. the second period was a struggle for us. At times we had trouble containing (Aleksander) Barkov’s line, and at other times we played really well against them.

“Everybody’s chipping in. Everybody’s involved in it. Whether it be on the scoresheet or just doing the little things. It’s important to be playing as a team.”

8. Slowly climbing

The Blue Jackets have earned a point in 11 straight games (7-0-4), the fourth-longest streak in franchise history and the longest current streak in the NHL. The franchise record is 18 games (17-0-1) in 2016-17. On Dec. 8, the Blue Jackets were 11 points and four teams — New York Rangers, Montreal, Toronto, and Tampa Bay — behind Carolina, which held the second-place wild card.

After Tuesday’s win, the Jackets have climbed up to 10th place, where they sit just five points back of second-place wild-card Philadelphia.

9. The decade that was

Tuesday’s game was the final game of the decade. Let’s just say the Blue Jackets made huge strides in their second decade on the ice.

From Jan. 1, 2000, to Dec. 31, 2009, the Blue Jackets went 262-343-93, a .442 winning percentage that was the worst in the league. They had just one playoff berth (’08-09) that decade.

This past decade — Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2019 — the Jackets went 383-321-80, a .539 winning percentage that was 21st in the league.

The top five point-getters in the first decade: Rick Nash 392, David Vyborny 317, Nikolai Zherdev 181, Geoff Sanderson 168, Manny Malhotra 145.

The top five point-getters of this decade: Cam Atkinson 363, Nick Foligno 301, Brandon Dubinsky 225, Boone Jenner 213, Ryan Johansen 193.

10. Party favors

The Blue Jackets are 12-0-1 against Florida in Nationwide Arena, including six straight wins. …Werenski had two goals on New Year’s Eve 2018 in a 6-3 win over Ottawa. … The Jackets have won four of their past five games on New Year’s Eve and are 10-6-1 all-time on the day, including 8-3-1 at home. … The Blue Jackets aren’t practicing Wednesday. They’ll take an afternoon flight to Boston, where they play the Bruins on Thursday, their first meeting since the second round of the playoffs last spring.

In five-on-five adjusted play, the Blue Jackets finished the game with 34.78 percent of all shot attempts, 26.09 percent of scoring chances, and 36 percent of expected goals. In all situations, the expected goal total was 1.78 to 1.4 in favor of Florida. Money Pucks’ ‘deserve to win o’ meter’ had the Blue Jackets winning the game 40 percent of the time.

In his first NHL win, Elvis Merzlikins out-performed his expected save percentage by 1.94 percent, preventing one more goal than should have been scored.

In five-on-five play, Zach Werenski led the team in shot attempts (5) and, of course, goals (3). Kevin Stenlund and Gustav Nyquist each had two individual scoring chances, and Eric Robinson had the best shot quality (.25 expected goals).

The line John Tortorella mentioned wanting to contain was Florida’s top line of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Dadonov. While that group had a positive shot share, it was just over 50 percent and had the lowest offensive totals of any of the Panthers’ lines Tuesday.

The top skaters according to game score: Zach Werenski (3.64), Boone Jenner (2.58), Gustav Nyquist (2.55), Nick Foligno (1.73), David Savard (1.31).

The Athletic LOADED: 01.01.2020

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

By Michael Arace – The Columbus Dispatch – January 1, 2020

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 . 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.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 01.02.2020

An Elvis rockin’ eve: Sergei Bobrovsky’s emotional return to Columbus ends in a Blue Jackets’ party

By George Richards – The Athletic – January 1, 2020

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 Elvis remix and cranked it up.

And why not?

Blue Jackets fans had plenty to celebrate on their way out of the building on New Year’s Eve after rookie goalie Elvis Merzlikins outdueled their old friend Sergei Bobrovsky in a 4-1 Columbus victory.

Columbus, despite missing 10 players because of injury including Bobrovsky’s protégé in net, held on despite being outshot and out-chanced by the Panthers through the first 40 minutes and for a lot of the game.

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 score twice to spoil Bobrovsky’s homecoming night.

In the third, defenseman Zach Werenski polished off his first NHL hat 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.

Bobrovsky, who left Columbus after seven seasons to sign as a free agent with the Panthers, had to stand near his cage and watch as hundreds of baseball caps and even some Happy New Year paper hats littered the ice. It took a few minutes to clean up the mess and gave Bobrovsky plenty of time to think about how this night was likely going to end.

Bobrovsky had heard that booming cannon go off after goals thousands of times over the years — just never in response to one he had given up.

The Columbus goal song, so welcomed to hear in the past, had to taunt him on Tuesday.

“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 given up four goals or more in each of his past four starts. “I have to be better for the guys, too. In that moment, I have to make a save to give them confidence … again, I hate to lose and I have to be better. Four goals is a lot. There have been lots of goals. But our D worked hard, made plays.

“I have nothing to complain about, no excuses. I take it and move on. … For some reason, I came up short today. I thought I could do better and could help more. Congratulations to the Blue Jackets for the win. … We’re going to play some more hockey against them.”

Bobrovsky said before the game he did not know how he would feel about returning to Columbus or coming onto the ice at Nationwide again.

Although he was booed during pregame introductions and seemingly 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 seven years in Ohio’s capital city.

Bobrovsky had skated to the Florida bench during a timeout and watched the whole thing from there; players on both benches saluted him as did the majority of the sellout crowd.

He seemed touched by the video and by the return to a town he called home for almost a decade.

“I have lots and lots of memories,” Bobrovsky said. “I went to my old apartment (Monday night) and cried a few times there. It is tough. Seven 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.”

Bobrovsky obviously really wanted a win in his return to Columbus but it 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 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.

Still, the Panthers controlled the flow of the game for much of the first two periods.

Still, their high-flying offense just couldn’t find much room against Columbus’ rookie goalie, who was making his first home start after Joonas Korpisalo went down with a knee injury trying to make a save Sunday in a shootout. Instead of Bobrovsky and captain Nick Foligno sharing a hug as they had so many times following wins with the Blue Jackets, it was Merzlikins jumping into Foligno’s arms as if he had just won Game 7 of the World Series.

The win was the first of Merzlikins’ young NHL career.

As the party went on outside the arena, the Panthers quietly packed up ready to move on to the next one.

“It was frustrating because we were getting chances and were trying to get to the net,” said Sasha Barkov, whose team outshot Columbus 37-28 and had a 73-42 advantage in shot attempts.

