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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 04/21/17 Anaheim Ducks Chicago Blackhawks 1060646 Ducks earn some time to rest and think 1060689 Blackhawks could dress seven defensemen vs. Predators 1060647 Ducks coach Randy Carlyle already has second round of 1060690 Monty Python and the Blackhawks' Holy Grail playoffs on his mind 1060691 Joel Quenneville on Blackhawks' inability to fight back: 'That's on me' Boston Bruins 1060692 Blackhawks never could get in offensive flow against 1060649 Bruce Cassidy on misfiring Bruins: ‘Let’s hit the net first’ Predators 1060650 Bruins know odds are very long, but they see a path 1060693 Blackhawks eliminated by Predators in 4-1 loss, swept out forward of NHL playoffs 1060651 Harris: Senators beating the Bruins the right way 1060694 ‘Desperate’ Blackhawks could dress seven defensemen 1060652 Bruins notebook: Bruce Cassidy in search of winning for Game 4 forward formula 1060695 New reality beckons for Hawks after merciless sweep by 1060654 THURSDAY, APRIL 20: SENATORS' HARPUR SHOWS Predators HIS STUFF VS. BRUINS 1060696 Hawks’ season comes to stunning end as Predators finish 1060655 NO RETURN FOR KRUG, CARLO OR MCQUAID FOR sweep BRUINS' DO-OR-DIE GAME 5 1060697 Campbell, Oduya assess their disappointing playoff 1060656 FOR BRUINS, THERE IS NO EASY PATH TO performances STOPPING ERIK KARLSSON 1060698 Predators' goalie Rinne wants to finally put stake in 1060657 RASK ON BRUINS CHANCES: 'WE'VE JUST GOT TO Blackhawks' hearts BELIEVE' 1060699 Blackhawks' Keith, Oduya reveal their NHL idols 1060658 CASSIDY: 'NOT A LOT OF FREE ICE' IN GAME 4 1060700 Sweep leaves Chicago Blackhawks 'shocked, surprised' SHUTOUT LOSS 1060701 Predators win 4-1 to sweep Chicago Blackhawks out of 1060659 BACKES ON BRUINS' MUST-WIN GAME 5: 'HOWEVER playoffs IT HAPPENS, IT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN.' 1060702 Rozner: Feels like end of an era for Chicago Blackhawks 1060703 Predators beat Blackhawks 4-1 to complete sweep Buffalo Sabres 1060704 MICHAL KEMPNY, SEVEN DEFENSEMEN AMONG THE 1060660 Mike Harrington: With Tankmaster gone, a hockey czar is POSSIBILITIES FOR BLACKHAWKS IN GAME 4 what Sabres need 1060705 Quick Hits from Blackhawks-Predators Game 4: Finished 1060661 Jerry Sullivan: A dark, dreary, dysfunctional day for Buffalo too soon sports 1060706 Swept away: Predators eliminate Blackhawks from 1060662 Bucky Gleason: Pegulas should check mirror for source of Stanley Cup playoffs Sabres' biggest problem 1060707 Despite being swept in the first round, no major changes 1060663 Just like Murray's talks, exit of Sabres' GM, coach came forthcoming for the Blackhawks quickly 1060664 Timeline: The Turbulent Reign of Terry Pegula Colorado Avalanche 1060665 Brian Gionta to be studio analyst Friday on NBCSN 1060708 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL 1060666 Well-known names abound as Sabres search for GM, playoffs coach 1060709 Kiszla: Avalanche GM Joe Sakic would be crazy to let 1060667 Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Sabres' problems start at the another NHL team hire DU coach Jim Montgomery top 1060668 Jerry Sullivan's Hot Read: One GM down, one to go Columbus Blue Jackets 1060669 Mike Harrington's Hot Read: Pegulas need to hire hockey 1060710 Puck-rakers: Matchups smatchups, as Blue Jackets look czar, then get out of way to stave off elimination again it’s all about Bob 1060670 Sabres fans react on Twitter to firings of Murray, Bylsma 1060711 Michael Arace | With Bob off his game, series couldn’t be 1060671 Sabres fire Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma saved 1060672 Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel has nowhere to hide after 1060712 Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 2 | Season ends with frustrating housecleaning loss 1060673 Buffalo Sabres fire GM Tim Murray and coach Dan 1060713 Blue Jackets | Penalty nullifies goal, turns tide Bylsma 1060714 Blue Jackets | Seth Jones’ skills make him perfect to pair up with Calgary Flames 1060674 Keep him? Fire him? Give him a raise? You Be The Boss Detroit Red Wings for the Calgary Flames 1060715 Goalie prospect Jared Coreau to lead Red Wings farm 1060675 Flames goalie Jon Gillies soaks up playoff culture before team in AHL playoffs returning to Stockton 1060716 Griffins ready to go through ‘rigors’ of playoff hockey 1060676 NHL linesman sues Calgary Flames and Dennis Wideman 1060717 Red Wings sign Christoffer Ehn to entry-level contract for $10.25M 1060718 Red Wings' Xavier Ouellet aims to be hard to play against 1060677 Flames begin to evaluate 2016-17 NHL season 1060719 Nielsen says players have to be better 1060678 Eric Francis: Sean Monahan the Calgary Flames' bright spot at season's end as questions about players' futures 1060679 5 reasons the Flames are already out, and 5 reasons for optimism 1060681 You Be The Boss, Flames Edition: 2017 Carolina Hurricanes 1060684 Hurricanes to take playoff look at prospects 1060685 Nestrasil seeks to prove he’s ‘still got it’ 1060686 Checkers win playoff opener 4-0 1060687 Wolves’ Wiz, Rattie were Canes short-timers Edmonton Oilers New Jersey Devils 1060720 Dan Barnes: Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl admits spear 1060757 Devils sign defenseman Yaroslav Dyblenko from KHL was 'stupid,' vows to be better 1060758 Devils to host Mike Nichols charity hockey game 1060721 Game Day: Game 5 Sharks at Oilers 1060759 Devils who have most to gain from AHL playoffs 1060722 Oilers take 3-2 series lead over San Jose on Desharnais' 1060760 Predicting the lottery: Who Devils should draft with overtime goal 1st-round pick 1060723 The education continues for Oilers forward Drake 1060761 Devils sign Russian defenseman Dyblenko; Elias on-air Caggiula and defenceman Matt Benning 1060762 Albany beats Toronto, 3-0, in Game 1 1060724 Dan Barnes: Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl promises to learn from 'stupid' spearing penalty New York Rangers 1060725 Oilers Game Day: Game 5 Sharks at Oilers 1060763 Rangers Grab Series Lead With Overtime Victory Over 1060726 Series may be tied, but Oilers face major concerns for Canadiens Game 5 1060764 Mika Zibanejad’s gets his ‘revenge’ at just the right time 1060729 Raffi Torres recalls Edmonton Oilers' miraculous run to 1060765 Home ice isn’t only advantage Rangers have in Game 6 2006 Stanley Cup Final 1060766 Rangers’ penalty kill contributes in more ways than one 1060767 One vital Ranger finally makes his presence felt Los Angeles Kin\gs 1060768 Mika Zibanejad’s OT goal propels Rangers to pivotal 1060731 Reign vs. Gulls: Keys to the first round series Game 5 win 1060769 Stars invade MSG to cheer on the Rangers Los Angeles Kings 1060770 Expect same lineup for Rangers in Game 5 1060730 KINGS TO HOST TWO ROOKIE GAMES AT TSC 1060771 Ice-cold Max Pacioretty feeling the heat in Montreal AGAINST GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1060772 Henrik Lundqvist vs. Carey Price is a classic goaltender 1060732 Which forward lines and “twos” were the most effective? matchup 1060773 Mika Zibanejad buries overtime winner, gives Rangers 3-2 Minnesota Wild series lead over Canadiens 1060733 Wild coach Bruce Boudreau is "a lot happier'' after Game 4 win Ottawa Senators 1060734 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL 1060775 Senators' Dzingel keeps on smiling even though the puck playoffs not going in for him 1060735 Charlie Coyle steps up as force for Wild in playoffs 1060776 Expect the Senators to be without Tom Pyatt for Game 5 1060736 Wild fans: 'So you're telling me there's a chance' 1060777 Senators focus on first 10 minutes of Game 5 rather than 1060737 Wild coach Bruce Boudreau seeks peak effort for Game 5 a 3-1 series lead against Blues 1060778 Karlsson takes charge as Senators take command of 1060738 Hartman: Wild's daunting task vs. Blues can still be opening-round series achieved 1060779 Brennan: Opportunity to do something special is knocking 1060739 Wild-Blues playoff series has been about (excellent) for the Senators goaltending 1060780 Warren: Bruins can't Backes down, Harpur steps up, the 1060740 John Shipley: Good time for Wild’s Charlie Coyle to finally video review and Ryan earns respect be great 1060781 The top 5 for Game 5: The reasons the Senators will send 1060741 Wild call up Black Aces with Game 5 against Blues on the Bruins packing horizon 1060742 Brian Murphy: It’s still a steep climb for rejuvenated Wild Philadelphia Flyers 1060743 Bruce Boudreau on the last-second hit on Zach Parise: ‘It 1060782 In rebuilding the Flyers, Ron Hextall should consider all was cheap’ options, including trading Wayne Simmonds | Mike Sie 1060783 Flyers prospects buying into Ron Hextall's patience Montreal Canadiens 1060784 Sam Morin and the Phantoms open the AHL playoffs on 1060744 Canadiens on brink of elimination after Rangers take Friday Game 5 in OT 1060785 FLYERS GOALIE PROSPECT CARTER HART ON 1060745 Stu Cowan: Quiet Canadien Andrei Markov lets his stick DEVELOPMENT: 'TRUST THE PROCESS' do the talking 1060746 Game Day: Alexei Emelin expected back in Canadiens Pittsburgh Penguins lineup for Game 5 vs. Rangers 1060786 Chipped Ice A.M.: Penguins digging first-period holes 1060747 In the Habs' Room: 'We're going to need more from a lot 1060787 Gorman: Penguins' Fleury gets the feels, steals the series of guys,' coach Julien says 1060788 Malkin, Kessel too much for Jackets 1060748 Stu Cowan: Canadiens need to find offence to save 1060789 Rust's 2 goals help Penguins eliminate Blue Jackets in 5 season games 1060749 Canadiens pushed to the brink after losing 3-2 in overtime 1060790 Penguins notebook: Schultz in advisory position with old 1060750 About last night … Rangers take series lead with 3-2 OT team W 1060791 In-season injuries haven't slowed Daley and Maatta in the 1060751 Mika Zibanejad’s overtime goal lifts New York Rangers playoffs past Montreal Canadiens 3-2 for control of series 1060792 Pregame: Penguins vs. Blue Jackets, 7:08 p.m. (PIT leads, 3-1) Nashville Predators 1060793 Rust shows up again in elimination game 1060752 Rexrode: Predators vs. Blackhawks Game 4 more about 1060794 Penguins' stellar play clinches series against Blue Jackets physicality than psychology in five games 1060753 Wayne Gretzky to visit Ford Ice Center in Antioch, 1060795 Joe Starkey: Fleury earns chance to make more memories Nashville Predators say 1060796 Penguins make a lineup shift late in Game 5, plus other 1060754 Predators prepared to match Blackhawks' desperation in postgame notes Game 4 1060797 Tickets for Penguins' second-round playoff series on sale 1060755 Predators vs. Blackhawks Game 4: Quotes of note Friday 1060756 Predators finish Blackhawks in style 1060798 Penguins finish off Blue Jackets with 5-2 win, advance to semi-finals 1060799 Instant analysis: Penguins eliminate Columbus in Game 5 San Jose Sharks Washington Capitals 1060800 Sharks notes: Boedker hungry to play; Vlasic on McDavid; 1060834 Braden Holtby’s poor playoff performance isn’t all his fault Faceoff dominance 1060835 Capitals-Maple Leafs Game 5 preview: Braden Holtby 1060801 Tierney on Draisaitl: “Hopefully he doesn’t do that may be the key to taking control of the series anymore” 1060836 ‘It’s a pinball machine out there,’ and Capitals’ Braden 1060802 Purdy: Identifying the four Sharks middle men who will Holtby has been on tilt now decide this series 1060837 The Caps can’t just lose anymore — they’re always 1060803 Desharnais’ OT goal lifts Oilers past Sharks 4-3 ‘chokers.’ Please let that change. 1060804 Sharks can’t hold lead, fall to Oilers in overtime 1060838 The Capitals and Wizards delivered playoff wins, but don’t 1060805 COUTURE PLAYING THROUGH PAIN, GIVING SHARKS forget about the Nats EMOTIONAL LIFT 1060839 In a series that shows off his speed, the Capitals’ Nate 1060806 NHL GAMEDAY: SHARKS' BOEDKER APPEARS TO BE Schmidt is shining IN; MCDAVID SLUMPING 1060840 Trotz: ‘I think we’ve figured out how we have to play’ 1060807 DRAISAITL: SPEARING SHARKS FORWARD TIERNEY 1060841 Trotz: Caps victim of ‘strange goals’ as series shifts to DC 'A STUPID PLAY' 1060842 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL 1060808 SHARKS BLOW LATE LEAD, ARE OUTCLASSED IN playoffs OVERTIME LOSS TO OILERS 1060843 Tom Wilson plays hero for Capitals in Game 4 win over 1060809 INSTANT REPLAY: SHARKS OUTLASTED BY OILERS, Leafs MUST WIN FINAL TWO GAMES 1060844 Penguins eliminate Blue Jackets, await winner of Capitals-Leafs series St Louis Blues 1060845 Wednesday night was big for D.C. sports and television 1060810 Stastny could be available for Blues in Game 5 ratings 1060811 NBC commentors rip Blues 1060846 BRADEN HOLTBY'S PLAYOFF STATS AREN'T VERY 1060812 Blues need to give Allen some breathing room HOLTBY-LIKE 1060813 Blues need Tarasenko to get going 1060847 WILL NATE SCHMIDT'S PLAY KEEP HIM IN THE CAPS' 1060814 Blue Notes: First goal is crucial in Blues-Wild series LINEUP? 1060848 BARRY TROTZ SURPRISED BY DISALLOWED GOAL Toronto Maple Leafs AFTER FREDERIK ANDERSEN GRABBED NICKLAS 1060815 Maple Leafs suddenly find themselves with little margin for BACKSTROM youthful errors 1060849 WHO MADE THE BETTER SAVE FOR THE 1060816 Leafs get physical with Ovechkin, with mixed results WASHINGTON CAPITALS, TOM WILSON OR BRADEN 1060817 Maple Leafs know there's not much margin for error HOLTBY? against Capitals 1060850 PREDICTION RECAP: ALEX OVECHKIN GETS MORE 1060818 Leafs’ return to playoffs draining money, fans from ICE TIME BUT NOT MUCH Raptors, Jays 1060819 Toronto Marlies drop playoff opener vs. Albany Devils Websites 1060820 Leafs sensation Marner keeps eyes on the prize: DiManno 1060856 ESPN / Ducks flying through the first round with balanced 1060821 Leafs make room for fun with reservations: Feschuk scoring depth, good goaltending 1060822 Babcock to Maple Leafs ahead of Game 5: 'Dig in' 1060857 ESPN / Washington winger Tom Wilson a villain to 1060823 Maple Leafs' hopes of advancing might hinge on hometown Maple Leafs -- and unlikely hero for Capitals Ovechkin's impact 1060858 ESPN / Injured linesman Don Henderson files suit against 1060824 Off the rails early Dennis Wideman and the Flames 1060825 Sabres should take page out of Maple Leafs' blue 1060859 FOXSports.com / NHL official reportedly files $10 million 1060826 Babcock's last-minute choice — Toronto over Buffalo — lawsuit against Flames’ Dennis Wideman looking genius in hindsight 1060860 FOXSports.com / 5 reasons why the Calgary Flames got 1060827 Maple Leafs' Matthews named finalist for Calder Trophy swept by the Anaheim Ducks 1060828 Toronto Marlies’ six-season playoff tradition helps prepare 1060861 FOXSports.com / The Buffalo Sabres clean house, fire the next wave of future Maple Leafs coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray 1060829 Are the Washington Capitals really chokers? Why their 1060862 FOXSports.com / Tom Wilson strikes again as unlikely pre-Toronto Maple Leafs playoff results aren’t that bad difference-maker for Capitals 1060830 ‘He’s come a long way’: Nazem Kadri has emerged as a 1060863 FOXSports.com / NHL ref gets creative to prevent rogue force since Toronto Maple Leafs’ last taste of playoffs beach ball from interfering with play 1060864 CNN/Sports Illustrated / For ‘The Voice’ Dave Strader, Vancouver Canucks return to the booth amid cancer fight is the ‘best medi 1060852 Jason Botchford: Canucks lose Tryamkin to the KHL in a 1060865 CNN/Sports Illustrated / From Madison to Midtown, a stunner Wisconsin trio leads Rangers in NHL playoffs 1060853 Jason Botchford: Defenceman Tryamkin takes offence 1060866 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Tom Wilson emerging as an and bolts Canucks for Russia early—and unlikely—playoff hero for the Capitals 1060855 Is there room behind Canucks bench for Green and Lowry? Vegas Golden Knights 1060833 Golden Knights player Reid Duke learning a lot in AHL Websites cont'd 1060867 Sportsnet.ca / Draisaitl arrives with best post-season game of young career 1060868 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ misses could cost more than just Game 5 loss to Rangers 1060869 Sportsnet.ca / Pegulas the latest owners to fall victim of being fans 1060870 Sportsnet.ca / Tim Murray’s ouster not a surprise to those paying attention 1060871 Sportsnet.ca / Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski named finalists for Calder Trophy 1060872 TSN.CA / Lack of killer instinct has Habs on brink of elimination 1060873 TSN.CA / NHL linesman Henderson files $10.25M lawsuit against Wideman, Flames 1060874 TSN.CA / Babcock encourages Leafs to enjoy the ride 1060875 TSN.CA / Leafs say lessons learned ahead of Game 5 1060876 TSN.CA / Wilson a villain to hometown Maple Leafs 1060877 TSN.CA / Wilson plays hero for Capitals in Game 4 1060878 TSN.CA / Karlsson is dominating the Bruins 1060879 TSN.CA / Anderson: Karlsson reminds me of Alfie 1060880 USA TODAY / For the Sabres, dysfunction starts with ownership 1060881 USA TODAY / NHL playoffs 2017: Who said you need experience to thrive? Winnipeg Jets 1060851 Laine, Matthews and Werenski finalists for Calder trophy

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1060646 Anaheim Ducks but Jonathan Bernier stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief and got the win when the Ducks rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory. Gibson returned Wednesday to make 36 saves in Game 4 despite being under siege Ducks earn some time to rest and think much of the third period. “He was fantastic,” Thompson said. The Ducks also remained disciplined for the most part, a novel departure from their recent playoff history. With Carlyle managing the bench well, Helene Elliott the Ducks took care of business and earned a respite. “We’re a deep team,” Bieksa said. “We got contributions every game from different guys and just kind of plugged away and played two good Only a few minutes had passed since Randy Carlyle had won his first road games and wrapped it up.” playoff series in eight years, dating back to his first incarnation as the Ducks’ coach, so he wasn’t quite prepared Wednesday night to dissect Simple as that. And they have a few days to relax until it isn’t so simple the hows and whys of their sweep of the Calgary Flames in the first any more. round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. LA Times: LOADED: 04.21.2017 But he didn’t need to analyze video to be sure of one truth right away, while the Scotiabank Saddledome still echoed with cheers from a crowd that pulsated with energy throughout the Ducks’ series-clinching, 3-1 victory over the Flames. “We know that it’s only going to get tougher,” Carlyle said of his team’s playoff path. “It’s as simple as that. It’s only going to get tougher.” Their path might take them to San Jose to face the veteran-led Sharks or to Edmonton to face the speedy young Oilers. That won’t be determined for a few days because the series continues with the Oilers leading, three games to two. The Ducks, as the Pacific Division champions, will have home-ice advantage in either case. It’s possible the second round won’t start until next Thursday. A break of more than a few days always triggers debates about rest vs. rust. For the Ducks, who are on a 15-0-3 run and last lost in regulation March 10, there’s a risk they’ll lose the rhythm they’ve developed by playing just about every other day for the past month. But with the other playoff series unresolved and Carlyle canceling practice until Sunday, the upside is there is ample recovery time for defenseman Cam Fowler, whose knee injury kept him out of the entire Calgary series, and defensemen Sami Vatanen, who missed the last three games because of an upper-body injury. Carlyle said Thursday he expects both players to be available for the second round but wouldn’t say if they’ll be ready for the opener. He also said defenseman Hampus Lindholm is fine after getting bumped and requiring treatment late in Wednesday’s game, as is center Nate Thompson, who took a hit to the shoulder from Calgary defenseman Michael Stone. Thompson too will appreciate the time off. “Whenever you can have some extra rest with guys a little banged up, it’s only going to beneficial for us,” he said. The Ducks felt Fowler’s absence in their penalty killing, which neutralized only 10 of the Flames’ 16 advantages, a 62.5% success rate. But their 10-2 scoring dominance in five-on-five, boosted by the poise and puck- moving skills of defensemen Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour, went a long way toward compensating for that. “Our penalty kill, we got scored on a bit and a couple maybe miscues by us but we’re still pretty confident with that moving forward,” defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “But I think five on five, everybody came and proved it.” Carlyle wasn’t ready to declare their five-on-five play the key to their success. “I don’t know if we were that great. We tried to simplify our game and get pucks toward the net and drive the net,” he said. “Look at the goals that we scored. There weren’t too many that were high-energy goals. More dirty goals. Goals that were rebounds, second chance, jam the puck, wraparound.” Ducks center Ryan Kesler is voted a finalist for NHL's Selke trophy By going to the so-called dirty areas they were able to capitalize on deflections and bounces, including the intended pass by Ryan Getzlaf that caromed off the foot of Flames forward Lance Bouma and into the net for the winner in Game 2. Their luck came from hard work and poise in make-or-break situations. “They got the goals when they needed them. They got timely goals and we didn’t,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We didn’t get puck luck, either.” The Flames’ biggest problem was weak goaltending from Brian Elliott, who couldn’t hold a 4-1 lead in Game 3 and was on a short leash in Game 4, which got him yanked in favor of Chad Johnson after Patrick Eaves scored on the Ducks’ second shot, at 5:38 of the first period. By contrast, the Ducks’ goaltending was a significant asset. An out-of-sorts John Gibson was pulled after giving up four goals on 16 shots in Game 3, 1060647 Anaheim Ducks much over and the next thing you know we’re in overtime of Game 7 to win that series.

“And as the series goes on, it gets harder on the body. Guys start taking Ducks coach Randy Carlyle already has second round of playoffs on his injuries that they probably wouldn’t have otherwise. We’re really fortunate mind to wrap this up, get days’ rest and get back at it.” Nate Thompson, who had goals in Games 3 and 4, concurred. By Eric Stephens, POSTED: 04/20/17 “Whenever you can have some extra rest and guys are banged up, it’s only going to be beneficial for us,” Thompson said. Moments after his Ducks took care of their first playoff opponent in short KASE TO MINORS order, Randy Carlyle shook hands with his coaching counterpart in After calling him up to serve as an extra forward in the two games in Calgary’s Glen Gulutzan and then disappeared into the dressing room Calgary, the Ducks returned winger Ondrej Kase to the AHL’s San Diego and then the small office for the visiting coaching staff at Scotiabank Gulls. Kase is expected to play for the Gulls in their Calder Cup first- Saddledome. round series opener against Ontario on Friday night. A flight the next morning awaited him and then the process of planning LA Daily News: LOADED: 04.21.2017 for his next foe would begin Thursday as he and the players returned home to Orange County. But this first postseason triumph for Carlyle in eight years isn’t something he is going to gloat about. Even if, given the criticism flowing in his and the Ducks’ direction after their June reunion, he might feel he has reason to do so. “It’s not so much anything about me,” said Carlyle, who got his first series win since the Ducks’ 2009 first-round triumph over San Jose. “It’s more about the team. That feeling that you got the job done, I think that’s shared by every member of the hockey club and the organization. I don’t think it’s an individual thing. “We all go about striving to have success. This is just one step along the way here. This is the first step for us.” Winning four consecutive games against the underdog Flames makes a statement, but the Ducks have a higher objective. This is a group that knows its championship window won’t remain open forever. Anything short of making a serious run at the Stanley Cup will be seen as a disappointment. So while there was a boisterous celebration on the way to their room following the stunning Game 3 comeback, the Ducks were more muted Wednesday night after completing their sweep of a game Calgary squad fighting against the worst matchup it could draw. “We had some veterans that delivered in situations,” said Carlyle, who turned 61 on Wednesday. “You can’t discredit the opposition in the Calgary Flames with the way they played. They were true to their word in that they deserved a better fate in some of the situations.” But it is the Ducks that are moving on. And, by virtue of being the first team to advance this postseason, they’ll be sitting around for a while. It is possible they don’t begin their second-round game against either San Jose or Edmonton until next Thursday, as all first-round series must be completed. The big benefit with that is extra rest and it will go a long way toward having Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen back within the defense corps, whose depth came into play in moving past the Flames. Carlyle wouldn’t go so far as to say Fowler and Vatanen could return for Game 1 but does expect both to appear in the series. Fowler has not played since suffering a right knee injury on a hit from Calgary’s Mark Giordano on April 4. Vatanen played in Game 1, but did not make another appearance as he deals with a lingering upper-body injury. “Obviously time is a favorable position for them,” Carlyle said. “Any player coming back off an injury would like a little extra time and this gives us more of the time that’s necessary for both those players to possibly get back into our lineup for the next series. “That’s a great feeling. Not only for us but for them personally, that they’re not under the pressure to get back in with a game coming up on Friday or a game coming up on Sunday. They know that their injuries are such that they should be made available if they continue to heal the way they have so far. “They’re feeling pretty good about themselves and we’re happy to have them back into the fold.” After traveling home Wednesday, the Ducks are also taking Friday and Saturday off before returning to practice on Sunday at Honda Center. They should be a refreshed group looking forward to the next challenge. “It’s a huge advantage,” defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “And I think you can’t overestimate the chances you get to close a series. I’ve been up 3- 0 before (in 2011 with Vancouver) and thinking the series was pretty 1060649 Boston Bruins The only puck that went in the net for the Bruins in Game 4, a tip-in by Noel Acciari, was negated after the Senators called for a offside challenge. Asked if he would like to see the replay process tweaked, Bruce Cassidy on misfiring Bruins: ‘Let’s hit the net first’ Cassidy was indifferent. “What I do like about it is it is black and white,” he said. “Last night in that game it was offsides. You can’t argue with it. It’s not a judgment call. Globe Staff By Anthony GuliziaGlobe April 20, 2017 Goal scoring is difficult in this league and taking goals back on such a small play that doesn’t have an effect is tough, but that’s for the league to decide. If it had been the other way around and it goes our way, it’s the rule. It was intended originally because some offsides were so obvious, The relentless effort Bobby Ryan charged forward with on his third-period but maybe human error is better. I don’t have a strong opinion.” goal, poking and prodding at the puck until it got past goaltender Tuukka Rask and defenseman Zdeno Chara, made all the difference in Ottawa’s Boston Globe LOADED: 04.21.2017 1-0 victory in Game 4 Wednesday night. It was the type of effort coach Bruce Cassidy would have liked to see from his Bruins, who mustered only 10 shots in the final two periods. The Senators have outshot the Bruins in every game except Game 2, when they tied with 29 each. “As a whole, our team has to have second-chance opportunities,” Cassidy said. “We’re lacking in that area and it starts with our shot total. It’s on us to hit the net and get some second chances. Let’s shoot for rebounds from off angles, hit the net first and get people there.” As the Bruins collected themselves Thursday morning before departing for Ottawa, they tried to make sense of their shortcomings in the last three games — all one-goal losses — that have put them in a precarious situation. Lose Friday night in Game 5 at Canadian Tire Centre and it’s over for the Bruins. “Well, I knew last night when the guys left the rink it was disappointing to lose and you’re never happy, but guys realize it was another game that could’ve went either way,” Cassidy said Thursday. “They made one more play than us. “The message for us is we need to win one in a row three times. It’s not like they’ve dominated. It’s a play or two we haven’t been able to make. There are a few details of the game we do need to correct. How do we be on the power play more? Force them to defend tough areas? Loosen up some of our skill guys. Generally, skill players when they get going, they get confidence and it snowballs. The defense shows in a 1-0 game. Piece together good defensive parts, build on offense and you become a team who wins. It’s not a magic formula.” The chances were there Thursday for the Bruins, the most obvious coming with just over a minute to play. David Krejci’s shot rebounded to Brad Marchand, but he couldn’t manage to lift the puck past sprawled Senators goaltender Craig Anderson. That Marchand even had the opportunity to score on the doorstep was promising, but he missed his chance. “I think we just have to realize we’re starting to get those opportunities,” Marchand said. “The more we go on here, we’re getting a little more comfortable and getting better looks, but they have a good team, a good goalie and play well defensively so we need to take advantage of the opportunities we get.” The reality is that the Bruins are on the brink of elimination and they are running out of time. Vatrano injured Bruins forward Frank Vatrano left TD Garden Thursday in a walking boot, but Cassidy said the 23-year-old is “OK.” “He’ll be off the ice today,” Cassidy said. “He may test it. But he’ll get a decision [Friday] morning and go from there.” Defenseman Colin Miller returned in Game 4 after missing the previous two. Cassidy reiterated that injured defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo, and Adam McQuaid are not expected to play in Game 5. The depleted blue-line depth has resulted in big minutes for veteran Zdeno Chara, who is averaging 27 minutes, 14 seconds on the ice. Rookie Charlie McAvoy is logging 25:26 and Kevan Miller has been on the ice for 23:21. It is hardly an ideal situation, but it is hard for Cassidy to be concerned about overusing his defensemen given the thinning depth. “When your back is against the wall, you are desperate and if you have to overplay guys . . . you can’t think about Sunday [Game 6],” Cassidy said. “We have to win a game Friday night. If guys have to play a little bit more, that’s what we’ll have to do.” No arguing the offside 1060650 Boston Bruins The challenge in front of them is extremely difficult, but it’s not necessarily Herculean. One win, as Krejci has seen, can change the whole complexion of the series. Bruins know odds are very long, but they see a path forward “In the playoffs, you never know. Momentum can change pretty quickly,” said Krejci, who had his wrist broken in that 2010 Philly series. “All it takes is one game. If we win (Friday), I think we’re in good position, Steve Conroy Thursday, April 20, 2017 coming back here for Game 6. And that’s where we want to be.” Boston Herald LOADED: 04.21.2017 Twenty-two times the Bruins have been down 3-1 in a playoff series in their near century-long history. They have come back to win a series when facing that deficit exactly zero times. This does not bode well for the possible extension of their 2016-17 season. But a couple Bruins do know that the large task can be completed, because the trick has been turned on a couple of them. Patrice Bergeron can remember all the way back to his first season in Boston when the Claude Julien-led Montreal Canadiens won three straight against them to claim the series. And then there was the infamous 2010 series against the Philadelphia Flyers when the B’s blew a 3-0 series lead. Does this current crop of Bruins have that kind of turnaround in them? We’ll learn – or at least start to learn – that answer on Friday night – when the B’s play the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 at the Canadian Tire Center, down 3-1 and needing to win three straight against a team that has now beaten them seven out of eight times this year. “The message from us is ‘We need to win one in a row, three times,’” said interim coach Cassidy. “We’ve also been a team that, as recently as the end of the year has won six in a row. So guys know we’re capable of stringing together wins. The mental part of the challenge? We’ve done it recently. And the way we’ve lost these games, it’s the difference of a play or two. It’s not like they’ve dominated. We don’t feel that way, I can’t speak to how they feel. But for us, it’s a matter of a play or two here or there that we haven’t been able to make.” That much is true. But, then again, that’s usually what turns a playoff game – just one play – and reputations are forged by those who can make them. The B’s, of course, have a few players who have indeed made those plays. Bergeron scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, among other career highlights. David Krejci had great playoff runs in 2011 and 2013. Brad Marchand scored 11 times in the ‘11 run, including two of his own in that same Game 7. Tuukka Rask, you may remember, was pretty darn spectacular in the 2013 run, especially in the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh. So if you’re looking for some intangible playoff mojo in this team, they’ve got some players that possess it. But they need more. Many people are criticizing Marchand right now and that’s understandable. He hasn’t had a point in the last three games and, if he’s blanked on Friday, it would be his first four-game losing streak of the season. Bad timing. But at last check, Marchand is also the only Bruin with a game-winning goal in this series. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak, a 34-goal scorer in the regular season, has scored just once in this series, and that essentially came on a 5-on-3. That goal is one of just two shots on net for Pastrnak in this series. He’s missed the net 11 times and had his shot blocked eight times. His one- on-one magic has dried up against the Sens’ defenders. To be fair, the 20-year-old phenom leads the B’s in playoff scoring (1-2-3), but one has the feeling that he’s yet to leave his mark in this series. “He’s a dynamic player that relies on his one-on-ones. We’ve seen it when it goes well and it’s enjoyable. When it doesn’t, then, well, you want him to take a different approach. Certainly that’s part of his game,” said Cassidy. “Where I think he can be better in that is when he doesn’t have his top-end speed, it’s hard to be guys one-on-one and that’s where he needs to protect pucks and try to get inside a little bit more. And obviously, hitting the net’s important. “He’ll be the first to tell you, he’s trying to hit the net and he’s trying to score goals against a good goaltender. That’s where our team as a whole needs some second-chance opportunities. We’ve been lacking in that area. It starts with our shot totals (22 and 20 in the last two games) and sometimes it’s because of the way (Ottawa) plays but some of it is on us to hit the net and get some second chances. That’s what as a team we’ll focus on. Shoot for rebounds, from some off angles and hit the net and get people there. And I think you get on the power-play, too. You get some calls going to the net.” 1060651 Boston Bruins saw an open target — only to have a Sens player still manage to get his stick on the puck and ruin the play.

The Bruins aren’t dead yet. If they can finish a few plays tonight, they can Harris: Senators beating the Bruins the right way get this series back to Boston. Boston Herald LOADED: 04.21.2017 Stephen Harris Friday, April 21, 2017

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators’ 1-3-1 neutral zone alignment is annoying and frustrating as hell for Bruins fans to watch — and the same, of course, for the players in Black and Gold trying to figure out how to beat it. But man-oh-man, what an effective brand of hockey the Ottawa Senators play. Sens coach Guy Boucher may be dismissed in some circles as a bit of an eccentric — maybe a nut is more like it — but he has his club playing the game the way it should be played. The Sens play tremendous defense in the middle of the rink — and when they steal the puck as they so frequently do — they counterattack with speed and intensity. Despite their epidemic of injuries, the Bruins have done a remarkably good job in their return to the postseason. In each of the first two games here and the two at the Garden, the B’s played exceedingly well and had a real chance to win. The fact that the Bruins, down 3-1, face elimination tonight in Game 5 in no way takes away from what they’ve done — especially with the adversity of losing Torey Krug, David Krejci, Brandon Carlo, Adam McQuaid, et al., and the presence in their lineups of 11 players with no previous playoff experience. But the series really has been more about the superb play of the Senators, from unorthodox goalie Craig Anderson, out. Assuming the B’s don’t win three successive games, the Sens will advance — and they have the look of a group that might just be sticking around for quite a while in this postseason, maybe even all the way to a parade. We live in an era in which “experts” who don’t actually know much about hockey are constantly banging the drums about the need to “play fast.” What matters for them are young legs, speed, up-tempo play and dangle- the-puck skills. Guys who earn their living by defending well or playing with toughness and grit are written off as obsolete dinosaurs. But critics focused on the dangles overlook the foundation of the sport. It all starts with defense — especially in the playoffs. Sure, speed and skill are valuable and necessary, and a central element of play during the regular season. But the playoffs are a different sort of animal. You need the speed, but you also need the ability to check and defend. Put them together, as Boucher’s club does, and you’ve got something special. “They do a phenomenal job in the neutral zone, just getting pucks out (turnovers) quickly — and they have a great transition game,” said Bruin Noel Acciari. “It’s tough at times.” Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and at times in the Sens’ 1-0 Game 4 win Wednesday, the B’s looked just like their opponent. With no easy forecheck available, they backed off into something like a 1-3-1 neutral zone setup and waited for the Sens to try to advance the puck. The Bruins also have checked and defended quite well in this series, even with all the glaring holes on the roster. Unfortunately, the fellow with the puck running the show for the Senators is often defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has enjoyed a brilliant series. Karlsson’s shot/pass that set up Bobby Ryan for the lone goal Wednesday night was a creative thing of beauty. He sold the shot from the right point so well that Tuukka Rask moved out to cut down the angle, then slid a perfect pass to Ryan in the left circle. Ryan looked surprised suddenly to have the puck and it initially bounced off him. It was the Bruins’ bad luck that the puck caromed perfectly, so that Ryan could move deeper and slip the rubber behind Rask. On our NHL awards ballot a couple of weeks back, we selected San Jose’s Brent Burns as the top pick for the Norris Trophy. And in spite of what Karlsson has shown, that vote would be no different today. But Karlsson is just an astonishing player: So quick, his head always up, seeing everything, with uncanny skills with his stick. Indeed, as they’ve tried to find their way through the Sens’ smothering neutral zone, so many times Bruins have been smart and patient and waited until they 1060652 Boston Bruins breaks, things you’re constantly trying to teach the younger guys how to do. And this guy just gets it, like that.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 04.21.2017 Bruins notebook: Bruce Cassidy in search of winning forward formula

Steve Conroy Friday, April 21, 2017

OTTAWA — In theory, Bruins interim coach Bruce Cassidy gave the Ryan Spooner-Frank Vatrano forward combination a boost on Wednesday night by dropping Drew Stafford down to their line. It not only reunited a trio that worked fairly well in the first few weeks of Cassidy’s tenure, but it also put Stafford back on his natural right wing. The desired results were not there in Game 4. Not only did the unit not produce offensively, but it was on the ice for the only goal of the game, Bobby Ryan’s third-period tally. The line ended up playing less than 10 minutes in the 1-0 loss. But Spooner thought there was some promise early on with the trio. Whether it was enough for Cassidy to keep the line together for tonight’s Game 5 remains to be seen. The B’s did not practice yesterday before traveling here, so we won’t see the configuration until this morning’s skate. “I think in the first period we had a couple of looks there. Same in the second period. Third period was kind of not really much going on there,” said Spooner. “We only played 10 minutes or something like that. But with that kind of ice, you’ve just got to go out there and just try to do something.” All three players have contributed in this series. Spooner has a pair of assists. Vatrano had a big tying goal in Game 1, which came when he was on a line with Dominic Moore and Riley Nash. Stafford scored a goal when he was skating with Spooner and David Backes. But they haven’t exactly been a going concern for the Senators, who have loaded up to stop the first two lines. The B’s could use some contribution from Spooner and his linemates tonight if they want to extend this series. “We’ve just got out go out there and play,” said Spooner. “It’s the game of hockey. Sometimes there are stretches where things don’t really go as you’d planned. When that happens you’ve just got to go out there and play and get to the front of the net. When that happens, hopefully you get a bounce.” There is some question as to whether Vatrano will be available for Game 5. He was seen wearing a walking boot after Game 4, but he was not wearing it when spotted yesterday. It’s not clear what the origin of any potential injury would have been. “He’s OK and we’ll see how he is. … He may test it. But he’ll be a decision (this) morning. We’ll see how he is and go from there,” said Cassidy. If Vatrano can’t go, Matt Beleskey would probably be the next man up, though center Sean Kuraly is another option. McAvoy turns heads None of the Bruins’ three injured defensemen — Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Adam McQuaid — is expected to play tonight. While the Bruins have suffered from their absence on the blue line, rookie Charlie McAvoy is earning kudos from all over, including the opposition. “He’s incredible,” said Ryan. “Nobody knows him, right, so you get the sense that, man, they are throwing him into the fire here. Personally, we hoped that the moment was too big for him. You hoped that he’d struggle but, God, he’s poised and he makes plays veteran defensemen make. He is able to move the puck up the ice. He shoots when he’s supposed to shoot and he shoots well through traffic and he’s good defensively. He is going to be a really good player for a really long time.” Selke smooth Patrice Bergeron was named a finalist Wednesday for the Selke Trophy for the sixth consecutive season and will be going for his fourth win. Cassidy knew of him as a great defensive player, of course, but didn’t fully appreciate him until he came to the Boston staff this year. “You see the obvious — the faceoffs, the penalty kill, the matchups. You don’t have a true appreciation of how good a stick he has and how good his angles are on closing on people until you see it every day against good players,” said Cassidy. “He just has an uncanny ability to be on the right side of the puck and have his stick in passing lanes, close off 1060653 Boston Bruins The challenge in front of them is extremely difficult, but it’s not necessarily Herculean. One win, as Krejci has seen, can change the whole complexion of the series. Bruins know odds are very long, but they see a path forward “In the playoffs, you never know. Momentum can change pretty quickly,” said Krejci, who had his wrist broken in that 2010 Philly series. “All it takes is one game. If we win (Friday), I think we’re in good position, Steve Conroy Thursday, April 20, 2017 coming back here for Game 6. And that’s where we want to be.” Boston Herald LOADED: 04.21.2017 Twenty-two times the Bruins have been down 3-1 in a playoff series in their near century-long history. They have come back to win a series when facing that deficit exactly zero times. This does not bode well for the possible extension of their 2016-17 season. But a couple Bruins do know that the large task can be completed, because the trick has been turned on a couple of them. Patrice Bergeron can remember all the way back to his first season in Boston when the Claude Julien-led Montreal Canadiens won three straight against them to claim the series. And then there was the infamous 2010 series against the Philadelphia Flyers when the B’s blew a 3-0 series lead. Does this current crop of Bruins have that kind of turnaround in them? We’ll learn – or at least start to learn – that answer on Friday night – when the B’s play the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 at the Canadian Tire Center, down 3-1 and needing to win three straight against a team that has now beaten them seven out of eight times this year. “The message from us is ‘We need to win one in a row, three times,’” said interim coach Cassidy. “We’ve also been a team that, as recently as the end of the year has won six in a row. So guys know we’re capable of stringing together wins. The mental part of the challenge? We’ve done it recently. And the way we’ve lost these games, it’s the difference of a play or two. It’s not like they’ve dominated. We don’t feel that way, I can’t speak to how they feel. But for us, it’s a matter of a play or two here or there that we haven’t been able to make.” That much is true. But, then again, that’s usually what turns a playoff game – just one play – and reputations are forged by those who can make them. The B’s, of course, have a few players who have indeed made those plays. Bergeron scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, among other career highlights. David Krejci had great playoff runs in 2011 and 2013. Brad Marchand scored 11 times in the ‘11 run, including two of his own in that same Game 7. Tuukka Rask, you may remember, was pretty darn spectacular in the 2013 run, especially in the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh. So if you’re looking for some intangible playoff mojo in this team, they’ve got some players that possess it. But they need more. Many people are criticizing Marchand right now and that’s understandable. He hasn’t had a point in the last three games and, if he’s blanked on Friday, it would be his first four-game losing streak of the season. Bad timing. But at last check, Marchand is also the only Bruin with a game-winning goal in this series. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak, a 34-goal scorer in the regular season, has scored just once in this series, and that essentially came on a 5-on-3. That goal is one of just two shots on net for Pastrnak in this series. He’s missed the net 11 times and had his shot blocked eight times. His one- on-one magic has dried up against the Sens’ defenders. To be fair, the 20-year-old phenom leads the B’s in playoff scoring (1-2-3), but one has the feeling that he’s yet to leave his mark in this series. “He’s a dynamic player that relies on his one-on-ones. We’ve seen it when it goes well and it’s enjoyable. When it doesn’t, then, well, you want him to take a different approach. Certainly that’s part of his game,” said Cassidy. “Where I think he can be better in that is when he doesn’t have his top-end speed, it’s hard to be guys one-on-one and that’s where he needs to protect pucks and try to get inside a little bit more. And obviously, hitting the net’s important. “He’ll be the first to tell you, he’s trying to hit the net and he’s trying to score goals against a good goaltender. That’s where our team as a whole needs some second-chance opportunities. We’ve been lacking in that area. It starts with our shot totals (22 and 20 in the last two games) and sometimes it’s because of the way (Ottawa) plays but some of it is on us to hit the net and get some second chances. That’s what as a team we’ll focus on. Shoot for rebounds, from some off angles and hit the net and get people there. And I think you get on the power-play, too. You get some calls going to the net.” 1060654 Boston Bruins

THURSDAY, APRIL 20: SENATORS' HARPUR SHOWS HIS STUFF VS. BRUINS

By Joe Haggerty April 20, 2017 3:27 PM

Aaron Hernandez could have done so much good with the blessings he was given. Instead, he chose to ruin his life . . . and the lives of others. Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while hoping Tom Brady will attend my next big event. *The first-round series between the Bruins and Senators has been a great showcase for young defenseman Ben Harpur. *In the interest of self-promotion, here’s my radio hit with Toucher and Rich this am where I said I’d be “stunned” if Bruce Cassidy isn’t brought back as head coach. *Gary Bettman tells the Columbus Post-Dispatch that the current playoff format is here to stay even if eliminates Metro Division teams too early this postseason. *One of the NHL’s best coaches, Joel Quenneville, is going to face a major challenge turning the playoffs around for the Blackhawks. *PHT writer and FOH (Friend of Haggs) Mike Halford has the Buffalo Sabres cleaning house after Wednesday’s media debacle involving Jack Eichel. *FOH (Friend of Haggs) Greg Wyshynski has a Bruins fan getting slapped by karma after he dressed for Game 4 as a Dion Phaneuf- inspired traffic pylon. *For something completely different: a photo says it all for the Patriots and their visit to the White House. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060655 Boston Bruins

NO RETURN FOR KRUG, CARLO OR MCQUAID FOR BRUINS' DO- OR-DIE GAME 5

By Joe Haggerty April 20, 2017 1:49 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – It looks like the Bruins won’t be getting any additional defensemen help as they head into a do-or-die Game 5 vs. the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday night. Bruins interim coach Bruce Cassidy said on Thursday that he isn’t expecting Adam McQuaid (upper body), Torey Krug (lower body) or Brandon Carlo (upper body) to recover in time to play with the B’s down 3-1 in the series. That means at least one more game where the B’s are down three of their top-four defensemen from the regular season. Carlo is the closest to returning while skating on his own over the past week or so, but he hasn’t reached the point where he’d even be a game- time decision. “There are guys progressing [from their injuries] certainly, but to say in 24 hours that you could have some people available? I would say no,” said Cassidy, who had Colin Miller, Tommy Cross, Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson practicing at Warrior Ice Arena on Thursday morning. “Guys realize [Game 4] was another game that could have gone either way, and they just made one more play than us. Going forward we have a game [on Friday night] where we need to be a little better in certain areas, and make that extra play. It’s the one game at a time stuff that we do around here; we’ve kind of had that mentality all year.” Clearly, defense hasn’t been a huge issue with Boston surrendering only 10 goals in the four games against Ottawa, and each of their three losses to the Sens in the playoffs have been by a single goal. Still, D-men Carlo and Krug played big minutes all season for Boston, and helped the group move the puck up the ice in situations like Game 4 where they struggled with just 10 shots on goal in the final 40 minutes. The loss of Carlo and McQuaid also greatly impacts Boston’s ability to block shots in crucial moments and kill penalties that have allowed Erik Karlsson to wheel and deal for Ottawa on the man-advantage. D-men Joe Morrow and John-Michael Liles are being counted on as key players for Boston after being extra bodies all season and 19-year-old Charlie McAvoy and 40-year-old Zdeno Chara are at both ends of the spectrum logging big minutes for the Black and Gold. It’s resulted in breakdowns from time-to-time and certainly played into the Bruins slogging through quicksand vs. Ottawa in the neutral zone in the second and third period of Game 4 after getting their chances early in the game. It’s perhaps surprising that Ottawa hasn’t been able to get more separation from such an undermanned B’s unit for the bulk of this series, but it’s also true that the Senators are looking to apply the 1-3-1 sleeper hold on their opponents pretty much as soon as they gain an advantage over a wounded opponent in these playoff games. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060656 Boston Bruins

FOR BRUINS, THERE IS NO EASY PATH TO STOPPING ERIK KARLSSON

By DJ Bean April 20, 2017 11:54 AM

Erik Karlsson is killing the Bruins. You’ve seen it, you’ve heard it, you’ve said it. Nothing you read or are told will say this better than Karlsson’s first- period stretch pass to spring Mike Hoffman on a breakaway in Game 3. Or, for that matter, his slap pass to Bobby Ryan from the point in Game 4. With Boston a game away from elimination, the question becomes how to stop him, or rather, who can stop him. That’s easier said than done when considering that there isn’t a single player in this series who can match Karlsson’s talent. The B’s are also dealing with a number of injuries. Plus, line-matching against a defenseman isn’t exactly easy given the higher minutes they play. Adding up some numbers from Leftwinglock.com, Karlsson has spent considerable time on the ice against Zdeno Chara: 45.45 percent of his even-strength minutes in Game 1, 59.38 in Game 2, 50.92 in Game 3 and 43.68 in Game 4. Compared to Chara, Patrice Bergeron didn't play a ton against Karlsson early this series, but has seen an uptick as its progressed. They weren’t matched up at all in Game 1 (they essentially took two shifts against each other), with Karlsson spending 26.56 percent of his even-strength ice time against Bergeron in Game 2. That mark bumped up to 36.83 percent in Game 3 and 36.78 in Game 4. Now, guess which Bruins forward has played the most against Karlsson. Actually, I’ll save you the half hour of guesses and just tell you: It’s Riley Nash; 30.69 percent of Karlsson’s Game 1 ice time, 32.81 percent in Game 2, 34.91 percent in Game 3 and 21.84 in Game 4. Nash has survived; of the five points that Karlsson has produced, Nash has only been on for one of them, and that was a special teams goal (Derrick Brassard’s power play tally in Game 2). Karlsson’s Game 4 slap- pass to set up a Bobby Ryan goal came against Boston’s fourth line (Ryan Spooner with Drew Stafford and Frank Vatrano) and the Chara- McAvoy pairing. Yet it’s also interesting that Bruce Cassidy has seemingly tried to have Bergeron’s line out against Karlsson in Boston’s home games, when they’ve had the last change. That puts Boston’s only top-end line right now in a battle for possession with one of the best players in the game. If the two cancel each other out, Ottawa wins that battle given their superior depth this series. The Bruins don’t really have a dependable scoring line right now after the Bergeron trio. As the teams head back to Ottawa in what could be a season-ending Game 5 for the Bruins, Boston needs a lot of things to go right. They need to get healthy; getting more defensemen back or seeing David Krejci become his old self would be massive, but neither is assured. They need to convert on chances; scoring three goals apiece in Games 2 and 3 should have been enough for victories, but getting blanked in Game 4 was troubling. And, of course, they need to find a way to stop Karlsson. Each game this series has been decided by one goal, and Karlsson’s played a role in at least one goal in each of Ottawa’s three wins. Can the Bruins stop him for three straight games? Probably not, but stopping him in one would be a start. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060657 Boston Bruins

RASK ON BRUINS CHANCES: 'WE'VE JUST GOT TO BELIEVE'

By Joe Haggerty April 20, 2017 10:55 AM

BOSTON -- The Bruins moved one step away from playoff elimination Wednesday night, dropping Game 4 to the Ottawa Senators with nary an offensive peep after a few good scoring chances in the first period. The 1-0 shutout loss was their third straight one-goal defeat, and makes Friday’s Game 5 a win-or-go home contest for the B's. They'll try to take a positive, upbeat attitude and lean on the veteran leaders who have been there before, but it should be noted that no Bruin team has come back from being down 3-1 in a best-of-seven playoff series. “[It’s the] same as every game. We’ve played must-win games for a month-and-a-half now probably, so I don’t think that’s going to change anything,” said Tuukka Rask, who stopped 26 of 27 shots. “Obviously you just know that your season is on the line. Not that mentally it makes any difference, but, yeah, [you] just have to make sure that you play a good game, and show up and leave it all out there. “You just have to play a heckuva game and show some character, and take it one game at a time. We’ve been on the other side of the coin, so it’s nothing new for us. Us veterans need to make sure that the young guys don’t hang their heads, and we’ve just got to believe.” If the Bruins are going to win and prolong the series, they’re going to have to break through for a goal early in the game and dictate the tempo more than they have in the first four games. It certainly can be done if they play with the desperation of a team on its last legs, but there’s also a question of just how much this team can push while missing three of their top-4 defensemen with injuries for nearly the entire series. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060658 Boston Bruins

CASSIDY: 'NOT A LOT OF FREE ICE' IN GAME 4 SHUTOUT LOSS

By Joe Haggerty April 20, 2017 7:32 AM

BOSTON -- It certainly feels like the Ottawa Senators have fully wrapped a sleeper hold on the Bruins offense, doesn’t it? The Sens took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 1-0 shutout win in Game 4 at TD Garden where they shut out leading scorer Brad Marchand for the third game in a row, and have held David Pastrnak to a paltry two shots on net in four playoff games in the series. In this particular game, the B’s had their chances early with 12 shots on net in the first 20 minutes, and top shelf scoring chances for Marchand on two different breakaways behind Erik Karlsson. Ryan Spooner had the Bruins' third chance, a high slot off an odd-man rush to the Senators' net. But they came up empty and more than a little frustrated afterward. Still, they pledged to turn the page to Game 5 on Friday night in Ottawa. “You just have to stick with it,” said Brad Marchand, who missed on a couple of breakaway chances in the first period. “We know that’s the team we’re playing and that’s fine. We were that [defensive-minded] team for many years. So, you know, they say defense wins championships and that’s obviously their motto over there. We just have to find a way to continue to do the same thing [generating chances]. "That’s hockey. You’re not going to win 7-6 every night. You’ve got to be able to play any style, so that’s the way it is.” Team-wide the Bruins managed just 10 shots on net in the final 40 minutes as Ottawa clogged up the neutral zone and prevented the B’s from holding the puck in the offensive zone for any meaningful period of time. The Bruins could make the argument that it was just another one-goal game that could have gone either way, but some of the oomph is lost from that take when one realizes that Wednesday night is exactly the pace and style of play that the methodical, frustrating Senators are looking for. “They’re good [on defense], for one,” said interim coach Bruce Cassidy. “They’ve done a good job with that. The identity of their team is they’re always five back for the most part. So there’s not a lot of free ice in there. And they break out pucks well. They’ve got a goaltender that handles it well. They’ve got some defensemen, so they’ve got good structure. “We knew it would be difficult. But, for us, the flip side of that is the first periods when we did have our ice and we did have our opportunities, we weren’t able to bury them. Sometimes, with a team like Ottawa, or with any team, if you get a lead, the game opens up a little bit and some of those opportunities are a little easier to get through there.” So now the Bruins have gone through four playoff games against Ottawa with fits and starts offensively where it can burst through for two or three goals in a period’s time, or multiple periods where nothing is doing against the Senators' zone-clogging trap. But the bottom line is that the B’s have only done enough offensively to win one of the four playoff games in the series, and it doesn’t look like that trend is going to change with Boston’s back now firmly against the wall. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060659 Boston Bruins

BACKES ON BRUINS' MUST-WIN GAME 5: 'HOWEVER IT HAPPENS, IT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN.'