“We were playing the game in their zone, then we give Werenski time with that great shot of his. He’s going to score there. I thought we did a 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.”

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.

Coach Joel Quenneville said he was happy with the way his team played the first two periods but the two goals in the third by Werenski sealed their fate.

The Panthers face the Senators on Thursday night, then have back-to-back games this weekend in Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

“They were around the net a lot, (Bobrovsky) was doing his thing and battling but they were the better team,” Quenneville said. “We are going to move forward. There were a lot of positives exiting this game … let’s go out and regain some momentum here.”

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky makes a save during the second period against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty / USA Today)

Bounce-back Jackets

Bobrovsky had already met up with his old teammates once this season, giving up a goal off 34 shots as the Panthers beat the Jackets 4-1 at BB&T Center on Dec. 7.

Columbus, despite all of its injuries, has not lost in regulation since, improving to 7-0-4 after Tuesday’s win.

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 status.

Columbus has climbed right back into playoff contention and is doing it without some of its top players, such as Cam Atkinson, Ryan Murray, Josh Anderson and, now, Korpisalo.

“They bring hard work, basically a hard-hat mentality right from the onset,” Quenneville said. “They are up and down the ice, are very direct and go to the net as good as anyone.”

Boston Bruins The bests and worsts for the Bruins in the season’s first half

By Matt Porter – The Boston Globe – January 1, 2020

The Bruins begin January as one of the best teams in the NHL, but the path to June is thorny and twisted.

So far, they should be prideful of their record (24-7-10), their 9-point lead on the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, and the fact that they’re one of three teams (Capitals, Blues) to snatch points in more than 70 percent of their games. They have proven good enough to beat most opponents with a less- than-perfect game, but have relied on timely saves and 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 the way last year.

Taking stock of the Bruins after Game 41 by doling out some first-half superlatives:

Team MVP

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, who sits 20-39—59 at the break. Only (five times) and Adam Oates (twice) have had 80-assist seasons in Boston. We could see a third.

Globe Staff Top sniper

Like Marchand, David Pastrnak could flirt with 120 points unless he cools significantly. He leads the league in goals (29) halfway through. The only Bruin to score 60 is Phil Esposito, who did it four times in five years (1970-75). If we’re aiming lower, Pastrnak (29-30—59) could be the sixth Bruin to score 50 (last: Cam Neely in 1993-94).

Most efficient

Patrice Bergeron missed nine games and has still put up a 17-18—35 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 the 80-point mark for the first time if he stays healthy.

Biggest monster

The two-headed goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask (All-Star) and Jaroslav Halak (All-Star Backup). Not sure Bruins fans appreciate how good they’ve been.

Tuukka rask and Jaroslav Halak have backstopped the Bruins to a 41-24-7 mark.

Biggest disappointment

The Bruins are still looking for a right-side triggerman for David Krejci. Maybe it’s Charlie Coyle, with a third-line center arriving via trade (more 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 scratch to end 2019, puts it together.

We can know that neither David Backes nor Brett Ritchie is the answer. The trade deadline (Feb. 24) won’t be a time to stand pat.

Nicest development

He has plenty of room to grow, but Anders Bjork has finally established himself as an NHL winger after shoulder injuries wrecked his first two pro seasons. Ideally, general manager Don Sweeney would find that missing piece higher in the order, and a Bjork-Coyle-Heinen line would find its rhythm.

Most bland

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 it’s too often missing on most nights. Coach Bruce Cassidy uses his first and fourth lines for the most important situations of the game. He’s constantly shuffling chairs in the middle of the lineup.

Biggest what-if

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.

Iron man award

Zdeno Chara is 42, plays 20-22 minutes most nights, and is top-30 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 McAvoy, and Connor Clifton on the shelf.

Quietest major story line

Since training camp, Krug hasn’t said much about his contract status. The Bruins remain interested in a long-term extension, and will not deal him at the deadline, barring a shift in thinking. Jake DeBrusk, Bjork, Matt Grzelcyk — all RFAs-to-be — will have their hands out come June, but we’ve yet to hear much of substance.

Worst matchup I

Though they certainly can hang with the Capitals — going 1-1-1 so far, including a 7-3 win — the Bruins don’t look like they’ll be up for slugging 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.

Worst matchup II

The only team to beat Boston twice in the first half was Colorado, which scored four goals each on Rask and Halak and allowed a total of three (five, if you count the pair taken off the board Oct. 10).

Biggest villain Tempted to say Wilson — ideally, he’d DOPS himself out of Game 1 — but it has to be the league’s offside reviews. Fire that rule into the sun.

Best home cooking

The Bruins lost just once at home in the first half (14-1-8), taking points from 22 of 23 games. The latter figure is critical. They were at home for 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, including trips to Western Canada and .

Worst finishers

The Bruins were 0 for 6 in shootouts in the first half, the most feeble mark in the league. Their top six forwards were a combined 1 for 15 on attempts. I dunno. You tell me.

Best save

Gotta hand it to Rask, who gave Buffalo’s Evan Rodrigues nightmares with his palm.

Worst luck

Kevan Miller’s comeback is on hold, his twice-broken kneecap keeping him off skates after a brief early- fall return. Tough guy. Tough run for him.

Best meltdown

Rask has calmed down over the years. Halak is still raging.

On Nov. 4, after hometown boy John Marino (North Easton) scored a late-period goal for the Penguins, the netminder let his stick feel his wrath.

Biggest beatdown

Punting the Canadiens around their own building, 8-1, on Nov. 26. Not too often you win by a touchdown in Montreal.

Most heartwarming moment

Three-year-old cancer fighter “The Mighty Quinn” Waters dropped a ceremonial first puck on Hockey Fights Cancer night at TD Garden, and his Weymouth homie Coyle scored a goal for him.

Biggest heartbreak

Losing Bruins fan Pete Frates at age 34 to ALS. As fierce a fighter as there was. As terrible a disease as there is.

Most forgetful fan

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

Bruins need more help from rest of lineup

By Steve Conroy – Boston Herald – January 1, 2020

So here the Bruins stand at the exact halfway point in their regular season. They own a nine-point lead over the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, the biggest advantage of any of the four division leaders, and they trail only the NHL-leading Washington Capitals — by a single point.

And despite what could have been crippling injuries recently, they are riding an eight-game point streak. Their plus-33 is the best goal 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 Jack Studnicka, 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) 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 if you’re in that position, you’ve got to bear down to get that extra point.”

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 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.

The Bruins have displayed a maddening penchant for playing down to the competition with losses to Detroit, Ottawa and now New Jersey. And on Thursday they welcome another non-playoff team in the Columbus Blue Jackets to town. But the Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, riding an 11-game point streak that has them five points out of a playoff spot.

Boston Herald LOADED: 01.02.2020

What we learned in Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils

By Joe Haggerty – Comcast SportsNet – January 1, 2019

Here’s what we learned from the Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the on Tuesday afternoon at the Prudential Center in Newark.

1) The Bruins are terrible against bad competition.

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 , New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and ). Most of them were shootout losses so they were at least competitive, with only a regulation loss to Detroit that might have been their worst/most embarrassing of the season.

Is this really a long-term concern for a team that still has a commanding nine-point lead in the division and will be a playoff team regardless of how many times they fumble away points against bad teams? It’s 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 dregs of the NHL will be long gone by that point.

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 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.

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 Brandon Carlo 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

*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.

*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. 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.

*Jaroslav Halak stopped 42 of 44 shots and gave the Bruins every chance to win a game they certainly didn’t deserve the way they stopped playing midway through the game.

Minus

*Danton Heinen was a healthy scratch after getting benched for the third period in the Sunday night win over the . It’s time for Heinen, Jake DeBrusk and other young veterans to start playing with consistency and intensity every game.

*Meanwhile, David Backes, Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm all got chances to play with David Krejci injured and Danton Heinen scratched and they didn’t do much of anything with it.

*Blake Coleman always plays well against the Bruins and this time around was no exception for the Devils high energy forward with a goal, eight shot attempts and plenty of offensive pressure throughout.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 01.02.2020

NHL/Websites 31 Thoughts: NHL trade market beginning to take shape

By Elliotte Friedman – Sportsnet.ca – December 31, 2019

If you don’t know someone, you have to be careful when joking around with them.

“It’s ok, you can joke about it,” laughed , minutes after AHL Manitoba finished its Monday practice. “I’m doing a lot better now that I’m back in a familiar place.”

Sept. 7, 2019 — Jets sign Eric Comrie to a two-year, $1.4 million contract

Comrie knows Winnipeg extremely well, joining the Moose as a full-time pro in 2015-16. He played 178 games in four years, getting a taste of the NHL with five appearances for the Jets. Manitoba was supposed to be his 2019-20 home.

But, as my grandmother used to say, “You plan, God laughs.”

“I knew I was going to go on waivers,” Comrie said. “(Jets backup) Laurent Brossoit had a great year (last season). I was ready to go down to the Moose, push as hard as I can.” Brossoit is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Comrie knew if he impressed, he’d have a great shot at being Connor Hellebuyck’s backup for 2020-21.

Instead, he began a wild 90-day adventure that took him through three organizations, five teams and one unexpected change after another. Comrie does not come across as bitter, or the least bit angry at what happened. But there’s no doubt he’s hoping the whirlwind is over. “It was different,” he said. “I’m thankful for the opportunities. It was hard not knowing where you were going to be, after knowing every single day for the last four years.”

Sept. 30, 2019 — Jets place Comrie on waivers

Oct. 1, 2019 — Claimed by Arizona

After being claimed by the Coyotes, Comrie couldn’t immediately report because of visa issues. He and his girlfriend of six years, Haley Hull, headed back to their summer residence in Newport Beach, CA.

“I’d just gone grocery shopping, getting supplies — like paper towels — for the whole year,” Hull laughed. “Whatever you can’t use, you’re texting all the other wives and girlfriends, trying to divvy up stuff to everyone. Eric has a guitar, and I’m asking, ‘Who wants a guitar?’”

Hull, who is learning to become a Pilates instructor, was able to join Comrie on this odyssey. They spent two weeks in a Doubletree Hotel, before moving into a condominium.

“We spent a lot of time together,” Hull said. “Driving a lot of miles, flying a lot of miles.”

“I felt bad for her,” Comrie added. “She handled it great.”

“It was a lot of packing…pretty crazy,” she continued. “We’ve been in Winnipeg for so long, it was nice to experience other places. But it can be scary. The women from the other teams were incredible. Before we even got to a new city, they’d already reached out to me.”

“They do a lot of charity in Arizona. It’s not the biggest hockey market, but they make sure (the wives/girlfriends) get together and do work in the community. I liked that. Everyone felt like a family.”

Comrie was activated to the roster on Oct. 10, and spent a month with the Coyotes before being sent to AHL Tucson on a conditioning stint. He went 4-0 for the Roadrunners.

“One of the best things about what happened was that I worked with some new people on my game,” he said. In Arizona, it is Corey Schwab with the big club and Zac Bierk at the developmental level. Comrie valued the fresh perspectives and tinkering.

“Corey told me, ‘Don’t go anywhere and try and be perfect.’ He’d tell me to focus on the next shot, accept the results and move on.” Schwab also told him not to “get sucked in on the rush,” moving too far out of the net as the opposition attacked. The exact phrase was, “Trust your patience.”

Nov. 30, 2019 — Comrie traded to Detroit for defenceman Vili Saarijarvi

Did he see this one coming?

“No clue, no clue,” Comrie said. “If anything, I thought I’d be waived again. Three goalies (at the NHL level) is hard on everyone.”

Were you getting upset at the situation?

“No,” he answered. “I looked at it as if they see a good player, and that meant a lot to me. Arizona liked me, Detroit liked me. Putting on a Red Wings jersey…that was unbelievable.” “We were lucky that the trainer was at our home when Eric was traded,” Hull said. “We had just set up the Christmas tree, and had to take it down. We had everything packed in 30 minutes. When we went from Winnipeg to Arizona, we dropped off our winter clothes in Newport Beach and got our summer clothes. I had to go back and get them.”

Hull made the seven-hour drive to their off-season residence, and flew to Michigan the next day. They stayed at a Marriott. In Detroit, Comrie re-united with Adam Erne. The two played Bantam hockey together in California, with the LA Selects.

Under Red Wings goalie coach Jeff Salajko, Comrie worked on narrowing his stance, and being more active with his stick. “He told me, ‘Work as hard as you can, you’re going to play games here.’ I knew I was going to get into action,” Comrie said.

On Dec. 7, he came off the bench during a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh, stopping all four shots he faced in relief of Jonathan Bernier. Three days later came his first start of the year, in the city he knew best — Winnipeg.

“I’m a pretty serious guy during games, I don’t joke around,” Comrie said. “But those guys — they are all great guys — were all over me during the game, trying to make me laugh. ‘Come on, you’ve got to let that one in,’ stuff like that.”