By Joe Haggerty April 20, 2017 6:22 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – The Bruins are most definitely feeling the pinch at this point. Down 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators in the best-of-seven series and headed back to the Canadian Tire Center, the Black and Gold need to make one of a few different things happen quickly whether it’s shutting down Erik Karlsson, getting a few more goals from top scorers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak or hoping to get one more playoff-worthy effort from a patchwork defensemen corps. Any one of those could spell win and new life for the Bruins against a Senators team that has now beaten them a whopping seven out of eight times that they’ve played each other this season. A windfall of all three happening at once could signal grounds for a special April holiday in Boston. Either way, David Backes knows that a victory must come by any means necessary and feature different level of desperation than we’ve seen thus far in the four games played. So at this particular point in the series, style points should be way out the window and the grind should be on. “Four one goal games? We need to find a way to push over into the good side of that rather than the way the last three have gone,” said B’s winger David Backes. “Dominating play is great and will make you feel good…whatever. But it’s results time. You win ugly and it’s still a win, and you add one to your column in your race to four. However it happens, it just needs to happen. “Make it ugly. Make it pretty. Whatever we need to do and whatever it needs to be or look like, it needs to be on our side in Game 5.” Backes and the Bruins may just need to muck it up a bit to disrupt the Senators and push a few pucks past what’s been excellent goaltending from a solid Craig Anderson in the series. It sounds like they may just be up for that challenge judging by Backes’ pointed words. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060660 Buffalo Sabres When Terry Pegula speaks on the Sabres to the local hockey media Friday -- for the first time in 3 1/2 years -- he has a lot of damage control to do. And he better have a lot of answers. Mike Harrington: With Tankmaster gone, a hockey czar is what Sabres The first thing Pegula should say is this team is going to hire a president need of hockey operations, not a president of tickets. Russ Brandon needs to stay far away from this situation. Shame on the Pegulas if he had any say in Murray's sacking. By Mike Harrington A growing structure in hockey nowadays is president, GM and coach. Think Brendan Shanahan in Toronto, John Davidson in Columbus and Bob Nicholson in Edmonton as current presidents making big impacts. It Farewell to the kooky character we dubbed GMTM. seems like deposed Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi might be a darn good candidate. Farewell to The Tank, as ugly a saga as there has been in the history of Buffalo sports. Well-known names abound as Sabres search for GM, coach Hockey Heaven? Next case. Think how different everything will be now without Murray. A new GM/president won't be wedded to Robin Lehner in goal because they The word you hear is there's plenty of interest in NHL circles to get in line traded a first-round pick for him. Won't be obligated to play Evander Kane and be a replacement for Tim Murray. This franchise is now so broken and Zach Bogosian because of all the assets they traded to get him. and so bereft of anyone with any idea how to operate it, lots of folks think Won't be obligated to watch Reinhart -- and even Eichel -- float around it won't be that hard to do better. the ice simply because they were No. 2 picks. As unseemly as it is, it was apparent that the Sabres' players were going What happens now with KHL defenseman Viktor Antipin? With Notre to get their wish and torpedo Dan Bylsma. Murray did that himself with Dame goalie Cal Petersen? With whatever deal Murray might have been last week's outlandish news conference that buried his coach, something making with Vegas GM George McPhee for the expansion draft? The you just never see. Maybe Terry and Kim Pegula didn't like that look and entire scouting and development philosophy of Murray has been swept decided they had seen enough of Murray too. out the door, along with amateur head Greg Royce and pro head Rob Murray sure seemed to sense he was on shaky ground last week, and Murphy. the continued rise of the Toronto Maple Leafs has to be a burr in the side This franchise is in complete disarray now. The Sabres are not simply a of the team's owners. Still, his sacking on Thursday rates right there with product of injuries or losing a lottery. They are a product of bad the 2013 firing of Lindy Ruff as perhaps the most stunning in franchise ownership, bad hockey decisions, bad coaching, a stripped farm system history. and too many bad players. Just like Murray's talks, exit of Sabres' GM, coach came quickly Pegula and his wife need to find a hockey president -- and then get out of And as for Jack Eichel and agent Peter Fish? Their denials seem pretty the way. When Murray triumphantly came home with Eichel and Ryan hollow now. O'Reilly after the 2015 draft it was, to steal his words, lots of rainbows and jujubes. He was on his way to being a Buffalo sports icon. The Pegulas have never understood optics since they've been here and that certainly was the case again Thursday. Firing both Bylsma and Murray didn't give himself a chance to finish the job. The Tank was a Murray one day after the Eichel firestorm erupted paints their star player foolish gamble that failed. No more shortcuts. It's time to for the Sabres as a coach killer -- and now maybe even a GM killer! And that's really to do things the right way. unfair. Eichel said a lot of the right things Wednesday to John Vogl of Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 The News and there seemed to be a lot of sincerity in his words. But the actions of the owners seem to indicate there were other words spoken as well. And if Boston University's David Quinn is hired as the new coach, you may as well not have a general manager and give Eichel that job too. How much pandering to the whims of a 20-year-old can one franchise do? Jack Eichel responds: Our exclusive Q&A with the Sabres' star It's hard to say what happened to Murray this season. He flat-out froze at times, as if he felt this was another development year and it wasn't playoffs-or-bust. Given his contract extension in October, maybe that's how he felt. Murray didn't make any trades early in the season when Eichel got hurt, didn't fire Bylsma during the season when it could have been justified, got nothing done at the trade deadline either. Murray probably deserved another season to try to fix things, especially on defense. But it's known the Pegulas, especially Kim, have often cringed about his style since he was hired in 2014. Other GMs may have been put off as well. League officials, especially officiating supervisors, could not have been happy with the way they were berated by Murray at times either. Plenty of national types agreed with this corner's view that Rasmus Ristolainen's three-game suspension was excessive. So was the onerous schedule of road games the Sabres got in 2015-16. It seemed like a lot of messages were being sent Murray's way from high places. Everyone knows the Sabres tanked hard for nearly two full seasons. You can say it worked because it produced Eichel (and Sam Reinhart), and there's a case to be made for that. But Murray overplayed his hand so much aside from that in terms of bad contracts and overpaying on trades that the maneuvers were doomed to fail. The culture of the Sabres is an ugly one. And that's what happens when you tell people it's OK to "lose properly", easily the worst quote Murray ever uttered. It's never OK. And as a result, the team has a fan base that's permanently scarred and a slipshod roster that's already far too close to the cap for its accomplishments. When Terry Pegula speaks on the Sabres to the local hockey media Friday ... hold on. Be still, my heart. We need to repeat that sentence. 1060661 Buffalo Sabres "At the end of the day, we agree," McDermott said. "That's what we do. Iron sharpens iron, at the end of the day. We go out and say, this is how you feel, this is how I feel, and we iron it out." Jerry Sullivan: A dark, dreary, dysfunctional day for Buffalo sports Don't you understand how that sounds, I asked him? You talk about a singular voice in public, but we're supposed to believe it's a democracy behind closed doors? It's hard to fathom. By Jerry Sullivan "That's what great teams do, 100 percent," McDermott said. "They have healthy conversations and continue to hammer things out, because at the end of the day, if you do that you come to the right decision for the Over the years, through harsh experience, I've learned that as bad as football team." things might seem with the Buffalo sports teams, they can always get worse. Sure, and I guess Bill Belichick decides by consensus in New England. I'm not swallowing the notion that he and Whaley are equal. If so, this is a After Doug Whaley's season-ending press conference on Jan. 2, I called strange way to show it. It's puzzling how their PR guru would think was a it the low point in Bills history. But Thursday was the topper, a crowning good idea to give one guy the voice and hide the other in the back room. day of dysfunction, a singular low for our professional sports franchises. McDermott has unprecedented power over personnel. Otherwise, it's First came the stunning news that the Sabres had fired both general hard to imagine him taking on this mess. Maybe the Pegulas will keep manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Byslma. It was a bold move Whaley around for awhile for appearances sake, but I suspect they'll add by the Pegulas. I didn't think they had the guts to fire Bylsma so soon him to the discard pile in due time and let McDermott bring in his own after whacking Rex Ryan, heaping a double dose of humiliation on their guy. sporting empire. When he came to Buffalo, Terry Pegula said he didn't like firing people. This means both of the recycled men the Pegulas hired in 2015, making You wouldn't know it. Whoever replaces Bylsma will be the ninth head them easily the highest-paid Buffalo head coaches ever in their coach he's had on his two major pro teams since buying the Sabres in respective sports, were let go after just two years on the job. 2011, if you include Anthony Lynn's modest one-game stint as Bills coach. Later in the morning came news of a bizarre incident involving Bills offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, who was found in a field after climbing While this latest purge was a bold one, it perpetuates the general an electric fence near the scene of an accident on Route 400 and taken dysfunction of their two major pro franchises and heightens the for observation after saying "Shoot me!" to the police. perception that the Pegulas are over their heads owning multiple sports teams, a laughingstock. After six years, they still don't get it. On a suitably grim and miserable day, the Bisons' 1:05 p.m. home game was called because of heavy rain, which flooded the team's clubhouse They hired Pat LaFontaine to be president and set up a modern, due to a sewer issue on the street. They had to dry out the locker room to expanded Sabres front office, with the GM answering to a boss. Then test the air quality. they ran LaFontaine off and went back to the old model, giving Murray too much power. It came back to bite them in a big way Thursday. What next, a cloud of locusts descending on HarborCenter and its environs? Now they're doing the same thing with McDermott, only worse, undercutting the GM and having him report directly to ownership. He's By the time Sean McDermott showed up a half hour late for the 1:30 pre- the power, the singular voice, and he hasn't even coached his first game. draft luncheon, the local sports scene was in turmoil. And with Murray and Bylsma out of work, McDermott was suddenly the most empowered On a dark day in Buffalo sports, the Bills' new head coach stood before man in Pegulaville – before coaching his first NFL game. us, empowered beyond his means. One GM was fired and the other was invisible. Whaley is technically the What is it they say about people who repeat their mistakes and expect a top leadership figure still standing, but he was nowhere to be found. The different outcome? draft luncheon, historically the domain of the GM and his various scouts, had been passed off to McDermott, now the "single voice" of the Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 franchise. It's amazing to think Whaley is still employed and Murray is gone. Of course, Whaley has been diminished in the organization. From the day he was hired, it has been clear that McDermott's vision is now the one driving the football operation. But if they fired Murray, a popular GM who presided over the tank and was given an inflated amount of credit for improving the team, how could Whaley still be on the job after his continued bungling of the Bills' roster? Why is Whaley still here, if he's lost his clout and been muzzled in public? The draft is his baby. It was odd to attend the annual draft luncheon, which lacked the typically breezy give and take of years past, when the GM and scouts actually knew about college players and were able to discuss them, albeit in a vague and non-commital manner. McDermott, who has been getting tips from a PR consultant, droned on for half an hour, using the word "process" 19 times. "Process" is a word coaches use when they want to remind people that winning doesn't occur overnight, and you don't fire coaches in, oh, two years. He denied that Whaley's absence from the luncheon was a reflection of the veteran GM's dwindling sway at One Bills Drive. "No, not at all," McDermott said. "This is, this is absolutely a team effort, 100 percent a team effort. Doug and I have had great meetings." He said they're all in it together, and that draft decisions are made by consensus. That's what they always tell us. I remember Tom Donahoe and Russ Brandon reminding us, these aren't the GM's decisions, they're the Bills' decision. But McDermott said he's a big believer in the Bills' new "one voice" philosophy, which makes him the spokesman on all relevant matters. I imagine the Pegulas want to limit Whaley's public utterances, but if he's got the final say on personnel, as McDermott contends, what's the harm in him (and his scouts) illuminating the media in advance of the draft? 1060662 Buffalo Sabres LaFontaine talking behind Kim Pegula's back. It ultimately led to his forced departure. If you knew LaFontaine, it was hard to fathom.

For starters, he's slow to say a negative word about anybody in any Bucky Gleason: Pegulas should check mirror for source of Sabres' situation. biggest problem Making matters worse for the collection of amateurs, they bungled his exit. Ted Black held a news conference saying LaFontaine resigned to be By Bucky Gleason Published Thu, Apr 20, 2017 near his family. It was completely false. LaFontaine loved Buffalo. His family was looking forward to moving back and watching his son, Daniel, play hockey for Canisius College. Terry Pegula has little choice now given the current state of affairs. This LaFontaine's plan for the hockey department was creating a three-legged entire mess began when he purchased the team, when he was nothing system that mimicked Detroit's front office. LaFontaine, who had more than a filthy-rich Sabres fan with enough money to fulfill a childhood experience and was comfortable in the public eye, would be the front dream. He has since found out money can't buy expertise and credibility, man. Craig Oster, an agent from Toronto-based Newport Sports, would and it certainly doesn't buy championships. handle contracts. Tim Murray would work to his strength, which was scouting. The transition from successful businessman to sports owner is tricky, but nothing is more damaging than newbies believing they have the answers Murray was given the title of general manager because it was the only when they're completely out of their element. Imagine the disaster if a way he could have left Ottawa while under contract. But he wasn't going teacher or plumber or sportswriter assumed control over a natural gas to be a general manager in a traditional sense. The plan called for him to and oil company. Half the country would be blown to bits. have one-third say, not full power, over trades, prospects and all other personnel matters. Terry and Kim Pegula need to come clean. They need to acknowledge that they were over their heads when they purchased the Sabres, that LaFontaine never completed his plan because he was shown the door. their abundance of misguided confidence came with a shortage of know- The NHL apparently didn't have any issues with him because he was how, that their ownership is the primary reason for overall dysfunction, immediately returned to his post. that they desperately need help. The whole thing was, in a word, sleazy. Admitting as much to Buffalo sports fans, and themselves, would go a long way in restoring faith that has dwindled in recent years with the What would have happened if LaFontaine stayed? He likely would have failures of their professional franchises. It would be a start. The other kept Ted Nolan to develop young players. Both knew Nolan was hired to option is continuing business as usual and further discouraging a replace Ron Rolston and not a long-term answer. He would have tried community that has supported them through six long years of growing hiring Mike Babcock, who took the job in Toronto in part because working pains. under Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello was more attractive than working with Murray in Buffalo. Buffalo is a warm and friendly city with loyal and absurdly patient sports fans, but everybody has a breaking point. The biggest shocker in Tim Murray didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Anybody could have torn Murray and Dan Bylsma's unceremonious kick to the curb Thursday was down a roster, picked second overall two years in a row and made a few that the Pegulas managed to beat fans to the punch. It was a good sign trades to improve the roster. The Sabres couldn't get any worse. Given considering how long it took them to fire Darcy Regier. their assets and salary-cap room when he took over, half the people in your neighborhood could have accomplished the same. Still, the purge Thursday doesn't solve the underlying dilemma. And then there was the ridiculous tank. Pegula showed up with grandiose goals when he arrived and started talking about winning Stanley Cups, but he never really had a plan. He Ownership embraced Regier's quick-fix strategy for winning, as if one can fire people all he wants, but it does little good unless he hires the player who was on the bench for two-thirds of the game could turn things right people to replace them. His inability to identify quality people has around. It was devised after Regier proved he couldn't handle an open been a persistent flaw for years and a trademark of his teams. checkbook. He also didn't have the temerity or common sense to tell ownership they were overpaying players and enabling mediocrity. Regier, Owning the franchise isn’t the issue. The problem all along has been of course, had run out of excuses and was trying to save his job. them running the franchise or, more accurately, running the Sabres into the ground with the Bills standing over the hole. You never would have The Pegulas swallowed the tank plan whole, like delusional fans, as it guessed six years ago, after purchasing his beloved team and was carried out by Murray. They climbed aboard the losing-is-winning suggesting happy days were here again, that Terry Pegula would be campaign driven by their rights holders on radio. While it gained holding the shovel. momentum, the pro-tank crowd failed to understand long-term ramifications within the organization or the message it sent across the In retrospect, signs of trouble come into focus. Like some smitten fan, league. Pegula was moved to tears because he was in the presence of the French Connection. While the community fawned over the new owners Not only did the Sabres finish in last place in consecutive years, Buffalo and their bold promises, Pegula fawned over Regier and Lindy Ruff and, became the last place prospective free agents wanted to play if they oh look, there's Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek. These are the same planned to win. Recruiting suffered, giving Murray less leverage when it people who were enamored with Rex Ryan, for heaven's sake, before came to making deals. It led to him overpaying for trades with draft picks realizing the error of their ways. and prospects. If he was some devout fan, Pegula should have known Regier needed to Murray trumped expensive trades by overpaying players when he be fired. He could have walked into any bar in town and learned a arrived. He traded for Ryan O'Reilly with the idea he would be a change was in order. He didn't need a critical eye, although it would have rebuilding block. In order for O'Reilly to stick around rather than exercise been nice. He could have read the newspaper. Or he could have asked his right to free agency, he immediately signed the center to a seven- someone in the organization that had the spine to give him an honest year contract worth $52 million. answer. O'Reilly's production hasn't been commensurate with his salary, so the Pegula listened to the wrong message from the wrong people who were Sabres likely will be forced to keep him for the foreseeable future. He's more concerned about preserving their own jobs than winning. And one of their best players, but his hefty deal is among many putting because he failed in the months immediately before and after the sale pressure on the salary cap. Murray's failure to understand value was one was final, he set the organization on the road to ruin. The firings of reason he was fired Thursday. He generated temporary excitement but Murray and Bylsma were merely an extension of an existing path to not much else. nowhere. Now nearly all the draft picks are gone, the cupboards are practically By now, Pegula should know that the problems begin at the top. He bare in Rochester, and the Sabres had a worse record this year than last. would be praised for admitting that he didn't know what he was doing and It was a trickle-down effect of the tank, not to mention the difficulty it compounded previous mistakes. Even when they made sound decisions, created when hiring coaches. The Sabres actually were fortunate to have such as hiring Pat LaFontaine to oversee the hockey department, the Bylsma, who won in Pittsburgh, happened to be the best available and Pegulas and their small-time inner circle flubbed the execution. believed he could restore order in Buffalo. He became a victim of To review, LaFontaine was caught up in front-office politics that might as collateral damage. well have started in a middle-school bathroom. Pegula's cronies worried All along, I've maintained that the tank was unfair to Jack Eichel more about losing power within the organization and concocted tall tales about than anyone else. At 19, he arrived as a savior and was forced to carry the weight of the organization. The Pegulas grossly underestimated the pressure the tank placed upon any young player, in this case Eichel, in a desperate hockey town that was tired of losing. Early in his career, Sidney Crosby was surrounded by a consummate leader in Mario Lemieux. He played with polished veterans such as Mark Recchi, John LeClair and Sergei Gonchar. They had been around the NHL and knew how to win. It allowed Crosby to concentrate on hockey and grow into a leader. Eichel was greeted by the likes of Evander Kane, who had a bad reputation in Winnipeg and found trouble in Buffalo. Eichel lived with Matt Moulson, an intelligent guy who struggled on the ice. O'Reilly was arrested for driving while intoxicated before he played a shift. Throwing that many expectations on Eichel might have been the most shameful act of all. It started with weak leadership at the top, and it best explained why the Sabres have been near the bottom. Now what? Ownership isn't any better now than it was six years ago. Terry and Kim Pegula know more about running daily operations than they did in 2011, but they still haven't a clue about winning or how to build a winner. There are no shortcuts, particularly in hockey. Now, the Pegulas get another fresh start with a new regime. You know the names out there. Dean Lombardi is an experienced personnel man with a solid reputation. Pierre McGuire has been around the game for decades, knows players on all levels and has a thick backbone. Neil Smith, who presided over the New York Rangers' last title, has been trying for years to get back in the game. Chris Drury is an assistant GM with the Rangers, a true professional and proven winner. Rick Dudley played a role in building several successful teams. The Sabres need to find someone who knows how to run a successful operation. It begins with the Pegulas acknowledging that they cannot. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060663 Buffalo Sabres The Sabres hope draft picks Brendan Guhle and Nylander can soon become regulars, but their arrival won’t come under the GM who selected them. Just like Murray's talks, exit of Sabres' GM, coach came quickly They’ll have a new coach, too. The Sabres hired the Stanley Cup- winning Bylsma to positive fanfare in May 2015, giving Pittsburgh a third- round pick for the right to have him. He lasted only two seasons. By John Vogl Published Thu, Apr 20, 2017 The players declined to embrace Bylsma’s style of play and teachings. There was talk of ignoring his X’s and O’s after victories, and there was a clear disconnect between what was shown during practice and what Whenever the NHL Draft approached, the joke became how few words happened during games. Tim Murray would use to announce the pick. He used six to draft Sam Reinhart. He needed only four for Jack Eichel and Alex Nylander. Bylsma’s fate seemed sealed last week after Murray's year-end news conference. The GM said he wished the coaches would get to know the He smashed that record Thursday. Murray summed up his stint as players instead of spending more time in the video room. There was little general manager of the Sabres in just one. chance of job survival. “Thanks.” Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Sabres' problems start at the top Murray never wasted time in Buffalo, and that continued after owner Bylsma didn’t respond Thursday to a message seeking comment. He Terry Pegula fired him and coach Dan Bylsma. Asked if he wanted to talk finished his Sabres career with a 68-73-23 record after going 252-117-32 or if there was anything he’d like to say, Murray simply texted back his with the Penguins. one-word answer. The Sabres also fired Murray's top scouting assistants: Rob Murphy, the “Thanks.” director of pro scouting, and Greg Royce, the director of amateur scouting. The draft is two months away. It wasn’t clear if the thanks were for his first GM opportunity, his four years in Buffalo or for the condolences expressed about his departure. The assistant coaches would be at the mercy of the next hire. Either way, it was a fitting way for Murray to exit – quick and to the point. Pegula will offer clues as to what he wants in his next hires during Pegula and his wife, Kim, followed Murray's lead. They turned their Friday’s news conference. attention from the Bills to the Sabres on Wednesday, when they held a year-end meeting with Murray. They cut ties less than 24 hours later, Mike Harrington's Hot Read: Pegulas need to hire hockey czar, then get though it’s possible the decision was made before the gathering even out of way started. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 “After reviewing the past season and looking at the future of our organization, Kim and I have decided to relieve General Manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma of their duties,” Terry Pegula said in a statement. “We want to thank Tim and Dan for their hard work and efforts that they have put in during their tenures with the club. We wish them luck. “We have begun the process to fill these positions immediately.” Pegula will expand on the decision with a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday. Well-known names abound as Sabres search for GM, coach While the firing of Bylsma was a probability after his failure to connect with players was denounced by Murray last week, the total housecleaning was a surprise. Both had three years remaining on their contracts. Hired in January 2014, Murray was initially in charge of tearing down the roster so Buffalo could secure top draft picks. After getting Reinhart and Eichel with back-to-back No. 2 selections, Murray's attention turned toward building a playoff team. Buffalo made significant progress in 2015-16, improving 27 points to a 35-36-11 record. The rebuild stalled this season. The Sabres stumbled to 33-37-12 and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year. That meant it was time for the Pegulas to make changes. Timeline: The Turbulent Reign of Terry Pegula The straight-shooting Murray, who used colorful phrases like “unicorns and rainbows and jujubes,” was the polar opposite of previous GM Darcy Regier. That trait quickly endeared him to many fans, but his outside-the- box style wasn’t always appreciated by his GM cohorts and NHL personnel. That didn’t stop them from making deals with him. Murray conducted 22 trades as Buffalo’s GM. He started with a huge one, shipping out goaltender Ryan Miller and captain Steve Ott in February 2014. Though Murray's background was in scouting, he often traded picks. That was most evident in 2015. Murray included first-round selections in separate deals that brought left wing Evander Kane and goalie Robin Lehner to Buffalo. Murray also sent out the opening pick of the second round in a trade that landed Ryan O’Reilly, whom the GM promptly made the highest-paid player in Sabres history. Murray traded a second-round pick to Montreal for defenseman Josh Gorges, and he sent two second-rounders plus defenseman Brayden McNabb to Los Angeles for forwards Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers. Defense was the Sabres’ weakest position this season. 1060664 Buffalo Sabres Sept. 10, 2015: Bills sign defensive tackle Marcel Dareus to six-year, $96.5 million contact.

Feb. 23, 2016: Terry and Kim Pegula receive prestigious Tank Younger Timeline: The Turbulent Reign of Terry Pegula Award for promoting diversity in NFL. April 9, 2016: Sabres improve 27 points to 81, finish 23rd in NHL. Mark Gaughan Sept. 16, 2016: Bills season turns to dysfunction as Ryan fires offensive aide Greg Roman after 37-31 Week Two defeat. Feb. 18, 2011: Terry Pegula buys Sabres for $189 million from Tom Dec. 27, 2016: With Bills playoff drought hitting 17 seasons, Ryan fired. Golisano. Jan. 11, 2017: Carolina assistant Sean McDermott named Bills head Feb. 22, 2011: At his introduction, Pegula says: “Starting today, the coach. Buffalo Sabres’ reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup.” Feb. 10, 2017: Pegula Sports & Entertainment spends $7 million to buy July 2011: Pegula opens bankroll, spending $40 million for Christian Cobblestone district building near arena. Ehrhoff and $27 million for Ville Leino. April 9, 2017: Sabres finish season 26th in points and miss playoffs for s Dec. 1, 2011: Terry and Kim Pegula donate $12 million to Houghton sixth straight year. College for new athletic complex. April 20, 2017: Pegula cleans house with the Sabres, firing Murray and April 8, 2012: In first full season of Pegula ownership, Sabres finish tied Bylsma. for 18th with 89 points, miss playoffs. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 Aug. 29, 2012: Pegulas strike deal with city to build $172 million HarborCenter complex. Feb. 20, 2013: In middle of 15th season as Sabres coach, Lindy Ruff fired and replaced by Ron Rolston. April 26, 2013: Sabres President Ted Black announces 4 percent ticket- price increase on Fan Appreciation Night. April 29, 2013: General manager Darcy Regier signals mission to “tank,” saying team’s plan “may require some suffering.” Nov. 13, 2013: After worst start in team history (4-15-1), Sabres fire both Rolston and Regier, who served 16 seasons. Nov. 13, 2013: Pat LaFontaine hired as president and brings Ted Nolan back as interim head coach. Jan. 9, 2014: Tim Murray picked by LaFontaine and Pegula to take over as Sabres general manager. March 1, 2014: LaFontaine tenders forced “resignation” amid Sabres front-office squabbling and dysfunction. April 13, 2014: Sabres finish last in NHL and score 150 goals, the fewest by any team in a full season since 1956. June 27, 2014: Sam Reinhart picked No. 2 overall by the Sabres. Sept. 9, 2014: Pegula reaches deal to buy Bills for a staggering price of $1.4 billion, saving team from potential relocation. Oct. 13, 2014: Trademark filed for “One Buffalo” brand by Pegula Sports & Entertainment LLC. Oct. 31, 2014: The 20-story HarborCenter hockey, hotel and retail complex opens. Dec. 31, 2014: Bills coach Doug Marrone exercises $4 million out clause and quits after just two seasons. Jan. 12, 2015: Rex Ryan signs five-year, $27.5 million contract to become Bills head coach. Feb. 11, 2015: Murray makes blockbuster trade with Winnipeg for Evander Kane. April 11, 2015: Sabres match a franchise low for losses (51) for a second straight season and finish last again. April 12. 2015: Nolan, with 40-87-17 record, is fired. May 28, 2015: Former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma hired to replace Nolan. June 26, 2015: Boston University star Jack Eichel picked No. 2 overall by Sabres. July 2, 2015: Ryan O’Reilly, acquired in draft-day trade, signs $52.5 million deal, biggest in Sabres history. July 27, 2015: Black fired and replaced by Russ Brandon, who assumes oversight of both Bills and Sabres. Aug. 24, 2015: Bills set franchise record for season-ticket sales at 60,102. 1060665 Buffalo Sabres

Brian Gionta to be studio analyst Friday on NBCSN

Alan Pergament

Talk about interesting timing. NBCSN announced this morning that Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta will be a studio analyst during Friday night's Stanley Cup playoff coverage. Gionta will be in studio with host Liam McHugh and analysts Mike Milbury and Keith Jones throughout the night. Gionta, who is one of the go-to players to interview in the Sabres locker room, will certainly have a lot to potentially talk about after this morning's news that Sabres Owners Terry and Kim Pegula have fired General Manager Tim Murray and Coach Dan Bylsma. It will be interesting to see how candid he will be if he talks about their firing and whether he believes star player Jack Eichel had any influence on the decision or if he had any influence as the captain. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060666 Buffalo Sabres medal in the 2013 world juniors and served as an assistant at last year’s World Cup of Hockey.

* Kevyn Adams – The 42-year-old is well-liked within the organization in Well-known names abound as Sabres search for GM, coach his role running the Pegula-owned Academy of Hockey. Prior to taking that job, he was an assistant coach with the Sabres for two years and also worked as their player development coach. By John Vogl * David Quinn – The Boston University coach has led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2015 title game with Eichel as his leading scorer. He is a former assistant coach with the The Pegulas have gotten used to firing people, and that’s just with the Colorado Avalanche who could be interested in returning to the NHL. Sabres for the dual-franchise owners. It also means they’ve gotten used to hiring people. If the Sabres hired Quinn, it would give the appearance that Eichel is running the show. The search is back on after Buffalo cleaned house Thursday, relieving Murray of his role as general manager and Bylsma of his coaching Mike Harrington: With Tankmaster gone, a hockey czar is what Sabres duties. need There are plenty of candidates for both jobs. Here’s a look at some, * Sheldon Keefe – One of the hottest names in the American Hockey keeping in mind the Pegulas could start by hiring a hockey czar and League, the 36-year-old is in his second season with the Toronto Marlies. allowing him to name the coach and general manager. He has a 96-45-11 record. Keefe went 98-29-9 with St. Sault Marie of the Ontario Hockey League. Sabres fire Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma * Darryl Sutter – The former Kings coach was shown the door along with GM CANDIDATES Lombardi after leading L.A. to two Cups. The 58-year-old has also coached Chicago, San Jose and Calgary. *Norm Maciver – The 52-year-old is in his fifth season as the assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks. He has 30 years of NHL experience, Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 including a run as Chicago's director of player personnel. He has been described as the "co-architect" of the Blackhawks' Cup teams. Maciver played 500 games in the NHL and was an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins. * Dean Lombardi – The former GM of the Los Angeles Kings is near the top of any team’s list. He built two Stanley Cup-winning teams in L.A., hoisting the trophy in 2012 and 2014. The Kings missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons this year, and they fired the 59-year-old earlier this month after more than a decade on the job. * Rick Dudley – The former player and coach in Buffalo remains a regular in the KeyBank Center press box as senior vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens. The 68-year-old has an extensive hockey background, including the GM job in Atlanta, Florida, Tampa Bay and Ottawa. * Chris Drury – The former Sabres captain is quickly moving up the management charts. After one year as director of player development in New York, the Rangers promoted him to assistant GM this year. The 40- year-old is also serving on the management team of USA Hockey’s world championship squad, which will boast Jack Eichel as a player next month. Drury, who played for the Sabres from 2003 to 2007, is highly regarded by Buffalo executives. * Jason Botterill – The Penguins’ associate general manager gets credit for helping create the 2009 and 2016 championship teams. The 40-year- old is in his 10th season with Pittsburgh, including his third as associate GM. He spent parts of three seasons as a player in the Sabres’ organization in the early 2000s. * Pierre McGuire – One of the more familiar faces in hockey, he’s the lead rinkside analyst for NBC Sports. The 55-year-old was the assistant GM for the Hartford Whalers for two seasons in the early 1990s and has expressed a desire to get back into management. The Pegulas like to make a splash with their hires, and this would certainly do it. Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Sabres' problems start at the top * Tom Fitzgerald – He is in his second season as the assistant GM for the New Jersey Devils. The 48-year-old previously served as director of player personnel for Pittsburgh. Buffalo drafted his son, Casey, last year. COACHING CANDIDATES * Ruff – Bringing back former coaches is the trend, and Ruff has a good relationship with the Pegulas. He is the winningest coach in Sabres history after working behind the bench from 1997 to 2013. He spent the last four seasons in Dallas, which opted not to renew his contract. Ruff occasionally expressed a desire to get into management, so the 57- year-old could be a candidate for the GM job, too. * Phil Housley – The longtime Sabres defenseman is in his fourth season as assistant coach for Nashville. He coached the United States to a gold 1060667 Buffalo Sabres Bylsma, but they would impress many more if they conceded that they're the source of many problems you see today.

It starts with them understanding that they don't have all the answers, Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Sabres' problems start at the top either. They need to find someone who does. By Bucky Gleason Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017

Tim Murray lost his job Thursday for one reason among all others: Terry and Kim Pegula needed answers to how the Sabres would proceed after missing the playoffs yet again, and the general manager had very few – if any. Dan Bylsma was fired because he was one rung down from Murray. The Pegulas began cleaning house yet again with actions that were as swift as they were surprising. Murray and Bylsma were expected to return next season and resume their duties even though the Sabres took a step back. Both appeared safe going into postseason meetings before they were shown the door. Was it the right move? Time eventually will provide an answer. It depends mostly on their next move and whether they hire someone to oversee hockey operations. It means hiring a general manager who understands value and character in players. It means hiring a coach who can make a strong connection to them. Murray overpaid for numerous trades. He also overpaid players after acquiring them. He gave up a bundle for Evander Kane, an elite talent who arrived with a bad reputation and found trouble in Buffalo. Zach Bogosian was beset by injuries and poor play and played a major role in the Sabres' weak defense corps. Ryan O'Reilly is a solid player with certain leadership qualities, but Murray handed him a massive contract and watched him underperform. He traded for Dmitry Kulikov, who was a complete bust. He gave away too many draft picks and failed to restock in Rochester, leaving the organization with little depth. The Sabres spent too much money and received too little in return, and that falls directly on the lap of the general manager. Bylsma appeared to be collateral damage. The Pegulas couldn't fire Murray and keep Bylsma the way they could have fired Darcy Regier and kept Lindy Ruff when they first assumed ownership. Bylsma coached good teams in Pittsburgh before his message became stale. Nobody could have won with Buffalo's roster. Well-known names abound as Sabres search for GM, coach You can blame Bylsma for failing to build a strong bond with his players, and you can blame players for not embracing their coach. Younger players will understand that NHL coaches carry the same basic message. Some players love the coach, other do not and the rest really don't care. It's true for every coach. Let me be clear, however, that the Sabres' current problems begin and end with ownership. Terry Pegula arrived with grandiose goals but no real plans when he purchased the team. They didn't make changes when obvious changes were needed. They listened to the wrong people. They were in over their heads. When they made a good decision in hiring Pat LaFontaine, they flubbed the execution. They allowed juvenile front-office politics to disrupt LaFontaine's master plan that was never completed. It left the organization in Murray's hands and empowered him when he was supposed to be one part of a three-legged stool. They became delusional fans who embraced the tank, the idea that losing would be a quick fix for winning without understand long-term ramifications within the organization. They underestimated how much weight would be thrown on one player, a young player, in this case Jack Eichel. They didn't comprehend how the organization would be perceived across the league, that the Sabres would become a dysfunctional laughingstock. Buffalo quickly evolved into an unattractive place for prospective free agents who otherwise might have helped them. They failed to provide a continuous critical evaluation. They failed, period. Now what? Terry and Kim Pegula can begin acknowledging that they made numerous mistakes, admitting that they trusted the wrong people and accepting responsibility. They surprised people by firing Murray and 1060668 Buffalo Sabres Oh, and how much longer before Whaley is gone, too? Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 Jerry Sullivan's Hot Read: One GM down, one to go

By Jerry Sullivan

Wow. Six months ago, who would have predicted that Doug Whaley would still be employed by the Pegulas and their other general manager, Tim Murray, would be out on the street? But that's the case in the wake of the stunning news that Murray and head coach Dan Byslma had been fired. I have to give the Pegulas credit. I didn't think they'd have the nerve to fire another head coach so soon after whacking Rex Ryan. This means both of the recycled big- name coaches who were hired in 2015 – becoming easily the highest- paid Buffalo head coaches ever in their respective sports – have been let go after just two years on the job. Pegula said when he bought the Sabres that he didn't like firing people, that he wanted to give them a chance to prove themselves. That was when he was trying to justify the prolonged failures of Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff. He's been busily going through coaches ever since. Whoever replaces Bylsma will be the ninth head coach the Pegulas have employed in Buffalo since buying the Sabres in 2011, if you include Anthony Lynn's one-game stint as Bills' head man last December. While this latest purge is a bold and warranted one, it surely doesn't paint the Pegulas as a stable sports ownership. Maybe they'll get it right this time, but it perpetuates the general dysfunction of their two major pro franchises and heightens the perception that they're over their heads owning multiple sports teams. Murray's firing was a surprise. There was a general perception – if an exaggerated one – that he had made a lot of good moves and positioned the Sabres for success down the road. I figured Bylsma was in trouble after Murray's blunt comments last week, but didn't think the Pegulas would fire both guys and leave a gaping leadership hole in the organization. It's amazing that Whaley is still employed as the Bills' general manager and Murray is gone. Of course, Whaley has been diminished in the organization. He wasn't expected to take part in today's pre-draft luncheon at One Bills Drive, which has historically been the province of the GM and his various scouts. That duty has been handed off to head coach Sean McDermott. So think of this: The most empowered figure in Buffalo sports management right now is McDermott, who has yet to work his first game as an NFL head coach. By all indications, it is McDermott's vision that is driving the football operation. They've made him the singular voice of the franchise. If he's running the draft luncheon, you have to assume he has a major say in personnel matters these days. Sabres fire Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma I've been saying for years that Pegulas should hire a czar-type figure to oversee the Bills, some veteran football man who could tell them how to turn things around. They have yet to do it. McDermott is their czar now, which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. They had that sort of figure when they hired Pat LaFontaine to be team president four years ago. LaFontaine talked about building a more modern management structure, with the general manager answering to the president. He was fired soon after hiring Murray. The Pegulas apparently abandoned the idea of a wider hockey management structure. As a result, Murray became overly empowered. Murray was popular for his straight-shooting style and bold approach. But many of his moves backfired. He allowed his defense to deteriorate and the Sabres took a huge step backward this season. He essentially put together a soft, finesse squad that wasn't that differrent from the teams Regier built. Bylsma had a disconnect with the players. But most of the problems were of Murray's making, and the Pegulas acknowledged that fact by firing him. Bylsma was Murray's pick for coach, so he had to go, too. The Pegulas cleaned house and once again are faced with the daunting task for reconstructing leadership on one of their teams. Based on past results, it's hard to feel optimistic. The Bills have the longest playoff drought in pro sports. The Sabres have the second- longest drought in the NHL. How long before Buffalo owns the longest in both sports? 1060669 Buffalo Sabres

Mike Harrington's Hot Read: Pegulas need to hire hockey czar, then get out of way

By Mike Harrington

Terry and Kim Pegula obviously didn't believe in Tim Murray's plan. But what plan do these owners have to fix this hockey team now? The Pegulas keep showing over and over again they don't have a clue what it takes to run a professional sports franchise and now they're left to pick up the mess from the botched tank that was sold to them as the quick-fix plan to a Stanley Cup. You want to say the tank worked because it brought Jack Eichel and you can have a case. But it also created a culture where losing was acceptable, where the fan base was irreparably torn asunder and where the key players knew they had all the leverage because the franchise had mortgaged its very soul of 45 years to get them here. Sabres fire Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma It's no surprise Dan Bylsma was sent out the door. He was a flawed coach who didn't seem like he was magically going to change his ways by having a few cups of coffee with the boys. The firing of Tim Murray is the real stunner, but the bespectacled tankmaster seemed to indicate last week that he knew things were not being looked at kindly in Pegula Tower. Hopefully Russ Brandon is nowhere near this situation. Still, he is the president of the team. Tell him to do something -- anything -- to make the season ticket-holders feel appreciated and then stay away from the rest of the operation. Which leads us to this: Job one for the Pegulas is to fix what they botched when they fired Pat LaFontaine just over three years ago. It's time to get a real president of hockey to run this operation because the owners have no business picking a general manager or coach. Maybe it's deposed Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi, maybe Lindy Ruff wants to get out of coaching, maybe it's time for Chris Drury to move up from his assistant GM slot in New York. Mike Harrington: With no ringing endorsement of Bylsma, a Ruff reunion? Whoever. Get somebody in here and let them do the hiring. It's the Pegulas' team but they have shown they should be doing nothing more than writing the checks. Or, in Terry's case, keep chasing quarterbacks. As I wrote last month, the players should have no say in this either and they clearly have. Big mistake. Denials aside, the owners now put a huge amount of blood on Jack Eichel's hands with this situation. You have to feel bad for the kid now. He's deserved criticism for some of his actions, but he took a lot of responsibility for them Wednesday and now he's going to be labeled as a coach killer for a long time. Whether he is or not. And that's on the owners, who have never shown any understanding of optics since they showed up six years ago. Mike Harrington: Players don't deserve say on Bylsma Eichel's agent says report about no extension if Bylsma is coach is 'ridiculous' This franchise is in complete disarray now. Anyone who says otherwise is simply blabbing a ridiculous company line. They are a laughingstock in the NHL. They are not simply a product of losing a lottery. They are a product of bad ownership, bad hockey decisions, bad coaching and too many bad players. The Sabres were too stable in the Darcy Regier-Lindy Ruff years, but now they've gone the other way and are a revolving door. You have Ruff, Ron Rolston, Ted Nolan and Bylsma. LaFontaine and Murray. Ted Black. Whatever happened to Ken Sawyer, Craig Patrick and Joe Battista? So while the Oilers and Leafs forge on in the playoffs, the Sabres forge on as an embarrassment. Good luck fixing this mess now. Terry Pegula speaks on it Friday. For the first time in a long time. He better be prepared to sit in his chair and face the music for quite a while. He's got a lot of explaining to do. Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060670 Buffalo Sabres @ea_andrewh Tim Murray's expression upon being fired. pic.twitter.com/Bc3DqlF0e9

— Andy Hakes ✈ (@ea_andrewh) April 20, 2017 Sabres fans react on Twitter to firings of Murray, Bylsma Breaking News: Dan Bylsma, Tim Murray, sign with the New England Patriots By Ben Tsujimoto — Alex (@aw67307) April 20, 2017 Me: (Reading Sabre takes on my phone) Jaws dropped this morning when the Buffalo Sabres fired both general Bartender: (Slides me an IPA) manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma. Judging from the social media reaction as a whole, there was little surprise that Bylsma Me: (Drinks) was canned, but few expected GMTM to suffer the same fate. — Greg Bauch (@gregorybauch) April 20, 2017 Shock and befuddlement have reigned supreme, so the humorous takes are sparse, at least until fans can get their bearings. And hey, it's not just Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 the media that drops hot takes. We'll keep this updated as the reaction pours in. From train station to train wreck — Fracking Sabres (@FrackingSabres) April 20, 2017 We are all forever indebted to Tim Murray for ensuring we got jack eichel and that is the best thing to happen to buffalo in 20 years — Dan Muscarella (@dannymusc) April 20, 2017 Doug Whaley outlasting Tim Murray is the upset of the century — Evan Sally (@Evan_Sally) April 20, 2017 GMTM firing is shocking. I truly believe Murray's belief in Lehner was his downfall.#Sabres — Jason Mack (@jaymaj13) April 20, 2017 Constant turmoil with the Bills and Sabres. The passionate fans of Western New York deserve so much better. — Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) April 20, 2017 We were lucky to have a GM like Murray and this city will realize it when we go back to a Darcy type. — Zach Kindron (@ZachWWMovies) April 20, 2017 Tim Murray, if you're reading this, I really liked you a lot. #Sabres — Rudy Pikuzinski (@RudyPikuzinski) April 20, 2017 Firing Tim Murray is a colossal mistake. Bylsma, fine. But Murray. I hate this. I hate it so much. — Olly Kranz (@OllyKranz) April 20, 2017 Mike Harrington: With no ringing endorsement of Bylsma, a Ruff reunion? This is stunning on a lot of levels and I'm trying process all of this without much to go on. To say this was expected would be wrong. — Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) April 20, 2017 Yay. Another #Buffalo coaching search! — Matt (@Buffalucci) April 20, 2017 Don't follow hockey but I'm relieved about the news because "Bylsma" sounds like something that runs out of your body during food poisoning — Buffalo Blondie (@Buffalo_Blondie) April 20, 2017 @WGR550 I always thought Bylsma was an anagram for 'abysmal' — David Gennocro (@Canisius85) April 20, 2017 the EA Sports logic won't even fire you as a GM after 3 years if you don't make the playoffs — sba (@essbeeay) April 20, 2017 fire the one buffalo brewer while you're at it — Billy O'Neil (@billy_oneil) April 20, 2017 Going to the Bisons game Saturday with my parents because it's a Pegula free zone. — The Outlander (@MattyRenn) April 20, 2017 Murray, Blysma and my spleen are all being fired / removed today. Coincidence? I think not. — Ryan Mullen (@RyRyMullen) April 20, 2017 1060671 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres fire Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma

By John Vogl

The Sabres cleaned house Thursday morning, firing General Manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma. Murray met with owner Terry Pegula on Wednesday to wrap up the season. It's clear the owner didn't like what he heard and saw, announcing both the GM and coach have been relieved of their duties. “After reviewing the past season and looking at the future of our organization, Kim and I have decided to relieve General Manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma of their duties," Pegula said in a statement. "We want to thank Tim and Dan for their hard work and efforts that they have put in during their tenures with the club. We wish them luck. We have begun the process to fill these positions immediately.” Pegula will discuss the firings Friday morning. Murray, hired in January 2014, was first in charge of tearing down the roster so Buffalo could secure top draft picks. After getting Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel with back-to-back No. 2 picks, Murray's attention turned toward building a playoff team. Buffalo made significant progress in 2015-16, but the rebuild stall this season. The Sabres stumbled to a 33-37-12 record and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Bylsma was in just his second season as coach. Players failed to embrace his style, and Murray last week made pointed comments about Bylsma's failure to connect with players on a personal level. There are impressive candidates available for both positions. The Los Angeles Kings recently let go of their Stanley Cup-winning duo, GM Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter. Dallas has elected not to re-sign former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. Other familiar names include Phil Housley, who is an assistant coach with Nashville, and Chris Drury, who is the assistant GM with the New York Rangers and part of the USA Hockey world championship management team. Rick Dudley is the senior vice president of hockey operations for Montreal. Pittsburgh Assistant GM Jason Botterill is a rising young executive who played in Buffalo. Former Sabres assistant Kevyn Adams, who runs the Pegula-owned Academy of Hockey, is also well-regarded in the organization. Jack Eichel's college coach, David Quinn of Boston University, could also be interested. Murray and Bylsma had exit interviews with the players last week. The GM then compiled his notes for the meeting with Pegula. He walked in knowing anything was possible. "He’s my coach today," Murray said last week. "I’m the general manager today. There’s going to be a review top to bottom. ... I’m sure I’m going to be reviewed. I’m sure I’m being reviewed right now, as I should be. "I have a book full of notes that I have to compile and be ready to deliver those thoughts to ownership. After that, I will come back if I’m still here and deliver my thoughts to our head coach and our coaching staff." Jerry Sullivan's Hot Read: One GM down, one to go Asked on Thursday if he'd like to talk or say anything, Murray merely replied via text, "Thanks." The GM and coach each accepted their share of the blame for the failed season last week. "Top to bottom in the organization, we understand it was a very disappointing season," Murray said. "I’m the general manager of the team, so I guess that’s top of the food chain when it comes to hockey. So I stand here and take full responsibility for our position, our standings and how it finished." Bylsma was subdued during his final interview. "We fell short of where we thought we could be, hoped we could be," he said. "I take full responsibility for that." Buffalo News LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060672 Buffalo Sabres Nobody wants to hear excuses about injuries — certainly the Pegulas didn’t — but the Sabres haven’t rebuilt the kind of depth to withstand Eichel missing the season’s first 21 games with a high-ankle sprain, or Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel has nowhere to hide after housecleaning Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly, Johann Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov and Kyle Okposo — out with a mysterious illness by season’s end — missing large chunks of time. Leo Roth , April 20, 2017 That’s not on the coach. Style of play is, and the quick transition game Murray favors hadn't evolved fast enough under Bylsma, whose team scored most of its goals t didn’t take long for social media to react to the Buffalo Sabres off the energy zapping forecheck/cycle routine. It does take swift puck- housecleaning Thursday. moving defensemen, though, to create those advantageous odd-man rushes that everybody loves and a healthy Kulikov (if re-signed) and Twitter moved an “updated’’ Sabres Wikipedia page listing Jack Eichel as prospects such as Casey Nelson and Brendan Guhle were in the plans. owner, general manager, head coach and captain. So was a suggestion by Murray to Bylsma that he and his staff spend That is absolutely precious. And it strikes at the heart of this latest round less time watching video and worrying about systems and more time in of dysfunction involving Pegula Sports and Entertainment. the locker room getting to know their players. He told them to grab a cup The role Eichel, the team’s brooding 20-year-old superstar, played in the of coffee and start talking to all those millionaires. firing of GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma will no doubt be Now Murray and his coach will have a lot of time to drink coffee. overestimated — and underestimated — by the time the dust settles on this latest fooling-nobody try by drowning owners Terry and Kim Pegula If you’ve lost count, the Pegula merry-go-round, in just six years, has to let everyone know they won’t stand for losing and got it all figured out. whipped through a combined six head coaches and four GM/executive types with the Bills and Sabres. (I may have missed a few). But wherever the truth lies, Eichel has blood on his hands. Bills GM Doug Whaley still has an office. But the year is young. The Pegulas, who have acted very amateurish in their opinion-seeking from players they seem to moon over, had to have been influenced Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 04.21.2017 somewhat by media reports and firsthand knowledge that Eichel, the face of their sunken franchise, wasn’t enamored with Bylsma as coach. But refuse to sign a contract extension this summer? The money he’ll be getting could pave a road from Boston to L.A. and certainly smooth over his feelings about the head coach and his pedestrian tactics. And if the Sabres didn’t end their six-year playoff drought next year, Bylsma would be gone anyway. None of that matters now but one thing remains: Eichel’s new reputation as a coach killer with GMs as collateral damage. As the “savior" of the franchise who undercut his coach, threw teammates under the bus and pouted before the media after missing a $2 million bonus by the smallest of percentage points for not finishing in the Top 10 of points-per-game scoring in the NHL, Eichel has only one way to live this down: deliver a Stanley Cup to the starving hockey masses of western New York. Only the rebuild just took two steps back with the Pegulas’ latest impetuous act, a mere four months after jettisoning Bills coach Rex Ryan. You remember the Bills, right? The NFL team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 17 seasons? There is plenty of sentiment inside KeyBank Center that Eichel is an entitled hockey brat with a superiority complex who will keep ruining locker rooms if he doesn’t grow up. Lord Stanley help us if the Pegulas ask Eichel to sit in on interviews as they pull out their dart board again and go searching for a new coach and GM. That fake Wiki page just might come true. As for Murray and Bylsma, the Pegulas just sent two good hockey men to the curb, and most likely Rochester Americans coach Dan Lambert with them. Normally, 3½ years in Murray's case and two in Bylsma’s case, would be considered a good long run in the NHL, which stands for Not Here Long. But did the Pegulas forget they were the ones who set in motion “The Rebuild," the complete tearing down of the team? After consecutive last-place finishes, Buffalo is roughly 30 points better today through Murray’s Humpty Dumpty efforts of putting the roster back together through the draft, trades and free agency. That’s not bad and I realize taking a step back from 81 to 78 points this season is incredibly disappointing. Still, the size of the job deserves a bit more patience. Not for nothing, but where would the Sabres be today if not for the bounce of a lottery ball? With defenseman Aaron Ekblad and center Connor McDavid in the lineup instead of Sam Reinhart and Eichel? After the Ted Nolan dustup, Murray got to pick his own coach. Having won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh while managing otherworldly players Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Mulkin, Bylsma’s selection was widely applauded. Even by Eichel. 1060673 Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres fire GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma

Jeff DiVeronica , @RocDevo Published 10:47 a.m. ET April 20, 2017

The Buffalo Sabres have fired general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma. The bombshell announcement came on Thursday. "After reviewing the past season and looking at the future of our organization, Kim and I have decided to relieve general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma of their duties," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "We want to thank Tim and Dan for their hard work and their efforts that they have put in during their tenures with the club. We wish them luck. We have begun the process to fill their positions immediately." The owners expect to discuss more about their decision Friday morning. The Pegula family also owns the Sabres' American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Murray was hired in January 2014. Bylsma just completed his second season as coach. The Sabres made strides in his rookie season of rebuilding the club, but went 33-37-12 this past season and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060674 Calgary Flames

Keep him? Fire him? Give him a raise? You Be The Boss for the Calgary Flames

WES GILBERTSON

The Calgary Flames are faced with some hard decisions as the dust starts to settle from their first-round playoff loss. As general manager Brad Treliving knows all too well, the National Hockey League is a business. And when results aren’t there, changes need to be made. At the start of the 2016-17 regular season — on paper, at least — the boss and his staff put together a team that looked pretty successful on paper. A new coach. A pair of capable goalies. A few experienced veterans. And two stars who inked long-term deals with the Flames. Destined for success? Well, most wouldn’t call a first-round, four-game knockout and gut-punch from their Pacific Division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, a success. But there were some bright spots in the roller-coaster ride of a season. And we’ll let you be the judge of who stays, goes, or gets a hefty raise. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060675 Calgary Flames

Flames goalie Jon Gillies soaks up playoff culture before returning to Stockton

WES GILBERTSON

Jon Gillies was where the rest of the Calgary Flames wanted to be Thursday – on a flight to California. With the Flames failing to extend their opening-round series against the Anaheim Ducks, instead eliminated by broom in a four-game sweep, the goaltender-of-the-future candidate was en route to rejoin to the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat for a playoff push of their own. The 23-year-old Gillies didn’t see any post-season rubber with the Flames – he was on gate duties for Game 1 and a healthy scratch for the next three clashes – but should immediately have an opportunity to show what he soaked up over the past week and change. “It’s been pretty cool. You grow up watching playoff hockey on TV and obviously for me, I’m young enough where everyone except a couple of these guys, I’ve watched them on TV at some point in my life,” Gillies said prior to Wednesday’s bummer, a 3-1 loss to the Ducks on Saddledome ice. “So it’s pretty cool to be around them and watch them prepare and to see what it takes for them to be the elite athletes they are. I think it’s a big learning experience for me. “It’s been a lot of fun to be around.” The fun, for most of the Flames, is over. For their farm club, it’s just beginning. The Heat claimed the fourth and final playoff slot in the AHL’s Pacific Division and will be shooting to upset the pennant-winning San Jose Barracuda in a best-of-five first-round set. Games 1 goes Friday at SAP Center. You’re not supposed to pester a puck-stopper on game days, but some of Calgary’s other up-and-comers – Rasmus Andersson, Mark Jankowski, Andrew Mangiapane – might be anxious to quiz Gillies about his front-row seat for the Flames’ brief playoff run. “Everything behind the scenes is what is the coolest for me,” Gillies said. “Once you get on the ice, a hockey game doesn’t change too much. The intensity is obviously a little higher because of the playoff atmosphere and stuff like that, but it was really behind the scenes and just being around everyone and just being a part of it, the pre-game meeting and the energy around the room and the intensity and the look in everyone’s eyes and everyone just being ready to put their best foot forward, knowing this is the time of year the best players have to be their best and you have to be at your best all the time. “Being a part of that atmosphere and being a part of that culture was the coolest part for me.” A third-round selection of the Flames in the 2012 NHL Draft and an NCAA champion two years ago with the Providence College Friars, Gillies impressed in his only big-league crease-call to date, delivering 27 saves in a first-star performance April 6 against the Los Angeles Kings. With both Brian Elliott and backup Chad Johnson slated to become unrestricted free agents on Canada Day, the Flames must determine if Gillies is ready for one of two primetime roles next winter. He could make a statement with a strong post-season showing at the minor-league level. ICE CHIPS: After a heroic effort for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, Flames puck-stopping prospect Tyler Parsons will cap his campaign with the AHL’s Heat on an amateur tryout. The Knights were out-shot in six of their seven clashes with the Erie Otters in a second-round slugfest, but the 19-year-old Parsons nearly stole the series. He racked up 58 saves in an overtime gut-wrencher in Game 7. Parsons, who backstopped Team USA to world-junior gold in January, will likely serve as an understudy to Gillies and G David Rittich during Stockton’s playoff quest. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060676 Calgary Flames Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017

NHL linesman sues Calgary Flames and Dennis Wideman for $10.25M

KEVIN MARTIN Published on: April 20, 2017

NHL linesman Don Henderson has filed a $10.25-million lawsuit against the Calgary Flames and defenceman Dennis Wideman. In a statement of claim filed in Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench, Henderson says he has not been able to return to work officiating NHL games since the Jan. 27, 2016, incident, which landed Wideman a 10- game suspension. His court document says Henderson was injured by Wideman during a game at the Scotiabank Saddledome between the Flames and Nashville Predators. “During the second period of the game, as the Nashville Predators were moving the puck forward and exiting their own zone, Don Henderson was skating backwards watching the play,” his statement of claim says. “Suddenly and without warning Wideman, who was skating out of the Calgary Flames zone towards the bench … to make a line change, lifted his arms and violently struck Don Henderson from behind, propelling him down to the ice.” The claim alleges “Wideman intentionally and deliberately struck (the plaintiff).” Henderson suffered multiple injuries as a result of the incident and the Calgary resident has required periods of physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage and other medical treatments. He has also required psychological counselling, the claim states. “Wideman knew or ought to have known that his actions … would result in damage to Don Henderson,” the lawsuit alleges. “Wideman disregarded the National Hockey League official rules, specifically in respect of physical abuses of officials and in doing so ought to have known that his actions would cause injury, loss and damage to an unsuspecting Don Henderson. “Wideman knew or ought to have known that by elevating his arms and hockey stick and violently striking (the plaintiff) from behind, that he would injure an unsuspecting Don Henderson.” Among the injuries suffered by the linesman was a concussion, a neck wound requiring surgery, and pain, numbness and tingling in his right arm and hand. Wideman was suspended by the league a week later for 20 games for deliberately striking an official and causing injury. The suspension was upheld on appeal, but an independent arbitrator later halved the banishment. The NHL appealed that ruling to a U.S. district court, but a judge ruled in March the 10-game ban would stand. Calgary Flames Dennis Wideman during the pre-game skate before facing the Philadelphia Flyers in NHL hockey in Calgary, Alta. on Wednesday February, 15, 2017. AL CHAREST/POSTMEDIA AL CHAREST / AL CHAREST/POSTMEDIA Henderson’s claim says he “has suffered a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life, and will continue to suffer a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life.” The hit has directly affected his ability to do his job, it says. “The plaintiff has been and continues to be unable and restricted in the ability to work as he has yet to get cleared to officiate National Hockey League games,” the claim says. He’s seeking general damages of $200,000, special damages for loss of housekeeping ability, yard work and hospital expenses of $50,000 and $10 million in damages for lost income to date and in the future and loss of earning capacity. The Flames are named as a defendant as being vicariously liable for the actions of their employee. Statements of defence disputing the unproven allegations have not been filed. 1060677 Calgary Flames

Flames begin to evaluate 2016-17 NHL season

KRISTEN ODLAND, Published on: April 20, 2017

No, it wasn’t a bad dream. The Calgary Flames really did lose in four games to the Anaheim Ducks in their first-round National Hockey League playoff series. And, frankly, that was all anyone could think about in the moments after Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at the Scotiabank Saddledome. No one was in the mood to focus on the positives and ponder whether or not the entire 2016-17 season should be deemed as a success. “Right now, it’s not,” said Flames netminder Chad Johnson, bluntly, long after the media had filed out of the team’s dressing room following the season-ending loss on Wednesday. “Your goal is to win a Stanley Cup. That’s what you want as soon as you come into the season. Every team has that goal. Right now, I’d say no as I’m standing here and the season’s done.” But, taking a mature approach and trying to find perspective, Johnson continued. On one hand, four playoff games erased everything they did over the 82- game regular season. Yet, their young team – with a new head coach, two new goalies, a few new faces (veterans and a rookie) and a pair of stars who had recently inked long-term big league deals – wasn’t a failure. In fact, the 2016-17 Flames achieved a pile of goals. “If you reflect a little more, I think it (was a success),” Johnson said. “I think you can see the growth of this team from the start to the finish. We made our push for the playoffs and got into the playoffs. That’s what we talked about at the start of the year, to give yourself a chance to win a Cup. That’s all you can really do. “It’s hard to say, yes, it was (a success), when you lose but it can be. It depends how you look at it.” The Flames had a day off Thursday before returning to the Dome Friday for exit interviews and their final media availability ahead of the offseason. And in the coming days, the team’s brass will comb through the evidence and address the necessary changes that need to happen in order for this group to take the next step – to be a consistent contender. But looking at the bigger picture, the fact that the Flames were able to shake off a rough 5-10-1 start in the first month of the season, rebound from another slump in January and come together to win 10 straight en route to a playoff berth was impressive. “I felt like the regular season was a success,” Mikael Backlund said after Wednesday’s game. “Our goal was to make playoffs and with the start we had, it was a big turnaround for this team. It showed a lot of character in this group. We’ll move forward and I’m excited about it. “In playoffs, we obviously wanted to go deeper and win some games. We played well. But, at the same time, it’s a result business.” And the bottom line? They were out in the first round by 3-2, 3-2, 5-4 (OT) and 3-1 counts. The final two happened on home ice where they were 24-17-0 during the regular season. “It’s tough,” Flames captain Mark Giordano said. “I really felt the West, this year, there was no standout team. I thought every team was really evenly matched. The first round is a tough round to get through, but I think you can see all the games in every series are really close. “It’s going to be a long summer but we’ll probably look back at this at some point and like our effort. Next year, we have to come and execute right away.” Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060678 Calgary Flames minor-league season was underwhelming, making it easy to re-sign him as a restricted free agent for another year or two of seasoning.

Defensively, Brodie, Giordano and Hamilton will remain a formidable core Eric Francis: Sean Monahan the Calgary Flames' bright spot at season's that may very well see Michael Stone re-signed following a solid tryout of end as questions about players' futures pile up sorts the last two months. The ever-popular and versatile Deryk Engelland will also likely be re- Eric Francis Published on: April 20, 2017 upped after the expansion draft, signed to a deal worth less than the $2.9 million he earned each of the last three years. His toughness was crucial this year. What stood out as Sean Monahan looked into the cameras to discuss Matt Bartkowski was signed to ensure the Flames had the mandatory Wednesday’s heartbreak was the colouring around the cut under his right defenceman to expose to Vegas and is a 50-50 proposition to stay up eye. with the big club at $612,000 next year. It was as spectacular as his play. Needless to say Dennis Wideman won’t be back, freeing up $6 million in salary space. Lost in the Calgary Flames’ four-game fall to the Anaheim Ducks was the warrior-like approach Monahan took throughout the series. Up front, Micheal Ferland and Sam Bennett are restricted free agents who will both be looking for north of the $2.2 million annually Lance Despite being matched up against a man who was just announced as a Bouma signed for last summer. finalist to win his second Selke Trophy — Ryan Kesler — Monahan had one heck of a series. Negotiations with Curtis Lazar will be much easier given his paltry stats. He scored once in every game — all with one-timers in dirty areas Nonetheless, all three will be included on the list of seven protected around the net — to finish the series as its leading goal-scorer. forwards (along with Gaudreau, Monahan, Backlund and Michael Frolik) for the Las Vegas expansion draft given their upside. His playoffs ended with him sitting second only to Sidney Crosby’s winger, Jake Guentzel, who has five goals. Matt Stajan has one more year left at $3.1 million and may be one of the leaders Vegas is looking for. While plenty of Flames forwards are taking the heat for failing to come up with timely scoring in the air-tight series, no one can point the blame at If so, it accelerates the promotion of Mark Jankowski whose stellar rookie Monahan. season in the AHL earns him a close look next spring. He did his part, which bodes well for him as a core member of the team Alex Chiasson is an RFA the team is unlikely to bring back despite his moving forward. low salary and size. But what of the others? Treliving will have his hands full as he continues to try evolving a team that fell victim to its poor start by drawing its kryptonite, Anaheim, in the How many changes will we see up front in Calgary, where too much first round. salary is tied up in third- and fourth-line pluggers who’ve become interchangeable in today’s NHL? And once again, his biggest concern will be in net — a position that has haunted the Flames since Miikka Kiprusoff left. Before we look ahead, let’s look back at what was a remarkably close four-game sweep. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Those who stepped up their games included Mark Giordano, Sam Bennett, T.J. Brodie, Kris Versteeg and Monahan. Giordano, as expected, provided endless heart and leadership. Bennett had two goals, another that was controversially disallowed, and was also as physical and feisty as anyone in the series, leading both teams with 13 hits. Brodie and Versteeg moved the puck well on an impressive power play that finished the series six of 19. Mikael Backlund remained steady throughout the series. Then there were those who struggled. Matthew Tkachuk’s strange disappearing act following his late-season antics against Los Angeles continued, turning Backlund’s line into a shadow of its former self. Brian Burke said Wednesday he thought Tkachuk struggled with the increased pace of the post-season. Johnny Gaudreau’s perimeter game failed to generate enough offence, especially late in games when the team pressed hard for equalizers. He was contained admirably five on five. Any way you look at it, Troy Brouwer failed to live up to expectations of his four-year, US$18-million deal, especially in the playoffs, for which he was specifically brought in. Dougie Hamilton had a rough string, too, taking four penalties the first two games and unable to contribute up front as he did so well this season. So where do they go from here? Brad Treliving, who will get a well-deserved contract extension very soon, will start yet another starting goalie search this summer. The way Brian Elliott faltered the last two games makes it impossible for the free agent to be considered an option here any longer. Too many questions and too much baggage now. Chad Johnson should, and likely will, be brought back as a backup behind the most likely starter, free agent Ben Bishop. Jon Gillies’ first full 1060679 Calgary Flames The Flames have added some experience, but most of their go-tos are still in their early- to mid-20s. Their captain and workhorse, Mark Giordano, is 33 but hadn’t skated in the playoffs since 2007. In tight 5 reasons the Flames are already out, and 5 reasons for optimism games, the been-there-done-that factor can tip the scales. REASON FOR OPTIMISM, NO. 4: Experience WES GILBERTSON Published on: April 20, 2017 There’s only one way to get it, right? Sam Bennett was among the Flames’ best forwards during this series, perhaps a sign the 20-year-old centre is still on the right track although he’s yet to blossom into an impact guy. Teenage standout Matthew Tkachuk will be better next time. The Calgary Flames will pick up their belongings and pack up their gear Johnny Gaudreau, still not quite in his prime, should be too. The Flames Friday, always a sombre day around the Saddledome. would have preferred a lengthy playoff run to a four-game nibble, but every little bit of experience helps. After medical testing, exit meetings and one last chat with the media, you won’t spot them again until September. REASON THEY’RE OUT, NO. 5: The Ducks are better So what went wrong during their opening-round ouster – a four-game This one doesn’t require a lot of explanation. The Ducks finished atop the sweep – from the Anaheim Ducks? Pacific Division standings for a reason. With the exception of an 8-3 anomaly at the Saddledome in early December, they were victorious in And where do they go from here? eight of nine meetings against the crew from Calgary this season. While With something to sip on for the glass-half-full and the glass-half-empty the Flames insist they’re not hearing quacks in their nightmares, we’re sorts, here are five reasons the Flames are already eliminated from the not so sure. The Ducks are better. After a four-game sweep, you can’t 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs and five reasons for optimism about what lies argue that. ahead: REASON FOR OPTIMISM, NO. 5: The Flames are closing gap REASON THEY’RE OUT, NO. 1: Costly mistakes ** IF they can ever win at Honda Center From an awful line change to boneheaded penalties to an awkward-angle This is an important disclaimer, because that 29-game losing streak in stinker that Brian Elliott simply can’t allow in the early stages of Game 4, Anaheim continues to hang over their heads. Sorry, boys. It will be a the Flames made too many mistakes against the Ducks and paid dearly storyline again on your next visit. With four close clashes, though, the for them. Go ahead and blame puck-luck or grouse about a couple of Flames proved they’re gaining ground. Their second-round set with the controversial calls by the NHL’s video-review war room, but much of this Ducks in 2015 had that feel of an older brother holding the younger damage was self-inflicted. It’ll be a summer of ‘what-ifs,’ knowing that ill- sibling at arm’s length as the underdog flailed away. Not so much this timed miscues were their ultimate undoing. time. It’s a shame this fight is over already. REASON FOR OPTIMISM, NO. 1: Resilience Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.21.2017 These guys could have folded a few times. After the would-be go-ahead goal was waved off in Game 2, for example. Or after spotting the Ducks a 2-0 lead less than seven minutes into Wednesday’s clincher. They never quit, credit them for that. Flames coach Glen Gulutzan has repeated over and over again that adversity is key to growth, and there was plenty of that during this oh-so-short playoff run. It stings now, but they’ll reap the benefits eventually. REASON THEY’RE OUT, NO. 2: Brian Elliott Elliott was sharp in the series-opener, so-so in the next outing, struggled in Monday’s overtime heart-breaker and then was seated after allowing a softie just 5:38 into Game 4. Talk about trending the wrong direction. If not for Elliott’s performance in February and March, the Flames might have been in Los Cabos last week, but his playoff stats – a 3.88 goals- against average and a .880 save percentage – were ugly. The Flames will likely be shopping for a starting netminder again this summer. REASON FOR OPTIMISM, NO. 2: No finger-pointing The only guy who blamed a loss on Brian Elliott was … Elliott. After Game 3, the 32-year-old told reporters, “I let the team down.” Two nights later, he admitted that cringe-worthy early goal by Patrick Eaves put his squad in a bad spot. Around the room, though, others rushed to his defence, and it sure seemed sincere. Regardless of who is between the pipes, it’s too easy to scapegoat the goalie. And they’re not. REASON THEY’RE OUT, NO. 3: Johnny Gaudreau Johnny Hockey managed two measly assists against the Ducks, both on the power play. Plain and simple, that’s not enough production from your regular-season scoring leader, highest-paid skater and biggest star. The Ducks benefited from the contributions from some unsung sorts, but their top guns – Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell, Corey Perry – also pulled their weight. Johnny didn’t. With the Flames out-scored 10-2 at even-strength, the 23-year-old left-winger has to shoulder a big chunk of blame. REASON FOR OPTIMISM, NO. 3: Sean Monahan While his sidekick was silent, Monahan made his mark – and made a bit of history, too. The 22-year-old centre tickled twine in every game, each time cashing in on the man-advantage. According to the staff at Elias Sports Bureau, he’s the first sniper to score in all four contests for the losing side in a best-of-seven sweep. It won’t be much consolation as he starts his vacation, but Monahan proved that he can pick targets when it matters most. REASON THEY’RE OUT, NO. 4: Inexperience The Ducks found ways to win and that’s a talent, not a fluke. Guys like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have been doing this a long time. We’re on a word-count but can wait a minute while you Google their resumes. 1060681 Calgary Flames

You Be The Boss, Flames Edition: 2017

Staff

Keep him? Fire him? Give him a raise? The brass at the Saddledome must sometimes wish it was that simple. Luckily for you, it really is that simple! Our annual You Be The Boss survey puts you in the driver's seat to make the team changes you want to see. So who would you keep? Who would you fire? Who earned a bump in pay? It’s your turn to have a say. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060684 Carolina Hurricanes Aleksi Saarela Talk about having an instant impact. The Finnish forward joined the Checkers on March 28 from Lukko Rauma of SM-liiga and had six goals Hurricanes to take playoff look at prospects and 10 points in his first seven games before his injury April 12 against Grand Rapids. BY CHIP ALEXANDER Saarela, 20, was a part of the February 2016 trade that sent former Canes captain Eric Staal to the New York Rangers, who drafted the Finn in the third round in 2015. Saarela was on Finland’s gold-medal winners in the 2016 World Junior Championship along with Canes forward Lucas Wallmark played his first NHL games for the Carolina Hurricanes Sebastian Aho. late this season – eight chances to make a favorable impression. Valentin Zykov Canes coach Bill Peters called it an evaluation. But it also might have been an audition for next season for the Swedish center, who would like The Russian forward, 21, has the kind of size at 6-1 and 224 pounds the to be on the Canes’ 2017-18 opening-night roster and stay there. Canes need and the willingness to go to the front of the net. That’s what he did in his NHL debut March 9 against the New York Rangers, “He’s real smart guy, a competitive guy,” Peters said. “He’s competitive outmuscling defenseman Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh to score his on faceoffs, good defensively. He should get better and better all the first NHL goal. time.” Unfortunately for Zykov, he sustained an upper-body injury two days later For Wallmark, 21, the evaluation continues this week. The Charlotte in his second game with the Canes. After missing eight games, he was Checkers, the Canes’ American Hockey League affiliate, are in the AHL’s reassigned March 27 to the Checkers. Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since 2013 and will face the Chicago Wolves in a best-of-five opening round. CHICAGO WOLVES AT CHARLOTTE CHECKERS Canes management were to be on hand Thursday and Friday for the first What: AHL Calder Cup playoffs. two games, both at Charlotte’s Bojangles’ Coliseum. They’ll have their eyes trained on Wallmark, who played eight NHL games before being When: 7:15 p.m. Friday reassigned to the Checkers, and others who could figure into the Canes’ Where: Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte. plans next season. Ticket information: www.gocheckers.com Wallmark and forward Aleksi Saarela both were sidelined recently with upper-body injuries, and their availability for the first two games still News Observer LOADED: 04.21.2017 uncertain. Here’s a look at five Checkers players who may have the best chance of making the big club next season: Lucas Wallmark The Canes have several options at center, but Wallmark should be one. After scoring eight goals in 48 games for Lulea in the Swedish Hockey League in 2015-16, he came to North America and scored a team-high 24 for the Checkers in 67 games this season. Wallmark, who had two assists and a plus-1 rating in his eight NHL games, said a strong 2016 postseason for Lulea – seven goals in 11 games – convinced him he could be more of a scorer and not just a playmaker. “Maybe the first 10 games (in Charlotte) I looked to pass first, then tried to take more pucks to the net,” he said. “That worked for me. I tried to have a lot of shots.” Wallmark, a fourth-round pick by Carolina in the 2014 NHL draft, said a priority this summer would be putting on muscle and filling out his 6-foot, 176-pound frame. Peters said Wallmark already has the right instincts on the ice, regardless of his size, saying, “You have to go through him to get to the net. He establishes body position.” Phil Di Giuseppe Di Giuseppe played 36 games for the Canes this season but with uneven results, saying he “wasn’t there offensively.” The forward scored just once, on 68 shots, although his one goal gave the Canes a 1-0 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in early December. Di Giuseppe, 23, had seven goals and 10 assists in 41 games for the Canes in 2015-16 and was third on the team with 113 hits. But he also suffered two concussions, the first at any level of hockey for the former second-round draft pick, who played college hockey at Michigan. Before the 2016-17 season, Di Giuseppe said it would be a big one for him. Next season may be even bigger. Haydn Fleury Fleury has seen young defensemen Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Noah Hanifin become staples in the Canes’ lineup the past two years, wondering when his time would come on the blue line. Like Hanifin, Fleury was a first-round pick by Carolina – No. 7 overall in 2014 – and the D-man has the size at 6-3 and 221 pounds to handle the physical element of the NHL. Fleury, 20, did not get a callup this season from the Canes but has put in a productive full season with the Checkers, showing steady improvement. His plus-16 rating in 69 game is a team-best, and he has seven goals and 19 assists to add some offensive support. 1060685 Carolina Hurricanes “That’s fine. That’s their decision. That’s what they have to do.” News Observer LOADED: 04.21.2017 Nestrasil seeks to prove he’s ‘still got it’

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

CHARLOTTE — Andrej Nestrasil is a good conversationalist and an easy interview, and was that way Thursday. Nestrasil talked about the Charlotte Checkers opening the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup playoffs against the Chicago Wolves. He talked of the frustrations of the season, which included 19 games with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Czech forward, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, talked of the need to play well and, he said, “Show people I’ve still got it.” But where Nestrasil drew the line was on another interview, the one he gave in March to the Czech news outlet Blesk. In that interview, he criticized Hurricanes management and Canes coach Bill Peters, saying neither wanted him as a player and were happy he was “on the farm team.” Some things can get lost in translation but Nestrasil was not in the mood Thursday to clarify anything about the story, saying, “I’m not going to talk about it, sorry.” Nestrasil, 26, appeared on his way to proving himself as an every-day NHL player in the 2015-16 season. Put on a line with center Jordan Staal and winger Joakim Nordstrom, Nestrasil gave the Canes gritty defensive play and heavy offensive forechecking on the team’s best shutdown line. Everything changed for Nestrasil in a flash. In the Feb. 25, 2016 game at Toronto, he was knocked off-balance by the Maple Leafs’ Nazem Kadri and landed awkwardly, his lower back slamming into the wall. Nestrasil suffered a fractured vertebra from the fall. After 55 games, his season was over. “I don’t cry about it,” Nestrasil said Thursday. “That’s life. That’s how it goes. I feel really fortunate that I had the chance to play in the NHL for two and half years. There’s are lot of players who are even better than I am who never got the chance to play.” Nestrasil returned for the Canes’ training camp in September saying his back was healed and he was ready to play. He was in the Canes’ lineup for the first two games and eight of the first 13, and played eight of nine in late-November and early December. He then played back-to-back games on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 3. And then he was gone — to Charlotte and the Checkers. The Canes recalled forwards Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe from Charlotte and played them a lot. They picked forward Ty Rattie off waivers from the St. Louis Blues and gave him five games before placing him back on waivers — reclaimed by the Blues, Rattie is on the Wolves’ roster. Forward Valentin Zykov was recalled and got a look. Center Lucas Wallmark was called up and got a look. Nestrasil played one game for the Canes after Jan. 3 — March 1 against Tampa Bay. He put in 39 games for the Checkers, with five goals and nine assists. “It’s definitely been a challenging year,” he said. “It’s all about your mindset. I still feel like I contributed to the team and I tried to come in here to the team with the best attitude I can have.” Checkers coach Ulf Samuelsson noticed. “He struggled with that big injury, obviously,” Samuelsson said. “He came down here and he was fighting a little bit emotionally, I think, where he is in his career right now. We talked with him and tried to get him playing more north/south. He’s been a really good player and he’s committed to our team concepts well here lately.” Nestrasil signed a two-year contract with the Canes in June 2015 that paid him $950,000 this season, in the NHL or AHL. He’s hoping there will be interest in him in July, when NHL free agency begins, but did concede it was unlikely the Canes would make an offer. “We’ll see. You never know what will happen in hockey, obviously,” he said. “Looking at the talent they have here (in Charlotte), a lot of talented guys … it depends on them and what’s their plan into the future, which I feel maybe I’m not part of it. 1060686 Carolina Hurricanes

Checkers win playoff opener 4-0

By Chip Alexander

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Checkers couldn’t have asked for a better start. The Checkers topped the Chicago Wolves 4-0 Thursday in the first game of their best-of-five Central Division playoff series, getting a 20-save shutout from goalie Tom McCollum and a pair of goals and an assist from center Lucas Wallmark. Game 2 of the series will be played Friday at Bojangles Coliseum. Brendan Woods and Andrew Miller also scored for the Checkers, who went 2-5-1-0 against Chicago in the regular season. It was the kind of positionally sound, hard-working game that Checkers coach Ulf Samuelsson wanted in the Checkers’ first playoff game sine 2013. “It was solid all-around,” Samuelsson said. “Our structure was very solid throughout the whole game. The goalie made some big saves at the right time and usually that team wins, so we’re lucky to have him.” McCollum, a former first-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, made his debut for the Checkers on March 10 after being assigned by Calgary and immediately made a career-high 49 saves. He earned his first shutout with the Checkers on March 21 and was 12-2-4 down the stretch of the season, starting 19 of 20 games. “He’s awesome. We wouldn’t be here without him,” defenseman Haydn Fleury said. Wallmark had been sidelined recent with an upper-body injury, as had forward Aleksi Saarela, but both played the opener. Wallmark, who led the Checkers with 24 goals this season, scored in the second period for a 2-0 lead. He assisted on Miller’s goal in the third period after Miller made a nice setup pass to Wallmark in the second. Wallmark’s line also did a good job much of the game in shutting down the Wolves’ Kenny Agostino, who led the AHL with 83 points (24 goals, 59 assists) this season and was named MVP. Agostino had one shot in a minus-2 game while Wallmark was plus-3. “We played our system, played our way,” Fleury said. “We didn’t give their top guys a lot of room.” News Observer LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060687 Carolina Hurricanes

Wolves’ Wiz, Rattie were Canes short-timers

By Chip Alexander

CHARLOTTE — James Wisniewski may have set a Carolina Hurricanes franchise record for shortest tenure by a skater: 47 seconds. “And that’s not one of the records you like to have,” he said Thursday, smiling. The veteran defenseman was in the Canes’ lineup for opening night in the 2015-16 season, only to suffer an ACL tear early in the game against the Nashville Predators. Wisniewski was lost for the season, then had his contract bought out by the Canes after the season. Wisniewski, 33, has been on the move this season. He played for Admiral Vladivostok in the KHL. He played in Switzerland. He’s now with the Chicago Wolves, signing an American Hockey League contract with the St. Louis Blues affiliate. The guy they call the “Wiz” and the Wolves opened their playoff series Thursday against the Charlotte Checkers at Bojangles Coliseum. He’s one of the 30-plus players the Wolves — including Ty Rattie, another former Canes short-timer — brought on the two-game trip to begin the best-of-five Calder Cup series. Asked Thursday about the season, Wisniewski quickly said, “It’s been awful, to be honest. To be away from the family. To be in three different countries, playing hockey. “I’m just doing what I’ve got to do to get back to the NHL. It’s been a tough road for me the last couple of years. I’ll keep grinding away.” The Canes traded for Wisniewski during the 2015 NHL Draft, sending goalie Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks in the deal. Wisniewski, with his right-handed shot, was to help with the power play and on opening night and was paired with John-Michael Liles, giving the Canes two experienced old heads together on the blue line. Forty-seven seconds later, that all changed. “It’s crazy,” Wisniewski said. “That’s why I try to tell people that in our sport, it’s a job and you never know when it’s over. It’s not like a team is going to just give you an opportunity. When they’re done with you, they’re done with you. You’re somewhat expendable.” Wisniewski, who has 552 games of NHL experience, didn’t get any nibbles in free agency last July. He said playing in the KHL was “fine,” despite the horror stories often told on this side of the Atlantic about the Russian league. “It was a big cultural change but it is what it is,” he said. “Long travel, a lot of skating on that (larger) Olympic ice. It was just tough being away from everybody for 10 weeks. That’s a lot of FaceTime and I probably saw every Netflix show humanly possible.” Rattie had a cameo of sorts with the Canes this season and put in what he called “hands-down the weirdest game I’ve ever played.” Rattie, 24, was claimed off waivers Jan. 4 by Carolina from the St. Louis Blues and in the lineup the next night — against the Blues in St. Louis. The Canes won 4-2, and Rattie had an assist the next game in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Rattie played five games for Carolina before being placed back on waivers — and reclaimed by the Blues. “It’s been been a wild year,” Rattie said. “Going to Carolina I enjoyed my time a lot. I was playing well I thought but unfortunately the team went into a little bit of a struggle and they had to make a change. I was one of the changes.” Rattie had no complaints about how he was used, saying, “It’s the NHL. They put the players in who they think will win the game. I played five games and obviously I would have liked to have played more. Who wouldn’t? That’s the team’s decision, part of the business. “But it was a cool experience and a fun one.” News Observer LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060688 Carolina Hurricanes “That’s fine. That’s their decision. That’s what they have to do.” Herald-Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 Nestrasil seeks to prove he’s ‘still got it’

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

Blackhawks could dress seven defensemen vs. Predators

Chris Hine

Coach Joel Quenneville might be adding a defenseman to his lineup for Game against the Predators. It's possible Michal Kempny might draw in as a seventh defenseman. Quenneville wouldn't confirm any lineup changes but Kempny was in the dressing rooom early after their optional morning skate — a sign he is likely in the lineup. It's possible Kempny could replace Johnny Oduya, but Oduya was also off the ice early. When asked to assess his play so far in the series, Oduya said, "Not very good." "Obviously there has to be more levels than what it is right now," Oduya said. "Obviously you don’t want to worry too much about what’s been in the past the last couple of games. I’m trying to focus on much as I can on the present. That’s basically it." Meanwhile, winger Jordin Tootoo remained on the ice for extra work. It wouldn't be the first time this season Quenneville dressed seven defensemen, but it is a rare move. "We have to find a way to get bigger contributions from each line to get that consistency no matter if we have seven 'D' or four lines," Quenneville said. If Quenneville goes with seven defensemen, it likely means a lot of double shifting for winger Patrick Kane, but Quenneville said he wasn't worried about how Kane would handle the increased workload. "Having him out there is a great asset for us and I look at 'Kaner' when he comes to the bench, I’m thinking if he goes every other shift, he’s fine," Quenneville said. "A lot of times when I think he might be not ready to go, I’ll ask him and I don’t think he’s declined maybe one or two when he couldn’t do it." Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060690 Chicago Blackhawks

Monty Python and the Blackhawks' Holy Grail

Steve Rosenbloom

The Blackhawks sit on the edge of ignominious playoff elimination on the road in a series in which they’ve scored exactly two goals and yammer the self-deceit that they’re the ones who can skate without a burden. Sounds like an argument for 4/20 Day. Patrick Kane said the pressure’s on the Predators "to win that next game." Yes. Well. Ahem. With the Predators up three games to none, it sure looks like the pressure’s on the Blackhawks not to lose that next game. Or any game. After the Hawks lost their third straight to the Predators, Jonathan Toews commented that the hardest win to get is the fourth one. Funny, but from this vantage point, it looks as if it’s the first one. Coach Joel Quenneville said "definitely the pressure’s on them," and I’m thinking, that’s what you hear from a coach who can’t figure out how to stop his best players from looking outclassed. But now I get it. Now I get why it’s laughable: The Hawks are the black knight at the bridge in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Being down 3-0 is "just a flesh wound." Black Knight, Monty Python and The Holy Grail (YouTube) Maybe y’all better get together in Nashville and figure out that the pressure’s on whichever Hawks are on the ice for the next shift. It appears that rookie defenseman Michael Kempny will finally get a playoff shift and creaky veteran Johnny Oduya will finally stop annoying us on the ice. While the Hawks have struggled to play their puck- possession game while skating five-on-five in this series, it's useful to note Kempny posted a 56.66 Corsi For percentage that was best among Hawks defensemen who played at least 50 games. It’s amazing it took this long for the Hawks decision-makers to connect the dots. One more Kempny note: Brent Seabrook played better with the rookie than he did with any other partner in the regular season, and that includes Duncan Keith. During coach Joel Quenneville's tenure with the Blackhawks, the team has faced several big playoff challenges like their current 3-0 deficit to the Predators. (Chris Kuc) Not only are the Bulls making the Celtics look like the worst No. 1 seed ever, but they’re making them look like an eighth seed that should’ve missed the playoffs and taken the lottery pick to move the team closer to a title. Thirty-five-year-old Dwyane Wade got an offensive rebound. That’s how bad the Celtics are on the boards. The extra day off between games should benefit Wade most, and he’s already coming off a 22-point performance in 32 minutes, shooting 9-for- 16 from the floor and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. The Celtics finished 27th in defensive rebounds percentage and total rebounds percentage during the regular season. Talking about getting pounded on the boards in Game 1, Celtics center Amir Johnson said he thought “our half-court defense was pretty good besides [the fact that] it seemed like, if they put up a shot and missed, they got the ball and put the ball back in the basket." Yeah. Besides that basket thing against the Celtics defense. And then the Celtics defense allowed the Bulls to make more than 51 percent of their shots in Game 2. For all the wonderful things Rajon Rondo has done in this series, three- point shooting is not one of them. After hitting a remarkable 46 percent of his three-pointers after the All-Star break, Rondo went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc in Game 1 and 0-for-3 again in Game 2. Fix this. Using Al Horford’s $25.5 million salary as a guide, the Celtics paid their starting center about $3.8 million for each of his seven points in Game 2. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060691 Chicago Blackhawks

Joel Quenneville on Blackhawks' inability to fight back: 'That's on me'

Chris Kuc and Chris Hine

Throughout their series against the Predators, the Blackhawks often failed to reach the level of competitiveness needed in the postseason. Coach Joel Quenneville knew exactly whom to blame for that lack of intensity: himself. "We (didn't) compete to the level that's necessary, (and) I take that personally, as a coach, that we didn't find the all-out button, didn't get the job done," Quenneville said. "There's a certain level come playoff time you have to get to, and we didn't find it. That's on me." When the Predators pushed, the Hawks didn't push back. It started with the two games at the United Center, in which the Hawks were outscored by a combined 6-0 to put them in a major hole headed to Nashville. "We got ... behind early in Game 1 and didn't score at home — that certainly doesn't help," Quenneville said. "Whether it's confidence or you're in a bad spot, giving up the 2-0 lead in Game 3 was a tough one to swallow. That was the one where we could have put ourselves back in the series, and we let it go." When asked what more he could have done to fire up his troops, Quenneville responded, "Whatever buttons you have to push, to find a way to make it work, whether it's lines or excitement." Getting in the game: First-year defenseman Michal Kempny was a healthy scratch for the first three games but was back in the lineup Thursday night as Quenneville decided to dress seven defensemen. "It's not a good feeling, especially when you see your team losing," the 26-year-old from the Czech Republic said before the game through an interpreter. Circumstances were not ideal for Kempny to make his playoff debut with the Hawks down 3-0 in the series. He had played in just two games since March 19 and was jumping into a high-octane series. While his inconsistent playing time has been tough to deal with, Kempny said he has enjoyed his first season in the NHL after coming over from the KHL. "I've been learning the whole season, so I'm really grateful for being on a team like Chicago," Kempny said. "It's not too easy. If you don't get to play, you don't get to play and you have to be ready for every opportunity that could come potentially." Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060692 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks never could get in offensive flow against Predators

Chris Kuc

In the end, the Blackhawks went out with a whimper rather than a bang. "To score three goals in four games, I mean, there's no way you're going to win doing that," winger Patrick Kane said in a somber Hawks dressing room after their 4-1 loss to the Predators in Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. Unlike most of the Hawks' shots in the series, Kane was right on target with his assessment that lack of offense was the main culprit in one of the most shocking postseason upsets in franchise history. The usually high-octane offense fizzled to the tune of three goals over the course of the Predators' sweep — two in Game 3 and a Jonathan Toews score in Game 4. Of the 16 teams to reach the postseason, the Hawks scored the fewest goals. That came on the heels of finishing the regular season ninth in the NHL in scoring at 2.93 per game. "It's frustrating for sure," Kane said. "(But) you just can't make excuses. You have to make your own breaks, you have to create your own momentum and we never did that this series." The Hawks averaged 31.5 shots per game but could only solve Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne three times. Rinne, by the way, finished with more points than any individual Hawks player with two assists. Toews, Kane and Dennis Rasmussen were the only Hawks to score as sharp-shooters like Artemi Panarin (31 regular-season goals, Marian Hossa (26) and Artem Anisimov and Richard Panik (22 each) were blanked. "We couldn't control the puck well," Panarin said via an interpreter. "Their defensemen were able to get the puck (and) get it to their offense. We weren't able to control. "In the first two games, I didn't have many chances — I couldn't get in front of the goal. (Thursday night) I had a bunch of them and could have helped the team a lot and didn't." Panarin had a glorious opportunity early in Game 4 and missed the net while all alone in the slot. Part of the credit of stopping the Hawks has to go to Rinne, who finished the series with a remarkable .976 save percentage, but the Hawks believe their lack of goal-scoring was on them. "You could say (Rinne) played well — we'll give him credit," Kane said. "At the same time, did we make things really tough on him? I don't know. A couple of chances here or there would have been nice to finish. It might have been nice to get a little more puck-possession and zone time." Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060693 Chicago Blackhawks 3. Colton Sisson, Predators: Scored important second goal in third period.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 Blackhawks eliminated by Predators in 4-1 loss, swept out of NHL playoffs