He made 25 saves, but the Jets won 5-1. Uh, did Comrie have money on the board?

“Yes, I had a lot of money on the board,” he laughs. “I really, really wanted to win. Unfortunately, we didn’t.”

He got one more start, making 28 saves in a 4-2 loss to Los Angeles.

Hull enjoyed Detroit. “That arena….I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“The Biegas (Alex and Diana) were amazing. They offered to make dinner for us and do laundry at their place. Jordan Filppula was constantly checking in on how we were doing going through this crazy time.”

Dec. 18, 2019 — Red Wings place Comrie on waivers

“For a little bit of time, this was the tough one,” Comrie said. “It wasn’t unexpected. I knew Jimmy Howard was getting healthy and would be back, and the Christmas freeze meant they’d have to do something. But it was the first move where someone didn’t want me.”

“The thing you have to remember is that we’re very privileged to be here. You just have to let things take care of themselves, accept where you end up. I can only control my controllables. I am doing something that I’m very lucky to do.”

Comrie also has the benefit of a family that understands the sport’s ups and downs. Half-brothers Mike and Paul both played in the NHL. He played with younger brother Ty on the WHL Tri-City Americans.

“I told him to keep working hard,” said via text. “Nobody works harder than him. No specific advice will prepare you for this.”

Dec. 19, 2019 — Jets claim Comrie on waivers “I thought they would,” Comrie says. “We had a good relationship, and I’m thankful they did.”

Do you have to find a new place?

“Actually, no. I rent from Jack Rodewald [a Winnipeg native in the Florida Panthers organization] and chose not to give it up until I knew I’d be staying somewhere else. I felt like I could be back.”

Because you, the reader, demand all loose ends be tied up, I asked Hull if she requested the return of Eric’s guitar. She laughed and said no.

They went to California during Christmas for what she called “a mental health break. We just needed to regroup.”

There was one more hurdle to leap.

Dec. 28, 2019 — Jets place Comrie on waivers

This was procedural, to get him back to the AHL — the move that started all this.

“We would joke that days like these were called ‘Limbo Days,’” Hull said. “When you’re on waivers, you can’t practice. He called me, said, ‘Can you pick me up?’ I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, it’s happening again.’”

“Seth Griffith was great during all of this,” Comrie said of his Manitoba teammate. “He’s a good friend, I drove him to the rink every day last year. He had a season like this, and knows what it’s like.” (That was 2016-17, when Griffith was signed by Boston, claimed on waivers by Toronto, then Florida, then Toronto again.)

Comrie cleared the next day and awaits his first start for the Moose.

“As I’ve said a couple of times in this interview, it was a great experience. People wanted me, I’m back where I’m happy and I’m doing what I love to do.”

“We learned that — for both of us — you have to keep a positive attitude,” Hull adds. “You have to make the best of the situation. One of the things we talk about is all of the new experiences we enjoyed — we had so much good food, for example.”

“No matter what happened, it didn’t change that Eric is a professional athlete. Not many people can say that.”

31 THOUGHTS

1. Six players have received “exceptional status” in the Canadian Hockey League, allowing them early entry through the draft. Five were in the OHL (John Tavares, , Connor McDavid, Sean Day and current rookie sensation Shane Wright), one in the QMJHL (). The has never gone this route. According to several sources, there are three applicants for the 2020- 21 season. All of them are from out west.

There’s Connor Bedard from North Vancouver, BC; and two from Dundurn, SK — Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager. Heidt and Yager are both at a point per game for the Saskatoon Contacts in the Saskatchewan Midget Triple-A League, the youngest players on their team. (Heidt’s uncle is Ryan Keller, a 10-year pro who played six games for the 2009-10 . He’s currently an assistant coach for the WHL Saskatoon Blades.) Bedard, also the youngest on his team, has 52 points in 27 games for West Vancouver Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. I’m no expert on how this will go, but good luck to all three. And remember: if you don’t get the status, it’s not the end of the world.

2. We could have news on Justin Williams’ plans by the end of the weekend.

3. Reminder that as of New Year’s Day Wednesday, players on one-year contracts are allowed to sign extensions. Two of the most interesting will be Ottawa’s Anthony Duclair (restricted) and Chicago’s Robin Lehner (unrestricted). I don’t get the sense there’s much yet on Duclair, who will have a heck of an arbitration case in the first All-Star season of his career. There’s time for both the organization and player to breathe, to see where this takes them.

4. As for Lehner, one of the stories to watch in early 2020 is the goalie market. There are good UFAs-to- be, whether you are looking for a starter or a backup. Where do the Blackhawks go with Corey Crawford and Lehner? The more important question might be where the Blackhawks go, period. They’ve got decisions to make on their franchise direction if there isn’t a game 83. Lehner clearly likes it there, and fit is important for him.

Vancouver will, at some point, make a serious run at Jacob Markstrom, who has been outstanding. But they’ve got cap issues to sort out. We’ll get to Braden Holtby in a minute. There are some other strong 1A/backup options like Thomas Greiss (Islanders), Jaroslav Halak (Boston), Anton Khudobin (Dallas), Pavel Francouz (Colorado) and Brossoit. It’s not going to be easy for the Stars to keep Khudobin at his current $2.5 million. And he’s valuable enough to get more.

5. On Holtby: we reported last week that he and the Capitals won’t negotiate during the season. (I got a text: “That happened in September…way to catch up, Insider.”) There are a couple of things to recognize. First, he’s not the type to be bothered by this. Second, neither are the Capitals, who had close shaves with both John Carlson and TJ Oshie before getting them extended. Third, a few people warned me about predicting what Holtby will do. He thinks differently, and I mean that as a compliment. He could surprise us.

6. They aren’t UFAs, but a few teams are curious about Pittsburgh’s direction. Casey DeSmith is signed for two more seasons. Tristan Jarry and Matt Murray are both restricted, and who do the Penguins commit to? Anyone could have had Jarry for a second-round pick last summer, now he’s one of the great stories of this season. As for Murray, there were some extension talks last summer, but things have ground to a halt. There are a lot of, “If you have time, use it” scenarios here. The decisions will have ripple effects.

7. Let’s go through a few other situations. Calgary’s got extra bodies, and some of the players shuffling in-and-out of the lineup are unhappy. GM Brad Treliving will be careful, but it is always a delicate balance when you’ve got unhappy players on a team with ambition. There is interest in Mark Jankowski, who needs a fresh start. There is interest in Sam Bennett, who was scratched on Sunday. I’m not convinced the Flames wish to do that, unless the return is impactful. But it’s something to keep an eye on.

8. In Ottawa, we may have been looking at it the wrong way. All of the focus has been on Jean-Gabriel Pageau, having a dynamite year when a new contract is due. But, after extending both Thomas Chabot and Colin White, the Senators’ biggest priority is Brady Tkachuk. What they think that number will be affects all other decisions. They will also make sure not to “block” prospects from AHL Belleville they think are ready. And, I would not be surprised if Connor Brown, tied for third in scoring, is high on the priority list, too.

9. Brandon Saad is out right now, but there will be interest when he returns. He’s at $6 million cap hit for next season, $6.5 million in cash. I believe looked into it, but that won’t fit.

10. There are a lot of Marian Hossa/Brent Seabrook comparisons out there, but the two situations feel very different. It wasn’t easy to confirm that Hossa wouldn’t play again, but, when we finally received the information we needed, there wasn’t any denial that we were accurate in what we were going to report. That’s not the case with Seabrook. Hossa was ready, it was time. Seabrook himself hasn’t spoken, but there’s serious doubt he’s ready to walk away from the sport. Yes, he’s frustrated and has been unafraid to vent. Yes, I do think there will be conversations about his future and willingness to move. But give it up? I’ll believe it when I see it. He is one tough dude with a lot of pride in himself.

11. The Oilers are wary of trading picks. There’s no guarantee all work out, but, the more lottery tickets you have, the better. They didn’t have a second- or third-rounder in 2015; their 2016 first-rounder is estranged from the organization; didn’t have a second-rounder in 2017; nothing in round three-to-five in 2018; and six picks last year. That’s one of the reasons they passed on Taylor Hall — not wanting to give up two more high selections. You can see the frustration on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid as the rest of the Pacific catches the Oilers. St. Louis players in particular noticed in-game how upset Draisaitl was by missed chances in a 2-1 loss to the Blues on Dec. 17. They thought it really affected him.

12. I went to Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final in 2018 (Toronto beat Texas that night for the championship in a packed, crazed rink — was a fun night). During one of the intermissions, I ran into the great Rich Clune, who was not dressed for the game. He pointed to the person standing next to him and asked, “Have you ever met Jeremy Bracco?” I hadn’t. He said, “You’re going to see plenty of him.” Bracco only dressed for four games in that run, but finished second in the AHL in scoring last season and is fifth in assists this year.

His path to the Maple Leafs is blocked by some elite, elite skill and he wants to see if there’s a better opportunity somewhere else. Toronto is willing to accommodate, but have not been shy in their asks, apparently. I’m curious to see what the market is. I’m also curious to see if this could be part of a bigger deal. Ben Harpur and Dmytro Timashov have also asked Toronto to see what’s out there for them.

13. After a good run of health, the Maple Leafs’ voodoo doll is getting pricked. I forgot to include Ilya Mikheyev on the Jan. 1 eligible-to-sign-list mentioned above, but he was having an excellent season before it was curtailed by a skate cut last Friday. (By the way, the Devils deserve a lot of credit for how prepared they were to deal with the situation, including having a surgeon ready to meet the ambulance.) Head coach Sheldon Keefe liked him alongside John Tavares.

There are a number of Marlies who may get a shot at his forward spot, including three newer options: 23-year-old Egor Korshkov, a second-round pick in 2016 who was recently injured; 26-year-old Finn Kalle Kossila, limited to four games by injury — but someone the organization likes; and 24-year-old Mason Marchment, also limited so far by injury. Marchment, who is Bryan’s son, is a really nice story. Did not play his first OHL game until he was 19, but has pushed himself into prospect status. He’s more of a bruiser, and the type of player the Maple Leafs could use. 14. Lots and lots of interest in Chris Kreider, no decision yet from the Rangers. “Lots of time,” one source said. Again, look at their history. Marc Staal’s last contract was signed on Jan. 18, 2015. In 2014, they signed Dan Girardi on Feb. 28. They took Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello down to the wire last year. There’s a lot of interest — believed to include contenders who might be happy to wait for cap reasons (Boston, St. Louis) and others who aren’t worried about that (Colorado). There’s plenty of speculation about Montreal, as the Canadiens could use some beef, but Kreider’s partial no-trade affects that.

15. Lias Andersson has gone back to Sweden. It remains to be seen if the Rangers loan him to a local team, as Edmonton’s done with Jesse Puljujarvi. (Can’t hurt to have him playing.) The Oilers have taken a tough stance with their winger, as has Dallas with Julius Honka. Like Andersson, they are young former first-rounders, and, in trade talks, are being treated as such. New York is following that path.

16. I think New Jersey is considering some of Buffalo’s available defenders.

17. From what I understand on Ilya Kovalchuk, he’s hoping for some contenders to show more interest.

18. Did the Penguins steal an old lady’s purse or something? They continued searching for a new home for Alex Galchenyuk, but just lost Jake Guentzel for four-to-six months. Does that give Galchenyuk new life?

19. Don’t look now, but if Vancouver beats Chicago on Thursday, the Golden Knights need four points in their next two games to prevent Travis Green from being the Pacific Division’s All-Star coach. Wasn’t he getting fired last week?

20. Lots and lots of reaction to John Tortorella’s outburst following Sunday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago. Honestly, the first thing I thought of was that he’s as angry about the defeat and the injury to surging Joonas Korpisalo as much as anything else. That was a brutal outcome for the Blue Jackets, trying to fight their way into the wild-card race. Korpisalo is second in the NHL in starts, with 31, but if you look at his workload, it’s really increased in the past few weeks (he had 10 appearances in 20 days from Dec. 3-23). They had to be worried about pushing him too far.

I watched the disputed clock situation on both broadcast feeds. You couldn’t tell on Chicago’s, but the seconds ticked after the whistle on Columbus’s. (There is a cable connected to both broadcast trucks that links the clock to the score “bug” — TV jargon for the on-screen graphic.) Apparently, when the Blue Jackets called timeout after the too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, two assistant coaches asked for a referee to check with the clock operator. Both did, and were told it was correct, which was relayed to the Columbus bench. As furious as the NHL was at Tortorella’s outburst — and a suspension was considered — there were coaches/executives who privately indicated they supported him. He walked it back on Monday.