Chris Hine

If the Blackhawks season doesn't end with a parade and the Stanley Cup, it typically ends with heartbreak, not resignation — and certainly not without a dramatic flourish. The final Images usually come in a crushing Game 7, like 2014 against the Kings or last season against the Blues. When the Hawks bow out, the conclusion comes after a bit of puck luck doesn't go their way, or they fall to a team on their level that just happened to get the fourth victory before they did. It doesn't come like it did in a 4-1 loss to the Predators on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. It doesn't come when one team skates circles around them, chases them off pucks and out of the playoffs with a sweep. It doesn't end with them helpless to explain how it happened. "You lose a series, you tend to think of a million different things that went wrong," said captain Jonathan Toews, who scored the Hawks' lone goal in Game 4. "I feel like it's a whole different story when you can't win a game in a seven-game series and you go four straight, scoring three goals with not really having much to show for at all." The Western Conference's top seeds were supposed to have enough pride and fight at least to get deep in a series, to ramp up the drama that would increase the hurt of the fall, not soften it by making it seem inevitable. But instead the Predators handed the Hawks their first four-game playoff sweep since 1993. Roman Josi scored twice and Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson once each to provide the final blows that knocked the Hawks into an offseason that will feel different from most of recent vintage. The Hawks won't live with the fact they were close or were unlucky. They have to live with the fact they just weren't good enough. "We probably all thought it was going to go a different way," winger Patrick Kane said. "Especially with the regular season you have. Coming into the playoffs, I think we felt pretty confident. So it's disappointing. Shocked. I don't know. It's going to be a long summer, for sure." It will be long summer of self-evaluation for some of the veterans, who looked a step slow trying to combat the Predators' speed, for the front office and for coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville said he was unsure if the team needed to make major changes, but he said the sting of this loss nullifies the success the 50 victories the Hawks had in the regular season. "They raised their level of play in the playoffs, and I don't think we got to where we had to be," Quenneville said. Toews, who sported a scratch across his right cheek, seemed flummoxed trying to explain the disaster that unfolded, a calamity ripe for a Nashville country song. "It seems like the harder we try, things just weren't flowing," Toews said. "We couldn't find that next gear we were looking for. You do everything you can as the season goes along to play your best hockey and get to the right level come playoff time … and it sucks in that regard. We just couldn't find the way to get to the highest level of what we know is our potential. We didn't get close to it." Because of that the Hawks are headed home, and not in their usual fashion. "Aside from what it would feel like to miss the playoffs, especially with the potential in this room, this has to be the next-worst feeling for sure," Toews said. CHRIS HINE'S THREE STARS 1. Roman Josi, Predators: Defenseman broke scoreless tie in second period, added goal in third. 2. Pekka Rinne, Predators: After 30 more saves, goalie allowed only three goals on 126 shots in series. 1060694 Chicago Blackhawks Rumor mill The Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma on Thursday. A league source said the Sabres have Hawks ‘Desperate’ Blackhawks could dress seven defensemen for Game 4 assistant GM Norm MacIver — a trusted and key member of Stan Bowman’s staff since being promoted in 2012 — at the top of their list for GM. MarkLazerus Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.21.2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This isn’t what the Blackhawks had in mind when they reacquired Johnny Oduya at the trade deadline. It’s not what Oduya had in mind, either. “Expect more,” Joel Quenneville said of the veteran defenseman. With that in mind, it looks like Quenneville is leaning toward dressing seven defensemen in Thursday night’s do-or-die Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena, with Oduya staying in the lineup but Michal Kempny drawing in. Both Kempny and Oduya said they were unsure if they would play, but Quenneville said he “could” go with seven defensemen. Considering how little Jordin Tootoo has played (5:29 in Game 1 and 6:57 in Game 3), and considering how much Quenneville is likely to double-shift Patrick Kane as the Hawks desperately seek some goals, it’s not too drastic a measure. But it’s a sign of just how much Oduya has struggled in the series. “Not very good,” Oduya said of his play so far. “Obviously, there has to be more levels than what it is right now.” Kempny has only played in four games since Oduya entered the Hawks lineup on March 9. But the possession-driving, puck-moving 26-year-old defenseman feels he’s ready to go. “If I would play, I would be very glad I would do my best, put 100 percent into the game,” Kempny said via an interpreter. “It’s not a good feeling [to watch], especially when you see your team losing. But I believe it’s going to change today.” Trailing 3-0 in the series, the Hawks obviously know they’re out of breathing room. Brian Campbell said, “There’s nothing but desperation now.” Of course, it’s easy to say that if they win this one, things can change quickly with the series returning to Chicago for Saturday night’s Game 5. But they have to get there first. And with the Hawks’ long history of overcoming playoff adversity, don’t expect what Duncan Keith once referred to derisively as a “Disney” speech to fire up the troops tonight. “When you’re down [3-0], it’s hard to be enthusiastic and then rah-rah,” Quenneville said. “Everybody’s got inner drive that, hey, we have to find a way to get some excitement by winning a period, winning a game. That enthusiasm can be very dangerous for a team like us. We have to find a way to capture it.” Great expectations Any time the lowest-seeded team pushes the top-seeded team to the brink, it’s surprising. But the Predators aren’t a typical second wild-card. They entered the season with great expectations, and were almost universally considered Stanley Cup contenders. In season previews, six NHL.com experts, six Sportsnet experts, four ESPN.com experts, and the Sun-Times and Tribune all had Nashville at least reaching the Stanley Cup Final. But the Predators lost six of their first eight games and were inconsistent all season. And their overtime woes — they lost eight times in overtime and four times in shootouts — cost them precious standings points. They found their stride at the right time, though, and have gone 12-4-1 since March 11, including the first three games of this series. This is the team everyone expected all along. “It was a little different this year,” defenseman Roman Josi said. “I think there were more high expectations from the outside. We always have high expectations in this room. At the start, we weren’t happy with the way were playing, we were inconsistent. But as the year went on, we got better and better and carried it into the playoffs.” With a top line of young budding stars Filip Forsberg (22), Ryan Johansen (24) and Viktor Arvidsson (24), two stud defensemen in their prime in P.K. Subban (27) and Josi (26), and a highly regarded young goalie in Juuse Saros (22) ready whenever veteran Pekka Rinne relinquishes the top job, the Predators are positioned to be a Western Conference power for years to come. “I think things started to come together at the right time,” forward Harry Zolnierczyk said. “Ultimately, we have our best game going forward.” 1060695 Chicago Blackhawks

New reality beckons for Hawks after merciless sweep by Predators

Mark Potash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Welcome to the new reality, Blackhawks. After years in a different realm as the gold standard of NHL excellence in the salary-cap era, the Hawks’ stunning demise against the eighth- seeded Predators — a four-game sweep after a 4-1 loss Thursday at Bridgestone Arena — likely signaled the end of an era as Stanley Cup favorites. The Hawks still will be contenders in future postseasons — though the demise of the once-mighty Kings remains a cautionary tale — but the days of “flipping the switch,” forcing good teams to play poorly and willing their way to victory appear to be over. Against the Predators, the Hawks were just another playoff team at the mercy of NHL parity and the hockey gods. Neither was kind to the Hawks this postseason. “It was a major disappointment across the board,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “They raised their level of play in the playoffs, and I don’t think we got to where we had to be.” Predators goalie Pekka Rinne makes a save on a shot by Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. Therein lies the tale of the Hawks’ woe. The Predators, who lost four of five games to the Hawks in the regular season, raised their intensity level in the postseason and imposed their will on the Hawks with relentless aggressiveness — outskating and outworking the Hawks and keeping them off their game. The Hawks had one chance to be “The Blackhawks” in this series — leading 2-0 in the third period of Game 3 — and the Predators turned it up a notch to win 3-2 in overtime. They out-Hawked the Hawks. And there are more young, fresh, fast-skating teams in the NHL than just Nashville. The Hawks definitely faced the wrong team at the wrong time. But they also fell so flat, it probably would not have gone well against most playoff teams. “I think it’s a little of both,” Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “I think it’s insulting to not give that team credit for how well they played and how well they played us specifically. They were relentless. Anytime we seemed to start to get things going, they found a way to stymie our momentum or our offense. Every game, they seemed to get better and better and just thrive off what happened the last game. “We always talk about not expecting to just turn on the switch when we get to the playoffs. We didn’t like the way we were playing going into the playoffs. I just think the switch didn’t turn on.” Quenneville wasn’t ready to acknowledge that league parity might be catching up to the Hawks. “Tough to say,” Quenneville said. “Anybody can win this year. Everybody had stretches where they had a pretty good run to put themselves in a playoff spot. But it’s anybody’s game. Unfortunately.” The Hawks’ mystifying demise was the first real crap-out of the Quenneville era. The Hawks have lost in the first round before, but always as a lower seed without home-ice advantage. Even when the Hawks lost to the Kings at home in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final in 2014, they were on fumes, facing an equally resilient championship team. This time, the Hawks were the No. 1 seed in the conference. The only other times they were a No. 1 or 2 seed under Quenneville, they won the Stanley Cup. “It’s tough enough to fall short,’’ said Toews, who scored the team’s only goal in Game 4 — after the Hawks were down 3-0. ‘‘It’s a whole different story to lose four straight and get swept like we did. Aside from what it would feel like to miss the playoffs — especially with the potential in this room — this has to be the next-worst feeling. Not much to say right now.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060696 Chicago Blackhawks we felt pretty confident. So yeah. I mean, disappointing. Shocked. I don’t know. It’s going to be a long summer, for sure.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 Hawks’ season comes to stunning end as Predators finish sweep

Mark Lazerus

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There’s no shame in losing. Not to a red-hot goalie, not against a burgeoning contender coming into its own, not in a league built for the kind of parity that allows a top seed to be so threatened in the first round of the playoffs. No, what will eat at coach Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks the most after their stunning four-game sweep at the hands of the Predators isn’t the result itself. It’s the manner in which it happened, the way the Hawks looked for the bulk of four miserable games. Lifeless. Hopeless. Goalless. “We didn’t compete to the level that’s necessary,” Quenneville said after Thursday night’s season-ending 4-1 loss in Game 4. “I take that personally as a coach, that we didn’t find the all-out button.” Quenneville threw everything he had at the Hawks’ myriad problems in Game 4. He put Artemi Panarin, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane together to spark some offense. He put Tanner Kero on a line with Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa to cover Anisimov’s disastrous faceoff performance. He dressed seven defensemen to mask his aging blue line’s deficiencies. He double-shifted Kane. None if it mattered. Not against these Predators, who suddenly looked like the preseason Stanley Cup contenders they were expected to be, while the Hawks suddenly looked like a worn-out team whose championship window is closing far sooner than expected. Fifty wins in the regular season, three goals in the playoffs. The Hawks were as stunned as everybody else. “Getting to this point and falling flat on our face as we did — don’t really have any words right now, or any explanation, or any good explanation, for what just happened,” Toews said. “But it’s not a good feeling, obviously.” The Predators were everything the Hawks have been during their near- decade of dominance — fast and deep, skilled on offense and structured on defense, mentally tough and rock-solid in goal. The Hawks, meanwhile, were ragged and a step slow, with poor puck management on the ice and questionable roster management on the bench. There were flashes of the old Hawks — particularly after Roman Josi’s goal midway through the second period broke a scoreless tie — but as was the case all series, they couldn’t sustain it. “I think it’s insulting to not give that team credit for how well they played, and how they played us specifically,” Toews said. “They were relentless.” They were. But the first sweep of the Hawks since 1993 was a total team failure. In 13 periods, the Hawks mustered just three goals. Toews had one late window-dressing goal after scoring none in a seven-game loss to St. Louis last season. Kane had one goal for the second straight postseason. Marian Hossa and Artemi Panarin had none. Corey Crawford was a lone bright spot, superb again as the Hawks tried to salvage some hope and some dignity. But a sustained second-period shift by Nashville in the offensive zone triggered a raucous standing ovation, and five seconds later, Josi’s blast off a Ryan Johansen faceoff win trickled between Crawford’s legs to give the Predators a 1-0 lead. It was the slimmest lead possible, but the way this series had gone, it seemed almost insurmountable. The Predators made it 3-0 on third-period goals by Colton Sissons and Josi. Toews finally scored on a four-minute power play late in the game, but all that did was avert a third Pekka Rinne shutout. Viktor Arvidsson added an empty-netter with 1:48 left. It was an abrupt end to a remarkable season for the Hawks. Expectations were middling as they entered the season with five or six rookies in the lineup every night. But by the end of a phenomenal February, they were the heavy favorites to come out of the Western Conference and compete for their fourth Stanley Cup in eight seasons. Instead, the Hawks again are staring into the abyss of a nearly five- month summer, an aging roster in need of a greater infusion of speed and youth, searching for the killer instinct that was once their hallmark. “We probably all thought it was going to go a different way, especially with the regular season [we] had,” Kane said. “Coming into the playoffs, 1060697 Chicago Blackhawks

Campbell, Oduya assess their disappointing playoff performances

John Dietz

When Brian Campbell agreed to sign with the Blackhawks last off-season on a franchise-friendly one-year deal, he did it to help the team make another run at a Stanley Cup. And when general manager Stan Bowman acquired Johnny Oduya at the trade deadline, it looked like no team heading into the NHL postseason had a better D corps than the Blackhawks. Well, one week since the playoffs began, the at-times-dismal play of both defensemen has been a factor in the Hawks digging themselves into an 0-3 series hole. Oduya was on the ice for 3 of Nashville's 9 goals in the first three games, with one of those being Kevin Fiala's OT winner in Game 3. Oduya also looked a step slow getting back to the crease on a Colton Sissons goal in Game 2 that gave Nashville a 3-0 lead. "Not very good," Oduya said when asked to assess his play. "There has to be more levels than what it is right now." Oduya is 35 years old and was coming off an ankle injury when the Hawks made the trade. All indications are that he's healthy, so what is wrong with his game? "Who knows?" Oduya said. "It's always a tough thing to pinpoint. As a player you feel if you are and if you aren't (playing well). "I mean, it's the same as for a goal scorer. When you're scoring goals things are going your way. I'm not trying to think about it too much. Going out there and trying to work as hard as you can to … give everything you have for the team." The Blackhawks' Corsi-for numbers (percentage of shot attempts at even strength) have been atrocious in this series, but Oduya's stats are particularly poor. For the series, he checks in at 46.4. and in Game 3 it was an abysmal 35.9. Campbell's Corsi numbers (48.4 for the series) aren't as bad, and he was on the ice for only 1 of Nashville's goals in the first three games. Asked if he is shocked at what has transpired, the 37-year-old let out a sigh and said: "I don't know. Obviously we didn't see ourselves in this situation. "They're a good team. I think I'm more shocked at how we've played. I'm not shocked at how good they are by any means. We knew that going in. "We're in the hole. I'm not trying to think about the past too much now." Campbell could easily retire at season's end, and while Oduya could hang 'em up as well, he is more likely to sign a short-term deal come July. Not that he wanted to talk about it before Game 4. "I'm not even going to answer that question," Oduya said. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060698 Chicago Blackhawks opposed to 66 the season before and 64 in 2014-15. The big Finn actually led the league in 2011-12 when he played in 73 games.

"He's been such a workhorse for so many years in the league that if we Predators' goalie Rinne wants to finally put stake in Blackhawks' hearts found ourselves in the position to do that we would," Laviolette said. "We stuck with that plan through the entire season." John Dietz Every plan seems to be going the Predators' way lately, and if they win Thursday, Rinne can say he finally vanquished the big, bad Hawks.

"Personally and as a team and as an organization, we really want to take NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- One week ago, a small group of reporters circled that next step," he said. "I really believe in this team. I love what we have around goalie Pekka Rinne at the United Center and peppered him with here in the locker room. So hopefully we believe that this is our year." questions about the Predators' upcoming Stanley Cup series with the Blackhawks. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 Are you nervous? Do you feel somewhat responsible for the Hawks eliminating Nashville in 2010 and 2015? Is there something you need to prove to yourself? What stuck out most about his answers was: • Rinne's supreme confidence in everything about his team and … • His overwhelming desire to finally put a stake in the heart of the Hawks. "Personally, I really want to beat these guys," Rinne said. As much as we've focused on Nashville's speed and the Hawks' lackluster play, Rinne is the No. 1 reason the Predators are up three games to none. Coming in, the 6-foot-5, 217-pound veteran owned a mediocre-at-best .912 postseason save percentage and had won just 46 percent of his starts. In three games against the Hawks, he's given up 2 goals on 95 shots. Game 4 is in Nashville at 7 p.m. "You always want to be remembered as a big-game player," Rinne said. He's proven to be exactly that in 2017 at the expense of coach Joel Quenneville's stunned squad. Rinne, who is one of the best puck-handling goalies in the NHL, has flustered the Hawks with his ability to retrieve dump-ins and move the puck up to defensemen time and time again. This underappreciated part of the game doesn't go unnoticed by his teammates. "Instead of going back with a guy on your (butt), you can go to the corner and he'll make a play to you, and you've already beaten a guy up ice," said defenseman Mattias Eckholm. Ryan Ellis agreed. "When you see him doing that for you, you want to respond and do whatever you can for him -- whether it be blocking shots or boxing guys out, he said. "You try to do your best because he's always trying his best for us." Of course, he's not always perfect. There are times Rinne jumps the gun and it comes back to bite him in the butt. It happened in 2010 during the first period of Game 6 against the Hawks when an attempted dump in by Brent Seabrook bounced off Patrick Kane's skate and headed right for the net. Anticipating the play, Rinne wasn't able to get back and the puck flew right in, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead in a game they would go on to win 5-3. Rinne said he talked with his goalie coach about that very play before Nashville's 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 on Monday. And sure enough -- Rinne came within inches of the Hawks scoring another fluky goal when Johnny Oduya's dump in took a wild bounce off a stanchion and headed right for an empty cage. An out-of-position Rinne scrambled back, lunged and somehow deflected the puck inches wide of the right post. "I don't know if I jinxed it or what, but it ended up happening in that first (period)," Rinne said. "It was crazy. … It brought back some memories. But thank God I made that save." Rinne admitted he's had a few fortunate bounces go his way against the Hawks, with the two best examples being shots that hit the post in Game 2 by Richard Panik and Jonathan Toews. "You always think like that as an athlete you try to kind of work hard (and) maybe sometime you're going to have a bounce go your way," Rinne said. Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said the plan this season was to give the 34-year-old Rinne a bit more rest. Rinne started 61 games in 2016-17 as 1060699 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Keith, Oduya reveal their NHL idols

John Dietz

During the Stanley Cup playoffs, we're asking some Blackhawks to tell us which player they grew up idolizing. We'll share their story on each game day. Duncan Keith and Johnny Oduya both chose Ray Bourque and Nicklas Lidstrom, but both talked more about Linstrom. "Tried to study his game and try to implement things a little bit as best I could," said Keith, speaking of Lidstrom. "It seemed like he very rarely made mistakes. He always put the puck in the hands of a player where they were in a good position to succeed or make a good play. He never really put his teammates in a bad spot. There's a million things that you could talk about with him, but those are a couple that stick out." Keith grew up wearing Bourque's No. 77, and Oduya played with Lidstrom in the Olympics in Vancouver. What was it like playing with him? "I mean, it's cool," Oduya said. "Any time you come to the NHL, you play against a lot of guys you watched. It was fun, especially in the Olympics. "You always play against guys, but it's a little bit different when you play with them. You watch what they do and see how good they are on a consistent basis." Lidstrom played in 1,564 games in a career that went from 1991-2012. He piled up 183 points in 263 postseason games and won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060700 Chicago Blackhawks

Sweep leaves Chicago Blackhawks 'shocked, surprised'

John Dietz

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs will go down in the record books for all the wrong reasons for the Chicago Blackhawks. First time they've been swept since 1993. Third time in NHL history a team with the best record in its conference was swept. First time a No. 1 seed has been eliminated since the 2012 Vancouver Canucks. Fourth time out of nine playoff appearances that a Joel-Quenneville- coached Hawks team was eliminated in the first round. It reads like some sort of horror story, and that's what the dazed Hawks felt like they were participating in against a Nashville team few believed in just more than a week ago. Last season the Hawks were eliminated in a heart-wrenching seven- game series against St. Louis, but this setback may have hurt more. "We accomplished all our goals of getting home-ice advantage and we get here and don't take advantage of the opportunity one bit," captain Jonathan Toews said. "We just couldn't find a way to get to that highest level of what we know is our potential. We didn't even get close to it. "So in some ways, yeah, it is more disappointing that we left so much on the table compared to losing a Game 7. It's obviously quite a bit different." Toews finally broke his 12-game goal-scoring drought in the playoffs in Thursday's Game 4 loss, but it came with 5:18 left in the game and the Hawks already trailing 3-0. Kane assisted on the play, but he only scored 1 goal in the series as well. "Right now (this is worse than 2016) just because coming into it we were all very confident with our team and the group we had in here," Kane said. "To not even win a playoff game and score 3 goals in for games, I don't think we really expected it in here. Obviously we're all a little bit shocked and surprised." Tough transition: Ryan Hartman and Nick Schmaltz enjoyed successful rookie seasons, but the first three playoff games against Nashville were tough ones for both Hawks rookies. Schmaltz was demoted off Jonathan Toews' line after just 20 minutes in Game 1 and had just 2 shots in four games against Nashville. Meanwhile, Hartman punched Craig Smith late in Game 2 to earn a game misconduct penalty, and he played just 8:36 in a Game 3 that lasted nearly 77 minutes. Hartman did take 4 shots on goal in Game 4 in 11:38 of ice time. After Thursday's game, coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't lay much blame on the rookies for his team's stunning demise. "We could talk about every single guy," he said. "We needed more. Whether it's inexperience or experience, everybody could have given more." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060701 Chicago Blackhawks Sissons' crazy goal made it 2-0 with 11:08 left in the game. After the shot hit the crossbar, the puck ricocheted into Crawford's arm, and when Crawford moved his arm back, the puck dislodged and flew into the net. Predators win 4-1 to sweep Chicago Blackhawks out of playoffs Eighty-nine seconds later, Josi completed a 2-on-1 break and it was 3-0. Toews' goal -- his first in the postseason since the 2015 Cup Final -- came on the power play and made it 3-1. John Dietz Arvidsson sealed the deal by scoring into an empty net with 1:48 remaining. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- So much promise. So much hope. So many "They are such a great organization, a great team with so many great dreams. players," Josi said. "We have a lot of respect for them. We lost to them two years ago and it is great to be on the winning side." All gone for the Chicago Blackhawks in the blink of an eye. This is the fourth time in Quenneville's nine seasons in Chicago that the Sweep success Hawks have been eliminated in the first round, and the second time it happened in back-to-back years. Of course, the other three times the 100-point teams swept out of the first round since all series became best- Hawks weren't the top seed and they always pushed the series to at least of-seven in 1986-87 six games. Season, team, points Opponent "Give them credit. They played great," Quenneville said of the Predators. 2016-17 Blackhawks (109) Predators "I still think we didn't push in a lot of areas. We could have had the puck a lot more in a lot of situations. (We) lost lots of those 1-on-1 or those 2013-14 Lightning (101) Canadiens individual battles. (We were) missing shots, missing pucks. I think that was contagious. 2005-06 Rangers (100) Devils "We had to be better." 2002-03 Red Wings (110) Mighty Ducks Now that's a shot that found its mark. 2000-01 Senators (109) Maple Leafs Because unfortunately for Quenneville, his teams and its fans, it was the 1988-99 Senators (103) Sabres Predators who were far better and ended a season that began with so 1992-93 Bruins (109) Sabres much promise. 1992-93 Blackhawks (106) Blues So much hope. So many dreams. Source: ESPN Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 The obit was penned by a supremely talented, blazing-fast, rough and gritty Nashville Predators squad that swept the top-seeded Hawks out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Preds hammered the final nail home with a 4-1 victory Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena, becoming the first team to sweep the Hawks out of the postseason since the Blues did so in 1993. Roman Josi scored 2 goals, and Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson scored the others for a Nashville team that moves on to face the winner of St. Louis vs. Minnesota, a series the Blues lead 3-1. "The switch just didn't turn on," said Jonathan Toews, who scored the Hawks' only goal with 5:18 remaining to make it 3-1. "I'm not going to sit here and come up with those reasons right now. Obviously we'll have some thinking to do in the next few days. We've got a lot of time before next season." Said coach Joel Quenneville: "We (didn't) compete to the level that's necessary. I take that personally, as a coach, that we didn't find the all- out button." There were myriad reasons behind the dreadful result, but there's no escaping this number: 3. That was all the goals the Hawks could muster in almost 257 minutes against Pekka Rinne, Nashville's 6-foot-5 wall of a goaltender. In four games, Rinne stopped 123 of 126 shots for an off-the- charts .976 save percentage. "Obviously they took it to us this series," Patrick Kane said. "To score 3 goals in four games, I mean, there's no way you're going to win doing that." The Hawks had two glorious chances in the first two periods of Game 4, but Artemi Panarin and Marian Hossa inexplicably fired wide. Panarin's miss in the waning seconds of the first period was especially galling. After taking a pass from Kane, Panarin closed in on Rinne and flat-out missed his target. "In the first two games I didn't have many chances," Panarin said. "I couldn't get in front of the goal. Today I had a bunch of them and could have helped the team a lot and didn't." Corey Crawford was the only reason the game was in reach after two periods as each of Nashville's 20 shots seemed to be of high quality. The Preds took a 1-0 lead at 9:41 of the second period when a Josi blast hit Crawford between the legs and managed to trickle past the Hawks netminder. Just less than six minutes later, Kane would have tied the game, but a sliding Filip Forsberg got in the way of a point-blank shot with Rinne out of position. 1060702 Chicago Blackhawks They were, for a long time by modern standards. They just aren't anymore.

Look, dynasties never end when you want them to. It's never pretty. It's Rozner: Feels like end of an era for Chicago Blackhawks always a shock. It's on the road in a hostile environment, where fans chant insults, Barry Rozner opposing players laugh and your players are embarrassed. It's sad, but it's the way of things. It's just the natural way of things. Well, it was a heck of a run. Down just 1-0 after two periods Thursday, it might as well have been 10- 0. The Hawks had no chance. The season was already over. If this is indeed the end of the Chicago Blackhawks' decade of dominance, it was truly something to behold in the salary-cap era that You wonder how different this series would have been if the Hawks had has seen no team come close to the Hawks' feat of three Stanley Cups in made an appearance in the first two games, if they had answered the bell six seasons. at home and not staked Nashville to a 2-0 lead and given the Preds all that confidence. If it's not the end, it sure feels like the beginning of the end. But it doesn't much matter now. The No. 8 seed moves on and the The top-seeded Hawks went out in the first round for the second straight Hawks head for the golf course, left with a long summer to ponder their season, a stunning sweep at the hands of the Predators, who ended the futures. series with a 4-1 victory in Nashville on Thursday night. Some of these players will not be back next season -- this group will Since 2010, this is the fourth first-round exit (2011, 2012, 2016), but there certainly never be together again -- and in many ways this series felt like were those three titles (2010, 2013, 2015) and in 2014 a heartbreaking the end of an extraordinary era of Blackhawks hockey. Game 7, overtime loss to the Kings in the conference finals that separated the Hawks from a three-peat. The Hawks will have to wait 12 months to prove otherwise, to prove that isn't the new reality. It's been pretty much all or nothing. There's been a lot of "all," but this year absolutely nothing. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 It wasn't even as close as the 4-0 series score would indicate. There's no shame in getting beat in the NHL postseason, but there's shame in failing to show up, and there were too many periods and too many games in this series when the Hawks simply didn't participate. They scored a grand total of 3 goals in four games, only 1 at even- strength. Duncan Keith, Artem Anisimov and Jonathan Toews all looked like they were playing hurt, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook and Johnny Oduya simply looked like the miles had caught up to them. Hey, maybe they're hurt, too. It would be a reasonable excuse. Oddly enough, 38-year-old Marian Hossa was the Hawks' hardest- working player in the series, if that's supposed to make any sense. Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane were mostly non-factors, and many of the young players looked nervous, taking their cues from veterans who either played poorly or failed to bring a typical postseason effort. From a physical, emotional, skill and speed standpoint -- pick any category you want -- the Hawks were throttled from beginning to end. At some point, it's really a question of whether they wanted to play more hockey, whether they were willing to go quietly, to squander an opportunity to win another Stanley Cup. You got your answer in Game 4, when the Hawks didn't carry the play until the third period, when they finally -- finally -- found their desperation. Games 1 and 2 in Chicago were entirely about effort and lack thereof, and in Game 3 the Hawks were not good enough or fast enough to protect a 2-goal lead in the third period. By that time, the Preds knew they were the better team. The Hawks never did find their desperation until it was too late, that special urgency that defined so many of the legendary comebacks of the last nine years, since they first made the playoffs in 2009. The Hawks came out with a better effort at the start Thursday night _ at least compared to the other three games _ and still Nashville completely dominated the play, the first period scoreless only because Corey Crawford was spectacular. It was simply a matter of time before the Preds put them away. The Hawks even tried to push back physically and generally bounced off the Preds, who could be seen laughing at the visitors throughout Game 4. It's enough to make you wonder how the Hawks' world got so turned upside down. The series was pretty much an embarrassment from start to finish, but by the end Nashville was showing the three-time champs no respect at all. And this was the team Preds coach Peter Laviolette called the "benchmark" for all teams in the NHL. 1060703 Chicago Blackhawks Crawford was exceptional for the first 29 1/2 minutes, but he didn't get much help in the final part of the game. He finished with 22 stops.

In an attempt to create a spark, the Blackhawks altered their lines, and Predators beat Blackhawks 4-1 to complete sweep star forward Patrick Kane played almost 24 minutes. They dressed seven defensemen - Michal Kempny made his playoff debut - and nothing worked. By STEVE MEGARGEE Chicago avoided the shutout when Toews scored at 14:42 of the third for his first postseason goal since Game 4 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. Toews had been held without a goal for 12 straight postseason games. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Pekka Rinne stopped almost every shot he faced. Nashville's top line was outstanding, and Roman Josi and P.K. Subban Arvidsson wrapped up the sweep with an empty-netter with 1:48 keyed a solid defensive performance. remaining. The Predators were relentless, all the way to the very end. Way too much "We are proud of ourselves," Sissons said. "That's no easy thing to do, for the slumping Chicago Blackhawks. sweep the Blackhawks. They have championship-caliber talent over there. We did it in four, so we couldn't be happier." Roman Josi scored twice, Rinne had 30 saves and Nashville beat Chicago 4-1 on Thursday night to complete a surprising sweep of the NOTES: The Blackhawks also dropped their last four games in the Western Conference's top seed. regular season. ... Predators forward Craig Smith was scratched after he got hurt in overtime of Game 3. ... The Predators brought out more "It's definitely a great feeling," Josi said. "I thought we played a great Nashville star power by having Luke Bryan sing the national anthem. series. That's a great team over there. We've got a lot of respect for John Hiatt performed on a stage behind one of the nets between the them. They've got some world-class players and I thought we played second and third periods. Carrie Underwood, who is married to Predators really well in all those four games." captain Mike Fisher, sang the anthem Monday. ... The sellout crowd of 17,326 included Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey and general Colton Sissons also scored and Viktor Arvidsson added an empty-net manager Jon Robinson. goal as Nashville completed the franchise's first playoff sweep. Led by Rinne's shutouts in the first two games, the Predators limited the high- Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 scoring Blackhawks to just three goals in 13 periods. Nashville will face the winner of the St. Louis-Minnesota series in the second round. The Blues have a 3-1 lead heading into Game 5 on Saturday in Minnesota. Chicago became the first No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round since the Los Angeles Kings knocked off the Vancouver Canucks on their way to the Stanley Cup title in 2012. Chicago's second straight first-round exit followed a regular season in which the Blackhawks went 50-23-9 and recorded 109 points, the second-highest total in franchise history. "Not good enough," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I don't think anybody exceeded their expectations, didn't compete to the level that's necessary. I take that personally as a coach to find the 'all-out' button and didn't get the job done." It was the first time a No. 1 seed was swept in the first round since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994. The Blackhawks had the best record in the Campbell Conference and were the Norris Division's No. 1 seed in 1993 when they got swept by St. Louis in the opening round. That also was the last time the Blackhawks had been swept in a playoff series before Nashville's dominant performance. "It's tough enough to lose a series and fall short," captain Jonathan Toews said. "It's a whole different story to lose four straight and get swept like we did." It was particularly sweet for Nashville after it was eliminated by Chicago during the Blackhawks' 2010 and 2015 Stanley Cup title runs. The Blackhawks also had gone 4-1 against the Predators during the regular season. "I feel like 2010 and 2015 we lost against these guys in the first round," Rinne said. "Now we've had a chance to redeem ourselves, a little payback." The Predators were billed as Stanley Cup contenders before the season after putting together arguably their most talented roster since the franchise launched in 1998-99. But they struggled through an inconsistent season that left them playing the mighty Blackhawks in the opening round. Now they are living up to their preseason billing - and have a veteran goaltender in peak form. "Anytime we seemed to start to get things going, they found ways to stymie our momentum or our offense," Toews said. Game 4 was scoreless midway through the second period when Ryan Johansen won a faceoff against Marcus Kruger and passed to Ryan Ellis, who sent it to Josi on his right. Josi fired a slap shot from behind the right circle that got between Corey Crawford's legs and sneaked into the left corner of the net at 9:41. Nashville extended the lead to 2-0 with a bizarre goal at 8:52 of the third. Sissons fired a shot that bounced off the cage and appeared to end up in the area of Crawford's blocker before the puck came loose and rolled into the net. Less than 90 seconds later, Josi beat Crawford on a wrist shot . 1060704 Chicago Blackhawks Forwards Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson MICHAL KEMPNY, SEVEN DEFENSEMEN AMONG THE Harry Zolnierczyk, Mike Fisher, Austin Watson POSSIBILITIES FOR BLACKHAWKS IN GAME 4 Kevin Fiala, Calle Jarnkrok, James Neal

Pontus Aberg, Colton Sissons, Craig Smith By Tracey Myers April 20, 2017 1:00 PM Defensemen

Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Michal Kempny was in and out of the lineup throughout the regular season. Now, he might be playing in his first Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban career NHL postseason game. Yannick Weber and Matt Irwin Kempny could be in, and the Blackhawks could go with seven Goaltender defensemen when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round series on Thursday night. The Blackhawks trail the Predators Pekka Rinne 3-0 and are trying to avoid being swept in a postseason series for the first time since 1993. Injuries and illness: Colin Wilson (lower body) The Blackhawks' four-line rotation hasn't really been there through the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 first three games of this postseason, so bulking up on defense is the next option. Regardless of whether or not the Blackhawks go that route, however, coach Joel Quenneville said their puck possession has to be a lot better. "Our puck decisions or strength in the puck area and relentlessness, when we have it going on all four lines, you're making them defend. But it seems like we're defending a lot more than we're accustomed to," Quenneville said. "We have to find a way to get bigger contributions from each line to get that consistency no matter if we have seven D or four lines." Kempny played in two of the Blackhawks' final three regular-season games (at Colorado and Anaheim), but his last game prior to that was March 19. Kempny didn't know if he was in the lineup when he talked to the media, but he said that if he is, he'll be ready. "If I would play, I would be very glad, and I would do my best, put 100 percent into the game," said Kempny through interpreter Igor Alfimov. Kempny added that it's been tough seeing where the Blackhawks are to this point. "It's not a good feeling especially when you see your team losing, but I believe it's going to change today," he said. If the Blackhawks go with six defensemen, there's a chance Kempny would be in for Johnny Oduya. Asked if Oduya has to be better, Quenneville once again said it's on everybody to be so, not just one player. "Individually or collectively, from every single guy there's more. That's what we're going to need," he said. "To be our best we need everyone contributing in their own ways and being their best, and I think everyone has room for improvement." Catch all the action from Nashville tonight on CSN and streaming live on CSNChicago.com and via the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. Projected lines and defensive pairs Blackhawks Forwards Nick Schmaltz, Jonathan Toews, Richard Panik Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov, Patrick Kane Dennis Rasmussen, Marcus Kruger, Marian Hossa Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero, Jordin Tootoo Defensemen Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson Michal Kempny and Brent Seabrook Brian Campbell and Trevor van Riemsdyk Goaltender Corey Crawford Injuries and illness: Michal Rozsival (facial fractures), Andrew Desjardins (lower body) Predators 1060705 Chicago Blackhawks

Quick Hits from Blackhawks-Predators Game 4: Finished too soon

By Tracey Myers April 20, 2017 11:00 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Blackhawks’ latest playoff run is over before it really started. A hungry Nashville Predators team had their way with the Blackhawks, claiming a 4-1 victory in Game 4 and sweeping the Blackhawks out of the postseason. As Jonathan Toews said, you can point out the Blackhawks’ problems but you also have to recognize how well Nashville played in this series – “I think it’s insulting to not give that team credit for how well they played and how well they played us specifically. I think they were relentless. Anytime we seem to start to get things going they found ways to stymie our momentum or our offense,” he said. Still, it’s a surprise that the team that was hoisting the Stanley Cup less than two years ago is out after the first round for the second consecutive year. But that’s the way it goes. We have a few more notables to cover, so let’s get to those in our Quick Hits. What worked: The Predators’ approach. Stick tap to the Nashville Predators: they were the better team in this series. They didn’t even toy with the notion of extending this series in Game 4, coming out with the same vigor and all-around game that got them their 3-0 lead in the first place. From Pekka Rinne on out the Predators weren’t concerned with their history against the Blackhawks. They were too busy writing a new version. What Didn’t Work: Anything the Blackhawks tried. Line changes, playing Patrick Kane every opportunity they could, puck possession, you name it. The Blackhawks didn’t do anything well on Thursday night in a game they absolutely had to have. Their start was so-so and a late push yielded better scoring opportunities but only one goal, and by that time they were down 3-0. The Blackhawks just didn’t have it, so they’re heading home early. Star of the game: Roman Josi. He was giving the Blackhawks a hard enough time with his defensive game. On Thursday he also hurt them with his offense. Josi scored twice and was stellar throughout. You could throw Viktor Arvidsson in the mix, too. Arvidsson had a goal and an assist (he didn’t get a point on Josi’s first goal but he was in front of the net on it). Arvidsson’s great regular season continues in the playoffs. He Said It: “It’s tough enough to lose a series and fall short. It’s a whole different story to lose four straight and get swept like we did. I think we’ve got guys in this room that have experienced the highs of going all the way. I think aside from what it would feel like to miss the playoffs, especially with the potential in this room, this has to be the next worst feeling for sure. So … yeah, again, not much to say right now.” Jonathan Toews on the Blackhawks’ early exit. By the Numbers: 3 – Goals for the Blackhawks in four games against the Predators. 1993 – The last time the Blackhawks were swept in a postseason series before suffering the same fate on Thursday. 23:43 – Time on ice for Patrick Kane, the most of any Blackhawks player in Game 4. 123 – Shots stopped, out of 126 shots faced, for Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060706 Chicago Blackhawks going into the playoffs and maybe not necessarily the last three games even though we lost a couple on the road, I think the switch just didn’t turn on,” Toews said. “I’m not going to sit here and try and come up with Swept away: Predators eliminate Blackhawks from Stanley Cup playoffs those reasons right now. We’ll have some thinking to do in the next few days and we’ve got a lot of time before next season.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 By Tracey Myers April 20, 2017 9:45 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four and out. On the losing end of a postseason sweep for the first time in more than 20 years. On Thursday the Blackhawks’ postseason, which began with so much promise after a 109- point regular season, ended with a thud. Roman Josi scored twice and Pekka Rinne stopped 30 of 31 shots as the Nashville Predators beat the Blackhawks 4-1 at Bridgestone Arena. The Blackhawks were swept for the first time since the 1993 division semifinals. “It was a major disappointment across the board,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I don’t think any of the four games – there was a stretch in the second period where we might have been competing to the level that we needed in the playoffs. We had some stretches in maybe Game 1 and maybe in segments in all four games. Not good enough. I don’t think anybody exceeded their expectations. We don’t compete to the level that’s necessary. I take that personally, as a coach, that we didn’t find the all-out button, didn’t get the job done.” In the Blackhawks’ locker room there were a myriad of feelings, all in the same range: shock, bewilderment, disappointment and frustration. “Yeah, I think we probably all thought it was going to go a different way, especially with the regular season you have,” said Patrick Kane. “Coming into the playoffs, I think we felt pretty confident. So yeah, I mean, disappointing, shocked. I don’t know. Yeah. It’s going to be a long summer, for sure.” Quenneville said it was on him to make sure the Blackhawks were ready for this series – “whatever buttons you have to push, to find a way to make it work, whether it’s lines or excitement,” he said on what he didn’t do. But ultimately it’s the Blackhawks players who didn’t come through. They couldn’t solve the Predators, who were strong from the start. They couldn’t stop the Predators in their end and they couldn’t score at the other. In four games the Blackhawks scored just three goals, and two of them were on the power play. “A feeling of emptiness. We can’t lose like this,” Artemi Panarin, who went goal-less in the series, said through interpreter Igor Alfimov. “[The Predators] kept it simple. We couldn’t control the puck well. Their defensemen were able to get the puck, get it into the offense. We weren’t able to control.” Down 1-0 the Blackhawks made a push in the third period. But about nine minutes into the third the Predators started a push the other way, with Colton Sissons ringing one off the crossbar. The puck got caught under Corey Crawford and when he pushed back, the puck went in behind him to give the Predators’ a 2-0 lead. Josi, who put the Predators up 1-0 midway through the second period, would add his second of the night about 90 seconds later. “Yeah, it’s tough every time you lose a game in a series like this. It’s tough to mentally battle back and find that confidence and get ready for the next one,” said Jonathan Toews, whose third-period goal was his first postseason tally since the 2015 Stanley Cup final. “I think every game they seemed to get better and better and just thrive off what happened the last game. Every single time we couldn’t start the game the right way. We’d get behind, start forcing offense and then it seems like every defensive breakdown or turnover we had they would come back our way. Odd-man rushes were going in against again. Just an uphill battle every which way.” Once again the Blackhawks talked about being ready at puck drop. Once again, they weren’t. From the start the Predators looked like they wanted no part of a return trip to Chicago. They swarmed the Blackhawks once again and were looking from the early lead at every opportunity. Toews scored with a little more than five minutes remaining in regulation but it was too little, too late. Viktor Arvidsson scored an empty-net goal with 1:48 remaining in the game. The Blackhawks were a heavy favorite to come out of the West this postseason. They couldn’t even get out of the first round. The Predators outplayed them throughout and now the Blackhawks will have a long offseason for the second consecutive season. “We always talk about not expecting to just turn on the switch when we get to the playoffs. Obviously we didn’t like the way we were playing 1060707 Chicago Blackhawks him a few months after praising him for making bold moves to give his team a better chance at another championship.

Likewise, it seems a bit myopic to have earlier praised Joel Quenneville, Despite being swept in the first round, no major changes forthcoming for a Hall of Fame-bound coach, for integrating so many young moving parts the Blackhawks and collecting the second-highest point total in franchise history during the regular season, and then blast him for not getting more out of the lineup in the playoffs. Scott Burnside Editor's Picks

2017 Stanley Cup playoffs coverage You knew this moment was coming, but it was still hard to believe. Visit the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs page to get dates, game There they were, the mighty Chicago Blackhawks, glumly on the wrong schedules, team matchups and featured news all the way into the finals end of the handshake line while a joyous crowd at Bridgestone Arena on ESPN. celebrated their Nashville Predators. Best lines of the playoffs You can only imagine the disbelief in that Chicago locker room after being swept -- swept! -- from the playoffs in the opening round. The extreme shutdown coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs means that lines don't dominate like they do during the regular season. But that Four games. Four losses. Three goals scored. Total. hasn't stopped these trios from lighting it up. The Blackhawks, Central Division champions with 109 points, sank Kids, comebacks, unlikely heroes among playoff surprises beneath the surface of the playoffs like a stone in water, leaving not even the smallest ripple. Auston Matthews isn't the only youngster making waves this postseason, which has featured a raft of rallies, shocking potential Captain Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith sweeps and unexpected stars like Blues goalie Jake Allen. and Brent Seabrook, the core, the engine that had delivered three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015, were done. Sure, it's a bottom-line business, and bottom line is this team didn't get the job done. The Predators dominated in 5-on-5 play, their speed overwhelmed the Blackhawks D and didn't give the potent Chicago offense a chance to set But two questions face Bowman, Quenneville and the rest of this team. up. Toews scored his only goal of the series with the Blackhawks trailing Will those young players -- now with valuable postseason experience -- 3-0 midway through the third period. Kane had one of the goals in the be better served next spring to answer the bell, to score those crucial series. Dennis Rasmussen had the other. goals that eluded the Blackhawks in this very brief first-round ouster? And so "disbelief" is a good word, and not just for the 4-1 final Thursday, And, secondly, can the core that has served this team so well, has won but for what that loss implies for a team that was considered a modern- so often and brought so much glory to the franchise and the city, bounce day dynasty. back next spring? End of the line? Closing of a window? Hossa is 38 and headed to the Hall of Fame, and so expectations must It's easy to suggest these things to be true, given the meek way in which be muted. Toews had a miserable playoff series but remains one of the the Blackhawks exited these playoffs -- a rare sweep and an even rarer top leaders in the game. Keith is still playing at a Norris Trophy level. sweep over a No. 1 seed by a No. 8. It's especially easy to suggest, Kane followed up last season's Art Ross and Hart Trophy run with 89 given the Blackhawks also went out in the first round last year, dropping points and remains one of the most dangerous offensive players in the an emotional seven-game set in the first round to the St. Louis Blues last game. spring. It's why so many experts I spoke to believe this is just a blip on the radar. But let's take a breath. Bottom line, it is still too early to count out the Blackhawks. "I don't think the Hawks' window is closing that quickly," said one ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 longtime NHL player and scout. "With Keith, Toews, Seabrook, [Corey] Crawford and Kane all under contract, they should be contenders for some time. I believe they needed to retool because of cap issues, and they are lacking the depth that allowed them to win previous Cups." Another longtime manager and scout insisted it was far too soon to rebuild the Blackhawks. This team did, after all, set the standard not just for icing championship teams, but for finding a way to keep winning championships in the harsh salary-cap world. That's why GM Stan Bowman is among the best in the business. He has always discovered good talent at the draft despite never drafting near the top because of the team's regular-season successes. And he's added nice pieces through free agency, including last season's rookie of the year, Artemi Panarin, all against the backdrop of having committed a huge portion of his salary cap -- $44.7 million -- to his talented core. But this shockingly brief playoff run highlights that this isn't a computer algorithm, that the intangibles play a significant role. These Blackhawks lacked players who had played significant complementary roles in earlier Cup wins: Andrew Ladd (first time), Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Shaw, Troy Brouwer ... a substantial list of players now gone mostly because of salary-cap reasons. As a result, the lineup was sprinkled liberally with cheaper youngsters necessitated by limited cap space. The Blackhawks -- whose trip to the postseason was their ninth straight, second only in active streaks to the Pittsburgh Penguins -- had seven rookies this season collect 105 points. Seven players scored their first NHL goals this season. The fact that Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero, Nick Schmaltz and even Panarin could not score in the rarified air of the postseason isn't their fault. The decision to reacquire defenseman Johnny Oduya from the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline, just like the decision to repatriate Ladd from the Winnipeg Jets at a much higher cost a year ago, did not pan out. That's all on Bowman, although it seems disingenuous to criticize 1060708 Colorado Avalanche “Everybody has to do their job that way (so that) when you get close on a guy and you have the close support, you can outnumber and put him in situations where you can get the puck back,” Boyle said. “It’s not 1-on-1 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL playoffs for 200 feet of the ice. It takes five guys.” Sometimes it takes six, and when the last line of defense falters it can be the difference in the series. Evgeni Malkin has eight points and Crosby By STEPHEN WHYNO | The Associated Press six for the Penguins, who have taken it to the Blue Jackets and struggling goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in going up 3-1.

Kiszla: Avalanche GM Joe Sakic would be crazy to let another NHL team hire DU coach Jim Montgomery

By Mark Kiszla | April 20, 2017 at 6:25 PM

The man who should be the Avalanche’s next coach works a little more than six miles down the road from the NHL team’s arena in Denver. If general manager Joe Sakic lets Jim Montgomery get away, it will be a crying shame. Montgomery knows how to build a winner. He has done it at the University of Denver. The Pioneers won the eighth national championship in school history earlier this month with a 3-2 victory against Minnesota Duluth. And the NHL has noticed. The Florida Panthers have scheduled an interview with Montgomery. They would be smart to hire him. But Sakic, the former Avs star whose efforts as a front-office executive for the franchise has been an unmitigated hockey disaster, would be crazy to let Montgomery leave town. After finishing the season with a 22-56-4 record, worst in the league by a wide margin, the Avalanche faces a major rebuilding project. After leading the Pioneers to a 33-7-4 record in his fourth season at DU, Montgomery appears to be itching for a new challenge. At age 47, Montgomery is no kid. If he wants to test himself at the sport’s highest level, the time is now. But his love for the Pioneers’ program is genuine, and he will consider moving on from DU only for a head coaching vacancy in the NHL, as Montgomery has told my colleague Mike Chambers. The Avalanche’s free-fall to the bottom of the NHL standings began when coach Patrick Roy abruptly resigned late last summer in a messy divorce that clearly blindsided everyone at the Pepsi Center, from franchise president Josh Kroenke to players young (Nathan MacKinnon) and old (Jarome Iginla). Roy’s departure left Sakic in the lurch, leaving the Avs with limited options and precious little time to find a coach prior to the start of training camp. The team hired Jared Bednar, who labored long and hard as a defenseman in backwater rinks from Saskatoon to South Carolina before proving himself as a capable coach in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ farm system. Bednar is trustworthy, loyal and courteous. But being a good Boy Scout doesn’t make him Scotty Bowman. The Avs had more than their share of bad luck, including a season-ending injury to goalie Semyon Varlamov, but a team with Matt Duchene and Gabe Landeskog has no excuse to be a league laughingstock. The main justification for retaining Bednar for a second season seems to be pity, as firing him after only one disastrous year would be regarded as unfair. But shouldn’t the welfare of the team be a greater concern than sympathy for a coach who could find no answers for the Avalanche? I have personally sat at Magness Arena on the DU campus and watched Montgomery work more than two dozen games. He’s the real deal. Facing intense scrutiny after replacing popular coach George Gwozdecky, Montgomery has averaged more than 25 victories per season since taking over the DU program in 2013. His ability to develop NHL-caliber talent is as obvious as the gorgeous passing and precise shooting of young Pioneer forwards Troy Terry and Henrik Borgstrom. A year ago, Montgomery interviewed with the Calgary Flames. His star is rising. It seems to be a matter of when, not if, Montgomery will be an NHL coach. Why would the Avs let a winner escape from their backyard? Denver Post: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060710 Columbus Blue Jackets that’s for sure. But those battles in the corner, those are what I make my living on, and this time of year is when those matter most.”

Quincey was asked if his huge first-shift hit on Jake Guentzel helped him Puck-rakers: Matchups smatchups, as Blue Jackets look to stave off take out frustrations for the series of scratches. elimination again it’s all about Bob “No, no, no. that’s how I play,” he said. “I had a change to finish my check and I did. I honestly wasn’t going out there looking for it, it just By Tom Reed happened to be my first shift and best opportunity in a long time. It was perfect. I wasn’t looking for it . . . Oh, it felt good.”