If there was a phone conversation between Tortorella and Colin Campbell, the NHL should make it available on a 1-900 number for $3.99/minute. The salary cap would go up $10 million.

21. With Korpisalo injured, the NHL needs a Metropolitan All-Star replacement. I’d ask Henrik Lundqvist, considering he always seems to have a great time. He clearly likes it. Or, why not go Jarry? Someone said to me that you can’t be sure he’s Pittsburgh’s true number one, but who cares? He’s having a terrific year, and he’d probably be thrilled to go. Have to think Markstrom gets Darcy Kuemper’s spot in the Pacific. 22. I can see Keith Tkachuk being asked if he wants to participate in a skills event with son Matthew. (Passer for the accuracy competition?) The guys on FAN 960 in Calgary are already campaigning for Drew Doughty to be added to the Pacific Division team, so he and Tkachuk can be teammates. Apropos of nothing, the first All-Star Game I worked for Hockey Night in Canada was Minnesota in 2004. I tagged along to the dressing-room setup day and was asked who should sit next to who. I tried to put people next to each other who had fierce rivalries. I was never invited back for this process.

23. Two weeks into the season, I don’t know how many people expected Minnesota to be in the race, yet here they are as the calendar flips. “I know people won’t believe it, but I honestly thought the turning point was the losses to Dallas and St. Louis,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said. That was at the end of October/beginning of November. The Wild blew a 3-0 lead to the Stars, then lost a pair of one- goal games to the defending champions. “That Dallas game, we basically put four of those goals in our own net. The room was dead quiet. Don’t think we weren’t worried about a back-to-back with St. Louis. But I thought we played the Blues really hard, and guys continued to play the same way, even with all the injuries.” One thing to WATCH: the Wild have played just 16 home games, fewest in the NHL.

24. Boudreau had a ton of praise up and down the lineup, from those you would expect to those you wouldn’t. From Marcus Foligno (“battles every night”) to Alex Stalock (“Boy is he competitive. He hangs in there and gives us a chance”) to Carson Soucy (“To exceed expectations, you need someone to surprise you. He’s our guy”). But he saved his most lavish praise for the captain, Mikko Koivu, recently out with a lower-body injury. “Putting him with Kevin (Fiala) and Zach (Parise), he brought them together. There was one game where Mikko said something to Kevin on the bench, Kevin didn’t answer…and let’s say he made sure Kevin got the message. He just wills everyone to be better.” Koivu’s unrestricted after this year. “He’s so competitive. This is my opinion…but his brother (Saku) played until he was 39. I think Mikko wants to play until he’s 39, too.” Mikko will be 37 in March.

25. When Thomas Chabot played 37:50 for the Senators Dec. 17 in Tampa Bay, we thought that was 15 seconds shy of Dennis Wideman’s ice-time-era record. That is not the case. Credit to CBC ace stat- person Karl Creighton, who provided proof that Adrian Aucoin is somehow among those being shafted. Aucoin actually holds the top three (and five of the top six) ice-times since the adoption of it as an official statistic in 1997-98. He and Pavel Bure have the only 40-minute regular-season games, with Aucoin’s high of a completely bananas 40:51 for the Islanders against Washington on Oct. 12, 2002. Chabot’s night ranks 11th.

PLAYER TOI

Adrian Aucoin 40:51

Adrian Aucoin 40:32

Adrian Aucoin 40:13

Pavel Bure 40:12

Adrian Aucoin 38:21

Adrian Aucoin 38:19

Kenny Jonsson 38:09 Sandis Ozolinsh 38:06

Adrian Aucoin 38:05

Dennis Wideman 38:05

Thomas Chabot 37:50

Andrej Meszaros 37:47

26. Chabot played 28:25 and 28:10 the last two games after four in a row above 30. He says he’s very fortunate, blessed with excellent endurance. At the 2015 NHL draft combine, his results in the VO2 testing illustrated that gift. He scored in the top 15. (Among those ahead of him were current NHLers Brock Boeser, Mathieu Joseph, Travis Konecny and Jacob Larsson.) “Thomas did have a good aerobic capacity, which indicated that he had a pretty good size gas tank,” NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr wrote in an email. “This score is indicative of the player’s capacity for endurance but also for his recovery system; meaning he can recover quickly from a hard shift to be ready to go hard again for next shift, next period, back to back games, etc.”

With the training he’s done since, that’s only gotten better. Chabot said the only time he’s been really exhausted was after playing more than 40 minutes in the 2017 World Junior Gold Medal game, a shootout loss to the United States. “But that was about everything….the pressure of that game and the tournament, not only about how much I played.”

27. Tomas Tatar laughed when asked if he ever tells Selke candidate Phillip Danault to “go back and play defence, so I don’t have to?” His reply: “No, but I feel better when he’s back there instead of me.” Tatar is pretty insightful. He was benched after picking up two minor penalties Nov. 7 against Philadelphia. That gave him 10 on the year, tied at the time with Alexander Radulov for most among forwards. In the seven weeks since, he’s got four.

“When I started with Detroit, I watched how Pavel Datsyuk used his stick to check. But you have to be careful, because you can get penalties for it.” If he gets sloppy, he gets called. He also had a good explanation for why it’s working for him in Montreal — he’s the Canadiens’ leading scorer — after it wasn’t a fit in Vegas. He said that was a special group and it was difficult to fit in with their chemistry as a trade-deadline acquisition. Starting fresh in Quebec was much easier for him.

28. All the best to Alexis Lafreniere, injured against Russia in the world juniors. You know players. They want to play. But it sounds like there are people around him who recognize there’s a bigger picture that must be considered. As the event began, there were people saying they thought some teams might prefer Quinton Byfield for the number one overall pick because he’s a centre. However, Lafreniere’s performance against the United States was an eye-opener. It’s a tough call, and that’s good for fans and the sport.

29. This is the reporting you need: how did three Maple Leafs end up skating with Justin Bieber in Stratford, Ont., on Boxing Day? Bieber, you’ll remember, played in the celebrity game at the 2017 All- Star Weekend in Los Angeles. He met Auston Matthews there, who was a rookie that season. But their relationship really took off in September, when Matthews posted an Instagram photo of his return to Toronto with Frederik Andersen. Matthews was wearing a “Drew House” hoodie. That’s Bieber’s clothing line — and he replied with a fire emoji to the photo. He attended Toronto’s 4-1 win over San Jose on Oct. 25, where Matthews scored. The Leaf wore that same hoodie courtside at a Raptors game in December. By that time, they were messaging a bit more, and that led to the post-Christmas skate. Look out Scott Tweedie, I’m coming for an ENews! job.

30. When Detroit came through Toronto a couple weeks ago, I asked coach Jeff Blashill who was doing a good job of handling the challenge of grinding through a hard year. He mentioned Dylan Larkin. “He faces the media every day,” Blashill said, “and even if he’s upset after a game, he makes sure to show up positive the next day.” (Blashill’s really hung in there, too. Not easy.) At Thanksgiving, Karson Otto, a talented 2008-born defenceman for Detroit Little Caesars, suffered a viral attack on his spinal cord. He spent three weeks in hospital, and, happily, has a chance at a full recovery.

Larkin sent an autographed jersey. That’s a great smile on Karson’s face. All the best, young man.

31. I turned “Thought 31” over to Christine Simpson. She kept in close contact with Alex Luey, who was taken from us way too soon (age 15) on Dec. 22 after a lengthy fight against cancer. The funeral was last Saturday, and here are Christine’s thoughts from that day:

“We celebrated Alex’s life and it was just as he wanted it. He had laid out some strict rules. Everyone was to wear a jersey from their favourite team and we all obliged. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more colourful funeral in my life. There were to be no church finger-sandwiches. And there was to be laughter. Which there was, but through a lot of tears. Alex touched so many lives in his 15 years and we all know Alexander Ovechkin was one of them.

Their friendship began through a Hometown Hockey segment but it continued through texts and phone calls before surgeries, on birthdays, and with invitations to games. It was genuine. Ovi sent me a message to read to everyone there. He talked about the impact Alex had made on him and the team. And how proud his parents should be (and I know they are). I’m so glad we were able to introduce (Alex Luey) to his hero because I know it brought him so much joy in the final years of his life. But what I didn’t realize was just how much joy Alex would bring to our lives too. I’m so grateful for having known him and his impact will stay with me forever.”

Christine, ever the professional, wore a Team Canada jersey. Alison Langley of The St. Catharines Standard reported that the funeral’s closing song was John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” — which his parents used to soothe Alex as a baby. “Close your eyes, have no fear. The monster’s gone. He’s on the run and your daddy’s here.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 01.01.2020

The Athletic’s NHL Power Rankings: How do the teams stack up with the trade deadline approaching

By Scott Burnside – The Athletic – January 1, 2020

Interesting dynamic once again where a significant number of top offensive performers are tracking toward missing the playoffs, which will make for some interesting choices for Hart Trophy voters as the second half unfolds.

Of the top 10 point producers as of Dec. 31, it is possible that at least five will miss the playoffs – Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. Jonathan Huberdeau would make it six if the Panthers fall out, which is possible given Tampa and Toronto uprisings.

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 you are absolutely running away with the scoring title, you’re not in the top three of my Hart ballot. Sorry. A league MVP has to lead his team to 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).

So, my top three New Year’s Hart ballot, in no particular order, would include David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and John Carlson.

Now let’s take a look at which teams are trending toward the postseason and which are looking to the NHL Draft lottery.

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.

1. Washington Capitals (16 first-place votes)

Record: 27-9-5

Previous Ranking: No. 1

The NHL’s best team on the road probably still hasn’t hit its top gear yet, which is a bit scary for the rest of the Eastern Conference.

2. St. Louis Blues (nine first-place votes)

Record: 26-9-6

Previous Ranking: No. 4

A torrid pace of play to end the calendar year makes the defending Cup champions as dangerous as any team in the NHL. Can you imagine a Blues-Caps final? Wowzer.

3. Boston Bruins (one first-place vote)

Record: 24-7-10

Previous Ranking: No. 2

The Bruins are the one legitimate challenge to Washington in the east at midseason as they continue to plug along without any meaningful competition in the Atlantic Division and in spite of a plague of injuries, now including Charlie McAvoy.

4. Colorado Avalanche Record: 23-13-4

Previous Ranking: No. 8

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 trade deadline to put them over the top?

5.

Record: 24-11-4

Previous Ranking: No. 10

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.

6.

Record: 25-10-3

Previous Ranking: No. 3

It’s an interesting time for the Isles, who have hit their first bit of adversity 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

Record: 24-14-2

Previous Ranking: No. 6

The Canes are one of the most dynamic teams in the NHL but need to get better, more consistent goaltending if they’re going to be a real contender.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: 22-14-5

Previous Ranking: No. 17

The Leafs are on the move under Sheldon Keefe. At some point, though, they’ll need to figure out how to win games that aren’t track meets.

9.

Record: 22-14-4

Previous Ranking: No. 7

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.

10. Record: 22-13-5

Previous Ranking: No. 18

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 season after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma.

11. Vegas Golden Knights

Record: 22-15-6

Previous Ranking: No. 15

The Golden Knights are finally hitting on most, if not all, cylinders and have taken over the top spot in the middling Pacific Division.

12. Tampa Bay Lightning (one first-place vote)

Record: 21-13-4

Previous Ranking: No. 12

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-long funk.

13.

Record: 22-16-4

Previous Ranking: No. 9

The loss of Darcy Kuemper is a huge blow and the returns on the Taylor Hall deal are thus far muted at best as the Coyotes have slumped their way out of first place in the Pacific.

14. Florida Panthers

Record: 20-14-5

Previous Ranking: No. 11

Florida, like Toronto, seems to need to win every game 6-5. Fun to watch but hardly a recipe for earning a playoff berth. The Cats are 28th in the league in goals allowed per game. Yikes.

15.

Record: 22-15-3

Previous Ranking: No. 13

The Jets hit a bit of a dip in December. No doubt they will be looking forward to some clarity on Dustin Byfuglien in the coming days as they struggle to stay in the Central Division fight.

16.

Record: 21-15-4 Previous Ranking: No. 16

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 should bode well for the Canucks.

17.

Record: 20-17-5

Previous Ranking: No. 22

The Flames are much better with Geoff Ward behind the bench but they won’t be a real contender until their top players start producing at even strength.

18. Nashville Predators

Record: 18-14-6

Previous Ranking: No. 20

The Predators are out of the playoffs, and one of the worst teams in the league on the penalty kill and in goals allowed per game. Didn’t see that coming.

19.

Record: 19-17-5

Previous Ranking: No. 28

Once buried, the Wild have undergone an impressive renaissance under Bruce Boudreau, scoring like crazy and getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Playoffs? Why not.

20.