--- Tortorella said he didn’t play defenseman Markus Nutivaara in the first PITTSBURGH – The Blue Jackets cannot expect Marc-Andre Fleury to three games of the series because he didn’t play well down the stretch. be as generous with rebounds as he was in Columbus where he spit out The 22-year-old Finn had a goal and assist in Game 4 and was sound pucks like sunflower seeds in a baseball dugout. defensively while paired against Gabriel Carlsson. Don’t be surprised to see Sullivan trying to get the Crosby line out against this pairing tonight. The Penguins goaltender was poor on the road this regular season with a 4-7-5 record, 3.58 goals against average and .887 save percentage and --- The Penguins are 11-4 at home in the playoffs since the start of last the trend continued in the playoffs as he surrendered nine goals in two postseason. games at Nationwide Arena. --- Both teams held optionals at the arena. Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan, who lost his preferred starter Matt Murray in Game 1 warm-ups, defended the Flower’s play Thursday morning --- The league has set no time for a potential Game 6. hours prior to Game 5 faceoff. [email protected] “I think Marc has been solid,” Sullivan said. “I think he gives us a chance Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 to win. I think he’s made some timely saves for us.” Fleury has been excellent in PPG Paints Arena this season (14-3-2 record, 2.52 GAA and .928 save percentage) and he continued the trend in the first two games of the series, allowing one goal each in 3-1 and 4-1 wins. So if Fleury regains his form, it will be up to Sergei Bobrovsky to steal a game here tonight, where the Penguins look to close out the best-of-7 series. While his teammates have improved game to game, Bobrovsky has almost gone the other way. He’s not looked like a presumptive Vezina Trophy winner in allowing soft goals, struggling to track plays coming from behind his net and, at times, lunging uncharacteristically at pucks. His goals against average (3.61) and save percentage (.891) are among the worst in the postseason. “I know there’s a little bit of chatter out there about Bob,” coach John Tortorella said this morning. “He’s a hell of a goalie. He is the backbone of our team. We don’t have a sniff as far as where we are as a team if it doesn’t start with him. We are very comfortable going into this situation tonight, another elimination game, that he’s going to be our goalie.” The Jackets need Bob to be special if they hope to send the series back to Columbus on Sunday. The visitors don’t have the luxury of last change as they did at home, which means Tortotella won’t be able to deploy the William Karlsson line against Sidney Crosby off stoppages as he did in Game 4. Sullivan is well aware of his old friend’s matchup desires – by the way, they “self-assess” here in Pittsburgh just as the players do in Columbus. The Penguins coach is focused on a better start and improved all-around play from his team, which gave up high-quality chances to the Jackets on Tuesday. “When we have our best game, we believe we can throw lines on the ice that can compete against anybody and play through any sort of a matchup,” Sullivan said. “These guys have done it all year long. I think our top lines, plural, can and will be better. “Are we aware of matchups? Sure we are. Are we looking for certain things that put our team in an advantageous position from a matchup standpoint? Yes. Sometimes that changes during a game. I think that was the case with Columbus last game. That (Karlsson line) wasn’t a start-of-the-game matchup.” The Penguins are going to be better tonight. That means Bobrovsky must be at his best. Side dishes --- Tortorella said he’s playing the same lineup as in Game 4. --- Kyle Quincey will play his second consecutive game tonight after being a healthy scratch in the series’ first three games. His Game 4 performance, which included an assist, added ammunition to second guesser stunned by his omission. “I felt unbelievable when I was out there – very calm actually,” Quincey told Dispatch lead hockey writer Aaron Portzline. “I don’t know what it is about playoff hockey. I really enjoy it. All the little battles and the little details, I take pride in that. I’m not going to be toe-dragging anybody, 1060711 Columbus Blue Jackets

Michael Arace | With Bob off his game, series couldn’t be saved

Posted Apr 20, 2017 Michael Arace

PITTSBURGH — Oh, Bob. The Blue Jackets needed Sergei Bobrovsky at or near the top of his game to have a chance to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions. They needed Bobrovsky to be better than the Pittsburgh Penguins’ backup, Marc-Andre Fleury, who was rushed into service when Matt Murray reinjured his groin just before Game 1. The Jackets needed Bobrovsky to steal a game against the vaunted Penguins. Maybe, they needed him to steal two. He did no burgling. The Penguins beat the Jackets 5-2 on Thursday night before a crowd of 18,585 at PPG Paints Arena. With the victory, the Penguins eliminated the Jackets four games to one from the first round of the playoffs and slammed a lid on the best season in Jackets history. The Jackets won 50 games and amassed 108 points during the regular season. Bobrovsky won 41 games and had a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage during the regular season. In the playoffs, he was, statistically, among the league’s worst goaltenders: 1-4, 3.88, .882. “They’re good players,” Bobrovsky said of the Penguins. “They won the series. They beat me.” Bobrovsky did not lose the series. No, when a team wins but one game in a best-of-seven, the problems go deeper than the goalie. The Jackets’ biggest problem was the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin had 11 points in six games. Dang. Sidney Crosby and his left wing, Jake Guentzel, combined for 13 points. Phil Kessel had eight points. They put on a clinic in how to manage and win playoff games. This thing was closer than the final tally. The Jackets nearly won Game 3 in overtime, when a shot at a gaping net somehow turned into a facemask save by Fleury. The Jackets won Game 4. It can be argued that, if not for Fleury’s mask, we’d have a Game 6 Sunday at Nationwide Arena. It can also be argued that, if not for Fleury’s 49 saves in Game 5, the Jackets have a chance to advance. “We played our (glutei) off,” Jackets coach John Tortorella said. “That’s not a 4-1 series.” Jackets fans will stew over the officiating, and their beefs will not be wholly without merit. The fateful call came early in the third period. A goal by Oliver Bjorkstrand — which would have tied the score at 3 — was wiped out on a goaltender’s interference penalty on Alexander Wennberg. When the so-called foul occurred, Fleury was outside of his crease and Wennberg was being hooked, rather blatantly, by Scott Wilson. Fleury embellished the contact with a lovely back dive and the referees either missed or ignored the hook. The Penguins went on a power play and the rest is history. Playoff officiating can be capricious. You want to avoid complaint? Winning helps. The Jackets ran into just enough bad luck to stunt a series of fine efforts. They had no luck in Games 1 and 2 — seriously, none at all. They lost their star rookie defenseman, Zach Werenski, who took a puck in the face in Game 3. They lost their captain, Nick Foligno, to a lower-body injury in Game 5. There was a lot that was scrambled in front of Bobrovsky, who never got comfortable. Here, the series in a nutshell: Two elite shooters, Kessel and Crosby, scored power-play goals in Game 5. Are power-play goals Bob’s fault? Not really. Yet, at the same time, both goals were short-side jobs. The first one — which was the first goal of the game — Bobrovsky usually swallows, and he never saw it, and he wasn’t screened. Meanwhile, Fleury beat the Jackets like a rented mule. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060712 Columbus Blue Jackets

Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 2 | Season ends with frustrating loss

By Aaron Portzline

PITTSBURGH — In an instant, Oliver Bjorkstrand went from having his hands over his head in celebration to having his head in his hands in aggravation. An early third-period goal that would have brought the Blue Jackets back from a three-goal deficit was disallowed because of a goaltender interference call on Alexander Wennberg, a call that devastated Bjorkstrand, infuriated coach John Tortorella on the bench, and ended the team’s hopes for a miracle comeback on two fronts. The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away for a 5-2 win before 18,585 at PPG Paints Arena, winning the best-of-seven first-round series in only five games. “This is not a 4-1 series,” Tortorella said. “I’m not going to piss and moan about it. They win, but I like a lot of things about our club. “We have to lick our wounds and learn from some of the things that went on in the series. But I can’t wait to get going again with them. I’m proud of them. I’m very proud of this group.” Stanley Cup | Penguins 5, Blue Jackets 2 So ends an astounding season for the Blue Jackets. They far exceeded expectations in the regular season, pulling off a 16-game winning streak and setting new franchise records all over the media guide. But the regular season raised expectations to the point that a first-round exit — the franchise’s third such exit in three playoff trips — created a hollow feeling in the dressing room. “It hurts,” center Brandon Dubinsky said. “The season we put in, these playoffs don’t reflect it. These are the times when you have to step up and find a way to get the job done. We weren’t good enough.” The Jackets, playing without captain Nick Foligno (lower body), could have been left for dead, trailing 3-0 early in the second period. But William Karlsson’s backhanded goal at 9:30 of the second and Boone Jenner’s power-play rebound put-back at 12:24 pulled the Jackets to 3-2. The Penguins went the final 10:54 of the second period without a shot on goal. “We kept fighting, there’s no doubt,” Dubinsky said. “It’s a tough lead to spot the defending champs.” The ice continued to tilt in the Blue Jackets’ favor early in the third, and they appeared to tie it 3-3 when Bjorkstrand scored into a vacated cage from the slot. But just as Bjorkstrand started to celebrate, NHL official Eric Furlatt disallowed the goal, saying Wennberg interfered with Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. “I had no intention to hit Fleury,” Wennberg said. “He’s far out (of the crease). I’m trying to skate by and he calls it. It’s game-changing, right there.” Tortorella was furious on the bench but wouldn’t comment after the game. “Stop baiting me into it,” he told a reporter. “There’s no sense in me having a viewpoint on it. It happened.” The Penguins, their 3-2 lead restored, scored on the ensuing power play to make it 4-2. The lead grew to 5-2 less than a minute later when Scott Wilson swatted a rebound into the net. “Obviously, it changed the game, changed the course of the game,” Dubinsky said. “I didn’t see the call, so I can’t comment on it (being right or wrong). But that changed the game, big-time.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060713 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Penalty nullifies goal, turns tide

By Tom Reed

PITTSBURGH — Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella roared from the bench at the referees moments after the puck was being fished from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ net. Seconds earlier, his players were celebrating an apparent tying goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand with 16:08 remaining in the third period. PPG Paints Arena was stunned and silent, the home team having surrendered a three-goal lead. But referee Eric Furlatt waved off the goal, ruling Alexander Wennberg had interfered with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury right before Bjorkstrand swept the puck into an empty net. With Wennberg in the penalty box, the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby scored to make it 4-2 on the way to a 5-2 win that eliminated the Blue Jackets on Thursday night in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. The sequence proved the turning point and left the Blue Jackets fuming with the call even as they tempered their postgame comments. “It is what it is and it sucks.” Wennberg said. “I’m not trying to go in and hit the goalie. I think he was out (of the crease) and I got pushed in there. Obviously, the game changed right there.” There is plenty of irony involved, given the player who was penalized. Wennberg finished the regular season with 21 penalty minutes — the second-fewest among Blue Jackets’ forwards — and is more Lady Byng than crease crasher. He drove the net and was being tied up by Penguins forward Scott Wilson, whose stick pressed against the chest of the Blue Jackets’ center. Wennberg made contact with Fleury, who was on top of his crease anticipating a shot. Replays show most of Fleury’s body was outside the blue-shaded area, but that his left skate was on the line before he fell to the ice. “It’s tough for me,” Wennberg said. “I’m not trying to do anything. The ref makes a call and I think he’s just guessing, but that’s my opinion. I’m not going to say too much about it.” Wilson appeared to ride Wennberg into Fleury. On the bench, Tortorella seemed to be motioning that Wennberg had been hooked by Wilson. He refused, however, to get drawn into the controversy in his postgame news conference. “You guys watched the game,” Tortorella said. “You don’t need my help with that.” Asked whether he thought Fleury was in the crease, Tortorella said: “I’m not talking about that play.” Furlatt could have nullified the goal without calling a penalty, citing incidental contact. But he chose to award the Penguins a power play. Pittsburgh scored their second power-play goal of the game and fifth of the series as Crosby beat Sergei Bobrovsky on a sharp-angle shot with 21 seconds left in the Wennberg penalty. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060714 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Seth Jones’ skills make him perfect to pair up with

By Tom Reed

PITTSBURGH — At some point in the next few months, Blue Jackets coaches must address a question 25 other NHL franchises would love to be asking. What to do with the defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski? Do you let them grow old together? Or, do you split them, giving the Jackets a minute-eating, offensive-minded, slick-skating defenseman on two pairs for about 45 minutes a game? The Jackets have ample time to remedy a wonderful debate, but one thing seems certain: Jones can play well with almost anyone. He’s demonstrated the ability with Werenski missing time because of a shoulder injury and a facial fracture in recent weeks. “I don’t think it’s that hard,” coach John Tortorella said Thursday. “I think Jonesy is that good.” Jones started Game 5 of the Jackets’ opening-round playoff matchup Thursday night playing with Kyle Quincey. The pairing was effective in a 5-4 win Tuesday night, two days after Werenski was lost for the season to a broken cheekbone. In the past few weeks, Jones has had Quincey, Markus Nutivaara, Scott Harrington and Gabriel Carlsson as partners, and there has been little drop-off in the All-Star’s game. “You have to adjust to the style your partner plays,” Jones said. “With Zach, he loves to skate the puck, he loves to join the rush. I’m always looking for him. With ‘Q,’ I’m the one joining the rush for the most part.” Not every defenseman can make such a seamless transition. Even good ones can be impacted by the loss of a regular partner. Jack Johnson admittedly struggled at times this season when David Savard was out because of back spasms. Quincey said he has enjoyed the opportunity to play with Jones, 22, who established career highs in goals (12), assists (30) and points (42). “Unbelievable skater, great hockey player,” Quincey said of Jones. “I’m not a guy who watches hockey all the time, and I don’t remember playing against him that much, so I didn’t know what kind of player he was. Now, I’m getting the full scope of his skills. “All the guys I played with, the legends, were at the end of their careers, not moving the best. Nobody has skated like him. Adam Foote, Scott Hannan, Matt Greene, Nick Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Mathieu Schneider. Even (Niklas) Kronwall doesn’t skate like him. I’ve played with some great players, but nobody who can move like he moves.” Werenski honored Werenski, a 19-year-old defenseman, was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, presented to the league’s top rookie. The other finalists are Toronto center Auston Matthews and Winnipeg wing Patrik Laine. Werenski ranked seventh among NHL rookies and 13th among all defensemen in scoring with 47 points. He finished the season with 11 goals and 36 assists. The award is voted on by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Werenski becomes the third Blue Jacket to be named a finalist. Wing Rick Nash was up for the award in 2003. Goaltender Steve Mason won it in 2009. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060715 Detroit Red Wings

Goalie prospect Jared Coreau to lead Red Wings farm team in AHL playoffs

Helene St. James , Detroit Free Press 7:44 p.m. ET April 20, 2017

Goaltender Jared Coreau is among the prospects who will be counted on to carry the Detroit Red Wings’ top farm team into the playoffs. The Grand Rapids Griffins begin their AHL Calder Cup campaign Friday at Van Andel Arena, when they host the Milwaukee Admirals in a first- round series that continues Sunday before switching to Milwaukee for Game 3, and a possible Game 4. If needed, Game 5 would be May 1 in Grand Rapids. “We have to get off to a good start because in a five-game series, things can happen quickly,” Griffins coach Todd Nelson told the Free Press Thursday afternoon. “We’ve got to get both games here at home and hopefully close out in Milwaukee, but Milwaukee has played us close all year. “Jared will start and hopefully be a part of our whole run.” The Griffins are packed with Wings prospects, including forwards Evgeny Svechnikov, Tyler Bertuzzi and Tomas Nosek, and defenseman Filip Hronek. The Wings announced on Thursday a three-year, entry-level contract for forward Christoffer Ehn, a fourth-round pick from 2014 who had 13 points in 52 games last season in the Swedish Hockey League. As with defenseman Dennis Cholowski, the Wings’ first-round pick from last summer’s draft, Ehn is with the Griffins to absorb the playoff experience. Ehn, 21, is obligated to return to Sweden for another year because he is under 22, but there’s value for him to have made the trip to Grand Rapids. “We have 31 players here now, a lot of depth, but it is important for the young guys to see what AHL games are like,” Nelson said. “It puts them in a good position for the future, and for the coaching staff, it is a nice way for us to see them and evaluate their talent. It’s more intimate than development camp.” Nelson pointed to the Admirals’ grittiness as a reason why Hronek might not start the series – he is more of a finesse player, extremely good at moving the puck. Bertuzzi and Eric Tangradi figure as good countermeasures against the Admirals, and there is hope Martin Frk (who led the Griffins with 27 goals) will return from injury during the series. Coreau went 19-11-3 in Grand Rapids with a 2.33 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. He appeared in 14 games with the Wings, where he went 5-4-3 with a 3.46 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. Though his NHL numbers are ugly, he played very well in several games, including delivering two shutouts, but he was less steady as he took on more of a backup role. His performance in the Griffins playoffs will be of especial interest to Wings management, as they have to decide if Coreau is ready for full-time backup duties in Detroit next season since he will no longer be waiver exempt. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060716 Detroit Red Wings Who: Key Griffins: Matt Lorito (22 goals, 34 assists), Ben Street (25 goals, 30 assists), Evgeny Svechnikov (20 goals, 31 assists), goaltender Jared Coreau (19-11-3, 2.33 GAA, .917 SVS). Griffins ready to go through ‘rigors’ of playoff hockey Detroit News LOADED: 04.21.2017

Ted Kulfan , The Detroit News Published 5:16 p.m. ET April 20, 2017

Detroit — Get ready for playoff action, Red Wings fans. Not with the Red Wings, obviously, but with the minor-league affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins begin the American Hockey League (AHL) playoffs Friday with a home game against Milwaukee, then host Milwaukee on Sunday at Van Andel Arena for Game 2 in the first-round, best-of-five series. At 47-23-6 (100 points), the Griffins are the second seed in the Central Division, while Milwaukee (43-26-4, 93 points) is the third. The teams met in the first round last year as well, with the Griffins holding the Admirals to three goals in sweeping the series, 3-0. “This is extremely important for the development of any young player,” said Ryan Martin, Red Wings assistant general manager, who oversees the Griffins. “It’s a different game from the regular season.” Just as in the NHL, the pace and energy of the games intensifies, along with the level of play. Since winning the Calder Cup under coach Jeff Blashill (now the Red Wings coach) in 2013, the Griffins have appeared in more playoff games (59) than any other AHL organization. Eight Griffins who made their NHL debuts with the Red Wings this season will compete in these AHL playoffs: Forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Mitch Callahan, Matt Lorito, Tomas Nosek and Evgeny Svechnikov, defensemen Dan Renouf and Robbie Russo, and goaltender Jared Coreau. That slice of the NHL was educational, but probably nothing like professional postseason hockey. “Getting to go through a best-of-seven series, a best-of-five in the first round, getting to go through all the rigors, it’s important,” said Martin, who oversees the Griffins among his responsibilities. “You see the development of some our players (on the Red Wings). It’s important to experience.” The Griffins have a good blend of experience and youth. Callahan, and defensemen Brian Lashoff and Nathan Paetsch, are the lone remaining players from the 2013 championship team. But players like Nosek, Bertuzzi, Coreau and Lorito have previous AHL playoff experience, which makes it easier to adjust for players such as Svechnikov, defenseman Filip Hronek (second-round pick, 2016) and forward Axel Holmstrom (seventh round, 2014), who’ll be making their playoff debuts. Hronek was a late-season addition after completing his junior hockey season, and has been impressive in Grand Rapids. Coreau has split time in net the last two seasons, but goes into this playoff season as the No. 1 goalie. The performances of Nosek and Svechnikov, who both could have NHL jobs next season, and Bertuzzi, who has had two impressive AHL playoff springs, will be monitored. “Bertuzzi is a player who has shown the ability to raise his level of play (in the playoffs),” Martin said. Milwaukee vs. Grand Rapids What: AHL 1st-round playoffs, best-of-five series Series Friday: at Grand Rapids, 7 Sunday: at Grand Rapids, 4 Tuesday: at Milwaukee, 7 April 28: at Milwaukee, 7, if necessary May 1: at Grand Rapids, 7, if necessary 1060717 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings sign Christoffer Ehn to entry-level contract

Ansar Khan | April 20, 2017

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings signed center Christoffer Ehn to a three-year entry-level contract. The club selected the 6-foot-3, 181-pound center in the fourth round (106th overall) in 2014. Ehn, 21, had four goals and 13 points in 52 games for Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League this season and recorded two points in 14 postseason appearances. He helped Frolunda to a league championship during the 2015-16 season. Ehn appeared in 97 games for Frolunda's professional club, picking up four goals and 15 points. Ehn has joined the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, which will face the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round of the playoffs starting Friday at Van Andel Arena. Ehn is not projected as a big scorer, as his numbers would indicate, but the Red Wings like his size, skating ability and hockey sense. They believe he has some playmaking potential. Jiri Fischer, who works in Red Wings player development, said last year of Ehn: "He's not afraid to try to beat guys one-on-one. He was certainly very good at the U18 World Championships. That's one of the reasons he caught our scout's eye. On the faceoffs and in battles, once he gets stronger, he'll be fantastic." A native of Linkoping, Sweden, Ehn represented his country at the 2015 and 2016 World Junior Championships and picked up a combined four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 games. Michigan Live LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060718 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Xavier Ouellet aims to be hard to play against

Ansar Khan | April 20, 2017

DETROIT - One of several knocks against the Detroit Red Wings defense is its lack of abrasiveness, that it's too soft. Niklas Kronwall isn't the big hitter he was in the past due to age and injuries. Big Jonathan Ericsson is not physical. Brendan Smith was traded at the deadline. Danny DeKeyser, Mike Green and Nick Jensen are good skaters but don't hit. Xavier Ouellet might be the only one of the group who can provide a sandpaper-like presence. "I like the intensity, the emotion in the game," Ouellet said. "I like to play physical to a certain point, play solid. I want to be hard to play against, that's something I want to bring to my game a little more, too. I want teams to not like playing against me. I'll keep working on this, too." Ouellet, 23, had a shaky start in his first full NHL season, getting scratched in 15 out of 17 games from Oct. 21-Nov. 25. But an injury to Alexey Marchenko provided opportunity and Ouellet capitalized. He played all but one game the rest of the way and Marchenko was waived and claimed by Toronto. Ouellet appeared in 66 games, picking up three goals and nine assists. At plus-2, he and Robbie Russo (19 games) were the only defensemen who didn't post a negative plus-minus rating. "I think it was a good year for me," Ouellet said. "It was challenging, but it was fun. I think it taught me a lot about what it takes to be a regular and play every night. I obviously got a lot of work to do and I'm going to keep doing it." The Red Wings were high on Ouellet, a second-round pick in 2011 (48th overall), since 2013-14, when he appeared in four regular season games and former coach Mike Babcock trusted him enough to insert him into the lineup in the decisive Game 5 against Boston in the first round of the playoffs. But his waiver-exemption status worked against him until this season, when he finally landed a regular spot on the roster. "Part of guys' growth is opportunity and he had lots of opportunity down the stretch to prove he can help us win and not just a guy who's able to play," coach Jeff Blashill said. "When he's playing his best, he's managing his game real well, he's moving the puck. When he gets opportunities to move it, he's skating. When he gets opportunities to skate he's defending hard. I think it's been a good year for him." Ouellet's not a fighter but he had three fighting majors and showed a willingness to stick up for teammates. "I think my hockey sense and my compete level allowed me to play all these games this year," Ouellet said. "I obviously got to keep working on a lot of things on the ice but one thing I'm going to do for sure is complete every night." Ouellet said his off-season objectives will be different this time. "My goal last summer was to get a little bigger, a little stronger, which I did," he said. "I'm happy about. But I think moving on now, I need to work on speed, maybe get a little lighter, but stay as strong. I'm going to try to get a little faster, a little quicker on the ice." Despite taking strides this season, Ouellet's future with the organization is in doubt because he's a candidate to be selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the June 21 expansion draft. Chances are, the three defensemen the Red Wings opt to protect will be Danny DeKeyser, Mike Green and Nick Jensen. Michigan Live LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060719 Detroit Red Wings

Nielsen says players have to be better

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

DETROIT - Frans Nielsen’s first year with his new team didn’t end like he had hoped. His expectations were not met because the Wings did not make the playoffs. “It’s been disappointing absolutely, but I think there are some really good pieces in here, so I think it’s not like I feel like I’m going to come back after the summer and we’re going to go through this again,” Nielsen said. “I really believe this group can do something. We’ve just got to learn from this and figure it out. I think for the most part, some nights we basically got outworked, and that just can’t happen in this league.” Detroit missed the playoffs for the first time since 1990. “System wise I think we’re fine,” Nielsen said. “Everything around us – the coaches, the trainers – is fine. Sometimes it just comes down to us in here. You’ve just got to bring it every night. It’s a tough league and you just have to show up every night. “It’s not going to be pretty sometimes, you have to grind it out and find other ways to win,” Nielsen said. “We couldn’t get away from that skill game and when it was off, everything was just going wrong. So we’ve got to learn to win when we don’t have a good night and learn how to just find a way, grind it out and do it the hard way. After spending his first 10 seasons with the New York Islanders, Nielsen signed a six-year deal worth $32.5 last offseason. “It’s been a tough year but I believe in everyone in here,” Nielsen said. “I think talent wise we are right there. We’ve just got to bring a little more mean attitude and play harder and do it a little more simple sometimes. That’s my take from the year. “I know they always had a tradition of playing a lot of nice hockey here, with skill guys, but I think we’ve got to learn how to play the other side of it, too, when we don’t have that night, when our game is not on. Teams are so good defensively today if you turn pucks over, that’s what teams are looking for. It’s a tough league and you have to pay the price every night.” The Wings dealt their only gritty player, Steve Ott, to Montreal when they felt they weren’t going to make the playoffs. “He might not put up a ton of points but it’s so important,” Nielsen said of Ott. “Every time we’d get the puck down in their end and he’d finish checks on their D, at some point they’re going to be tired of that and they’re going to back off. That’s going to give our skill guys a little more room. They’re going to give up that four or five feet at the blue line and you can come in and hit guys coming in late. “It’s a process,” Nielsen continued. “You need to grind them down and you need guys like that who do that. Later on in games it’s going to be beneficial for your skill guys. I think you need it. You can’t skill your way through this league today. It’s too hard.” Nielsen, who finished fourth on the team in scoring with 41 points and had a plus/minus rating of minus-19, feels coach Jeff Blashill isn’t the problem. “I think he’s a really good coach and every time he comes and speaks, when he walks out you’re like, ‘he’s saying the right things,’” said Nielsen, who will not participate at the World Championships. “It really doesn’t come down to that right now. I think it’s in the room, us players. We got outworked in a bunch of games. Stuff like that, it’s not X’s and O’s. It’s us in here that have to step it up and do a better job.” Macomb Daily LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060720 Edmonton Oilers “I know I’m not playing good hockey right now,” said Draisaitl. “I’m well aware of that. It’s up to me to get back to playing the way I can and the way I’m expected to play.” Dan Barnes: Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl admits spear was 'stupid,' The blanket that has been tossed over McDavid will naturally affect his vows to be better linemates. They generally get him the puck in the neutral zone and expect to get it back in prime scoring position in the offensive zone. The Sharks have been sealing off McDavid from his wingers and stifling the DAN BARNES, EDMONTON JOURNAL kid’s speed and creativity. That’s taken Draisaitl, Patrick Maroon and Anton Slepyshev out of the mix too. But they all need to fight through it.

“There is going to be attention paid to Connor the rest of his career,” said Sick and tired turned to selfish and stupid, and that was sin enough. Letestu. “So if we want to be successful, we have to find ways. That’s Leon and Connor included. They can’t accept being checked. But that Thankfully, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl wasn’t also offering comes with experience.” excuses for his $2,500 jab at Chris Tierney’s future family plans. There are plenty of lessons to be learned by the Oilers with just four “Obviously, that’s a stupid play. That’s not who I am. That’s not me. playoff games under their belt. That’s not how I want to be seen as a player,” Draisaitl said Thursday morning, two days after spearing Tierney, a San Jose Sharks forward. “I Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.21.2017 think everyone knows that I’m the last guy that wants to hurt anyone out there, that wants to play that type of game. I know it was a bad play by me, so obviously, I’m happy with what I got.” He got a hearing and a fine, which amounts to a reprieve and a chance to be a better player and more mature member of the young Oilers. We all know he’s not dirty. He racked up just 20 PIMs to go with 77 points this year, making him a Lady Byng Trophy candidate for the National Hockey League’s most gentlemanly player, as his head coach mentioned Thursday. But the Oilers were not at all happy with what they got from Draisaitl on that particular play, what with the Sharks already up 5-0. He put San Jose on a five-minute power play, and they scored again. As for the rest of this series, in which Draisaitl had been mostly a rumour, the Oilers know something about his health that became apparent as he coughed his way through a media scrum on Thursday. He has been sick. He has also been tired. The two go hand in hand. When he allowed sick and tired to turn into stupid and selfish, it was a case of frustration guiding his attack on Tierney. That simply can’t happen, especially in the playoffs. And there were plenty of teammates ready to help him understand that. Jordan Eberle, Milan Lucic and Mark Letestu all chimed in about the lesson to be learned. “He’s an important player for us,” said Letestu. “To lose him at that point in the game gave us less of a chance of coming back. Then to put us at risk of losing him for a game, again that’s not very team-forward thinking. “So for him to kind of dodge a bullet there, hopefully it’s a lesson learned to keep his emotions in check and a lesson for everybody else in the room. It’s a series, it’s not a one-game, message-sending thing or an individual thing. It’s about a team and a series, and we’re going to need everybody. “Frustration is something coaches have talked to me about in a lot of different stops. It’s a useless emotion. There is nothing to gain from frustration. It tends to breed throughout the locker room once it’s kind of personified on the bench, whether it’s slamming bottles or sticks or doors or yelling or taking penalties. I haven’t seen a lot of good come from frustration.” Eberle, like Draisaitl, is playing NHL post-season hockey for the first time and can understand the frustration level building. “But obviously it wasn’t a smart thing to do.” It was Draisaitl’s first brush with NHL justice, and Lucic believes it will have an impact on him. “You just gotta learn how to keep your emotions in check and not let things like that creep into your game,” said Lucic. “It’s his third year in the league and his first time getting a phone call, so those things happen. It also shows the competitive side of him, that he didn’t like what was going on.” We haven’t seen a lot of good, smart play from Draisaitl, and that probably goes back to his health. He’s been skipping off-day practices and game day skates — trying to get some rest, he said — but he was on the ice at Rogers Place Thursday morning, so perhaps he’s on the road to recovery. It’s certainly time for him to show up, to play as well in the playoffs as he did down the stretch during playoff-like games. He was a force then, in tandem with Connor McDavid. Through four games, McDavid had two points and Draisaitl but one shot. He had barely moved his feet, and certainly wasn’t always using his head. 1060721 Edmonton Oilers

Game Day: Game 5 Sharks at Oilers

Jim Matheson Published on: April 20, 2017

San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers, Western Conference quarterfinal Game 5, 8:30 p.m. at Rogers Place, TV: Sportsnet, radio: 630 CHED What’s in the tank Oilers: Empty — Anytime you get drilled 7-0, you’re a hurting puppy. Sharks: Full — They swallowed Oilers whole in Game 4. Who To Watch Oilers: Cam Talbot After back-to-back shutouts where he stopped 39 straight shots, Talbot was beaten five times in 24 shots over 33 minutes and got the hook for Laurent Brossoit in Game 4. Until his rough patch in San Jose, Talbot had stopped 80 of 83 shots in the other three games so we’ll see if the Game 4 mercy pull for the backup Brossoit was just an aberration or they’ve found a chink in Talbot’s armour. Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic The tendency is to go for one of San Jose’s offensive guys but “Pickles” is matched against Connor McDavid pretty much every even-strength shift along with partner Justin Braun. Vlasic was on Canada’s 2014 gold- medal winning team in Sochi and on the World Cup championship squad last fall and might well be the best shutdown D in the league. Who has the advantage Forwards: Sharks — Only one even-strength Oiler goal (Zack Kassian) in four games. Defence: Sharks — Vlasic defensively and Burns with puck swings this San Jose’s way. Goaltending: Sharks — Jones has only given up five goals. Power play: Sharks — Oilers second-worst of playoff teams at 8 percent. Penalty kill: Sharks — Oilers have had to kill whopping 22 in four games. Intangibles: Oilers — Game 5 is at home, chance to rebound. Overall: Sharks — Their big guns firing more than Edmonton’s. Worth noting The team that wins Game 5 of a series when it’s tied 2-2 wins the series 78 per cent of the time according to the good folks at the Elias Sports Bureau. The Oilers have loaned winger Jesse Puljujarvi to Finland’s world championship team rather than bring him up from the minors. They called up four farmhands — centre Anton Lander, winger Joey Laleggia and blueliners Jordan Oesterle and Mark Fayne — to join JJ Khaira, Matt Hendricks, Iiro Pakarinen, Eric Gryba, Griffin Reinhart and third goalie Nick Ellis as extras. The Sharks big five — Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patty Marleau, Logan Couture and Brent Burns — had 11 points in the 7-0 win after just a single point in the first three games of the series. The four power-play goals by Sharks in Game 4 tied a franchise playoff record. San Jose coach Pete DeBoer threw his top three lines in a blender for Game 4 and he came out smelling like a rose. Even though the Oilers were trounced in Game 4, they leaned heavily on their top four D of Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera. They all played at least 21 minutes. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060722 Edmonton Oilers four matches, set up the goals after vowing to be much better at the morning skate. He also won 15 of 19 faceoffs on the night.

It could have been a romp early if Nurse and Jordan Eberle had scored Oilers take 3-2 series lead over San Jose on Desharnais' overtime goal rather than hit iron, but the pucks didn’t go in. “We deserved better early on with the goalposts but hockey’s not always Jim Matheson Published on: April 21, 2017 fair,” said Letestu, who brought them back with his ripper under the crossbar after a terrific backhand feed from Draisaitl. “Our power play needed to have an answer. It had been cold for a few games (0-for-12 stretch before the goal.” If the Edmonton Oilers were hoping to flush away the sour-smell of a 7-0 blowout in San Jose in Game 4 after, uh, not pissing a drop there, they Before the Sharks took the ice for their morning skate, coach Pete emphatically did it Thursday at Rogers Place where there’s been so DeBoer said he was worried about the Oilers’ hunger after being starved many stories in the playoffs about the lines for toilets being way too long. for anything positive in Game 4. And until Klefbom sent the game to extra time for the second time in the series, it appeared his team might escape In a one-sided Oilers overtime where they chewed up the Sharks 14-2 on with the win in 60 minutes. the shot-clock with goalie Martin Jones stoning two of the big boys — Connor McDavid on a 2-on-1 with Leon Draisaitl and making a dazzling But hunger is an empowering thing, moreso than momentum. stick stop on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the crease — the littlest guy on the ice, David Desharnais, finally found a hole on Jones with 1:45 left for a 4- “I think response is a much better weapon for a team,” said DeBoer. “We 3 win. knew we’d get a response from the Oilers and that’s a dangerous thing.” He wasn’t the No. 1 Oilers player on the night. Leon Draisaitl set up three In the second, Schlemko’s seeing-eye 55-footer sailed past Talbot just as goals after having just one shot and no points in the first four games. But a penalty to Maroon ended, but Letestu made it 3-2 with Edmonton’s Desharnais wrote the biggest story as the Oilers clawed back from not second power-play goal in 13 series tries, off a wonderful Draisaitl only the embarrassment from the previous game in San Jose, but a 3-1 backhand feed. hole 18 minutes into the second of this one. “I’m well aware I haven’t played well,” said Draisaitl, looking in the mirror “Davey’s best game as an Oiler,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan, and not liking what he saw on the stats sheet, never mind the major and punctuating a night where he not only got the winner but set up Oscar game misconduct in Game 4 for a spear on Chris Tierney. Klefbom for the goal that sent it to overtime and also won seven of his 10 Schlemko, who grew up in Edmonton playing minor hockey for the face-offs as the Oilers took a 3-2 lead in the series. Knights of Columbus organization before joining the WHL’s Medicine Hat The Oilers, who scored the first goal five minutes into the game by Tigers after his midget season, was talking after the morning practice Patrick Maroon, allowed the next three by Mikkel Boedker, Patrick about his mum and dad being buried in a sea of orange and taking grief Marleau and hometown boy David Schlemko, before rallying. They trailed in their teal Sharks’ jerseys earlier in the series. by two before Mark Letestu’s power-play goal started the comeback, “Pretty ruthless,” said Schlemko, who was out partying as a teenager on sending it to overtime in a pulsating piece of theater with less than three Whyte Avenue during the Oilers’ last playoff run. “I was behaving myself, minutes left in the third, when Klefbom blasted a screened shot past though.” Jones. Desharnais set it up for his first point in 17 games. After getting the throwaway last goal in the Sharks’ pounding in San “Two years ago at our first training camp (as a new coaching staff), we Jose, he was a misbehaving visitor for the pro-Oilers-jerseyed crowd talked about not folding our hand (when the going was tough),” said eight and a half minutes into the second with a wrister through heavy McLellan. “We played for moments like this. We know how badly we traffic to make it 3-1. That absolutely quieted the full-house until Letestu played in Game 4 but were able to park it and start again to make converted a Draisaitl pass into a power-play goal under the bar. amends. It didn’t look good for awhile but our group believes. ON THE BENCH: The Sharks sat Joonas Donskoi to put $4-million “I’d like to think we’ve learned our lesson now, we’ve had a little bit of winger Boedker back in on the fourth line … Oilers fans started chanting: success again, but we have to take it to another level on Saturday.” “Five-hole. Five-hole” very early in the game because the Sharks’ Jones So what changed from the 7-0 butt-kicking, to the high-fives in a thrilling had given up four goals through his legs earlier in the series … The Game 5? Oilers didn’t make any lineup changes after their pasting in Game 4, with Eric Gryba still sitting on the back-end and neither Matt Hendricks, J.J. “It’s a cliche but we played on our toes tonight. They drilled us with Khaira or Iiro Pakarinen in on the fourth line. numbers in San Jose (not just on the scoreboard) but in this one we were better in that area.” Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.21.2017 The fourth-line centre Desharnais, who’d drawn a power play with seven minutes left but the Oilers couldn’t break through, teed it up for defenceman Klefbom, whose shot glanced off the iron and in. Fitting, after they’d smacked the post three times earlier in the game with no red light resulting. “Probably the biggest goal of my career so far,” said Klefbom. “And the greatest feeling. “Feels a bit better now to be able to talk about that now than me missing the open net when we were up 1-0 in San Jose in the third game. Everybody’s happy right now but this win is in the past. We have to reload and focus at the Shark tank on Saturday.” They barely let the Sharks have the puck in the overtime; Cam Talbot could have sat in a recliner with The Hockey News for all the work he got from one shot by Joe Thornton, the other by Brent Burns. “I thought we controlled the overtime. It was just a matter of time,” said Klefbom. “We thought eventually the puck would go in. Jones is only human. We thought the puck would find it’s way to the back of the net. We were pressing but not taking too many chances,” said Letestu. Still, there are enough overtimes where one team thoroughly dominates and one chance goes the other way and, bang, the game’s over and heads are hanging low. It didn’t happen to the Oilers, though. They’d scored early on Maroon’s five-footer from the blue-paint and got another on a power play by Letestu late in the second to give them life. In both cases Draisaitl, who’d had just one shot and no points in the first 1060723 Edmonton Oilers “It gave me two extra years to develop,” said Benning, who attended Northwestern University in Boston. “And in college, you only play 34 games in the regular season, so you’re working out a lot more and for me The education continues for Oilers forward Drake Caggiula and that was something I really needed. defenceman Matt Benning “And the college game is really similar to a playoff atmosphere in the sense that you’re only playing 34 games, you’re only playing twice a week, so guys are really going hard, banging, playing hard every single Robert Tychkowski Published on: April 20, 2017 game. You can’t take a game off. “In that sense, it kind of helped us down the stretch get ready for playoffs. And college is a little older. When you’re playing against 23- and 24-year- A year ago this time, Drake Caggiula was in the finals. olds in college, it’s less of a jump than it is from junior.” Finals, as in writing his exams for college. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Thursday night, he started on the Edmonton Oilers first line with one of the best players in the world in a must-win playoff game. In other words, the education continues. “It’s crazy how one year can change things,” said the rookie winger from the University of North Dakota. “A year ago, I was taking finals in college and now here I am in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s crazy what one year can do for you.” And rather impressive that he’s made the jump from an unproven rookie who got injured in training camp and missed the first 18 games of the season to a player the head coach has enough confidence in to put on the first line against a powerhouse opponent like the San Jose Sharks. “I would describe him as tenacious, if I had to pick a word,” said head coach Todd McLellan. “He can be effective on both sides of the puck. He can create turnovers in the offensive zone, defensive zone. Fairly high hockey IQ. He’s got a lot of the tools that are required to play this time of year.” How is he able to elevate at a time when the hockey is the hardest and so many rookies and veterans alike have trouble coping? “I enjoy playoff time,” said the 22-year-old. “In college, you learn that every game is a playoff game because you don’t have that many games, so you amp up your intensity for them. “I’ve had my ups and downs throughout the season, but as of late I’ve come full circle and found that consistency in my game.” Caggiula also believes that three games as a healthy scratch late in the season was the best thing for his development. Being able to hit reset really settled him down and allowed him to try again with a clearer head. “I ended up getting hurt in the pre-season and then when I came back, I got thrown into the fire right away. I didn’t really have time to (get up to speed). “So the time I was able to sit out those three games really benefited me. I was able to evaluate the game and evaluate myself and re-approach the game from a different point of view. “It gave me a sense of poise – there is more time out there than you actually think – and I’ve been able to make more plays because of that.” He came back and put up seven points in the final 13 games, after 10 in the previous 45 (and none in the 12 before he went to the press box). There’s more to his game than points, though. He’s becoming more and more noticeable out there in a variety of situations on a variety of lines. “He’s kind of like a Swiss Army knife, he’s played up and down the lineup on the power play, penalty kill, he plays all over the place,” said Connor McDavid. “He’s a real good skater, very competitive, real good with the puck someone I like playing with.” So what goes through a kid’s head when they tell him he’s starting the game with McDavid in a must-win Game 5 at home? “You embrace the challenge,” said Caggiula. “It’s a situation you want to be in. It’s kind of humbling that they’re going to trust you in that situation, you just have to make sure you go out and play your game, you can’t overthink it. “I’ve talked to them and they just want me to play my game. I don’t have to do anything special.” WELCOME MATT Another rookie from college, Matt Benning, is enjoying a similar arc. He’s stepped into this series and shown remarkable poise for someone with 62 games of NHL experience. So, what it is about the college route that’s prepared both he and Caggiula so well? 1060724 Edmonton Oilers Through four games, McDavid had two points and Draisaitl but one shot. He had barely moved his feet, and certainly wasn't always using his head. Dan Barnes: Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl promises to learn from "I know I'm not playing good hockey right now," said Draisaitl. "I'm well 'stupid' spearing penalty aware of that. It's up to me to get back to playing the way I can and the way I'm expected to play." BY DAN BARNES The blanket that has been tossed over McDavid will naturally affect his linemates. They generally get him the puck in the neutral zone and expect to get it back in prime scoring position in the offensive zone. The Sharks have been sealing off McDavid from his wingers and stifling the Sick and tired turned to selfish and stupid, and that was sin enough. kid's speed and creativity. That's taken Draisaitl, Patrick Maroon and Anton Slepyshev out of the mix too. But they all need to fight through it. Thankfully, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl wasn't also offering excuses for his $2,500 jab at Chris Tierney's future family plans. "There is going to be attention paid to Connor the rest of his career," said Letestu. "So if we want to be successful, we have to find ways. That's "Obviously, that's a stupid play. That's not who I am. That's not me. Leon and Connor included. They can't accept being checked. But that That's not how I want to be seen as a player," Draisaitl said Thursday comes with experience." morning, two days after spearing Tierney, a San Jose Sharks forward. "I think everyone knows that I'm the last guy that wants to hurt anyone out There are plenty of lessons to be learned by the Oilers with just four there, that wants to play that type of game. I know it was a bad play by playoff games under their belt. me, so obviously, I'm happy with what I got." Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 He got a hearing and a fine, which amounts to a reprieve and a chance to be a better player and more mature member of the young Oilers. We all know he's not dirty. He racked up just 20 PIMs to go with 77 points this year, making him a Lady Byng Trophy candidate for the National Hockey League's most gentlemanly player, as his head coach mentioned Thursday. But the Oilers were not at all happy with what they got from Draisaitl on that particular play, what with the Sharks already up 5-0. He put San Jose on a five-minute power play, and they scored again. As for the rest of this series, in which Draisaitl had been mostly a rumour, the Oilers know something about his health that became apparent as he coughed his way through a media scrum on Thursday. He has been sick. He has also been tired. The two go hand in hand. When he allowed sick and tired to turn into stupid and selfish, it was a case of frustration guiding his attack on Tierney. That simply can't happen, especially in the playoffs. And there were plenty of teammates ready to help him understand that. Jordan Eberle, Milan Lucic and Mark Letestu all chimed in about the lesson to be learned. "He's an important player for us," said Letestu. "To lose him at that point in the game gave us less of a chance of coming back. Then to put us at risk of losing him for a game, again that's not very team-forward thinking. "So for him to kind of dodge a bullet there, hopefully it's a lesson learned to keep his emotions in check and a lesson for everybody else in the room. It's a series, it's not a one-game, message-sending thing or an individual thing. It's about a team and a series, and we're going to need everybody. "Frustration is something coaches have talked to me about in a lot of different stops. It's a useless emotion. There is nothing to gain from frustration. It tends to breed throughout the locker room once it's kind of personified on the bench, whether it's slamming bottles or sticks or doors or yelling or taking penalties. I haven't seen a lot of good come from frustration." Eberle, like Draisaitl, is playing NHL post-season hockey for the first time and can understand the frustration level building. "But obviously it wasn't a smart thing to do." It was Draisaitl's first brush with NHL justice, and Lucic believes it will have an impact on him. "You just gotta learn how to keep your emotions in check and not let things like that creep into your game," said Lucic. "It's his third year in the league and his first time getting a phone call, so those things happen. It also shows the competitive side of him, that he didn't like what was going on." We haven't seen a lot of good, smart play from Draisaitl, and that probably goes back to his health. He's been skipping off-day practices and game day skates — trying to get some rest, he said — but he was on the ice at Rogers Place Thursday morning, so perhaps he's on the road to recovery. It's certainly time for him to show up, to play as well in the playoffs as he did down the stretch during playoff-like games. He was a force then, in tandem with Connor McDavid. 1060725 Edmonton Oilers Injuries: Oilers— None. Oilers Game Day: Game 5 Sharks at Oilers Sharks—None Game Notes: BY JIM MATHESON The team that wins Game 5 of a series when it’s tied 2-2 wins the series 78 per cent of the time according to the good folks at the Elias Sports Bureau… Oilers have loaned winger Jesse Puljujarvi to Finland’s world Game Day: championship team rather than bring him up from the minors…They called up four farmhands — centre Anton Lander, winger Joey Laleggia Edmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks, 8:30 pm, SportsNet, 630 CHED. and blueliners Jordan Oesterle and Mark Fayne — to join JJ Khaira, Matt Hendricks, Iiro Pakarinen, Eric Gryba, Griffin Reinhart and third goalie Last Four Nick Ellis as extras … The Sharks big five — Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Patty Marleau, Logan Couture and Brent Burns — had 11 points in the 7- Oilers (2-2) 0 win after just a single point in the first three games of the series… The L 7-0 @ San Jose four power-play goals by Sharks in Game 4 tied a franchise playoff record… San Jose coach Pete DeBoer threw his top three lines in a W 1-0 @ San Jose blender for Game 4 and he came out smelling like a rose… Even though the Oilers were trounced in Game 4, they leaned heavily on their top four W 2-0 vs Sharks D of Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell and Andrej Sekera. L 3-2 OT vs Sharks They all played at least 21 minutes. Sharks (2-2) Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 W 7-0 vs Oilers L 1-0 vs Oilers L 2-0 @ Edmonton W 3-2 OT @ Edmonton Who To WATCH: Oilers G Cam Talbot. After back-to-back shutouts where he stopped 39 straight shots, Talbot was beaten five times in 24 shots over 33 minutes and got the hook for Laurent Brossoit in Game 4. Until his rough patch in San Jose, Talbot had stopped 80 of 83 shots in the other three games so we’ll see if the Game 4 mercy pull for the backup Brossoit was just an aberration or they’ve found a chink in Talbot’s armour. Sharks D Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The tendency is to go for one of San Jose’s offensive guys but “Pickles” is matched against Connor McDavid pretty much every even-strength shift along with partner Justin Braun. Vlasic was on Canada’s 2014 gold-medal winning team in Sochi and on the World Cup championship squad last fall and might well be the best shutdown D in the league. What’s In The Tank Oilers Empty. Anytime you get drilled 7-0, you’re a hurting puppy. Sharks Full. They swallowed Oilers whole in game four. How They Match Up Forwards — Sharks Only one even-strength Oiler goal (Zack Kassian) in four games. Defence — Sharks Vlasic defensively and Burns with puck swings this San Jose’s way. Goaltending — Sharks Jones has only given up five goals. Powerplay — Sharks Oilers second-worst of playoff teams at 8 per cent. Penalty-kil l— Sharks Oilers have had to kill whopping 22 in four games. Intangibles — Oilers Game five is at home, chance to rebound. Overall — Sharks Their big guns firing more than Edmonton’s 1060726 Edmonton Oilers 9.) The Sharks were a bad face-off team in the regular season (23rd, 48.1 per cent) but they’re third overall in the playoffs at 56.1 per cent through four games and they’re eating up the Oilers, who were 30th at 47 Series may be tied, but Oilers face major concerns for Game 5 per cent. In the playoffs, Edmonton’s 14th out of 16 at 43.9 per cent. However, face-off wins aren’t a true barometer; The Minnesota Wild lead all playoff teams at 59.9 per cent and they’ve lost their first three games to the St. Louis Blues. BY JIM MATHESON 10.) It might be time to put big forward Jujhar Khaira or the heart-and- soul Matt Hendricks into the game for their hitting ability in place of David Desharnais on the fourth line. Centre Desharnais isn’t suited to being on It’s a cliche, but a loss in the playoffs is a loss no matter if it’s in second the fourth line; the other two are. overtime or if you endure a butt-kicking. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Frankly, a loss in OT may be more heart-breaking when you’ve played well and tougher to get over than finding yourself in a 60-minute washing machine spin cycle. So the Edmonton Oilers' 7-0 embarrassment Tuesday night in San Jose can be viewed as a one-off — Patrick Roy once lost a 7-zip game to the Detroit Red Wings when he tended goal for the Colorado Avalanche — but the Oilers had better realize they can’t totally wash it away. There better be lessons learned here, like in 2006, when the Oilers were “just awful” as Chris Pronger said after Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, when they lost 5-0 in Raleigh. The score absolutely flattered Edmonton, and in Game 3, they dug deep and won at home 2-1. Here are some observations and concerns through the first four games and a 2-2 series tie. 1.) Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a great defenceman, maybe the best shutdown blue-liner in the league. Vlasic and Justin Braun have done a very good job on Connor McDavid in 5-on-5 play, and while you can only keep the big guns silent for so long, the Oilers coaching staff has to find a way to get McDavid some breathing room. Double-shift him early and long if need be in Game 5 so he gets some work against the Sharks’ third pairing or against Brent Burns, who doesn’t have Vlasic’s defensive chops, and 36-year-old Paul Martin. 2.) The Oilers spent far too much time going after Joe Pavelski in Game 4 and Pavelski’s far too cool for that; he wasn’t being drawn into a retaliation. You love McDavid’s fire — Sidney Crosby has it, too — but his penalty on Pavelski to give San Jose a 5-on-3 wasn’t a good one. Fact is, McDavid tried to be something he’s not, cross-checking Timo Meier several times while Meier was down on the ice. The Oilers need McDavid dancing with the puck, not the extra-curricular stuff. 3.) Patrick Maroon likely didn’t sit out the last league game against Vancouver because they were resting him. He’d played the first 81 and like everyone wants to play the entire season. The left-winger, who scored 27 goals, is probably banged up, or he better be hiding something because the Big Rig is not getting in on the forecheck and pushing people off the puck like he’s done all season. If Maroon’s unwell and can’t complement McDavid as he usually does, maybe they need to give rookie Drake Caggiula a taste there. 4.) Having Leon Draisaitl centring a third line is not a good matchup for the Sharks if the NHL’s eighth-leading scorer is going against their third defence pair a lot, but Draisaitl and McDavid were the best tag-team (100 and 77 points) this year and they play their best together, not apart. 5.) The Oilers have been undisciplined in almost every game — there have been way too many retaliatory or stick fouls. They’ve been shorthanded a staggering 38:24, 16 more minutes than the next closest playoff team, the Rangers. That’s a recipe for disaster, if it keeps up. The Sharks have had 22 power plays, next closest over four games is the Canadiens with 13. 6.) The Oilers hit everything that moved in Game 2 and were banging in Game 3, but got spooked by Pavelski’s goal 15 seconds into Game 4 and their aggressiveness was non-existent. The Sharks came out of their end at will, with no pressure in the fourth game. Time for Zack Kassian and Co. to start with the body shots again or they won’t stop the Sharks. 7.) The Oilers power play has been “red-rotten,” to borrow coach Todd McLellan’s favourite term. They scored on their first try when Lucic beat Martin Jones late in the first period of Game 1, but they’ve been blanked for the last 11 chances. Overall, they’re at 8.3 percent, 15th out of the 16 teams still standing. Only the Rangers are worse. And this from a team that was sixth in power-play percentage in the regular season. 8.) As much as we all look at McDavid and his no points at even-strength through four games, and how we all expect him to lead the charge, we shouldn’t forget that Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic also haven't scored 5-on-5, either. They were supposed to take the heat off McDavid and Draisaitl. 1060727 Edmonton Oilers four matches, set up the goals after vowing to be much better at the morning skate. He also won 15 of 19 faceoffs on the night.

It could have been a romp early if Nurse and Jordan Eberle had scored Oilers take 3-2 series lead over San Jose on Desharnais overtime goal rather than hit iron, but the pucks didn’t go in. “We deserved better early on with the goalposts but hockey’s not always By Jim Matheson fair,” said Letestu, who brought them back with his ripper under the crossbar after a terrific backhand feed from Draisaitl. “Our power play needed to have an answer. It had been cold for a few games (0-for-12 stretch before the goal.” If the Edmonton Oilers were hoping to flush away the sour-smell of a 7-0 blowout in San Jose in Game 4 after, uh, not pissing a drop there, they Before the Sharks took the ice for their morning skate, coach Pete emphatically did it Thursday at Rogers Place where there’s been so DeBoer said he was worried about the Oilers' hunger after being starved many stories in the playoffs about the lines for toilets being way too long. for anything positive in Game 4. And until Klefbom sent the game to extra time for the second time in the series, it appeared his team might escape In a one-sided Oilers overtime where they chewed up the Sharks 14-2 on with the win in 60 minutes. the shot-clock with goalie Martin Jones stoning two of the big boys — Connor McDavid on a 2-on-1 with Leon Draisaitl and making a dazzling But hunger is an empowering thing, moreso than momentum. stick stop on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the crease — the littlest guy on the ice, David Desharnais, finally found a hole on Jones with 1:45 left for a 4- “I think response is a much better weapon for a team,” said DeBoer. “We 3 win. knew we’d get a response from the Oilers and that’s a dangerous thing.” He wasn’t the No. 1 Oilers player on the night. Leon Draisaitl set up three In the second, Schlemko’s seeing-eye 55-footer sailed past Talbot just as goals after having just one shot and no points in the first four games. But a penalty to Maroon ended, but Letestu made it 3-2 with Edmonton's Desharnais wrote the biggest story as the Oilers clawed back from not second power-play goal in 13 series tries, off a wonderful Draisaitl only the embarrassment from the previous game in San Jose, but a 3-1 backhand feed. hole 18 minutes into the second of this one. “I’m well aware I haven’t played well,” said Draisaitl, looking in the mirror “Davey’s best game as an Oiler,” said Oiler coach Todd McLellan, and not liking what he saw on the stats sheet, never mind the major and punctuating a night where he not only got the winner but set up Oscar game misconduct in Game 4 for a spear on Chris Tierney. Klefbom for the goal that sent it to overtime and also won seven of his 10 Schlemko, who grew up in Edmonton playing minor hockey for the face-offs as the Oilers took a 3-2 lead in the series. Knights of Columbus organization before joining the WHL's Medicine Hat The Oilers, who scored the first goal five minutes into the game by Tigers after his midget season, was talking after the morning practice Patrick Maroon, allowed the next three by Mikkel Boedker, Patrick about his mum and dad being buried in a sea of orange and taking grief Marleau and hometown boy David Schlemko, before rallying. They trailed in their teal Sharks’ jerseys earlier in the series. by two before Mark Letestu’s power-play goal started the comeback, “Pretty ruthless,” said Schlemko, who was out partying as a teenager on sending it to overtime in a pulsating piece of theater with less than three Whyte Avenue during the Oilers' last playoff run. “I was behaving myself, minutes left in the third, when Klefbom blasted a screened shot past though.” Jones. Desharnais set it up for his first point in 17 games. After getting the throwaway last goal in the Sharks' pounding in San “Two years ago at our first training camp (as a new coaching staff), we Jose, he was a misbehaving visitor for the pro-Oilers-jerseyed crowd talked about not folding our hand (when the going was tough),” said eight and a half minutes into the second with a wrister through heavy McLellan. “We played for moments like this. We know how badly we traffic to make it 3-1. That absolutely quieted the full-house until Letestu played in Game 4 but were able to park it and start again to make converted a Draisaitl pass into a power-play goal under the bar. amends. It didn’t look good for awhile but our group believes. ON THE BENCH: The Sharks sat Joonas Donskoi to put $4-million “I’d like to think we’ve learned our lesson now, we’ve had a little bit of winger Boedker back in on the fourth line … Oilers fans started chanting: success again, but we have to take it to another level on Saturday.” “Five-hole. Five-hole” very early in the game because the Sharks’ Jones So what changed from the 7-0 butt-kicking, to the high-fives in a thrilling had given up four goals through his legs earlier in the series … The Game 5? Oilers didn’t make any lineup changes after their pasting in Game 4, with Eric Gryba still sitting on the back-end and neither Matt Hendricks, J.J. “It’s a cliche but we played on our toes tonight. They drilled us with Khaira or Iiro Pakarinen in on the fourth line. numbers in San Jose (not just on the scoreboard) but in this one we were better in that area.” Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 The fourth-line centre Desharnais, who’d drawn a power play with seven minutes left but the Oilers couldn’t break through, teed it up for defenceman Klefbom, whose shot glanced off the iron and in. Fitting, after they’d smacked the post three times earlier in the game with no red light resulting. “Probably the biggest goal of my career so far,” said Klefbom. “And the greatest feeling. “Feels a bit better now to be able to talk about that now than me missing the open net when we were up 1-0 in San Jose in the third game. Everybody’s happy right now but this win is in the past. We have to reload and focus at the Shark tank on Saturday.” They barely let the Sharks have the puck in the overtime; Cam Talbot could have sat in a recliner with The Hockey News for all the work he got from one shot by Joe Thornton, the other by Brent Burns. “I thought we controlled the overtime. It was just a matter of time,” said Klefbom. “We thought eventually the puck would go in. Jones is only human. We thought the puck would find it’s way to the back of the net. We were pressing but not taking too many chances,” said Letestu. Still, there are enough overtimes where one team thoroughly dominates and one chance goes the other way and, bang, the game’s over and heads are hanging low. It didn’t happen to the Oilers, though. They’d scored early on Maroon’s five-footer from the blue-paint and got another on a power play by Letestu late in the second to give them life. In both cases Draisaitl, who’d had just one shot and no points in the first 1060728 Edmonton Oilers “It gave me two extra years to develop,” said Benning, who attended Northwestern University in Boston. “And in college, you only play 34 games in the regular season, so you’re working out a lot more and for me The education continues for Oilers forward Drake Caggiula and that was something I really needed. defenceman Matt Benning “And the college game is really similar to a playoff atmosphere in the sense that you’re only playing 34 games, you’re only playing twice a week, so guys are really going hard, banging, playing hard every single By Robert Tychkowski game. You can’t take a game off. “In that sense, it kind of helped us down the stretch get ready for playoffs. And college is a little older. When you’re playing against 23- and 24-year- A year ago this time, Drake Caggiula was in the finals. olds in college, it’s less of a jump than it is from junior.” Finals, as in writing his exams for college. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Thursday night, he started on the Edmonton Oilers first line with one of the best players in the world in a must-win playoff game. In other words, the education continues. “It’s crazy how one year can change things,” said the rookie winger from the University of North Dakota. “A year ago, I was taking finals in college and now here I am in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s crazy what one year can do for you.” And rather impressive that he’s made the jump from an unproven rookie who got injured in training camp and missed the first 18 games of the season to a player the head coach has enough confidence in to put on the first line against a powerhouse opponent like the San Jose Sharks. “I would describe him as tenacious, if I had to pick a word,” said head coach Todd McLellan. “He can be effective on both sides of the puck. He can create turnovers in the offensive zone, defensive zone. Fairly high hockey IQ. He’s got a lot of the tools that are required to play this time of year.” How is he able to elevate at a time when the hockey is the hardest and so many rookies and veterans alike have trouble coping? “I enjoy playoff time,” said the 22-year-old. “In college, you learn that every game is a playoff game because you don’t have that many games, so you amp up your intensity for them. “I’ve had my ups and downs throughout the season, but as of late I’ve come full circle and found that consistency in my game.” Caggiula also believes that three games as a healthy scratch late in the season was the best thing for his development. Being able to hit reset really settled him down and allowed him to try again with a clearer head. “I ended up getting hurt in the pre-season and then when I came back, I got thrown into the fire right away. I didn’t really have time to (get up to speed). “So the time I was able to sit out those three games really benefited me. I was able to evaluate the game and evaluate myself and re-approach the game from a different point of view. “It gave me a sense of poise – there is more time out there than you actually think – and I’ve been able to make more plays because of that.” He came back and put up seven points in the final 13 games, after 10 in the previous 45 (and none in the 12 before he went to the press box). There’s more to his game than points, though. He’s becoming more and more noticeable out there in a variety of situations on a variety of lines. “He’s kind of like a Swiss Army knife, he’s played up and down the lineup on the power play, penalty kill, he plays all over the place,” said Connor McDavid. “He’s a real good skater, very competitive, real good with the puck someone I like playing with.” So what goes through a kid’s head when they tell him he’s starting the game with McDavid in a must-win Game 5 at home? “You embrace the challenge,” said Caggiula. “It’s a situation you want to be in. It’s kind of humbling that they’re going to trust you in that situation, you just have to make sure you go out and play your game, you can’t overthink it. “I’ve talked to them and they just want me to play my game. I don’t have to do anything special.” WELCOME MATT Another rookie from college, Matt Benning, is enjoying a similar arc. He’s stepped into this series and shown remarkable poise for someone with 62 games of NHL experience. So, what it is about the college route that’s prepared both he and Caggiula so well? 1060729 Edmonton Oilers His line here with Peca and Pisani was outstanding in 2006. He scored 11 points in 22 playoff games.

“Pecs had an OK regular-season and I remember sitting down before the Raffi Torres recalls Edmonton Oilers' miraculous run to 2006 Stanley Cup first series with Detroit, and he said ‘let’s take this to another level,'" he Final said. "The first couple of games, we knew Pisani was doing something special, all the big goals he scored. I brought the energy factor, tried to get involved." By Jim Matheson Pisani greatly appreciated Torres’ on-ice fire 10 years ago.

“Raffi brought edge, intensity but he also brought goal-scoring,” said Raffi Torres, no longer skating and rambunctiously hitting and under the Pisani. microscope from the National Hockey League's player safety department for his on-ice actions, had his loyalties tested as the former winger “When he stepped on the ice, everybody on the opposing team knew he watched Game 5 of the Edmonton Oilers-San Jose Sharks playoff was on the ice. Guys were looking over their shoulders and saying series from a box at Rogers Place. ‘where’s Raffi?’’ Torres played for both teams. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 “Yeah, I just got a text from Joe (Thornton),” said Torres, who played for the Sharks for three injury-plagued, suspension-riddled years but had to quit at age 35 because his right knee was shot. “But you know what they say … once an Oiler, always an Oiler, right?” Indeed, Torres was an integral part of the Oilers’ magical 2006 run to the Stanley Cup Final, playing on a line with Fernando Pisani and centre Mike Peca. It was Torres who absolutely turned the second-round playoff series against the Sharks with his open-ice shot on San Jose’s top six forward Milan Michalek in Game 2, which put Michalek out of the series with a concussion. “At the time it was a great hit and I remember getting a lot of pats on the back from the guys on our team, guys saying ‘we needed that, we needed a spark with a tough first two (losses) games in San Jose,’’’ said Torres. “It kind of turned things around.” “I’m happy he was OK and nothing severe happened after it.” But Torres had a target on his back with the NHL after the hit. He admits to bad timing and bad judgment. He was suspended five times from 2011-16 for head-shot hits; only one that he maybe didn't deserve (a hit on Jarret Stoll while playing for the Sharks in the playoffs). He was suspended a total of 74 games — 41 for a pre-season hit on Jakob Silfverberg in 2015 while playing for the Sharks, 21 for a playoff smack on Marian Hossa while playing for the Arizona Coyotes. He got a four- gamer for a elbow on current Oiler Jordan Eberle, too, in a league game while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. “Today, that (Michalek hit) could be a 20-, 25-gamer (suspension). Let’s be honest here,” he said. “But I grew up watching Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em hockey (videos) 15 times a day. Don Cherry would spend 40 minutes on huge body-checks behind the net and I was thinking ‘oh my god, I love this.’ My dad would always say, ‘I don’t care if you can’t make a pass or you can’t score goals, but you better be the hardest-working guy on the ice.’ A combination of those things, it was hard for me to change my game. I realize that now." Today, Torres is living in Stouffville, Ont. 48 km outside of Toronto. “Life has slowed down obviously. My family’s healthy and good,” said the father of two young children. He says he’s watched his cash and doesn’t have to work. He made over $20 million. “Thankfully I’m OK for money, not all of it, with what’s been given back to the league,” said a laughing Torres, who lost $441,000 for the Silfverberg shot. “I have two young kids that keep me busy right now. My little guy just finished his Timbits year and my daughter is seven and is too busy putting lipstick on and wants to do her hair every day.” He’s walking fine now. But skating was very difficult in San Jose. .“I had a bunch of surgeries when I was in San Jose and couldn’t get over the hump,” said Torres, who signed a three-year, $6 million contract with Sharks in 2013 but immediately got hurt. “I blew my knee out at my first camp in San Jose and I always felt that because they’d given me a three-year deal, I couldn’t sit back and relax. If anything I pushed the envelope a bit to get back." He played only five games for Sharks because of his injured knee. In the end, he begrudgingly quit after 635 NHL games, 246 of them with the Oilers. 1060730 Los Angeles Kings

KINGS TO HOST TWO ROOKIE GAMES AT TSC AGAINST GOLDEN KNIGHTS

JON ROSEN APRIL 20, 2017

PROSPECTS AND SCOUTING LA Kings Insider has learned that the Los Angeles Kings will return to Toyota Sports Center to host the Vegas Golden Knights for a pair of rookie games in mid-September. More details, plus the actual dates, will be learned once the teams officially announce the series, but these games are expected to represent the first exhibitions in which players will wear the Golden Knights’ actual jerseys. Without knowing a great deal about how Vegas plans on structuring its squads for these games, it will be interesting to see how the team is constructed, given that the lone player currently under their control is Reid Duke, a 21-year-old who will play his first professional games this fall after signing an ELC with Vegas as a free agent during his 59-game, 37-goal, 71-point 20-year-old season with WHL-Brandon. The Golden Knights, who will add to their player pool with seven draft picks as well as their expansion draft selections, would presumably have to invite a considerable amount of personnel to fill out their rookie rosters, though again, such structure will be revealed at a later date. For comparison, last year, Los Angeles featured eight invites and three players under AHL contracts on its rookie camp roster after a summer in which they made only four draft picks. Kings rookies faced Coyotes rookies in 2014, 2015 and 2016, traveling to Glendale, Arizona for the 2014 and 2016 series. In 2013, the team played a home-and-home against Ducks rookies, and hosted Coyotes rookies in 2011. (There were no rookie games in 2012 due to the work stoppage.) While many teams take part in rookie camp tournaments in Traverse City, Mich., Penticton, B.C. and London, Ont., there was the prevailing sense that the Kings preferred to focus solely on development during rookie camp and eschewed the larger-scale tournaments for two- off exhibitions against teams in their geographical proximity. This was due in part because the previous hockey operations regime appeared to want the blinders on their prospects, so to speak, and felt that development would be better facilitated through their own practices and development days. With new executives atop hockey operations, it will be interesting to see if that evolves at all in future years. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060731 Los Angeles Kin\gs season so he could very well be banged up, although Stothers indicated that LaDue was out — while Brodzinski and Kempe both played — so the coach could get a better look at recently-arrived blue liners Matt Roy and Reign vs. Gulls: Keys to the first round series Chaz Reddekopp. On the Ontario injury front are hopeful headlines. Defensemen Kurtis MacDermid and Zach Trotman, who both starting skating without Lindsay Czarneck iApril 20, 2017 restrictions earlier this week, are getting closer. Both have been out with upper-body injuries, MacDermid for the last nine games of the regular season and Trotman’s since mid-November with a shoulder ailment that required surgery. The status of valuable centerman Andrew Crescenzi There’s another level of heat that’s a bit old hat now between West Coast (undisclosed) is up in the air. AHL rivals Ontario and San Diego. “We still haven’t had that lineup that we’ve been waiting for since The Reign know it well and have felt it recently from the San Diego Christmas time to see who we are, what we are, what we really look like,” faithful. Stothers said. That’s due to stretches where Campbell was recalled to “Those people are intense,” Reign head coach Mike Stothers said. “We L.A., Michael Mersch and Joel Lowry were out with knee injuries and pulled up the other day and they were giving us the one-finger salute. Justin Auger out most recently with an upper-body injury. Should the Sitting in their lawn chairs, tailgating. So that’s what you get coming in.” hard-nosed MacDermid, experienced Trotman and responsible Crescenzi play in this series the Reign will have their big dogs back Once inside it’s even more hostile as the Valley View Casino Center, together for the most important of times. barn of the Western Conference’s biggest crowds for a second straight season, gets bodies pumping onto the ice. (Courtesy of Jessica Harsen / Ontario Reign) For a second consecutive season the Kings and Ducks affiliates will meet GOALIES WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE in the Calder Cup Playoffs — this time in the opening series. The basic Both the Reign’s Jack Campbell and the Gulls’ Jhonas Enroth, a former need-to-know is that this is first round best-of-5 (it’s seven games the rest King, have experienced unexpected seasons. of the way) where victories early on become all the more crucial to gather. Games 1 and 2 are back-to-back on Friday in San Diego and Campbell was acquired in an offseason trade with Dallas and was slated then Saturday in Ontario, both at 7 p.m. to back up Peter Budaj. Instead, the injury to Jonathan Quick pushed the former 2010 first rounder into the limelight where he was an All-Star, “We’ve said it to our team before, when we play Ontario it’s a lot like finished with a league-high 31 wins and once started 36 consecutive playing against yourself,” Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins said on this games. week’s Gulls In Flight podcast, later adding, “I expect each and every one of these games to be extremely close.” Around this time last April, Enroth was voicing his displeasure with the amount of playing time he got with the Kings behind Quick in his first and Head-to-head in the regular season both teams finished a rare 6-4-1-1 only season with L.A. After starting the season with Toronto, he was against the other. The Reign have the playoff edge after bouncing the acquired via a trade by Anaheim for a seventh-round pick and Gulls in the second round four games to one a season ago. This time immediately sent to San Diego. The veteran’s posted impressive around there’s very little room for advantages but one is home ice, which numbers with a 16-5-0 record, .931 save percentage and 1.91 goals is on the side of the second-seeded Gulls in the 1-1-1-1-1 format. Former against. With his history with the organization, Enroth may have a bit of a Reign and now Gulls forward Jordan Samuels-Thomas called the San chip on his shoulder. Diego crowd “invaluable.” The Reign believe they’re up for the atmosphere. “Why wouldn’t he? He considers himself an NHL starter. They all want to play,” Stothers said. “He’s got something to prove and he’s had a great “Any time, especially in a playoff series, most rinks are going to be run for San Diego since he’s been there. But I look at the same for a guy packed pretty good so it’s going to be a bit of a hostile environment. We like Jack. He’s on a different organization, he’s had a lot to prove all know that,” said forward Joel Lowry. “We played there before last year in season long and he’s done so. He’s done a good job. I don’t think it ever the playoffs. We know what to expect and I think we’re ready for it.” stops. There’s always something to prove whether you’re a goaltender, There’s so much more to this series, so let’s get to it. Here are the keys defenseman, forward, coaches. to the series … “We all have something that we want to prove so I think it’s going to be a (Courtesy of Vince Rappleyea) great matchup.” A WHO’S WHO OF WHO’S IN AND WHO’S HEALTHY If one or the other can steal a game or two that will be key in this shortened series. Campbell and his 2.52 goal against average and .914 It’s an odd circumstance: The Reign may have their strongest and save percentage is 6-3-1 against San Diego while Enroth holds a 4-1-0 healthiest lineup ready to go for Game 1, a collective group where one record against Ontario. key player or another has been amiss nearly all season. “He’s a heck of a goalie,” Campbell said of Enroth. “Watched him for a lot Reinforcements are back from Los Angeles in speedy Adrian Kempe, of years in the NHL. He’s done a great job against us specifically this gunslinger Jonny Brodzinski and puck-moving D-man Paul LaDue. For year but just like any good goalie we’ve got to get traffic in front of him, Ontario and the organization as a whole, their I.E. return is the lone silver gotta go to the blue paint and get inside his kitchen a little bit and just get lining of the Kings failing to make the playoffs. a lot of pucks on him. I think if we do that … you’re going to end up hopefully getting some results.” “Any time you get the some players like the three we just got back it’s a huge boost and we’ll make sure to try to take full advantage of it,” goalie (Courtesy of Vince Rappleyea) Jack Campbell said. SCORING FIRST For the Gulls though a majority of their top players are holding roster spots on the Ducks, who just finished a first-round sweep of the Flames It’s a simple stat that goes a long way in the way in the end results of in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Only forward Ondrej Kase has been sent hockey games these days. The first goal seems to be the all important back to San Diego while others eligible to return, per Gulls PR, are stud- one and the Gulls are a whopping 28-2-2-1 when scoring first and their like prospects in defensemen Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour and .894 winning percentage being first on the board was second in the AHL. forwards Chris Wagner and Nick Ritchie. Their stay in Anaheim will only The Reign aren’t too shabby either at 26-5-5-0. benefit Ontario, which has earned the opposite in the previously noted Stothers’ often opinion on this stat is, well, of sarcasm: Why play the rest trio’s reassignment. of the game if when the Gulls score first the fate of the game is decided? The 21-year-old Kempe has displayed a knack for postseason success “Don’t talk about it,” Stothers said, when asked how the Reign avoid by scoring 12 goals in 30 playoff games over the last two seasons and overthinking the topic. The Reign played the Gulls in four of their final five was antsy for the second life at a meaningful run, albeit in the AHL. regular season games, each time with the team scoring first coming out “I don’t want the season to be over yet so I’m really excited to be back on top. and play some more games,” Kempe said recently. “It’s just playing with the lead right now is what we need to do. We need For Brodzinski, who led Ontario with 27 goals, he suffered a hand injury to get the first one,” Brodzinski said after last Saturday’s 5-3 loss in the that knocked him out prematurely in last year’s playoffs. As a result, he regular season finale. “I think the last couple games we haven’t been didn’t get the chance to fully show the kind of damage he can do when able to do that and that’s a huge part of the game is getting that first goal the games matter more. LaDue sat out the final two games of the regular and making the other team play from behind and maybe they’re chasing a little bit and then you create opportunities off that. I think that’s one of the big things, just scoring first.” (Courtesy of Vince Rappleyea) SURPRISE X-FACTORS Two fresh players on both sides will be ones to keep a light eye on in this series to see whether what they did in their brief time in the regular season can carry over to postseason success: Philippe Maillet of the Reign and Austin Ortega of the Gulls. The production of the 5-foot-9 Maillet, fresh off a CIS championship with the University of New Brunswick, has made a “real good impression,” on Stothers. He’s been put in the best of situations to be successful, getting ice time with veterans like Teddy Purcell and T.J. Hensick and most recently with Kempe and Brodzinski. His speed and creativity has been effective. He had two goals and two assists in eight regular season games after joining the team late. “You’ve got a guy like Maillet. He comes in and he’s been really good, like really good,” Stothers said. “Almost Kempe like, and I’m not comparing them but like when Kempe came to us at the end of the season in Manchester. I think he played three regular season games and then he had a heck of a playoff for us. You’re always looking for that guy to be somebody that nobody knows about to come in in the playoffs and make a great contribution, and maybe he can.” For the Gulls it’s Ortega who’s made an immediate impact. The 23-year- old Escondido, Calif., native who played as a youth in the San Diego Jr. Gulls program, is looking right at home with his four goals and one assist in six games. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060732 Los Angeles Kings Kings possessed the puck well and stifled the opposition’s offense but did not score much at all. In other breaking news, water remains wet.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Which forward lines and “twos” were the most effective?

Jon Rosen April 20, 2017

Some of the heaviest interaction beat reporters generate on social media stems from sharing line combinations at practices and morning skates. “WHY IS KING SKATING IN THE TOP SIX?” seemed to pop in my Twitter feed once every 29 seconds between October and February. (It’s probably because the Kings averaged 2.86 goals per 60 minutes, ceded 2.09, and directed 56.8% of all shots to the attacking net when Dwight played alongside Jeff Carter in five-on-five play since 2013-14.) This isn’t particularly important because the team’s systems are likely to evolve under a new coaching staff. But it’s still interesting, with the help of Corsica’s combination charts and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com’s with-or- without-you charts, to get a sense of who generated the most chemistry – both in attacking hockey, as well as in actual G/60 rates – over the course of the 2016-17 season. Keep in mind that actual “lines” evolve game-to-game, and under Darryl Sutter, the Kings preferred to keep forward groups of “twos” together, not always threes, when they were able to find a rhythm. Any conversation needs to feature That 70’s Line at the forefront. A catalyst of the 2014 Stanley Cup run, the trio endeared itself to Kings fans between the spring of 2014 and the first six weeks of the 2014-15 season before settling into inconsistency for the better part of the next 24 months. They were very good when aligned together in 2016-17: Qualifying lines are ranked by their Corsi-for percentages, which aren’t the be-all, end-all of player and team analysis and will be skewed higher than the mean because Los Angeles led the league in raw Corsi. Shooting percentage? Well, that was a different story. As the chart shows, there was also some chemistry generated by varying alignments involving Anze Kopitar. Generally, Kopitar’s GF60 rate was quite low – his actual raw Corsi also fell for the fourth consecutive year to 54.6% – and while Trevor Lewis isn’t the ideal long-term solution alongside the player who should be, in a regular year, the Kings’ best forward, Los Angeles generated 2.77 goals for (and against!) per 60 minutes when Top Line Trevor was placed alongside the L.A. captain. No other forward who skated with Kopitar for more than 100 minutes of five- on-five play helped the team generate as much as 2.77 GF60. On the other end of the spectrum was the direction of play when Kopitar and Jarome Iginla were on the ice. That direction was often towards the Los Angeles net: The Kings generated a 48.9% Corsi-for and yielded a 3.99 GA60 over the 180 minutes they were on the ice together. It’s not exactly controversial to say that Jeff Carter was Los Angeles’ best forward this past season. The underlying numbers support what one would expect in a fine Carter season: The Kings averaged 2.60 GF60, allowed 2.20 GA60, and possessed the puck to a satisfactory 54.8% rate. While both Pearson and Toffoli individually pushed play towards the attacking end when on the ice with Carter, an interesting outlier is Brown. Over his 188 5×5 minutes alongside Carter, Los Angeles scored eight times – that’s a 3.51 GF60 – though their raw Corsi was barely above water level and well below the team’s average possession rates. There were several other interesting outliers. The Kings operated with a 58.9% Corsi-for with Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis were on the ice together. (As one would imagine, though, they didn’t score excessively, and their 2.11 GF60 and GA60 doesn’t deviate too far from the rest of the team’s rates. Nic Dowd skated 307 minutes alongside Kyle Clifford – more than any other forward – and the team scored (and allowed) exactly three goals over that span. Really, it’s more telling of Dowd, who engineered strong possession rates but only a 1.21 GF60, which was a factor in his minus-15 rating. Cool factoids! Several other factoids learned while taking a look at these numbers: Adrian Kempe had the third highest defensive zone start percentage on the team amongst qualified players yet operated with a 57.2% Corsi-for and a +1.7 CF%Rel. Tyler Toffoli – in what could be read as encouraging numbers heading forward – faced opponents with the combined highest Corsi-for percentage yet pushed the play against them to the tune of a 57.1% CF% and 3.6% CF%Rel. Brayden McNabb led the team with 6.3% CF%Rel, but faced opponents who were not strong puck possessors and started the second lowest percentage of shifts in the defensive zone. And, again, Dowd had a possession rate well in the black, but his offensive zone start percentage was an inflated 44.5%. Links below are good wormholes to waste some time in, but however much time you spend there, you’ll still return to the same conclusion: The 1060733 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau is "a lot happier'' after Game 4 win

By Rachel Blount APRIL 20, 2017 — 2:01PM

The weather might have been dreary Thursday, but the Wild came home with a much sunnier disposition after Wednesday's 2-0 victory in St. Louis. The team flew back Thursday morning and got the day off following a win that pushed the best-of-seven series to a Game 5. There is, of course, much work left to do to dig out of what is now a 3-1 hole. But a shutout from goaltender Devan Dubnyk and timely goals from Charlie Coyle and Martin Hanzal gave the Wild the opportunity to play at home again, with Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. Coach Bruce Boudreau met with the media shortly after the team plane landed at noon, and he said the Wild must be even better to keep the series going. Boudreau described the Wild as "pretty determined'' in Game 4. Asked if he thought a victory was "inevitable'' given the way the Wild had played in the series, he said no, but he noted the Wild did everything it needed to get that result. "We were hoping that if we kept playing with passion, and the will and want that we needed, that we would be involved in the game (and had) a chance to be successful,'' he said. "(The mood is) a lot happier than the mood the night before. It's like everything in this business. It's all about winning and losing. "I don't think we have everybody playing at the top of their game. I think there's still room to get better, and if you want to prolong the series, you have to get better. And we have to have 20 guys getting better, not 14 or 15. ... If you stay status quo, people pass you by. That's why (the Stanley Cup) is so hard to win. You've got to be at the top of your game for as many as 28 games after the season.'' Other notes from Boudreau's session: --Asked about the status of injured forward Erik Haula, Boudreau said, "I'm hoping he's available'' for Game 5. Still no word on exactly what is wrong with Haula, who sat out Game 4 as well as practices before Games 3 and 4. Haula took a beating in Game 2 with hard hits from Scottie Upshall and Alex Pietrangelo. --Speaking of Pietrangelo's moments as a human wrecking ball in the series, Boudreau was perturbed when the Blues defenseman blasted Zach Parise near the end of Game 4. Parise didn't seem to be injured--in fact, he took a retaliatory poke at Pietrangelo--but Boudreau didn't appreciate the hit. "I thought it was cheap,'' he said. "They knew the game was over. There was one second left. If this was 1984 or 1978, that guy would have had a stick right in his face. But they don't do that any more.'' --On Dubnyk, who stopped 28 shots for his first shutout since Dec. 20: "There's been a lot of criticism in the last six weeks, and he's gotten a lot of it. So to see him stand in there and keep battling like the pro he is was really good. Again, like everybody else, we can't rest on our laurels. We've won one game. They've still got three. We've got to go out and play better again (Saturday).'' --On whether the Wild had "gotten under the armor'' of Blues goalie Jake Allen: "No. He's got a 1.17 goals-against average. I don't think we're under any armor whatsoever.'' --Though the Wild had another good night in the faceoff circle, winning 51 percent of draws, Boudreau griped that the officials were too quick to give Wild centers the hook. The Wild is winning 58 percent of faceoffs in the series (164 of 283), best of any team in the playoffs. "(They were) kicking our centermen out every second time,'' he said. "I think it was seven to one that they kicked out, and looking at the video, there was no reason for that. When you have possession of the puck to start the plays off, it's so much more of an advantage.'' --On scoring first: "For us, it was not your average normal goal. To get a lead when you hadn't had one, and it's so tough to get one to crawl back, I think it was a little bit of relief for the players. It's something that I know St. Louis is really going to pounce on, to try to deny us that, which is why the first period on Saturday will be so important.'' --And a compliment, sort of, for Coyle, whom Russo will be featuring in a Friday story: "When he wants to play, he can play. He's been a good player.'' 1060734 Minnesota Wild "Everybody has to do their job that way (so that) when you get close on a guy and you have the close support, you can outnumber and put him in situations where you can get the puck back," Boyle said. "It's not 1-on-1 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL playoffs for 200 feet of the ice. It takes five guys." Sometimes it takes six, and when the last line of defense falters it can be the difference in the series. Evgeni Malkin has eight points and Crosby By STEPHEN WHYNO Associated Press APRIL 20, 2017 six for the Penguins, who have taken it to the Blue Jackets and struggling goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in going up 3-1.

But the work to stop a star begins well before he takes a shot on net. Like Any time Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby goes over the Sharks with McDavid, Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Hunwick said, the boards, everyone in the arena is watching and waiting for something slowing down top players in the neutral zone is essential because once special to happen. they cross the blue line they can crisscross, change lanes and become dangerous — evading even the best-designed coverages. From the opposing bench, tireless efforts have gone into preventing that. "Just be cognizant of where they're at," Hunwick said. "You have to know Nothing gets more attention in the Stanley Cup playoffs than a superstar, exactly where those guys are because the top goal-scorers in the league, from the likes of McDavid, Ovechkin and Crosby to rookie of the year somehow they seem to get lost sometimes." front-runner Auston Matthews and game-changing defensemen Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns. Slowing them down takes days of preparation Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 and scouting, the right strategy and a village on the ice to keep top players from taking over a game or a series. "Those guys are difference-makers in the game," said coach Peter DeBoer, whose San Jose Sharks have held McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers to two points in four games. "When you look at the analytics and the percentage of the offense he's involved with with their team, it's something you'd be crazy not to pay attention to." There's a reason lesser-known players Zack Kassian, Bobby Ryan, Jaden Schwartz and Jake Guentzel lead the playoffs in game-winning goals with so much attention devoted to bottling up and frustrating the stars. "Everybody probably more focused in the D-zone and everywhere and try to be smart all three zones. Nobody wants to lose," Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov said. "Just kind of simple things defensively, but it's not always easy to do." Hockey is considered the ultimate team sport because it's more difficult for a single player to make a significant impact than in other sports, but the process of stopping him is more complex. Columbus coach John Tortorella said "you can't map it out like football where you have a 3-4 defense" and Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen said it's not realistic to try something like a box and one in basketball. Taking away a player's "time and space" is a time-honored hockey cliche, but it's also the best way to contain a star. "Good players, if they have space, they're going to pick you part," Niskanen said. "The quicker you can get on him and force him to make good plays under heavy pressure, I think that's your best chance of negating his creativity and his ability to operate." In Game 1 of Washington's series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jay Beagle seemed at times almost glued to Matthews. Sharks center Logan Couture, an elite talent in his own right, is meanwhile always trying to stay in front of McDavid in the neutral zone to negate the team captain's speed. Couture also knows he has to take part in battles on the boards and mind the transition attack from Edmonton, even when he's on offense. "You're putting yourself in defensive spots first," Couture said. "Even if it's in the O-zone, you want to be above him because he is so quick and he's got that extra step. If you can get above him and try to slow him down it only helps us." Maple Leafs forward Eric Fehr, who played a shutdown role during the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup run last spring, said defending an elite talent means being laser focused no matter where the puck is. "It's a game inside the game," he said. "When you're playing against the same guy the whole series, every game, you start to get a little 1-on-1 rivalry. You just try to do your best to wear him out and make sure that every shift is difficult for him." It's also a team effort, as the Predators have shown in holding Blackhawks stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to one point apiece through three games, all Chicago losses. Coach Peter Laviolette's game plan, Nashville's structure and Pekka Rinne's goaltending have combined to do the trick. Toronto center Brian Boyle, tasked with defending opponents' top lines during deep playoff runs with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning, said teams plan for every player. As coach Mike Babcock pointed out, Ovechkin only needs one shot to make an impact, so the key is keeping the puck off his stick as much as possible. 1060735 Minnesota Wild Coyle prides himself as a gamer. He has played 313 consecutive regular-season games, a Wild record. Add in another 33 consecutive playoff games, that’s 346 games in a row, Charlie Coyle steps up as force for Wild in playoffs including playing in the 2014 playoffs with two separated shoulders. The 25-year-old winger has used a physical style to will his team back Coyle says the Wild set out to do one thing Wednesday, and that was into contention. avoid a sweep and live another day. “That’s all it was,” he said. “I was just trying to do my part. It’s playoff By Michael Russo Star Tribune APRIL 20, 2017 — 1:53PM time. You’ve got to ramp it up. That’s got to be your mentality.” If the Wild plans to become the fifth team to ever rally from a 3-0 series’ deficit, he’ll need to do the same in Games 5, 6 and 7. Charlie Coyle hates the nickname apparently, but Devan Dubnyk says there’s a reason Wild teammates call the hulking New Englander, “You’d like to get it every night [from Coyle],” Boudreau said. “Right now I “Gronk,” an ode to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. just would like to get it for the next three games.” “You watch Gronk play football, he’s just this massive human that is Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 unstoppable. And when Charlie wants to be, he’s a massive human that’s unstoppable,” Dubnyk said after shutting out the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 on Wednesday night. The key words: “When Charlie wants to be.” Right now, Coyle wants to be. One of the Wild’s best forwards so far in the Western Conference quarterfinals, Coyle, 25, was at his absolute best in Game 4. Besides scoring the game-winning goal, he was a two-way, physical force, constantly going to the net, getting shots, banging bodies and blocking shots. Maybe his best play was swiping the puck from Vladimir Tarasenko on a hustling backcheck 42 seconds before Martin Hanzal gave the Wild a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, the thing that aggravates many Wild fans and even management and coaches at this point in Coyle’s five-year career is he doesn’t play like that every night. Coyle has a full toolbox, but he sometimes goes into long spells where he doesn’t put everything together every night. Coyle’s well aware of the rap he has at this juncture of his career. “I have to bring it every night. If I can play like I just did one night, why not every night?” Coyle said after Wednesday’s game. “Yeah, it’s a grind and you have time to get the adrenaline in the playoffs and give it your all toward the end of year here, but this is the type of player I have to be for my team.” Coyle, a 2010 first-round pick by San Jose, had an interesting first year under Bruce Boudreau. Through mid-December, Coyle led the Wild with 12 goals. But he then went into a huge drought where he not only wasn’t scoring, he wasn’t going to the hard areas and wasn’t getting shots. In January, Boudreau stopped cajoling him and turned into the bad cop. After one game against Nashville, Boudreau snapped, “He’s not looking to shoot ... ever.” A few days later, talking about a 20-game spell where Coyle was averaging 1.4 shots per game, Boudreau said, “I hope if he’s gone through these things before that he realizes how crappy he feels when he’s going through them and how it’s not working. So if I were him I would change the way I’m doing things during these times.” Then, after the All-Star break, Boudreau not only demoted Coyle to the fourth line in Vancouver, the Wild sent a clear message by recalling Alex Tuch for his NHL debut. Boudreau said of Coyle, “I’m at a loss. I’m told he’s gone through this every year. I’ll have to talk to him and see if we can’t get him straightened out.” The good news? After scoring two goals and 13 assists during one 32-game stretch this season, the winger entered the postseason with seven points in his final six games and has continued the quality play through the first four games. Coyle, whose confidence sometimes either soars or wanes, has scored in each of the past two games. “It’s a tough league,” Dubnyk said. “The game’s not going to go perfect every game. You can’t go out there and do what he just did every single night, but I think you’ll see as his career goes on he’ll understand how big and fast he really is.” 1060736 Minnesota Wild #mnwild pic.twitter.com/XFy5DlmiEx — Breanne (@br3larson) April 20, 2017 Wild fans: 'So you're telling me there's a chance' Only fitting Blues played their best game of the series #mnwild — Ken Hortsch (@khortsch) April 20, 2017 By Jason Gonzalez APRIL 20, 2017 — 9:39AM Has there ever been an ice-related sports miracle? #mnwild #NHLPLAYOFFS

— Don'tCallMeSurely (@NeededNewHandle) April 20, 2017 Wild fans finally had something to celebrate Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. The Wild avoided a first-round sweep in the Stanley Waking up after the Wild finally beat the Blues #BecauseItsTheCup Cup Playoffs by shutting out St. Louis 2-0. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/O8eNmjcmY9 The victory restored hope to a fan base that expected big things from its — Jenny Lynn (@Jenny_wildfan) April 20, 2017 team entering the postseason. Woke up to the news that the #mnwild son& the boy scored the winning Logan Krengel tweeted Thursday morning “When you wake up knowing goalï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ the #mnwild won game 4:” with a GIF of Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) from Dumb and Dumber saying “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” — amanda l (@dudeamanda) April 20, 2017 The Twitter account “Lazy Vanek” also tweeted a Jim Carrey GIF of the Not done yet! #mnwild pic.twitter.com/ECRyh3A0mu actor proclaiming “IT’S ALIVE, IT’S ALIVE.” — Seth Hilgert (@SethHilgert) April 20, 2017 Wild fan Trevor Cole tweeted “Breathe a sigh of relief, there will be a Blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs is pretty hot right now... just saying. game 5.” Kyle Ramsey tweeted "Wild in 7." #mnwild St. Louis media criticized the Blues for their lack of effort in Game 4 and — Alexis Tengesdal (@heartofascone) April 20, 2017 missing the opportunity to finish the series on home ice. Put the brooms away Blues. The #mnwild are coming!! Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote “As eye-stabbings go, #StanleyCupPlayoffs2017 #letsgocrazy this was a complete failure. Rather than go for the kill -- pushing the knife right into the brain, as general manager Doug Armstrong famously — James Maertens (@DjRMWC) April 20, 2017 described it -- the gracious Blues pulled back. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/P4353gcdbR “Rather than finish off the Wild with the four-game sweep, they threw them a lifeline. — Still Lazy Vanek (@LazyVanek) April 20, 2017 “Rather than earn a week of rest and the opportunity to get players Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 healthier (especially Paul Stastny), the Blues will have to battle on. The teams head to Minnesota for Game 5 Saturday and if the Wild win there in front of their rabid fans, suddenly the Blues will be the team under duress.” Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman was just as critical. “Well, when the most energy early on comes from your anthem singer, “home of the brave” proves to be a tease. “At home in Game 4, the Blues took the first period off. It'll haunt them. It was a meek 20 minutes of sloppy play, and the Blues lost a close-out game in St. Louis, headed instead to St. Paul. … The Blues got a taste of what it's been like to be the Wild.” More sampling of the reaction to the Wild victory: Gotta do that again in Minny boys. Great game, could've folded, but showed great heart and pride. #mnwild #stateofhockey — Nathan A. Leaf (@nateleaf_skibum) April 20, 2017 When you wake up knowing the #mnwild won game 4: pic.twitter.com/EakdUDfSYt — Logan Krengel (@DocBartender) April 20, 2017 We got one! #mnwild — Matthew Anderson (@wanderingmatt) April 20, 2017 Wild in 7 #mnwild — Kyle Ramsey (@KyleRamsey27) April 20, 2017 @JCraw4991 I guess golf season for the #mnwild isn't starting today! — Blake Swanson (@BlakeSwan10) April 20, 2017 First thing I said to my phone this morning Minnesota wild score ?#mnwild — Dean F (@dflat) April 20, 2017 Wow, looks like I shoulda stayed up for the #mnwild game. Nice work boys! — Lisa Webb (@LisaWebb03) April 20, 2017 Nice win by the Wild tonight! Still got a mountain to climb, but nice to see the boys get the W! #MNWild #NHLPLAYOFFS — John Klein (@ClutchKlein) April 20, 2017 1060737 Minnesota Wild practices before Games 3 and 4. His injury has not been disclosed, but he absorbed jarring hits from Pietrangelo and Scottie Upshall in Game 2.

Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 Wild coach Bruce Boudreau seeks peak effort for Game 5 against Blues

By Rachel Blount Star Tribune

By the time the Wild’s plane landed Thursday, coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t particularly interested in rehashing his team’s Game 4 victory over St. Louis. He already was looking ahead to Saturday’s Game 5. Wednesday’s 2-0 triumph was only a tiny step, one that turned a 3-0 series deficit into a 3-1 hole. And simply matching that effort in Game 5, Boudreau said, won’t cut it. After giving his players a day off Thursday, he expects them to be ready to make further progress when the series resumes Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. “Our message is, we have to play better if we want to win the next game,” Boudreau said. “It’s pretty simple. If you stay status quo, people pass you by. That’s why [the Stanley Cup] is so hard to win; you’ve got to be at the top of your game for as many as 28 games after the season. “I don’t think we have everybody playing at the top of their game. I think there’s still room to get better. And if you want to prolong the series, we have to have 20 guys getting better, not 14 or 15.” Boudreau said his players were relieved Wednesday when Charlie Coyle’s goal at 16 minutes, 50 seconds of the first period gave the Wild a 1-0 lead, its first of the series. He anticipates the Blues will put a premium on denying the Wild the first goal Saturday, making it critical the Wild gets off to a good start. Blues coach Mike Yeo agreed that scoring first is important in a series between two strong defensive teams. But if it doesn’t happen, he added, it is equally important to stick to the game plan. In Game 4, he credited both Wild goals to Blues breakdowns and said his team was not as tightly focused as it needed to be. “We weren’t physically invested, we weren’t ready and we weren’t sharp right from the start,” Yeo said. “Because of that, we were chasing all game. We have to be ready [Saturday].” Rough stuff Boudreau still was steamed Thursday about what he called a “cheap” hit on Zach Parise with four seconds left in Game 4. Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo barreled into Parise along the boards, inciting a shoving match as the game ended. Parise didn’t appear to be hurt, and he immediately took a swipe at Pietrangelo. The incident left Boudreau pining for the vigilante justice of the game’s more violent era. “It was cheap,” the coach said. “They knew the game was over. If this was 1984 or 1978, that guy would have had a stick right in his face, you know? But they don’t do that anymore.” Predictably, Yeo took a different view of the hit. “It’s a rough series,” he said. “I really didn’t think anything of it.” Black Aces back The Wild on Thursday announced the recall of more than a dozen minor league prospects, with the majority coming from its AHL affiliate in Iowa. The “Black Aces” will practice separately, though most are eligible to play. The group includes Iowa’s two highest-scoring defensemen, Mike Reilly (five goals, 25 assists) and Gustav Olofsson (six goals, 18 assists), and forward Alex Tuch, who led the team with 18 goals. Others recalled from Iowa are forwards Tyler Graovac, Ryan Carter, Christoph Bertschy, Kurtis Gabriel, Pat Cannone, Zack Mitchell and Sam Anas; defensemen Zach Palmquist, Nick Seeler, Hunter Warner and Mike Weber; and goaltender Steve Michalek. Two players who recently signed with the Wild after their college seasons — forward Luke Kunin of Wisconsin and defenseman Carson Soucy of Minnesota Duluth — were recalled from Iowa as well, though they cannot play because their contracts do not start until next season. Defenseman Gustav Bouramman also was recalled from Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League. Haula uncertain Asked about injured forward Erik Haula, Boudreau said, “I’m hoping he’s available” for Game 5. Haula did not play in Game 4 and sat out 1060738 Minnesota Wild In NHL playoff history, there have been only four teams that have come back to win a series after trailing 3-0. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final in 1942, the New York Hartman: Wild's daunting task vs. Blues can still be achieved Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 quarterfinals, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference finals, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated San Jose in the 2014 Western Conference quarterfinals. SID HARTMAN Nanne said it’s not impossible to come back from that kind of deficit, but it clearly isn’t easy. Former North Stars General Manager Lou Nanne says that while there “I recall it being done and it can be done, but it’s not done that often have only been four occasions in Stanley Cup playoff history when a because these games are tough to win,” he said. “You have to be on top team has come back to win a series after being down 3-0 — as the Wild of your game to do it. It happens. You can’t worry about how or why other was against St. Louis, before Wednesday night’s 2-0 victory in Game 4 people did it, you have to worry about how you’re going to do it and if you — he believes the team has a real shot to win the series. can do it. You can do it by playing the way you’ve been playing, getting the goaltending you got [Wednesday] night, and scoring when you get “Sure [the Wild] can do this; if St. Louis won three, they can win four,” the opportunity.” Nanne said. “What was it? They won 12 in a row during the season. Why can’t they win four in a row? Can the Wild stage that sort of comeback? Nanne drew out the possibilities. “But you have to take it one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time, and not look ahead. They have to play the same way “They definitely should be the favorite [at home Saturday] night,” he said. and score goals like they did [Wednesday] night, and it really helps when “Then they have to go back to St. Louis, and you know if they go back to they get the lead. But they certainly have played well enough to have St. Louis for Game 6, you know it’s going to be a desperate game for St. won all four games, too.” Louis, so you have to be at your best. It’s amazing to think the Wild is third out of 16 postseason teams in “If they win that, then in Game 7 anything can happen and the Wild averaging 36.3 shots per game going into Thursday’s action, while the should have an edge. But first of all you have to win … Game 5. They Blues are 14th at 26.8 shots per game. The big issue has been that the have to come back and play as well in Game 5 as they did [in Game 4].” Wild simply hasn’t scored. The series has been this close: The Blues are 13th out of 16 teams with 1.75 goals per game, while the Wild is 14th at Nanne also talked about how postseason gate receipts work. The profits 1.25 goals per game. will be slim if the Wild can’t get past the first round. When asked what changed in the Wild’s victory over the Blues in Game “The first four games, the majority goes to the league for the players 4, Nanne pointed to exactly that. [postseason contract bonus pool],” he said. “After that, the teams make a lot more money.” “They just scored goals,” he said. “They outplayed St. Louis in the other three games the same way. In fact, in some of the games, they outplayed Jottings them more than they did [Wednesday] night. But they finally scored some goals and they didn’t give up any goals, especially any soft goals. That • Twins officials are hopeful pitcher Glen Perkins will continue to make was really important. progress in his rehabilitation from last June’s shoulder surgery. It’s possible he could be available to pitch in June. “In the playoff series, the Wild have probably been as dominant as any team in the playoffs over their opponent. Unfortunately for them, they just • While the Twins have had a hard time against the Indians, Joe Mauer haven’t scored goals. That’s why they’re down [3-1].” continues to have success against them. In the Twins’ 6-2 loss at Target Field on Thursday, Mauer went 1-for-4 with a double — his first extra- Nanne said it appeared Wild coach Bruce Boudreau made only minor base hit of the season — and is now hitting .330 against the Indians in changes for Game 4. his career (209-for-634). “Maybe changing the lines up a bit had something to do with it, maybe • The Twins (7-8) have by far the best run differential in the AL Central, freed up some guys and they didn’t press as hard,” he said. “They had to scoring 10 more runs than they’ve allowed, which is also the third-best make some lineup changes because [left winger Erik] Haula was hurt. mark in the American League. But it simply hasn’t added up to victories, [Defenseman Nate] Prosser came in for the second game again and as they fell below .500 for the first time this season and are in last place played very well. The Wild played physical, they played smart, they really in the Central. played a textbook game, especially when they got ahead. They didn’t give up much. They really worked well together and had an outstanding Star Tribune LOADED: 04.21.2017 night.” Goalies remain key The pivotal player in the series thus far has been Blues goaltender Jake Allen, who has a 1.17 goals-against average in four games and has made a playoff-high 140 saves in the postseason. Nanne said Allen basically made only one mistake in the Blues loss, and the Wild is going to have to continue scoring goals and have its own goaltender, Devan Dubnyk, play as well as he did Wednesday. “[Allen] let a shot in from [Martin] Hanzal that he normally stops,” Nanne said. “Other than that, he made a mistake on the [Charlie] Coyle goal, but it wasn’t because he didn’t stop the puck. He passed the puck without looking to the wrong spot. But he stopped a breakaway by Coyle, a breakaway by [Eric] Staal, a breakaway by [Jason] Zucker; he had to make some great saves to keep it 2-0. “Dubnyk had his best game because when he was challenged — and [the Blues] didn’t have a lot of great scoring chances, but they had more in the other three games — he was able to make the saves.” Nanne said the play of Dubnyk and Allen will continue to be the most important factor in who wins the series. “The Wild goalie is always the key, and for St. Louis, their goalie is the key,” he said. “It is no different in the playoffs; you have to have good goaltending to win. If Dubnyk plays the next three games like he played [Wednesday] night, the Wild should be fine.” Comeback possible 1060739 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Blues playoff series has been about (excellent) goaltending

By DANE MIZUTANI

Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk has been outstanding in the Western Conference quarterfinals. Blues goaltender Jake Allen has been a little better. Well, at least until Game 4. In a flip of the script that will go down as the turning point if the Wild somehow complete the miraculous comeback after trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, Dubnyk outplayed Allen as the Wild earned a 2-0 win over the Blues on Wednesday night at Scottrade Center. Dubnyk finished with 28 saves in his second career postseason shutout; Allen allowed more than one goal for the first time in series. Does that mean the Wild have finally gotten underneath Allen’s armor? “No,” coach Bruce Boudreau snapped. “He’s got a 1.17 goals-against average. I don’t think we’re under any armor whatsoever.” The way this series has gone, it appears they will complete the comeback only if Dubnyk outplays his counterpart. No matter how good Allen is the rest of the way, Dubnyk has to be better. “That’s what we need from him every night if we’re going to turn this thing around,” veteran center Martin Hanzal said after Game 4. “He has to be our best player.” In Game 4, Dubnyk was, and it was apparent from early. “I felt like the guys did a really good job just allowing me to trust exactly what was going on in front of me, exactly what was open, what wasn’t, so that I was able to square up to shots and also hang on to rebounds,” Dubnyk said. “Those guys did a heck of a job for me.” In truth, Dubnyk has played well enough to win every game this postseason, as he hasn’t allowed more than two goals in game. His 1.42 GAA ranks fourth in the postseason, and .943 save percentage ranks fifth. Allen is second in both categories with a 1.17 GAA and .966 save percentage. As veteran winger Zach Parise put it after Game 4: “It feels like right now it’s a race to (two goals).” That isn’t exactly how Dubnyk approaches it. “Those are things that I don’t really think about when I play,” he said. “That was a tough game tonight. It was a hard game. It was a close game. And at the end of the game, we look up at the scoreboard and hopefully we’re ahead. You can’t think of it any other way than that.” Dubnyk leaned on that approach throughout the last month and a half of the season. He hit a rough patch in March, finishing with a 3-8-2 record to go along with a 2.94 GAA and .889 save percentage. But he bounced back with three straight wins to close out the regular season and has continued his solid play in the postseason. “There’s been a lot of criticism in the last six weeks, and he’s gotten a lot of it, so to see him stand in there and keep battling like the pro he is was really good,” Boudreau said. “(But) we can’t sit and rest on our laurels. … We have to go out and play better again. “We have to do the same thing on Saturday, because everybody in this room still believes we can do it,” Hanzal added. “I believe, too, and if we play like this the rest of the series, we’re going do it.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060740 Minnesota Wild Here we are again, wondering whether Charlie Coyle has finally figured it out, but maybe Boudreau has discovered the math. Ten percent more. That seems reasonable. John Shipley: Good time for Wild’s Charlie Coyle to finally be great Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.21.2017

By JOHN SHIPLEY | PUBLISHED: April 20, 2017

Since joining the Minnesota Wild full time for the 2013-14 season, Charlie Coyle has been a great help to beat reporters covering the team. On the rare occasions these fine men and women are hurting for ideas, the young forward unerringly provides a fallback. Stumped for a notebook lede at the Saddledome? John Shipley sig“I guess I’ll just ask (Yeo/Torchetti/Boudreau) about what’s wrong with Charlie Coyle.” Hungry for a follow at Honda Center? “I’m gonna write about how Charlie Coyle seems to finally be figuring it out.” Such are the expectations for Coyle, 25, that even when he disappears he can be the most conspicuous player on the ice. His performances in the Wild’s past two playoff games explain it all — the tying goal in a 3-1 loss in Game 3 on Sunday, the winner in Wednesday’s night’s 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 4. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound center/wing finished with four shots on Wednesday; every one of them was a legitimate scoring chance. He was around the puck and won battles. “You’d like to get it every night,” coach Bruce Boudreau said afterward at Scottrade Center. “Right now, I just would like to get it for the next three games.” The Wild will need it to rally back and win this seven-game, first-round series. They staved off elimination on Wednesday but still enter Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center trailing, 3-1. “When he wants to play, he can play,” Boudreau said upon his arrival back in Minnesota on Thursday. That’s as candid an assessment as we’re bound to get. Coyle finished the season with career highs of 18 goals, 38 assists and 56 points despite long stretches of inoccupation. He went without a goal for 16 games between Jan. 8 and Feb. 12, and without a single point for 10 games from Feb. 14 to March 9 — which is essentially two not-very- good months. The suspicion is that when Coyle finally really does figure it out, he’ll be a star. When he came over from San Jose, acquired in the deal that sent Brent Burns to the Sharks, one wondered if the Wild had managed to lasso the next Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry, the Anaheim forwards who 10 years ago exemplified the prototype forward for the modern NHL — big guys with soft hands who could skate — helping the Ducks win the 2006-07 Stanley Cup. The Ducks played a good Wild team in the first round that year, and when Getzlaf and Perry weren’t putting points on the score sheet — three goals, four assists combined in five games — they were separating Minnesotans from the puck. At 21, they seemed to already have figured out the effort it takes to be a consistently effective NHL player. Ten years later, Getzlaf and Perry have 814 and 717 career points, respectively. Coyle has never seemed like less than a conscientious player, and no doubt wants to win; but the more one watches professional sports, the more one comes to understand that it takes most young players years to understand what that really means. Did you watch the Timberwolves this season? Before Game 4, Boudreau seemed to find the right tone for his frustrated players, who had generally played well while losing each of the first three games in the series. The Wild need to keep playing the way they’re playing, he said, and add 10 percent. Asked if that happened in Wednesday’s victory, the coach said, “I thought we were pretty determined, and we have to be because we’re playing a team that didn’t want to come back here. If we didn’t play better, we wouldn’t be here.” 1060741 Minnesota Wild

Wild call up Black Aces with Game 5 against Blues on horizon

By DANE MIZUTANI

As soon as the postseason starts, the roster limit goes out the window. In turn, the Wild called up 16 players — commonly referred to as Black Aces — from the minors on Thursday afternoon. Perhaps the most notable name in the bunch is 2014 first-round draft pick Alex Tuch, who had a cup of coffee in the NHL earlier this season, producing no points in six games. It’s highly unlikely that any of the Black Aces will play in the postseason, especially with the Wild facing win-or-done games for the remainder of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Typically, Black Aces don’t see any postseason action. They also don’t participate in warmups or travel with the team for road games. In fact, they don’t even practice with the team. Here’s the full list of Black Aces, in alphabetical order: Sam Anas, Gustav Bouramman, Christoph Bertschy, Pat Cannone, Ryan Carter, Kurtis Gabriel, Tyler Graovac, Steve Michalek, Zack Mitchell, Gustav Olofsson, Zach Palmquist, Mike Reilly, Nick Seeler, Alex Tuch, Hunter Warner, and Mike Weber. Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060742 Minnesota Wild The Blues only need to win one of three, but the pressure ratcheted up after Wednesday’s lost opportunity.

“Obviously, they’ve got a little bit of life now and they’re going to feel Brian Murphy: It’s still a steep climb for rejuvenated Wild good going back home,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “It’s going to be a good test. We said it right from the start: They didn’t get home ice by accident. They didn’t have the year that they had by accident. It’s a good By BRIAN MURPHY | PUBLISHED: April 20, 2017 hockey team over there, and we’ll be ready for that game.” The Wild might be teasing again. Or perhaps they will become the latest team to be caught up by what is blowing in the wind circa 2016-17. OK, so now what? The Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought by roaring Since the Wild stared down the Grim Reaper and knocked the St. Louis back against the Cleveland Indians with three straight wins. Blues on their heels with a Game 4 shutout, the comeback task remains daunting — even if the emotional baggage suddenly is lighter. The Cavaliers snuffed Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought by rallying from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. The temporary restraining order only brought Minnesota to Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. Running the table to a historic The New England Patriots erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit and series victory remains a long shot, although the Wild’s odds improved steamrolled the Atlanta Falcons en route to victory in Super Bowl LI. substantially after their 2-0 victory Wednesday night in St. Louis. Anything is possible in the era of the improbable. Brian Murphy sigOnly four of 184 NHL teams (2 percent) that fell behind 0-3 in a best-of-seven series have rallied to win, two of them in the past Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.21.2017 seven years — the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers cold-cocked Boston and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings stunned San Jose. Both of those teams advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, and the Kings won it. Trailing 1-3 is no picnic, but there is more hope. Twenty-eight teams (10 percent) have climbed out of that hole to win. The Wild became the first team in league history to do it twice in the same postseason — 2003 against Colorado and Vancouver. More fun with numbers: The Blues are 2-4 in closeout games the past two years. “When you have a chance to bury a team, you’ve got to do it,” St. Louis winger Ryan Reaves groused after Game 4. “You don’t want to give any team any life, and we did.” All of which is just conversation right now. The Wild still have no margin for error, no time to bemoan bad puck luck or deflate if they yield the first goal in Game 5. They certainly have no credibility to casually expect a re- energized home crowd to do the heavy lifting. Urgency better remain at DEFCON 2 or Minnesota can kiss a potential Game 6 goodbye. “This was our Stanley Cup,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said after his 28-save shutout. “And that’s gonna be the same thing on Saturday, because if not, it’s over, and we’re not gonna think any further ahead than that.” Then let’s look back to the last time the Wild pulled back from the abyss only to walk off the cliff. A year ago they fell behind the high-octane Dallas Stars three games to one, dead men walking under interim coach John Torchetti and poised for last rites at American Airlines Center. The Wild roared out to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes before the Stars took control. A pair of goals 28 seconds apart in the third period put Dallas up 4-3 with 11 minutes remaining. Captain Mikko Koivu tied the score with 3:09 remaining, and then bagged the winner five minutes into overtime, forcing Game 6 and dragging Dallas back to St. Paul. The X was jumping that rainy Sunday afternoon, Minnesota fans sensing the Stars had missed their kill shot. The Wild rewarded their faith by falling behind 4-0. A furious third-period rally included three goals in less than five minutes to blow the lid off the arena. The Stars answered to regain a two-goal lead. Minnesota counterpunched with four minutes remaining to make it 5-4. Overtime seemed inevitable as the Wild poured over the boards and overwhelmed Dallas with wave after forechecking wave until the final horn blasted with the tying goal mere inches away from crossing the goal line. The underdog Wild teased, only to torment. This year, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference was the favorite. The Blues swiped home-ice advantage winning Games 1 and 2 in Minnesota but the Wild stole it back assuming they can push St. Louis to a Game 7. 1060743 Minnesota Wild

Bruce Boudreau on the last-second hit on Zach Parise: ‘It was cheap’

By DANE MIZUTANI | April 20, 2017

As the final seconds ticked away in Game 4 on Wednesday night at Scottrade Center, Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo rolled in and tried to send a message by laying out Wild winger Zach Parise. Alex Pietrangelo sends a message to Zach Parise in the final seconds of Game 4 pic.twitter.com/w3Iow5rpsH — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 20, 2017 Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t a fan, especially considering the outcome was already decided, a 2-0 Wild victory to stave off elimination. “I thought it was cheap,” Boudreau said. “It was cheap. They knew the game was over. There was one second left. If this was 1984 or 1978 that guy would’ve had a stick right in his face, you know? They don’t do that anymore.” That last-second hit on Parise capped a very physical game in which the Blues’ fourth line — Kyle Brodziak centering Scottie Upshall and Ryan Reaves — tried its best to antagonize Wild players as it has throughout the best-of-seven series. Suter handing out facewashes like the Blues had a groupon, they were not amused pic.twitter.com/OwV8V7xq02 — CJ Fogler (@cjzero) April 20, 2017 “They know what their job is,” Parise said last week. “They don’t try to make plays. They just chip it in, chase, hit the (defensemen) and get stuff off the cycle. They know their role. They know their job. They know what they’re supposed to do.” Parise has two goals and an assist as the Wild still trail the Blues 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. Game 5 is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center. KILLING IT After scoring the first goal in Game 4 to take their first lead of the series, the Wild faced a make-or-break moment when Parise was called for a slash 18 seconds later. That gave the Blues a power play with a chance to tie the score, and the Wild penalty kill proved to be up to the task to preserve the lead. Ryan White was called for a slash early in the third period, and the Wild killed that penalty, too. Through four games, the Wild penalty kill is 10 for 11; the only power- play goal allowed was the Game 3 winner. “I think you get more lift from a good penalty kill than you do a power-play goal,” Boudreau said. “It’s tough to do with the talent that’s in this league. So when you do (kill a penalty), and you get them consistently, I think it’s a really uplifting thing for the team.” HAULA BACK? Erik Haula missed Game 4 with an undisclosed injury, though with two days between games, there’s a chance he could play in Game 5. When asked whether Haula would be ready for Friday’s practice, Boudreau said only, “I’m hoping he’s available.” While he doesn’t have a point this postseason, Haula has 23 career playoff games under his belt, providing more experience than rookie Joel Eriksson Ek, who filled in during Game 4. Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060744 Montreal Canadiens They also remember the series previous to that, in 2014’s second round, when they Habs found themselves down 2-3 against Boston, won Game 6 at home, and then won the series on the road in Game 7. Canadiens on brink of elimination after Rangers take Game 5 in OT Montreal fans will remember that game for P.K. Subban’s performance both on and off the ice; he scored seven points in the series and said after a Game 6 win at home he was eager to see Boston’s noisy crowd Sean Gordon because “I can’t wait to take it away from them.” Older veterans like Price, Markov and Tomas Plekanec will remember 2011 (a Game 7 loss to the Bruins, who would win the Stanley Cup under MONTREAL — When the stainless-steel double doors to the Montreal now-Habs coach Claude Julien) and 2010, when the eighth-seeded club Canadiens’ dressing room slide open a short corridor leads you to the fought back from 2-3 deficits twice to beat the much-fancied Washington goaltenders’ stalls. Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back series. On this occasion, Carey Price was pulling his undershirt over his head, What’s the essential lesson of experience? back to the room, and looking down at a pile of his equipment. “There’s going to be times where the emotions are going to definitely get One is tempted to say he was doing so accusingly. higher than you’re used to and you have to handle it,” said Gallagher. A few feet away, a forest of television cameras and reporters was That means relaxing and settling in. massing around Habs captain Max Pacioretty, who spoke in a low, measured voice (a smaller thicket gathered near defenceman Andrei “When you leave the rink it’s important to block it out and move on, and Markov, one of four alternate captains). come to the rink the next day for a fresh start,” he said. “I’m like anyone else, you go over a couple of things in your head, a couple of things you “It could have gone either way,” he said, and he wasn’t wrong. could have changed, but then it’s on to the next one . . . you’ve got to be a pro and move on.” After overtime losses NHL dressing rooms are quiet places (the opulently-appointed space was largely empty, the loudest noise was an He was also asked whether anything was said by the team’s leaders aerating fan in a corner), which isn’t to say they are peaceful. after the game – it’s no accident most of the people who came out wear letters on their jerseys – Gallagher said “everyone understands what’s The emotions of a close 3-2 defeat to the New York Rangers, who return going on.” home with a chance to end the Habs’ season on Saturday, were plainly still raw. “Enough was said in this locker room to know what position we’re in, this is a chance to learn about our group . . . times like this you’re going to At one point toward the end of the captain’s traditional post-game media look for excuses or doubts in your mind, or you’re going to look for grilling, Pacioretty took issue with a questioner. positives, look for belief. That’s what character is and we have a chance “In the third period, it took 11 minutes to get a shot on net, in the overtime to show it,” he said. two shots, what were they doing right to block you from getting to As he wrapped up with a small knot of reporters, Price re-entered the Henrik?” asked radio reporter Jeremy Filosa. room to face a huge scrum; he spoke for just over a minute, and stuck to “I’m sorry, I think I just answered that question,” he said. platitudes. “It seems like you think it was bad luck that you guys . . .” Filosa “I think everybody knows exactly what needs to be done,” he said. continued. With that, the dressing room was empty, a few moments later Julien “I didn’t say that,” Pacioretty replied. stepped up to the lectern in the windowless coach’s conference room at arena level (visiting coaches go first, a relieved and jocular Alain “I thought you said you got out-changed late,” came the rejoinder. Vigneault had wrapped up moments earlier). “I thought we got out-changed later in the overtime, I thought we out- Julien has struck a positive tone for these playoffs, and he is not easily changed them early in overtime, that’s important with the short change. I ruffled. didn’t say the game was luck at all, I said it could have gone either way, so, um, I don’t know,” he said, turning to someone else. Though he was plainly dischuffed at the outcome, he reiterated his full confidence that his team has the resources to win the series. He also said the club has mostly weathered the negativity that accompanies playoff losses, which is especially important in Montreal. Then he added a little barb: “In order to get through this, we’re going to need more from a lot of guys. It’s going to be time for certain players to “We just need to worry about one game at a time and tune out all the elevate their game and have that confidence and that desire to be better, noise,” Pacioretty said. and there’s no doubt when you lose a game and you’re down 3-2 you can’t be satisfied as a team.” His disappointment and anger were fairly typical for the circumstances; being ask to dissect your shortcomings for a roomful of journalists is no No guesses as to who he meant. one’s idea of fun. Globe And Mail LOADED: 04.21.2017 Plus, hockey players like to win, and had Pacioretty been slightly more fortunate on a breakaway opportunity with the game tied in the third period, the Habs may well have done so. Then it was Brendan Gallagher’s turn under the lights (fellow goal-scorer Artturi Lehkonen came out simultaneously). The Edmonton-born Gallagher, a soft talker at the best of times, was barely audible in this instance. Asked about the slashes and pokes he took on the evening – including a jab in the ribs from New York’s Mats Zuccarello – he said, “it’s the playoffs, you’ve got to be able to handle that stuff.” He also made the obligatory references to the need for character to shine through and to take it one game at a time. It got more interesting when Gallagher talked about how to manage the emotions following defeat and victory – situations all the players in the room have faced, albeit some more recently than others. Players like Pacioretty, Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk remember the last time the Habs trailed a series 2-3 (in 2015, when they lost Game 6 in Tampa and were eliminated). 1060745 Montreal Canadiens This season, Markov moved into a second-place tie with Guy Lapointe — a member of the old Big Three, along with Serge Savard and Larry Robinson — for most career points by a Canadiens defenceman with Stu Cowan: Quiet Canadien Andrei Markov lets his stick do the talking 572. Robinson is No. 1 on that list with 833 points and for Markov to catch “Big Bird” he would have to average the 36 points he posted this season for just over seven more years. Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette The way he’s going, you might not want to bet against him. Beaulieu, who is 24, was asked if he could imagine still playing in the NHL when he’s Markov’s age. Andrei Markov is a man of few words. “I’d love to play as long as I can,” Beaulieu said. “It’s pretty remarkable. When the Canadiens defenceman was asked what he likes most about You don’t see many guys playing that long, especially playing at that kind playing with Shea Weber on the No. 1 pair, Markov had a seven-word of pedigree.” answer: “He makes my job easy, you know.” As for Markov, he will just continue to let his play speak for itself. Actually, it was really only five words, you know. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 It’s rare when the media will get a longer answer than that to any question from the Markov, 38, who is in his 16th season with the Canadiens. When the team selected him in the sixth round (162nd overall) at the 1998 NHL Draft, current teammate Artturi Lehkonen was one week away from his third birthday. The Canadiens selected five other players before Markov at the 1998 draft: Éric Chouinard in the first round, Mike Ribeiro in the second, François Beauchemin in the third, Andre Bashkirov in the fifth and Gordie Dwyer in the sixth. Markov was a shiny diamond in the rough. While the inexperienced Réjean Houle made a lot of mistakes when he was GM of the Canadiens — including the infamous Patrick Roy trade — the decision to draft Markov wasn’t one of them. The year after the Canadiens drafted Markov, the Montreal Gazette sent columnist Jack Todd to Russia for three weeks to work on a five-part series on the state of hockey in that country. That’s where Todd got his first look at Markov with the Moscow Dynamo team and wrote this: “Dynamo has a player the Canadiens believe might be a ‘sleeper’: Andrei Markov, a muscular 20-year-old being converted from forward to defence.” When you watch Markov play defence, it’s hard to believe he played any other position — and he isn’t showing signs of slowing down yet. Through the first four games of the Eastern Conference quarter-final series against the New York Rangers, Markov was averaging 26:44 of ice time, second only to Weber’s 27:48 on the Canadiens. In what has been a very physical series, Markov had thrown only one hit through the first four games, a sign of how he plays as much — if not more — with his mind as his body. “He does his thing and he does it really well,” teammate Jordie Benn explained. “He always seems to be in the right place at the right time,” Benn added. “He’s obviously been around a long time and I’m a big (believer) of being consistent, and he’s one of those guys that you know what you’re going to get from him and he does it every night.” When the physicality of the series was mentioned to Markov, he replied in his thick Russian accent: “It’s the playoffs. Nobody said it’s going to be easy and everybody wants to win. That’s normal, that’s hockey. Everyone’s going to play hard.” Wow! Twenty-four words. “Marky is obviously a quiet guy, he keeps to himself,” teammate Nathan Beaulieu said. “He goes about his ways, but there’s such a respect factor that you feel off him.” Beaulieu was 5 when the Canadiens drafted Markov and has been able to watch and learn from the veteran since being selected by Montreal in the first round (17th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft. “Just seeing his day-to-day things,” Beaulieu said. “He’s always in the gym. He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever played with, for sure. Just how he’s managed to be so good for so long in different areas of hockey. Until this day, he’s good. He looks like he’s 21 years old some nights, so it’s pretty special to be able to witness that early in my career to know how hard he works and how much it takes to be that good for that long.” The question is how much longer Markov can keep going. This is his final season of a three-year, US$17.25 million contract and he has earned the same $5.75-million salary for 10 straight years. Weber has nine seasons remaining on his 14-year, US$110-million contract and certainly wouldn’t mind playing with Markov for another year or two as the Canadiens’ Big Two. 1060746 Montreal Canadiens When asked after the morning skate how much the fact he hadn’t scored is on his mind, Pacioretty said with a smile: “Not as much as your mind.”

Game 5 could be the key Game Day: Alexei Emelin expected back in Canadiens lineup for Game 5 vs. Rangers Winning Game 5 could well decide who wins this series since the losing team will be facing elimination in Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7. If it’s the Canadiens who lose, they would face elimination on the road Posted by Stu Cowan Saturday night at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., CBC, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690).

“It’s a very tight series,” Pacioretty said. “Two very good defensive teams. Alexei Emelin was in the middle of the centre-ice faceoff circle in Two teams with great goaltending. It’s been exciting so far. I think they’ve Brossard near the end of Thursday’s morning skate, leading the team been pretty steady throughout the series and we’ve shown what we can stretch. do at times … in other times not as steady. When we’re playing at our best we’ve seen what we’re able to do and it’s up to us to try and get to And the defenceman is expected to be back in the lineup Thursday night that level for an entire game and hopefully we do that tonight in front of when the Canadiens meet the New York Rangers in Game 5 of their our crowd.” Eastern Conference quarter-final series (7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690), which is tied 2-2. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, when an NHL best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 78.1 per Emelin was with Nathan Beaulieu on the third defence pair during the cent of the time. morning skate and afterwards coach Claude Julien said the Russian defenceman would take part in the pre-game skate at the Bell Centre and Carey Price makes save during #Habs morning skate in Brossard then a final decision would be made about whether he will play. #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/FLTDEYpw1f But it certainly looks like he will. Emelin missed the last two regular- — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) April 20, 2017 season games and has yet to play in the playoffs after suffering a lower- body injury during a game on April 5 in Buffalo. The schedule “He’s a rugged defenceman,” Julien said after the morning skate. “He Here’s a look at the schedule for the rest of the Canadiens-Rangers plays hard. He’s a defenceman that you don’t like playing against and series: that’s a part that I think we miss with him not being in the lineup right now Thursday, April 20: at Montreal, 7 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio from his play. I think our team has done a good job, but definitely when 690. he goes in there, I know from coaching against him our players (with the Boston Bruins) kept their heads up when he was on the ice.” Saturday, April 22: at New York, 8 p.m., CBC, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690. Emelin posted 2-8-10 totals and was plus-1 while playing in 76 regular- season games and he led the Canadiens in hits with 241, an average of * Monday, April 24: at Montreal, TBD 3.2 per game. Jeff Petry ranked second in hits on the Canadiens with 171. *- if necessary Emelin ranked ninth in the NHL in hits during the regular season. The Mike McCarron picking up pucks after #Habs healthy scratches finish leader was Ottawa Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki with 364. extra work following morning skate #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/wYqyPNFRFR You can watch Julien’s entire news conference following the morning skate on the HI/O Facebook page, where there are also action videos — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) April 20, 2017 from the practice. This Date in Habs History Alexei Emelin leads #Habs team stretch near end of morning skate in April 20, 1958: Bernie Geoffrion scored two goals as the Canadiens beat Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/mAWFbfmyRN the Boston Bruins 5-3 in Game 6 to win their third straight Stanley Cup, — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) April 20, 2017 tying the record set by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who did it from 1947 through 1949. It was the 10th Stanley Cup overall for the Canadiens. The lines and defence pairings Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 After switching up his lines during the 2-1 loss to the Rangers in Game 4, Julien went back to his original lines during the morning skate and you can expect the Canadiens lines and defence pairings to look like this for Game 5: Pacioretty – Danault – Radulov Byron – Plekanec – Gallagher Lehkonen – Galchenyuk – Shaw King – Ott – Mitchell Markov – Weber Benn – Petry Beaulieu – Emelin Price Forwards Andreas Martinsen, Mike McCarron and Brian Flynn will be the healthy scratches, along with defencemen Brandon Davidson and Nikita Nesterov. Claude Julien addresses team at start of #Habs morning skate in Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/7wtk8TESBW — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) April 20, 2017 Pacioretty not worried The pressure has been on captain Max Pacioretty from the media and fans after he failed to score a goal in the first four games of the series and had only one assist and nine hits. 1060747 Montreal Canadiens

In the Habs' Room: 'We're going to need more from a lot of guys,' coach Julien says

Pat Hickey, Published on: April 20, 2017

"When you're behind 3-2, you can't be satisfied as a team and you know there are certain players who can give a little bit more," Canadiens coach Claude Julien says. The best way to describe the mood in the Canadiens’ dressing room after Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers was delusional. There were the usual clichés about how the game could have gone either way in overtime, but there was only one predictable outcome from the way the Canadiens played from the start of the third period until Mika Zibanejad redirected a shot from Chris Kreider for the winning goal. “There were opportunities to close out the game and (Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist) made some good saves and they got a bounce on that goal,” captain Max Pacioretty said. “But nothing we can do about it now. We have an opportunity now to show what we have in this room. We’ve come back a lot this year and hopefully we can do it in this series as well. “It could have gone either way, it really could have,” added Pacioretty. No, it couldn’t. Philip Danault hit a post early in the third period, but the Canadiens didn’t register their first shot on goal until Pacioretty fired one just past the 10- minute mark. As for the overtime, that was all New York, with the Rangers outshooting the Canadiens 10-3. The Canadiens took a 2-1 lead after the first period, but coach Claude Julien said the seeds of destruction were sown in the second period. “In the second half of that period, we spent less time (in the Rangers’ zone) and when we got the puck in there, it came right back out,” Julien said. “We spent more time chasing and defending than we did controlling the puck and that can be tiring. They got some energy in the second half and they brought it into the overtime like we did a few games ago.” The loss left the Canadiens trailing the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final 3-2 and face a must-win situation Saturday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio). Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen scored the Montreal goals and, without naming names, Julien said the Canadiens need more from their top players. “In order to get through this, we’re going to need more from a lot of guys,” said Julien. “It’s time for certain players to elevate their games and have that confidence and desire to be better. There’s no doubt when you lose games and you’re behind 3-2, you can’t be satisfied as a team and you know there are certain players who can give a little bit more.” That list starts with Pacioretty. He’s the playoff leader with 24 shots, but has only one assist. Alex Galchenyuk has earned a promotion, but he has only three assists. Andrew Shaw, who was brought in because of his playoff experience, has no points. Gallagher assured reporters that Pacioretty will break out of his slump and he tried Thursday with five shots on goals, but six others were blocked and he missed the net twice. Julien said he had a simple message for his team going into Game 6. “The message is to focus on that game; you can’t be thinking about Game 7, because Game 7 won’t happen until you take care of Game 6,” said Julien. “The pressure is on them to close out the series in their building and for us, it’s to survive and force a Game 7.” “We just got to tune out all of this noise,” Pacioretty added. “We got to be disappointed that it was an opportunity blown, but excited at a big challenge that we can show our character here.” Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060748 Montreal Canadiens going to get the results you want. You got to believe in that and go out there every shift and continue to work, continue to battle and not feel sorry for yourself. It’s not going to get any easier and, obviously, the Stu Cowan: Canadiens need to find offence to save season chances are there. Find ways to put one in and hopefully it makes a difference in a game here coming up.”

Gallagher scored his first goal of the series Thursday night, but it didn’t Stu Cowan, Published on: April 20, 2017 make a difference. Artturi Lehkonen was the only other Canadien to score.

A lot of players need to take a long look in the mirror before Game 6. After Thursday’s morning skate in Brossard, the Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty was asked how much the fact he hadn’t scored a goal during So should the GM. the first four playoff games against the New York Rangers was on his mind. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 “Not as much as your mind,” the captain responded with a smile. It should really be on Pacioretty’s mind now and the smile should also be gone. Pacioretty failed to score a goal for the fifth straight game and the Canadiens lost 3-2 in overtime Thursday night at the Bell Centre on a goal by the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers, who now lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series 3-2, can eliminate the Canadiens with a Game 6 victory Saturday night on home ice at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., CBC, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, when an NHL best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 78.1 per cent of the time. Things are not looking good now for the Canadiens — or Pacioretty — after the team won the Atlantic Division title during the regular season and the captain scored 35 goals. But Pacioretty isn’t the only player responsible for the Canadiens being within one loss of elimination. Pacioretty was the only big gun the Canadiens had all season, scoring 13 goals more than Paul Byron, who was second with 22. Byron and Alexander Radulov, who was third with 18, scored only five more goals combined than Pacioretty. With the score tied 2-2 after 40 minutes Thursday night, the Canadiens went almost 11 minutes into the third period without getting a shot and were outshot 10-3 in OT. As I’ve written more than once, offensive depth is the team’s biggest problem and GM Marc Bergevin did nothing to fix that at the NHL trade deadline when he added fourth-liners Steve Ott, Dwight King — who somehow stays in the lineup — and Andreas Martinsen, who was a healthy scratch Thursday. When you’re basically a one-gun team offensively, the opposition has a better chance of figuring out how to shut you down when you play each other every second night. The Rangers have shut down Pacioretty, who has only one assist in the series. But he’s not the only forward who has yet to score a goal. Also in that club are Alex Galchenyuk, who has three assists, Phillip Danault and Andrew Shaw, who was acquired by Bergevin last summer from Chicago with the playoffs in mind. Shaw has yet to register a point in the series and is minus-2. The trio of Ott, King and Martinsen has zero points. Heading into the series, I picked the Canadiens to win in six games, which is now impossible. I knew the Canadiens didn’t have a lot of offensive depth, but figured Carey Price would be the difference in goal against Henrik Lundqvist. Price has played very well, but Lundqvist has played much better than expected after losing all three regular-season games against the Canadiens while posting a 4.04 goals-against average and .871 save percentage. The stats for Price (1.82 GAA, .936 save percentage) and Lundqvist (1.83 GAA, .944 save percentage) in this series are almost identical, but the most important stat has Lundqvist with one more win. With the Price Factor eliminated, the Canadiens haven’t been able to count on their goalie to win games while they have only scored 10 goals in the series. Former Canadiens coach Michel Therrien liked to say you need three goals to win a game — so do the math. “It’s tough, but you got to win four to win a series,” Pacioretty said. “I think we’ve done an OK job of, I guess, tuning out the negativity this far. It’s important, especially in Montreal. This should be no different.” After Thursday’s morning skate, the Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher talked about how difficult it is to score in the playoffs. “It’s obviously tough to score at this time of the year,” he said. “But you want to be doing that, you want to be contributing. It’s not the time of year to be getting frustrated, either, or feel like it’s not going to happen. Like I’ve been saying to you guys all year, I have this belief that if you do the same things, the right things, over and over again, eventually you’re 1060749 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens pushed to the brink after losing 3-2 in overtime

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette Published on: April 20, 2017

The bottom line: Mika Zibanejad scored at 14:22 of overtime to give the New York Rangers a 3-2 win over the Canadiens Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The win gives the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series. The Rangers’ Chris Kreider was in a position to win the game midway through the overtime period, but he fanned on a shot. But he assisted on the winning goal as he found Zibanejad cutting to the net. Game 6 is set for Saturday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN- 690 Radio). The late start is to accommodate NBC and its comparatively insignificant audiences. Lehkonen breaks the ice: Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring when he beat Henrik Lundqvist on a wraparound at 12:07 of the first period. It was the Finnish rookie’s second goal of the playoffs. Each team managed to score a goal after Kevin Hayes was sent off at 14:29 for holding Max Pacioretty’s stick. Jesper Fast got a step inside Nathan Beaulieu and scored a shorthanded goal on a pass from Zibanejad at 15:56. The Rangers got a break after Zibanejad picked off a lazy pass from Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens regained the lead when Brendan Gallagher scored a power-play goal at 16:20 after Andrei Markov set him up in the high slot. It was the first goal of the series for Gallagher, who absorbed a lot of punishment in the first period. Earlier in the power play, he was drilled from behind by Ryan McDonagh and he went to the dressing room late in the period after he was slashed in the ribs by Mats Zuccarello. Breaking even: The Rangers tied the game 2-2 at 18:28 of the second period when defenceman Brady Skjei pinched in and scored off a rebound after Carey Price made the initial save on Rick Nash coming out of the corner. Philip Danault hit a post early in the third period, but 10:11 elapsed before Montreal registered its first shot on goal. The numbers game: The Canadiens went 1-for-4 on the power play and are 3-for-17 in the series. The Montreal penalty-killing unit killed off two more penalties and the Rangers are 0-for-14 with the extra man. For the fourth time in five games, the teams combined for at least 100 hits, but this was the first game in which the Canadiens outhit the Rangers 51-49. Emelin returns: Defenceman Alexei Emelin made his first appearance since April 5, replacing Brandon Davidson on the third pairing with Beaulieu. Emelin, who was out with a lower-body injury, had seven hits in the game. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060750 Montreal Canadiens I have been reading HIO for several years. And I post every once in a while. I am now completely convinced that there are some complete and utter morons on this site. About last night … Rangers take series lead with 3-2 OT W Game 1 — Habs lose 2-0 (with one an empty netter0 Game 2 — Habs win in OT Posted by Mike Boone Game 3 — Habs win 3-1 Game 4 — Habs lose 2-1 (with a goal post while we had pulled the At the risk of being burned as a heretic – at least in the Comments goalie) section – may I suggest the better team won Game 5? Game 5 — Habs lose in overtime. And to further compound the heresy, here’s a fearless prediction: We’ll Yes, everyone, we are just terrible. We can’t win a thing. Our goalie is no not see another game at the Bell Centre this season. good. Our coach is no good. I base this dismaying prognostication on the research of the one and only Either team could have one every game this series (except game 3). Ron Reusch: That’s NHL parity and that’s playoff hockey. In NHL history, teams winning Game 5 of a best-of-seven series that was Sucks that we are down. And sucks that we will probably be eliminated tied 2-2 go on to win the series 78.1 per cent of the time (193-54). on Saturday night. But the doom and gloom on this site is just utterly Any optimists out there? ridiculous. Anyone hopeful we’ll see a Game 7 at the Bell Centre next Monday Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 night? But rather than sit around moping, let’s cite the wisdom of Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” The Canadiens are capable of winning Game 6 at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. But they will face an uphill battle to do so … even against a team that had a mediocre home-ice record during the regular season. I thought Carey Price might have to steal Game 5, something he hadn’t done through the first four games of the series. Make it five … although you can’t fault Price for the goals he allowed. For too many of their shifts over the game’s second half, the Rangers were allowed to maintain possession in the Canadiens’ zone, patiently setting up point shots and buzzing around Price’s crease. Price was well protected when his top defence pairing, Shea Weber and Andrei Markov, were on the ice. The other Dmen had a tough time controlling the white jerseys buzzing around them. The Canadiens had 36 shots on Henrik Lundqvist (but only three in the OT, to the Rangers’ 10). But most of their firepower was expended during the game’s first 40 minutes, when the home team was boosted by a rabidly pumped crowd. The Canadiens outshot the Rangers 16-9 in the first period and skated off the ice with a 2-1 lead that should have been bigger. Credit the visitors with composure. Shots in the second period were 10- 10, and the Rangers tied the game on Brady Skjei’s late one – scored when no one bothered to cover the pinching Rangers defenceman, who converted a perfect feed by Rick Nash. The third period was played cautiously before the visitors totally dominated OT. “We spent more time chasing the puck and defending than controlling the puck,” Claude Julien said after the game. “That can get tiring.” And the fatigue showed. Without mentioning Max Pacioretty, Julien acknowledged a degree of underachievement from his roster. “We’re going to need more from a lot of guys,” the coach said. “Certain guys will have to elevate their games.” The elevation will have to occur in a hostile environment. Again: Any optimists out there? Very disappointing. Can they force a game 7? Of course they can, but having lost 2 of 3 on home ice doesn’t give one a lot of confidence in a game 7 scenario. Even if they pull off a semi-miracle comeback, its quite apparent this group is not going on a deep run. 27 is physically talented, but not gifted with hockey sense and its not working with the Habs. Move him while he has some return value. Not blaming Price at all, but the assumption many made years ago about the inevitability of a Cup win with/because of Price is looking a bit unrealistic. Too bad, I was one of those who thought it was only a matter of time with Price. And from habsinnyc: 1060751 Montreal Canadiens Skjei is the first Rangers rookie defenceman with two playoff goals since Brian Leetch had three in 1989.

Phillip Danault hit a goalpost shorthanded in the opening minute of the Mika Zibanejad’s overtime goal lifts New York Rangers past Montreal third period, while Kreider had a chance to end the game 10 minutes into Canadiens 3-2 for control of series overtime but whiffed on a Zibanejad pass at the doorstep. National Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press | April 21, 2017 12:00 AM ET

MONTREAL — It often comes down to bounces in a close NHL playoff series and Mika Zibanejad got a big one. The New York Rangers forward was in the right spot when Chris Kreider’s shot went off Alexei Emelin’s stick and went to him for a shot into an open side at 14:22 of overtime on Thursday night. The goal lifted the Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens with a chance to close out the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal on Saturday night in New York. “Kreider came in and tried to shoot,” said Zibanejad. “I just tried to get to the net and it took a fortunate bounce for us. “I just tried to whack it to the net and then I kind of blacked out. I can’t remember much after that.” After that he was mobbed by his teammates for putting the finishing touch on a comeback win that saw the Rangers fall behind 2-1 in the first period but tie the game late in the second on a goal from defenceman Brady Skjei. “It was nice,” said Zibanejad. “My first playoff overtime goal. “It’s huge to get the win. At this point of the playoffs you don’t care who scores.” Fourth liner Jesper Fast got his second of the series for New York, while Artturi Lehkonen scored and set up a goal by Brendan Gallagher for the Canadiens, who had a 33-26 shot advantage in regulation time but saw New York outshoot them 10-3 in overtime. It seemed to be a matter of time before the Rangers scored. “A guy tries to shoot and it goes off a stick right to Mika — that’s a summary of playoff hockey right there in overtime,” said Rangers defenceman Dan Girardi. “It’s not going to be a perfectly clean tic-tac-toe play. It’s going to be something off a stick or a body in front. “It was nice that it was a clean goal and we were able to celebrate it and enjoy it.” It was a game of two halves, with Montreal controlling most of the play in the first 30 minutes before the Rangers took over with a strong checking and counter-attacking game. The Canadiens, who once led the series 2-1, will be looking for more from some of their top players in a Game 6 elimination game. Captain Max Pacioretty has taken heat for not scoring a goal yet in the series. He looked to have the game on his stick during a third period breakaway, but was stopped by Henrik Lundqvist. But Montreal coach Claude Julien said he’s not the only one. “In order to get through this, we’ll need more from a lot of guys,” said Julien. “It’s time for certain players to elevate their game and have that confidence and desire to be better. “There’s no doubt when you lose games and you’re behind 3-2 you can’t be satisfied as a team. There’s certain players as we all know that can give us more and hopefully that’s going to happen.” Mats Zuccarello wasted a glittering chance to give New York the early lead when he couldn’t lift the puck over Carey Price’s pad from the doorstep in the opening minute. Montreal struck first as Lehkonen fought off Marc Staal to put a spin- around shot off the side of the net and score on a wrap-around at 12:07. Kevin Hayes was serving a holding call when Fast got his second of the series shorthanded, finishing a two-on-two counter-attack after taking a slick feed from Zibanejad at 15:56. Only 25 seconds later, Andrei Markov slipped a pass into the slot for an unguarded Gallagher to score on a snap shot. Skjei tied the game at 18:28 of the second frame. Rich Nash took the puck to the net and Skjei was on the spot to bang the rebound into an open side. 1060752 Nashville Predators defensemen, and he and his players have to figure a way to apply more pressure and capitalize on it.

Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35) and left Rexrode: Predators vs. Blackhawks Game 4 more about physicality than psychology Whether the Blackhawks actually took the Predators lightly at first or not, they understand that a majority of the previous 197 minutes have been controlled by the Predators. That’s puck battles and faceoffs and split- Joe Rexrode , USA TODAY NETWORK second decisions, and for as well as the Predators have played, the difference between a 3-0 series lead for Nashville and a 3-0 series lead for Chicago right now is still just a couple handfuls of plays. Pressure, lessons, experience, desperation — these are the proper “We knew what to expect,” Hartman insisted. “We knew they were going things to talk about as we sit around and wait for Game 4 between the to try to get that early lead and play hard defense. So that’s what we Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks. really expected, and they’ve done a good job and they’ve executed their game plan well. They got an early start to the series. But there’s still a lot But Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville gave the best quote of Thursday of hockey to play.” morning after both teams had optional skates and fulfilled their media duties with the expected messages. Well, maybe. “You can talk all you want,” Quenneville said. “We need action.” Tennessean LOADED: 04.21.2017 Maybe the core Blackhawks’ experience in forcing a Game 7 against Vancouver after trailing that 2011 series 3-0 will somehow help stave off elimination at Bridgestone Arena. Maybe Nashville coach Peter Laviolette’s experience in leading the Philadelphia Flyers to one of four series wins in Stanley Cup playoff history for a team that was down 3-0 — against the Boston Bruins in 2010 — will give him the perfect thing to say to his team to close out the Blackhawks. Nashville Predators left wing Kevin Fiala (56) scores Maybe the pressure really is on the Predators? That’s what Quenneville and his players have been saying for the past couple days and, hey, it’s worth a shot. “For sure,” Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman said after his team’s Thursday skate. “The fourth win of the series is always the hardest to win. The other ones might be a little easier but that fourth one might be a little pressure.” The problem there is that Chicago is still the team that was favored to cruise in this series and then win three more for its fourth Cup in eight years. The Blackhawks have to win this game and the Predators have as many as four chances to win one more, so by strict definition that’s a ridiculous claim. w if the Blackhawks stare down another Bridgestone imitation of Mad Max’s “Thunderdome,” get off their heels and start possessing the puck and attacking like usual, figure out Pekka Rinne, get a lead, hold it and win this game … then we can talk shifting pressure. But it’s always on both teams in a playoff series to some extent anyway. It comes with stakes and attention, and the humans on both sides of these things notice the increase in both. And it’s not like the Predators expect anything in Game 4 but “the hardest game of the series, no question,” captain Mike Fisher said. Nashville Predators left wing Harry Zolnierczyk (26) “We’ve got to win a game,” Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “We’ve got to win one more game. You can put the pressure on whoever you want, but we’ve got to win one game and our mindset doesn’t change from the previous three. We just need to get after it and keep attacking the game.” Whichever way Game 4 goes, we will talk about intangibles. The experience and pride of the Blackhawks if they win. The burgeoning maturity of the Predators if they earn a handshake line. And those points will not be completely moot. But it’s hockey, where scoring is limited and goals can materialize out of thin air and slushy ice. Was Rinne drawing on some moment from his 2010 playoff loss to Chicago when he went sprawling shortstop on that crazy bounce off the boards in the first period of Game 3, getting a fraction of the top of the puck to send it a couple centimeters wide? REXRODE:Preds, fans on verge of next big step Or was he doing what hockey players do all the time, reacting and making a play? If he doesn’t make that play, would Game 3 have ended with a different result? Maybe not. Maybe the Predators would have fought back from that as well. And if Rinne didn’t make a couple huge, conventional saves in the third period to keep the game from getting to 3-0, maybe that comeback doesn’t get a sniff. Whatever these teams know and feel at this moment, we can expect everything they have in this game. Quenneville might play seven 1060753 Nashville Predators

Wayne Gretzky to visit Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Nashville Predators say

Joey Garrison , USA Today Network

Wayne Gretzky talks greatness -- from Howe... Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky sat down with USA TODAY Sports' Larry Berger to talk about everything from breaking Gordie Howe's records to the future stars of the NHL. This summer, Nashville youth hockey players might get a chance to meet "The Great One" in Antioch. Former NHL great Wayne Gretzky has promised at least one visit to the Nashville Predators' Ford Ice Center, Danny Butler, the center's general manager, said at Thursday's Metro Sports Authority meeting. The connection? Nashville's Ford Ice Center is one of six venues in the nation where The Gretzky Hockey School, a summer camp operated by Gretzky's son Ty Gretzky, is held. "Wayne Gretzky has promised to at least come out for one day," Butler said. "So, Wayne Gretzky will be in Antioch this summer." The camp is for hockey players ages seven to 15. Though Butler did not give a date for Wayne Gretzky's appearance, it would likely fall between June 5 and June 9. Those are the dates of this year's Gretzky camp in Nashville. Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leader in points, goals and assists, played in Nashville just once over his 21-year career. As a member of the New York Rangers, he helped lead his team to a 7-4 victory against the Predators on February 15, 1999. He scored an assist on five of his team's seven goals. The Ford Ice Center, which opened in 2014, offers both hockey and ice skating to the public. By all accounts, the Metro-financed facility has been a hit. Butler said that more hockey players compete at the Ford Ice Center than the states of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi combined. "Which is incredible," he said. Earlier this year, Mayor Megan Barry's administration and the Predators announced plans to build a second ice center in Bellevue. The project, which also includes an adjacent regional community center, will cost Metro between $25 million and $30 million to build. Though financial arrangements haven't been finalized, the Predators are expected to pay annual rent for the building, like they do at the Ford Ice Center. In addition to the Gretzky camp, the Ford Ice Center also plays host to the Predators Hockey School for two weeks this summer, July 10 to July 14, and July 17 to July 21. The center will also host the Elite Edge Hockey showcase, an event for rising high school and college-age players, from June 12 to June 15. Tennessean LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060754 Nashville Predators

Predators prepared to match Blackhawks' desperation in Game 4

Adam Vingan , USA TODAY NETWORK

A look at some of the best moments from the 2016-2017 Nashville Predators hockey season. Wochit In NHL history, four teams have surmounted 3-0 deficits to win a best-of- seven playoff series. The Blackhawks, who trail the Predators by that amount in a first-round series that could end Thursday in Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m., Fox TN and NBC SN/102.5-FM), must approach their win-or-go-home situation with a certain amount of desperation. That also applies to the Predators, despite their three-game advantage. It doesn't matter that they are in a position that has essentially guaranteed a series victory. “I’m a believer that momentum doesn’t work for you," said Predators coach Peter Laviolette, who helmed the 2010 Flyers to one of those four comebacks against the Bruins in the second round. "Desperation usually rules the day, so we’re going to need to be a desperate hockey team. We need to play a really good hockey game.” Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane suggested Wednesday that "it seems like all the pressure is on (the Predators) to win that next game.” Such a a statement might simply be an attempt at mental gamesmanship, but perhaps there's an element of truth to it, especially if the Blackhawks force a Game 5 on Saturday night in Chicago. "There's going to be pressure on both sides," Predators forward Harry Zolnierczyk said. "Their backs are against the wall, and obviously we're looking to close the series. There's going to be pressure on both sides, regardless of what game. Game 1, there's pressure on both sides. Game 2, they're looking to even it, we're looking to extend the lead, and Game 3 the same. "We have an opportunity to close the series, and we're going to be looking just to make sure we put our best foot forward." Lineup notes: The Predators held an optional skate Thursday morning. Forward Craig Smith, who left Monday's Game 3 win near the end of the overtime period, wasn't among the participants after not practicing Wednesday. He could be a game-time decision Thursday. "I wouldn't read a lot into that." Laviolette said Wednesday morning about the attendance at that day's practice. "Guys are getting what they need before a big game. When things pop up, we usually let it out when the game is played and somebody's in the lineup or not in the lineup. ... I'm just telling you that there were guys out here early. There were guys out here for some of the practice. Everything's kind of got a plan to it." Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said that he might dress seven defensemen for Thursday's game. Anthem mystery: The Predators have promised “another superstar anthem performance” before Game 4. On Monday, Carrie Underwood did the honors, wearing husband Mike Fisher’s No. 12 jersey. Asked if an encore was in the offing Thursday, Fisher was mum. “If I told you,” he said, “I’d have to kill you." Tennessean LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060755 Nashville Predators

Predators vs. Blackhawks Game 4: Quotes of note

Joe Rexrode , USA TODAY NETWORK

Quotes of note after the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Thursday to sweep their first-round series: Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne: “I don’t think we can go unnoticed anymore, that’s for sure. And I don’t really care. I think you just try to have that mindset that everything that happens in this locker room just stays here, and we’re in this together and playing for each other. But I think so, I think this is going to create some noise. And the way we played, I think we can be proud of the way we played. Played really good hockey and beat a really good team.” Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis on pulling the upset: “I think there’s probably more surprise on the outside of the room. I mean, we know we’re a good hockey club. If we play our game, if we’re committed to the things we have to do, we feel very confident in our group. Probably shocked a lot of people. Obviously we’re happy with the way it all went. But we feel, like I said, confident in our group and not shocked in the least.” Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators, Game 4 Rinne: “One of the best games of the season. Just the effort guys play with right now, it’s pretty amazing. Defensively and just, we all play for each other. It’s a great feeling.” Predators coach Peter Laviolette on center Ryan Johansen: “He had a good year. He played strong down the stretch for us. He wants that role. He wants to be that guy. I thought he had a good year, a really good year, and I thought he played really, really good in the first round.” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville: "I don't think anybody exceeded their expectations, didn't compete to the level that's necessary. I take that personally as a coach to find the 'all-out' button and I didn't get the job done." Tennessean LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060756 Nashville Predators Mattias Ekholm, Calle Jarnkrok, No. 2 goalie Juuse Saros – there’s a lot to like about the future of this team.