Record: 18-16-6

Previous Ranking: No. 14

Critical losses in late December prove the Habs are not quite ready for primetime. Playing just .500 at Bell Center is no way to earn a playoff berth.

21.

Record: 21-17-4

Previous Ranking: No. 5

The long slow slide back into oblivion is hard to watch for an Oilers team that showed such promise in October and November.

22. New York Rangers

Record: 19-16-4

Previous Ranking: No. 25 If the Rangers can somehow find their way into the playoffs, Artemi Panarin is going to get some well- earned Hart Trophy love.

23. Columbus Blue Jackets

Record: 18-14-8

Previous Ranking: No. 26

For the record, I thought John Tortorella was right on. But the loss of netminder Joonas Korpisalo will be a tough one for the plucky Blue Jackets to overcome.

24. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 17-17-7

Previous Ranking: No. 21

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 lamentable descent into irrelevance in Buffalo.

25. Chicago Blackhawks

Record: 18-17-6

Previous Ranking: No. 23

For a team that was so dominant for so long, being wholly average is a difficult pill to swallow for fans and players alike.

26. Ottawa Senators

Record: 16-19-5

Previous Ranking: No. 24

There’s no award for coaching a bad team into respectability (but still out of the playoffs), but if there was, D.J. Smith would get my vote.

27.

Record: 17-21-3

Previous Ranking: No. 19

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 standings in a shocking fall from grace.

28.

Record: 16-19-5

Previous Ranking: No. 27

The Ducks could use some lottery luck in April. That’s all I’ve got. 29. Los Angeles Kings

Record: 17-21-4

Previous Ranking: No. 30

The Kings are part of a strange battle for the bottom in the Western Conference with their California colleagues. That is bonkers.

30. New Jersey Devils

Record: 14-19-6

Previous Ranking: No. 29

The Devils are actually no worse off after Taylor Hall trade. Not sure whether that is a comment on Hall or the Devils.

31. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 10-28-3

Previous Ranking: No. 31

A unanimous decision to put the Wings at No. 31, with a disgraceful minus-70 goal differential as of Dec. 31. Tank rhymes with stank in Motown.

Storylines to watch in 2020

A year ago at the All-Star Game in San Jose one of the main storylines 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 entire narrative and good on McDavid for insisting that he was only 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 fellow Hart Trophy front-runner Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are back in a 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 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 shifts, turnovers, monster plus/minus issues, are all fodder for discussion in Edmonton. Draisaitl, a forthright soul, told reporters this week he’s been “pretty shit” lately. Recent history has shown that the game’s brightest offensive stars have modified their games for the greater good with Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, 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 Oilers aren’t close to being a championship team as those other star players’ teams became. There remains serious work for new GM Ken Holland in building a supporting cast similar to the casts in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington. But it’s also clear McDavid and Draisaitl 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 isn’t about effort or caring but understanding the big picture of what it means to be a winning team. There is still lots of time for this team to resurrect its once-bright playoff hopes, but with Calgary better under Geoff Ward, Vegas finally hitting its stride and Arizona adding Taylor Hall, the competition has improved since the start of the season. It would seem the Oilers need a different approach from their superstar forwards to match that.

Interesting to look at the career arcs of the two generational stars at the top of the 2015 NHL Draft – McDavid and Jack Eichel in Buffalo. McDavid has been to the playoffs once. Eichel is still looking for his first playoff experience. Early last season and then again early in this campaign, the Sabres tore off lengthy streaks to surge into playoff 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 surged into the midst of the Atlantic Division playoff race with up and down Florida – all of whom are chasing runaway division leader Boston. The Sabres have run dry offensively and have struggled once again to find consistent goaltending in spite of Eichel’s monster season, which saw him collect 52 points in 39 games to earn well-deserved Hart Trophy discussion. Sound familiar, Connor McDavid? The truth of the matter is that both Edmonton and Buffalo are deeply flawed teams. They put faith in players who haven’t responded, whether it was Mikko Koskinen or the Milan Lucic in Edmonton, or Jeff Skinner, who was signed to a whopper eight-year, $72-million contract and then disappeared with just one goal in his past 13 games before being injured and lost to the team for a month, by which time the Sabres could be cooked once again. Both teams have lots of promising young players in the pipeline but it’s hard to preach patience to fans in Buffalo, who are looking at a ninth straight season out of the playoffs, and in Edmonton, where the Oilers have been to the playoff dance once since 2006.

We talk often about goaltenders and their workloads, and one longtime netminder noted this week that it’s probably not entirely accurate these days to label a goalie starter or backup. If you don’t have goaltending depth your chances at success go down dramatically. Certainly, one of 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 passing of the torch. Take Pekka Rinne in Nashville, for instance. While Juuse Saros 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 netminder said. “It’s only halfway through the season, however, and Murray’s past Stanley Cup success could still play a factor. I think this one is fluid.”

Looking ahead to next summer where there will be lots of options for teams looking to upgrade their goaltending – hello, San Jose, Detroit, New Jersey, Ottawa – our goalie guru suggested one lower profile netminder who should be getting a lot of attention. “Pavel Francouz is worth keeping an eye on. His numbers have been eye-popping in every league he’s played in,” he said. “At 29, he’s experienced quite a lot … just not in the NHL. It doesn’t seem to faze him one bit. He’s going to get 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 nice safety net for Grubauer in Denver. The native of the Czech Republic is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Interesting to see how much more responsibility he is given in Colorado and whether that translates to an opportunity to be a No. 1 (sorry) guy somewhere in the NHL.

Talked to a GM not long ago about the World Cup of Hockey. The NHL and NHLPA scrapped a tentative plan to hold a mini-World Cup of Hockey in early 2021. What will replace it is unknown at this point but this GM suggested, if you’re going to do something, why not a Ryder Cup-type event pitting the top players in North America against the top European teams? This GM, who has experience with best-on- best tournaments, suggested putting a whack of cash on the table and playing a best-of-three. Want to throw in a skills competition with the winning team earning home ice benefits for the series or something along those lines? Sure. Take the fans out of the selection process. Sorry, but if you want the teams to have real meaning they have to be selected by the respective management teams. Even that would create lots of discussion, especially as it relates to a North American team. Perhaps even include a leadership group from both squads in the process of selecting the team, although that might create some awkward moments for those players. We want these kinds of events to have some sort of 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 event why not have a Canada versus the U.S. women’s event to include the best women in the world? Along with a cash prize for the winning teams, have sponsors match it with a donation to a few charities picked by the winning team.

The Athletic LOADED: 01.02.2020