The second narrative is easier to believe, both could be true, and this Predators finish Blackhawks in style might be the start of a true rivalry. “Major disappointment across the board,” Chicago coach Joel Joe Rexrode , USA TODAY NETWORK – Quenneville, visibly frustrated for a week straight now, said after it was over.

“It’s insulting to not give that team credit … they were relentless,” Toews Viktor Arvidsson was terrorizing the Chicago Blackhawks with his speed told CSN Chicago afterward of the Predators. again, and this time he left the puck for a trailing Colton Sissons. More importantly, this needs to be the start of a true 2017 playoff run. Sissons fired. The puck hit the left post. It bumped into off-balance And it will be if the excellence of the past week continues. If Peter Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford, who inadvertently brushed it back Laviolette does more excellent work in the area of devising and and over that red line. Arvidsson and 17,000 of his closest friends raised implementing a plan. both arms. If his players continue performing with confidence, aggression and And that’s when you finally knew. That’s when everyone knew. This night sharpness. If Rinne continues defying his age (34) and looking like an was going to end with handshakes. agile spider with his 6-foot-5 frame and puck handling skills. “SWEEP! SWEEP! SWEEP!” the Predators fans chanted in the final It was another spectacular scene Thursday at Bridgestone, Luke Bryan stages of a 4-1 win in Game 4 Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. And that’s succeeding Carrie Underwood with the Surprise Country Star National what they got, thanks to that Sissons goal, two from Roman Josi, an Anthem. The roars of 17,326 didn’t stop until well after the Predators Arvidsson empty netter for emphasis and yet another masterpiece from mobbed Rinne and got through those handshakes. goaltender Pekka Rinne – and despite an appropriately desperate performance from the Stanley Cup favorite Blackhawks. If Nashville the team jumps on the opportunity it just created, Nashville the organization might have to dig into the country star B-list before this “It’s a great feeling, 2010 and 2015 we lost to these guys in the first is finished. round; we had a chance to kind of redeem ourselves, a little payback,” Rinne said of the Blackhawks. “But it’s a great feeling, and I think “The one thing I know for sure is when we wake up tomorrow morning, organization-wise too, it goes pretty high up there.” we’re hardly into this,” Laviolette said. “There’s a month and a half of hockey left, for whoever goes the distance. The two teams that make it Now it’s on the Predators to capitalize on this achievement, their No. 1 to the distance, there’s a month and a half left. So we’re just scratching the date, and knock it down the list before the spring ends. It’s on these surface. It was a job well-done, but when we wake up tomorrow we’ve players to shake more hands of people who are gritting their teeth in got to go back to work.” disappointment while the Predators say nice things and temporarily contain their exuberance. Tennessean LOADED: 04.21.2017 Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators, Game 4 “We’ve been in this situation, and in my career too I’ve been in this situation (three times) now,” Rinne said of first-round wins in 2011, 2012 and 2016. “It really is nothing. It’s a great feeling and it’s really hard to get to the second round, but at the same time, you’ve got to keep your foot on the gas. Stay focused, stay hungry. We haven’t done anything yet.” We have a few days to ponder the next step, as Nashville awaits the winner of St. Louis and Minnesota – the Blues are up 3-1 and can clinch Saturday on the road – and rests up before attempting to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time in its 19-year history. So let’s appreciate what just happened here. It would be easier than explaining it. The Predators hanging with the Blackhawks, that’s no surprise. We knew all along that this team, picked by some before the season as a contender, had talent. We saw them skate right with Chicago in five meetings this season, winning just one but making bids in three others. And though Las Vegas favored the Blackhawks to win their fourth Cup in eight years and predictions of a Chicago win in this series were nearly unanimous in Punditland, Nashville winning this series is not the upset of the 21st Century. This was not a No. 1 seed vs. a No. 8 seed in quality. “We really believed we could beat this hockey team, there’s no question, if we played a certain way,” Predators captain Mike Fisher said. But Nashville sweeping, shutting Chicago out in both games at United Center, scoring 13 goals to the Blackhawks’ three? Predict that out loud before the series and we’re grabbing you a Breathalyzer. “I think you would be pretty, um, skeptical that that would happen,” Rinne said. Rinne starting the series with 141 shutout minutes and finishing it with 123 saves on 126 shots? Ryan Johansen going all beastly on Jonathan Toews and befuddling him when P.K. Subban wasn’t? Sissons and Harry Zolnierczyk and Kevin Fiala scoring crucial goals? Here’s a coffee, please eat some food and we’ll call you an Uber. This was not a likely outcome, to understate things, so there are two obvious ways to take it. One, as will no doubt be done by some in Chicago, is to conclude the Blackhawks are on the down side of their dynasty or mini-dynasty or whatever you want to call it. The other is to conclude the Predators have a chance of putting their own run together, with young stars such as Arvidsson, Subban, Johansen, Josi, Ryan Ellis and Filip Forsberg in or entering their prime. Fiala, 1060757 New Jersey Devils

Devils sign defenseman Yaroslav Dyblenko from KHL Yaroslav Dyblenko bombing hit on Gilbert Brule

Chris Ryan

The Devils signed defenseman Yaroslav Dyblenko to a two-year, entry- level contract, the team announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old Dyblenko played the past five seasons playing the the KHL in Russia. The first three came with Moscow Oblast Atlant before he played two seasons with Moscow Spartak. Devils with most to gain in AHL playoffs He played in 51 games each of the past two seasons, totaling seven points in 2015-16 before recording four goals and seven assists in 2016- 17. Dyblenko is listed as a 6-1, 203-pound left-shooting defenseman. He has 12 goals and 27 assists, plus 150 penalty minutes, over 180 career games in the KHL. Star Ledger LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060758 New Jersey Devils

Devils to host Mike Nichols charity hockey game

Chris Ryan

The Devils, the Prudential Center and WFAN will host the third annual Mike Nichols charity game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21. WFAN personalities Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton will captain the two teams, which will feature former Devils Patrik Elias, Grant Marshall, Bryce Salvador, John MacLean, Ken Daneyko, Colin White and more. Devils with most to gain in AHL playoffs The game will also feature other former NHL players, including Brad Richards, Tom Laidlaw, Rick DiPietro, plus former U.S. Women's National Team member Shelly Picard. The third annual game will be hosted at the Prudential Center for the first time. The event will benefit spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives through the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Proceeds will also go to the Nichols Family Trust. Nichols suffered a spinal-cord injury while playing for the Monroe Township High School ice hockey team in 2014. Boomer & Carton host sold out charity hockey game for Mike Nichols Star Ledger LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060759 New Jersey Devils

Devils who have most to gain from AHL playoffs

By Chris Ryan

The Devils avoided one disaster at the end of the season when their AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils, held on to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Now as a result, some of the organization's prospects will get valuable playoff experience, and that group includes a handful of players who played in the NHL this season. Here are 10 Devils who will benefit the most from the AHL playoffs and get a boost in their development. Miles Wood Out of all the players in Albany for the playoffs, forward Miles Wood brings the most NHL experience from this past season. He spent the majority of his year with the Devils, recording 17 points in 60 games. His speed and physicality were big factors at the NHL level, and he'll have the opportunity to make more strides in the AHL, where he'll also see his first playoff series experience. “I’ve never played in a playoff situation, a seven-game series," Wood said. "College was just one game and out type thing. I’ve never been in a save game series, so I don’t really know what to expect.” "For me, just continuing to establish who I want to be as a player in this league," Wood said. "For me, it’s just trying to compete each night, each practice. I’ve been telling the coaching staff I want to be here for a long time. It’s been a fun year, it's been a fast year. It’s crazy how fast it goes.” Canada v Czech Republic - Quarterfinal - 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship Blake Speers Forward Blake Speers will get a big benefit after playing the majority of the season in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds. The Devils clearly like what they have in Speers — he made the NHL roster out of training camp as a 19-year-old before being optioned back to juniors. Now he'll get another taste of pro action before he becomes a full-time pro next season. Star Ledger LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060760 New Jersey Devils

Predicting the lottery: Who Devils should draft with 1st-round pick

By Chris Ryan

The Devils and the rest of the NHL will find out their fates for the 2017 NHL Draft when the first-round order is determined at the NHL Draft Lottery on Saturday, April 29. The Devils can land anywhere from the first to the eighth pick in the draft. Here are the players the Devils should draft for each possible scenario of the lottery. First Pick The Pick: Nico Hischier, C Devils' odds of pick No. 1: 8.5 percent There is no consensus stud at the top of the draft board, like Connor McDavid in 2015 or Auston Matthews in 2016. But there's plenty of talent to be had, and Nico Hischier fits the mold in the top spot. The left- shooting forward racked up 38 goals and 48 assists in 58 regular-season games in the QMJHL in 2016-17. He has been among the discussion for the top overall pick along with the second player listed here. Second Pick The Pick: Nolan Patrick, C/RW Devils' odds to pick No. 2: 8.7 percent Nolan Patrick is the other forward at the top of many draft boards, and while he played in only 33 regular season games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, he still finished with 46 points, following up a 2015-16 season while he compiled 102 points (41 goals and 61 assists) in 72 regular-season games. Patrick represents another dynamic scorer the Devils could sorely use. Star Ledger LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060761 New Jersey Devils

Devils sign Russian defenseman Dyblenko; Elias on-air

Andrew Gross , Staff Writer

Just like last offseason, when the Devils signed Frenchman Yohann Auvita out of Finland’s top league, the team has gone overseas in an attempt to bolster its defensive corps. The Devils announced today Russian defenseman Yaroslav Dyblenko has agreed to a two-year, entry-level deal after playing the last two seasons with Moscow Spartak in the KHL. Dyblenko, 23, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound left-shooting defenseman, had four goals, seven assists and 51 penalty minutes in 51 games last season and the scouting reports indicate physicality is a big part of his game. Overall, in 180 KHL games – five seasons worth –Dyblenko had 12 goals, 27 assists and 150 penalty minutes. And, as was the case with Auvitu, there is a big question mark as to whether Dyblenko will be able to translate his game from the KHL to North America. Auvitu opened the season among the Devils’ top six blueliners but is currently playing for Albany, which opens its first-round AHL series tonight hosting the Toronto Marlies. Then again, this is a very low-risk, moderate to high reward move for general manager Ray Shero and the Devils. In other words, the Devils lose nothing by trying. New Jersey Devils' Patrik Elias skates with the team Some Patrik Elias news: The Devils’ recently-retired all-time leading scorer, always so good with the media, will serve as a guest analyst on NHL Network’s “NHL Tonight” as part of the coverage of tonight’s Game 5 between the Penguins and Blue Jackets. Elias is also scheduled to be a guest analyst on Sunday’s “NHL Tonight.” Meanwhile, a reminder of Friday night’s Third Annual Mike Nichols Charity Hockey Game at Prudential Center, hosted by WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, which Elias will participate in as a player. Tickets are $20 and will benefit the Nichols Family Trust as well as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Along with Elias, former Devils Grant Marshall, Bryce Salvador, Bruce Drive, John MacLean, Ken Daneyko, Colin White, Marek Zidlicky, Arron Asham and Doug Brown are scheduled to play. Other former NHLers participating include: Brad Richards, Rick DiPietro, Tie Domi, Alexei Kovalev, Tom Laidlaw, Brian Mullen, Marty Reasoner and Kevin Westgarth. Bergen Record LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060762 New Jersey Devils

Albany beats Toronto, 3-0, in Game 1

Andrew Gross , Staff Writer,

The Albany Devils got off to a strong start in their best-of-five, first-round AHL playoff series against the Toronto Marlies, winning Game 1 on Thursday night on home ice. Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves for the shutout in his first career playoff appearance while Ben Thomson, John Quenneville and Brian Gibbons each scored a goal. Game 2 is Saturday at Times Union Center before the series shifts to Toronto for the final three games, if necessary. The Marlies eliminated the A-Devils last season in a hard-fought, seven- game, second-round series. Devils sign Russian defenseman Dyblenko; Elias on-air Blake Speers joining Albany for AHL Playoffs Albany faces rematch with Toronto in AHL Playoffs Thomson opened the scoring for Albany at 16:22 of the first period with a slap shot past Marlies netminder Garret Sparks off defenseman Seth Helgeson’s feed. Quenneville, with an unassisted power-play goal at 13:03 of the second period after creating a turnover to start an odd-man rush, made it 2-0. Gibbons clinched the game with an empty-netter off Nick Lappin’s assist with 37 seconds remaining in regulation. Sparks had 20 saves. The A-Devils went 1 for 5 on the power play while killing off all four of the Marlies’ power plays. Blake Speers, re-assigned to Albany upon completion of his junior hockey season with Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) was among the healthy scratches, as was defenseman Yohann Auvitu and gritty forward Luke Gazdic. Here’s the series schedule: Game 1 – Thursday (at Albany): Albany 3, Toronto 0 Game 2 – Saturday: Toronto at Albany, 5 p.m. Game 3 – Wednesday: Albany at Toronto, 7 p.m. * Game 4 – April 28: Albany at Toronto, 7 p.m. * Game 5 – April 29: Albany at Toronto, 7 p.m. * If necessary Bergen Record LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060763 New York Rangers The Canadiens had a power-play chance when J. T. Miller took a penalty 14:13 into the third. The noise reached a peak as fans implored their team with constant choruses of “Go, Habs, go!” but the Canadiens could Rangers Grab Series Lead With Overtime Victory Over Canadiens not convert. Continue reading the main story By ALLAN KREDAAPRIL 20, 2017 Montreal had a 33-26 advantage in shots heading into overtime, but the Rangers then poured on the pressure, vexing Canadiens Coach Claude Julien. MONTREAL — The Rangers have engaged in many playoff showdowns “A lot of guys have to be better,” Julien said. against Montreal, earning more series victories against the Canadiens than any opponent in franchise history. But the two longtime rivals have The Rangers are facing the Canadiens for the 16th time in a playoff never gone the distance to seven games. series, with the Rangers having won eight, including six-game victories in 2014, 1996, 1974 and 1972. None of the teams’ postseason meetings The Rangers will need one of their best home performances of the have ever reached a Game 7. season to make sure that does not happen after Mika Zibanejad scored at 14 minutes 22 seconds of overtime for a 3-2 victory on Thursday, Heading back to New York, history is on the Rangers side. giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. New York Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 The Rangers dominated the overtime period against the tired-looking Canadiens at Bell Centre, outshooting their hosts, 10-3, and putting together several solid chances. The winning play came when Chris Kreider slid the puck across the goal to Zibanejad, who whipped it past goaltender Carey Price and sent the crowd into stunned silence. “I didn’t expect the puck to come to me like that, and I don’t think the defense noticed it either,” Zibanejad said. “I was able to get a stick on it — it was just awesome.” For Zibanejad, acquired last summer from Ottawa in exchange for Derick Brassard, the goal was a pinnacle moment in his first season as a Ranger. “And it was a little revenge from the last overtime here,” he said, referring to Montreal’s win in Game 2. Game 6 is Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers will have a chance to eliminate the Canadiens in six games. Lundqvist, who made 34 saves, was again the voice of reason after the game, despite the pressure he endured as the Rangers kept coming ever-so-close to a clincher in overtime. “It’s probably the best feeling, the feeling you are looking for after you work so hard,” he said. “You put everything you have into every game. It’s a rush.” The Rangers nearly found an early lead when Mats Zuccarello stormed across the ice toward Price with a chance to score shortly after the game began. But Price denied Zuccarello, and the clubs began a tense tussle. Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith and Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw punctuated the struggle with a fight midway through the opening period. Montreal took the early advantage, scoring twice in the period to take a 2-1 lead that it held until late in the second. But the Rangers snatched the momentum when defenseman Brady Skjei tied the score at 18:28 of the middle period by burying a rebound past Price. The Rangers had little reason to be intimidated on the Canadiens’ ice, having won a league-best 27 regular-season games away from the Garden and recording a 2-0 shutout in Game 1 here. The Canadiens, who got a lift from the return of the veteran defenseman Alexei Emelin from a lower-body injury, broke through on Lundqvist when the rookie Artturi Lehkonen scored his second goal of the series at 12:07 of the first off a scramble in front. But Jesper Fast — one of the Rangers’ steadiest forwards all season and an important force so far in this series — nudged the puck past Price at 15:56 while the Rangers were short-handed. The 1-1 tie was short-lived, however. Brendan Gallagher restored the Canadiens’ lead 24 seconds later with his first goal of the postseason. Montreal outshot the Rangers, 15-10, in the opening period, and once again Lundqvist had to be sharp to keep the score close. Lundqvist remained steady in the second as the Canadiens kept pouring pucks toward him. Montreal outshot the Rangers by a wide margin early in the period, but Lundqvist rejected their efforts time and again. When Skjei broke through for the Rangers, snapping a rebound past Price for his second goal of the series, the score was left knotted at 2-2 heading into the third period. 1060764 New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad’s gets his ‘revenge’ at just the right time

By Brett Cyrgalis

MONTREAL — Mika Zibanejad is well aware of what’s going on around him, and all of the subsequent implications. So it’s no surprise that he had been open about his struggles through the first three games of his first postseason as a Ranger, and was just as open about feeling a bit of redemption when he scored the overtime winner in his team’s 3-2 victory over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their first-round series on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. With the Rangers now up in the best-of-seven contest, 3-2, and with a chance to close out the series with Game 6 on Saturday night at the Garden, Zibanejad thought back to the other overtime game in this series. That was Game 2 at the Bell Centre when he was defensively negligent as Alexander Radulov scored the game-winner. “Great feeling to get the win, and to get that goal, personally, a little bit of revenge from last overtime,” Zibanejad said. “It’s just an awesome feeling.” The Game 5 winner was the result of his newly reformed line, with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchenvich, continuing its strong play. Kreider came barreling over the blue line and his shot was deflected, bouncing along the ice until it got to Zibanejad near the far post. From there, he lifted it over Carey Price and then jumped backwards into the glass. “Blacked out, to be honest with you,” Zibanejad said. Earlier in the overtime, there had been a tic-tac-toe passing play, from Buchnevich to Zibanejad and then to Kreider, who just whiffed on a golden opportunity while alone in front. But the hope for coach Alain Vigneault is that the trio can keep rolling, because he needs them to be more than just a skilled unit with offensive capabilities. He needs more plays like Zibanejad’s back-check with 7:50 left in the overtime that negated a Montreal scoring chance. “I thought that line, [with] Mika, Kreids and Buchie, in the third period and overtime, I thought they were real strong, not just making plays with the puck, but they were back-checking real hard,” Vigneault said. “We spent a lot of time in overtime in their end, and they had a real strong finish to this game.” Like any good linemate, Zibanejad was happy he was the one to be the hero, but he said a win was more important than any personal glory. “Obviously nice when you get to do it. But at that point in the playoffs, you don’t really care who scores,” he said. “You’re glad you get the win. Great feeling.” New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060765 New York Rangers

Home ice isn’t only advantage Rangers have in Game 6

By Brett Cyrgalis

MONTREAL — The stats are in their favor. The Rangers took a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday night at Bell Centre. If history proves to be a proper forecaster, their 3-2 edge in the best-of- seven series puts them in good shape to advance to the second round. Their first chance to clinch will be in Game 6 on Saturday night at the Garden. According to the team, the Rangers have won each of the previous 14 playoff series in which they earned a win in Game 5, dating back to the Patrick Division semifinals against the Flyers in 1986. This is also the eighth time in franchise history they have come back from a 2-1 series deficit to take a 3-2 lead, and they are 6-1 in the previous seven series — the only loss being in the 1950 Stanley Cup final to the Red Wings. But they’re not trying to focus too much on momentum. “You know, everybody is going to fly to New York and recover,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “They’re going to put a game plan together, we’re going to put a game plan together, and both teams are going to do what they’ve been doing for five games — they’re going to compete real hard. That’s what I expect from us, and that’s what I expect from them.” Center Oscar Lindberg was hit high by Andrew Shaw midway through the second period, with no call made. He was down on the ice for a while as play continued. Lindberg did go to the locker room after being called off by concussion spotters, and went through concussion protocol before returning for the rest of the game. He had a cut on his upper lip and said after the game he was fine. Captain Ryan McDonagh also took a hit up near his head in the first period, sandwiched between Alexander Radulov and Max Pacioretty, and was down on the ice, rattled, for a good 45 seconds. There was no penalty called on the play, and McDonagh didn’t miss a shift. Defenseman Kevin Klein and forward Tanner Glass remained healthy scratches for the second straight game. New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060766 New York Rangers

Rangers’ penalty kill contributes in more ways than one

By Brett Cyrgalis

MONTREAL — At least one of the Rangers’ special teams is contributing. The Blueshirts’ penalty kill came up huge in their 3-2 overtime victory over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday night at Bell Centre. With the win, the Rangers took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Rangers shut down the Canadiens’ potent power play on three-of- four chances, none bigger than killing off the gratuitous slash from J.T. Miller with just over five minutes remaining in regulation and the game tied, 2-2. They also got a shorthanded goal from Jesper Fast late in the first period that tied the game, 1-1. “We came up huge on the penalty kill,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “[The Canadiens] create a lot of chances on their power play. You have to give them credit, the way they move the puck and the way they set up guys. We worked really hard to get back in the game.” The Rangers’ own power play remain impotent, going 0-for-2 and now is 0-for-14 on the series. The Blueshirts are the only team left in the postseason without a goal on the man-advantage. But their only big blip on the penalty kill was in Game 3, when they allowed two goals to the Montreal man-advantage and lost that game, 3- 1. “A lot of the times, it decides the game. You saw it in Game 3, the importance of keeping their power play off the scoreboard,” Lundqvist said. “If they don’t score, they do create a lot of chances. They’re good. We have to be on our toes, we have to be on our best game to kill it off.” The Canadiens did get a power-play goal from Brendan Gallagher 16:20 into second period — just 24 seconds after Fast scored shorthanded. The Rangers are now 14-for-17 on the penalty kill for the series, which included two in the first five minutes of the second period, when Ryan McDonagh took a slashing penalty and Mats Zuccarello was called for a high-stick, keeping it at a 2-1 deficit. “When you do [kill a penalty], you gain confidence,” Lundqvist said. “I think in that second period, early on, we killed off some big penalties and we got going.” New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060767 New York Rangers Kreider had a glorious chance to end it from the right doorstep at 9:50 of overtime after a relay from Buchnevich to Zibanejad landed flush on his stick blade. But down to one knee, Kreider fanned on it. One vital Ranger finally makes his presence felt “You know what? Price was there! He was there! That’s why I went down to one knee. I was trying to get it up over him,” Kreider said. “But that’s a bad job by me. I have to make him make a save. Come on.” By Larry Brooks But No. 20 didn’t get down. For so long you didn’t see him. And then you did, like Kreider was Houdini, who by the way, never set up an overtime game-winner in his life. MONTREAL — This was a twist on the old “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t,” for in this Game 5 on Thursday night, just when you became New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 convinced you might never see Chris Kreider again make a play for the Rangers, there you saw No. 20 popping into the picture again and again and again. “You stick with it. You persevere,” Kreider told The Post. “I’m not the only player to go through a tough time. You don’t put your head down. You make adjustments. You don’t let the valleys overwhelm you or demoralize you. “You stay with it and trust that if you do, good things will happen.” Kreider stayed with it, all right, playing his most formidable and assertive hockey of the series over the final 21:30 of this overtime Game 5, and the very best thing happened as a consequence. For when Kreider’s left circle drive was deflected to the right circle by Alexei Emelin — yep, Kid K and Emelin together again three years later — Mika Zibanejad jumped on the puck to beat Carey Price at 14:22 to lift the Blueshirts to a 3-2 win and within one victory of advancing to Round 2. “Now we get ready,” Kreider said. “Now we get to go home and try to end it.” The Rangers earned this, no doubt about it. After absorbing a pounding through nearly all of the lopsided first 40 minutes while somehow hanging on as opposed to merely hanging in or hanging around, the Blueshirts wrested control from the brawny Habs and never relinquished it. This was a different team than the one that was overwhelmed through the final 40 minutes of their Game 2 overtime defeat last Friday. This team dictated terms in the third and then again in extra time, outshooting the Habs 10-3 in extra time while playing with poise and confidence. The Blueshirts pressed for one shift after another while Henrik Lundqvist watched from his throne some 178 paces away from Price. The King watched … watched for the red light, all the while aware the momentum always could change at the drop of the Broadway Hat that was perched on top of Zibanejad’s head after No. 93 had ended it. Someone wanted to know if a goaltender could enjoy overtime. “Not really,” said Lundqvist, who made a game-saving breakaway right pad save on Max Pacioretty coming straight down the chute with 7:12 remaining in the third of the 2-2 game. “You never think you have it no matter how many chances you are creating because you know that with one bounce everything can change.” But it didn’t change, at least it didn’t change for the Rangers (or for the Canadiens) once Brady Skjei snuck low into the slot to convert a Rick Nash rebound at 18:28 of the second after Big 61 drove the net from the right corner — see, it’s allowed! — and forced Price to make a pad save. That’s when the game changed. That’s when the Rangers dug in, played with poise and never allowed the Canadiens to regain the edge or, just as importantly, the swagger they had demonstrated through the first 38 minutes of the match. “Rick is the figurehead for playing the right way,” Kreider said. “He sets the template for the rest of us.” From the moment he joined the Rangers for the 2012 playoffs straight off the Boston College Chestnut Hill campus, Kreider consistently has been among the rare breed of player who elevates in the playoffs. But not this series which had been the most inconsequential of a postseason career in which he had scored 20 goals in 65 matches heading into this tournament. But after being rendered ineffective if not invisible through four games and most of the fifth, Kreider came alive beginning with a left-wing dash that culminated with a wrist shot 7:10 into the third. He and linemates Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich were on the puck consistently after that. “I made a simple adjustment to get on top of the puck and that allowed me to use my speed,” Kreider said. “Before that it was, ‘low and go slow.’” 1060768 New York Rangers going to be something off a stick or a body in front. Definitely a great feeling.”

New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 Mika Zibanejad’s OT goal propels Rangers to pivotal Game 5 win

By Brett Cyrgalis

MONTREAL — It was the smallest smile and a nod in a crowded elevator. In the immediate aftermath of what had just happened, this was not the time for Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton to celebrate. But he did have an appropriate answer when asked if he saw this coming, a dramatic and utterly unpredictable 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens in Game 5 of their opening-round series Thursday night at Bell Centre, with Mika Zibanejad playing the role of hero with the game-winner 14:22 into the extra frame. “Oh, well, ” Gorton said, “I guess you never know.” Who could have known this was coming, because for so much of the night, the Rangers were down — but never out. For so much of the night, they looked like the team that had been often stymied by this hard-nosed opposition, shutting down their speed and transition game with a physicality that had almost no answer. For so much of the night, they seemed destined to go back to New York with backs against the wall. Now? Now they go back with a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series, a chance on their home ice to clinch a berth into the second round with Game 6 on Saturday night at the Garden. “The series goes back and forth, you just need to take it game-by-game. We always talk about it,” said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, again outstanding in making 34 saves. “Just enjoy this tonight, and then focus on the next game, [play] like it’s the last game you’ll ever play. You need to put in everything you’ve got in every game. And I think the last two games, we’ve done that.” The effort was there, but the execution was severely different from Game 4, when the Rangers got back into this series with their most complete team-wide performance. Instead, they were hanging on to dear life in this one when Montreal captain Max Pacioretty came barreling in on a breakaway with just over seven minutes left in a 2-2 game. Lundqvist made the save, and the Rangers finally took the momentum given to them by the goaltender. Brady Skjei (center) accepts congratulations from Kevin Hayes (left) and Jimmy Vesey after scoring a goal during the Rangers’ Game 5 win.Bill Kostroun “He had a few breakaways over the years up here against me,” Lundqvist said. “He has a good shot. You just try to be patient and read where he was going. After that, we gained some momentum.” That they did, with Chris Kreider getting a golden opportunity just under 10 minutes into the overtime that he whiffed on, and soon thereafter, another great chance missed when Mats Zuccarello couldn’t handle a centering feed from behind by Ryan McDonagh. But then Kreider came bounding over the blue line with a burst of speed, the puck bounced across the slot to a waiting Zibanejad, who buried one high over a sprawled out Carey Price, beginning a celebration that everyone will remember — except maybe the man who scored. “I just tried to whack it, and when I saw it go in, I just blacked out,” Zibanejad said. “I can’t remember much after that.” Well Zibanejad will remember wearing the road Broadway Hat, traditional black, in the locker room afterward. And his team will need to remember what happened in the first 40 minutes, trying to correct the mistakes with and without the puck that gave Montreal all the momentum. The Canadiens went up at 12:07 of the first when rookie Artturi Lehkonen abused Marc Staal for a whole shift and scored on a wraparound. Then a Jesper Fast short-handed goal was negated by a power-play goal just 24 seconds later from Brendan Gallagher, giving the Habs a 2-1 lead. But Rick Nash again did his part, a power move off the goal line to set up Brady Skjei’s rebound tally with 1:32 remaining in the second, tying the game 2-2. That was just the way it would stay until overtime, when a bounce went the Rangers way, a bit of good fortune the Blueshirts thought they worked for. “It’s like a summary of playoff hockey there in overtime — it’s not going to be a perfectly clean, tic-tac-toe play,” defenseman Dan Girardi said. “It’s 1060769 New York Rangers

Stars invade MSG to cheer on the Rangers

By Oli Coleman

Apparently, the cool kids are to be found by the ice during the Rangers’ playoff series. NBC’s Matt Lauer, Michael J. Fox, Ansel Elgort and his girlfriend Violetta Komyshan, and even Englishman (and therefore hockey neophyte) John Oliver were at Game 4 of the series against the Montreal Canadiens. And at Sunday night’s Game 3, Harry Styles, John McEnroe, “Saturday Night Live’s” Michael Che and “This Is Us” star Susan Kelechi Watson cheered on the home team at Madison Square Garden. New York Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060770 New York Rangers

Expect same lineup for Rangers in Game 5

By Steve Zipay

MONTREAL — Expect the same lineup for the Rangers in a pivotal Game 5 tonight at Bell Centre, where they split the first two games last week. The extras skating this morning were Antti Raanta, who again will back up Henrik Lundqvist; forwards Tanner Glass, Brandon Pirri and Matt Puempel; defensemen Adam Clendening, Kevin Klein and Steven Kampfer; and third goalie Magnus Hellberg. The personnel indicates that coach Alain Vigneault will send out the same group that played in the 2-1 win in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, a victory that pulled the Blueshirts into a 2-2 series tie. Vigneault’s pre-game briefing is at 5 p.m. It appears that defenseman Alexei Emelin, 30, will return to the Canadiens’ lineup after missing the first four games with a lower-body injury. He led the Canadiens with 241 hits this season. If Emelin, who practiced on the third pair today, dresses, he will replace Brandon Davidson. Carey Price (2-2, 1.65 GAA, .942 save percentage) is in net for the Canadiens. In the four previous games, the team that scored first won. Game 6 of this low-scoring, tightly-contested series will be back at the Garden, where one of the two teams will face elimination, on Saturday at 8 p.m. The series winner will face either Ottawa or Boston in the second round. The Senators lead the Bruins in the series, 3-1. Projected Rangers lineup Forwards Rick Nash-Derek Stepan-Mats Zuccarello Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Pavel Buchnevich Jimmy Vesey-Kevin Hayes-J.T. Miller Michael Grabner-Oscar Lindberg-Jesper Fast Defense Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi Marc Staal-Nick Holden Brady Skjei-Brendan Smith Goalies Henrik Lundqvist Antti Raanta Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060771 New York Rangers

Ice-cold Max Pacioretty feeling the heat in Montreal

By Steve Zipay

MONTREAL — The “C” that Max Pacioretty wears so proudly on his Canadiens sweater took on different symbolism in the past couple of days. It stood for more than the traditional meaning, “captain.” After Game 4 at Madison Square Garden Tuesday, it could accurately have signaled “chagrined” or “criticized,” with an emphasis on the latter. In this sport in this city, when a hockey star does not perform up to peak level at the most important time, he can expect to see this description, which appeared in the local French-language press on Thursday: “Centre d’attention.” As much of a nice story that it is in New York to reflect on his childhood in New Canaan, Connecticut, as a Rangers fan, there is a harsher reality that he faces great pressure in this city, where hockey is “Roi,” that is, king. So it was no surprise that after the Canadiens’ leading regular-season goal-scorer with 35 had totaled only one assist in the first four games of the Stanley Cup playoff series against the Rangers that the front page of Le Journal de Montreal yesterday read, “Que Fait Pacioretty?” or roughly “What Does Pacioretty Do?” The situation was compounded by the fact he did not tie up Ryan McDonagh when the latter had the puck Tuesday, just before McDonagh passed to Rick Nash for the deciding goal in the Rangers’ 2-1 win. Pacioretty admitted afterward that it was not his best game. It still was a topic after the Canadiens’ practice in Montreal Wednesday. Coach Claude Julien said, “Mistakes happen and I’m not going to base anyone’s performance on one play.” There was speculation that Pacioretty might have been injured when he was taken hard into the boards in Game 1, but no words on that came from the player or his team. They realize that no one makes excuses during the playoffs. You regroup, put it behind you and look to be better in the next game, which is how the former Rangers fan approached Game 5 here at Bell Centre Thursday night. Intense pressure is the other edge of the phenomenal support the Canadiens receive in a city that revolves around its NHL team. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, who is from here and who coached here, said before the game, “It’s a great environment. It’s fun to be part of. That’s what playoff hockey is all about. That’s why we’re in this. It’s the competition, the battle out there. Players love it and fans love it also.” They love it more sometimes than others. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060772 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist vs. Carey Price is a classic goaltender matchup

By Mark Herrmann

MONTREAL-Advantage, Lundqvist. Yes, of course it is totally unfair to both teams to reduce this tense Stanley Cup playoff series to a one-on- one contest. But what the heck. Let’s face it, Rangers-Canadiens is mostly about the goalies, and the one for the Rangers is ahead 3-2. Henrik Lundqvist made 34 saves in Game 5 at Bell Centre on Thursday night, one more than Carey Price and just enough to put the Rangers within one win of moving into the second round — something that seemed all but impossible four days ago. Lundqvist is the reason the Rangers always have confidence. He is the main reason they are in the hunt every year. He is the main reason they were 23-7-4 after a loss in the regular season. He was the reason they were in position to dominate the overtime and beat the Canadiens, 3-2, in Game 5. He will be the focal point in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, as he always is. How much does he mean to the Rangers’ universe? “I don’t think there are words to describe it,” Mika Zibanejad said moments after putting the winning goal past Price. “It’s really incredible.” What really is incredible is the fact that anyone would want to be a goalie in the first place. The pressure is excruciating, and it only gets worse the later a game goes, the later the playoffs go. This, of course, is when they like it the most. “It’s nerve-wracking and exciting,” Lundqvist said. “You try to enjoy it. I don’t know if it’s good for your heart, but it’s playoff hockey. There is so much adrenaline when you’re out there. The last five minutes of the game and overtime, you know the next goal is going to win this game. Every play you make, every save, every blocked shot matters.” Several of the other series have had thrilling back-and-forth surges and mood swings. Four times on Monday night alone, teams rebounded from multiple-goal deficits to force overtime. It has been proof that there is nothing like scoring to fuel excitement in a hockey game. Then there has been this matchup, in which there has basically been nothing like scoring, period. Essentially, it has been a string of pitchers’ duels. No surprise there. Henrik Lundqvist vs. Carey Price translates into “You’d better make the most of every goal because you are not going to get many.” You have to believe that each goalie is mentally playing against the other even though they are 178 feet apart. Alain Vigneault wasn’t buying it, saying, “My understanding of Henrik is he’s motivated every day. He’s always trying to be the best that he can be. He’s always trying to be a real good teammate and he wants to win whether it’s Carey Price or anybody else. He wants to win. He wants to help the Rangers win some games. Highly motivated individual. I don’t think this situation is any different than any other time.” But after Rangers practice Wednesday, Derek Stepan said of Lundqvist, “It’s been a great matchup between the two of them and he’s loving every minute of it.” Pitchers usually say it is the opposing batters whom they are facing, but they know they have to deal with whatever the other team’s pitcher has given up. Both Lundqvist and Price realize they have no margin for error because of the other guy. In other words, each of them gets even more of whatever it is that makes them want to do this. “It’s probably the best feeling,” Lundqvist said. “It’s probably the feeling you’re looking for when you play hockey. You work so hard, you put everything you can into every game. It’s a great feeling. It’s a rush. When it comes to sports, that’s what you’re looking for, that rush.” He is ahead of Price, three rushes to two, and once again he has helped everyone who plays for or pulls for the Rangers feel as if the next rush is just around the corner. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060773 New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad buries overtime winner, gives Rangers 3-2 series lead over Canadiens

By Steve Zipay

MONTREAL — Players on the Rangers’ bench said they had never seen Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan jump so high. “You’re in the zone and you see that one go in, you just kind of lose it a little bit. It was a big goal for us,” said Zuccarello, still grinning more than 20 minutes after Mika Zibanejad’s goal gave the Rangers a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens on Thursday night in Game 5 of their playoff series. “Every game is like the biggest one of the season.” After Chris Kreider’s shot bounced off a Canadiens defenseman’s skate, Zibanejad scooped up the loose puck and beat Carey Price at 14:22 of overtime to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. “It’s a good feeling,’’ Zibanejad said. “I told myself I was going to go to the net [on the winner], and I was able to be in the right spot. Lucky. I saw it went in and after that, I blacked out.” The Blueshirts can eliminate the Canadiens with a win in Game 6 on Saturday night at the Garden. If they do advance to the second round, they’ll face Ottawa or Boston. The Senators lead the Bruins three games to one in their first-round series. Zibanejad had only one assist in the first four games of the series. “I felt I didn’t do enough to make plays, and that’s the type of player I need to be,” he said. The goal was Zibanejad’s biggest since he arrived from Ottawa in the Derick Brassard trade last summer. He also had sent a pretty pass to Jesper Fast for a shorthanded goal that tied the score at 1. It was the second overtime game in this exceedingly tight series; the Canadiens won Game 2 here on Alexander Radulov’s goal after tying the score with 17.3 seconds left in the third period. But Thursday night marked the second road win for the Blueshirts at Bell Centre. Unlike the overtime loss last week, the Rangers found another gear and outshot the Canadiens 10-3 in the extra session. “We had some really good shifts and just came in waves,” Dan Girardi said. “We just kept coming and coming . . . We knew it was only a matter of time until we broke through.” Kreider, who swung and missed on a beautiful setup pass to the left of Price earlier in overtime, said “part of the reason I whiffed was that I saw him coming across. When Mika scored, I was pretty happy. There was stuff we didn’t do a few nights ago in overtime; we harped on it as a group. Just try to make plays and continue to press.” From the outset, it was clear that these were not the same Canadiens who lost in New York in Game 4. Their effort was admirable, if chippy, as hitting and swinging sticks flourished after the whistle, often without penalty. Again, Henrik Lundqvist (34 saves) had to keep the Rangers in the game. In the four previous games, the team that scored first won. Artturi Lehkonen’s wraparound at the right post after Marc Staal’s turnover gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at 12:07. But the Rangers rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits on goals from Fast and Brady Skjei, and there were close calls in the third. With the Rangers trailing 2-1 in the second, Ryan McDonagh slashed Dwight King at 1:26 and Zuccarello went off for a high-stick at 3:30. They dodged those bullets. “When we needed the kills, we got them,” Girardi said. With Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey causing chaos in front, Skjei’s wrister beat Price from 12 feet with 1:32 left in the second to pull the Rangers into a 2-2 tie. That was a momentum-changer. An earlier momentum swing came with the score tied at 1. Just 24 seconds after Fast’s goal, Brendan Gallagher beat Lundqvist over his glove on the power play to restore the lead. It could have been a crusher. But after the pivotal win, Girardi said, “Now we’re hoping we can bring a good amount of momentum back to New York.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060774 New York Rangers

Ice-cold Max Pacioretty feeling the heat in Montreal

By Steve Zipay

Senators' Dzingel keeps on smiling even though the puck not going in for him

Ken Warren, Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 6:13 PM EDT

BOSTON — Again and again, while meeting with the media Thursday morning, Ryan Dzingel was reminded of his 14-game goal-scoring slump. Again and again, Dzingel said his own struggles don’t matter in the big picture of team success. “I think if we didn’t win those games and I didn’t put the puck in the back of the net, it would have been worse,” said Dzingel, who had a chance to give the Senators a 2-0 lead in the third period of Game 4, but hit the post. “I’m getting the scoring opportunities, but it’s not about me now, it’s about the team. If I’m creating stuff and we win, it’s not a big deal.” Dzingel’s speed — and the speed of fellow forwards Mike Hoffman, Viktor Stalberg and Derick Brassard — has been a factor in the series, putting constant pressure on the Bruins’ defence. So, far, though, Dzingel is experiencing some frustrations with not finishing. He has hit the post so many times this year, he has lost count. “I did everything I wanted to do with that shot,” he said of the Game 4 post. “I got it off and picked my spot. Afterwards, it’s in God’s hands, and it didn’t want to go in. You (reporters) remind me a lot (about not scoring), but I’m not too worried about it.” Dzingel endured a tough second half to the regular season — three goals in his final 33 games — and felt the sting of being a healthy scratch for the opening game of the playoffs. But after stepping in for Tommy Wingels in Game 2, he’s ecstatic at being able to experience the NHL playoffs for the first time. “It’s my first year and I’m pretty happy with my success,” he said. “It’s not about me. It’s about the team, and I truly believe that. I’ve found a love of the game in the last few weeks. It’s a whole new atmosphere, a whole new ball game. “Sometimes (during the regular season), you’re playing for contracts or this and that.” When the playoffs began, Senators coach Guy Boucher took Dzingel aside and explained exactly what he expected of him. With the arrival of Stalberg and Alex Burrows at the trade deadline, he has slipped down the depth chart. “I respected that greatly, just understanding my role simplified things,” he said. He is confident that, at some point in the playoffs, he will regain his scoring touch, and with it all the reminders of his slump will go out the window. “Sooner or later, there’s going to be a need for me to put one in the back of the net, and I’m going to do it.” Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060776 Ottawa Senators

Expect the Senators to be without Tom Pyatt for Game 5

BRUCE GARRIOCH Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 6:10 PM EDT

BOSTON — The Ottawa Senators will likely have a different look against the Boston Bruins on Friday night. Winger Tom Pyatt, who left Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over the Bruins in Game 4, likely won’t suit up for Game 5 at the Canadian Tire Centre after he took a hit to the head from Boston Bruins defenceman Kevan Miller in the first period, left the game and didn’t return. Though some felt Millar should have been suspended for the hit because Pyatt wasn’t playing the puck, there was no penalty on the play and the NHL’s department of player safety didn’t feel it warranted any further action. Senators coach Guy Boucher was tight-lipped when he spoke to the media Thursday at the club’s Boston hotel, but he didn’t like the play. “I didn’t see it at first. I just saw it on video after but it doesn’t really matter what I think. The league is looking at all these hits and they’ve got to make their own assessment.” Was it a head shot? “He got hit really high so we’ll see what the league thinks about it,” Boucher said. Apparently, it was not enough to either fine or suspend Miller, and with the Bruins thin on the blue-line already, his absence in an elimination game could have hurt them. It sounds doubtful that Pyatt will play in Game 5. “He’ll be day-to-day. We’ll see the rest of the day how he’s feeling and we’ll re-assess (Friday),” said Boucher. The next decision Boucher has to make is which player will come into the lineup, and he has no shortage of options. The Senators have scratched veteran forward Tommy Wingels the last three games and veteran centre Chris Kelly in the first four games so either of those two would be an option. Since the Senators have been able to exploit the Bruins with speed, it would make sense for Wingels to get the call. He suited up in Game 1 but, after the Senators dropped a 2-1 decision, Boucher decided to add winger Ryan Dzingel. There won’t be any changes on defence. Blue-liner Mark Borowiecki, who is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury, isn’t ready to resume skating, and the Senators don’t want to rush him, either. “Mark is day-to-day. He was going to be on the ice yesterday but (Ben) Harpur is buying us time, but we’ve delayed it and we’ll see what happens when we get home,” Boucher said. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060777 Ottawa Senators then it’s Game 7,” said Boston goalie Tuukka Rask. “So, we don’t have to make it any more complicated than it is, but we’ve just got to make sure that we play a heck of a game Friday. Senators focus on first 10 minutes of Game 5 rather than a 3-1 series “We’ve played must-win games for a month and a half now probably, so I lead don’t think that’s going to change anything. You know that your season is on the line, not that mentally it makes any difference, but yeah, just have to make sure that you play a good game, and show up and leave it all out BRUCE GARRIOCH there.” Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 5:45 PM EDT The Senators are ready for the challenge that lays ahead and aren’t making any plans for a victory party just yet.

“They’re going to probably play an even better game than they did (in BOSTON — The time has come for the Ottawa Senators to bear down. Game 4),” said captain Erik Karlsson. “We’ve got to find a way to get our legs going and we’ve got to get some rest mentally and physically.” The Senators woke up Thursday morning at their Boston hotel with the Bruins sitting right where they want them, one loss away from being The Senators have a chance to send the bear into hibernation for the off- eliminated from the NHL playoffs after Ottawa pulled out to a season. commanding 3-1 lead with a 1-0 victory Wednesday night at the TD Garden. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 Yes, the Senators enjoyed their time in Boston with two straight wins, but it’d be ideal if they didn’t have to come back here, and they’d like to get this series over with so they can punch a ticket to the Round 2 of the NHL playoffs for only the second time since Ottawa went to the Stanley Cup final in 2007. Before making the short trip home to prepare for Game 5 of the series Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators met with the media, and though they’ve left the Bruins no margin for error, the club is taking nothing for granted because all four games of this series have been decided by one goal. The Senators do have history on their side. Teams leading 3-1 in a NHL playoff series have gone on to win 90.4 per cent of the time. Eight times in franchise history, the Senators have been ahead 3-1, and they have gone on to win every time. The Bruins have never come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. “History, I couldn’t care less about history. History is different people at different times in different circumstances. For us, it’s all about us,” said coach Guy Boucher said Thursday at the club’s hotel. Boucher has told the players not to look at the big picture. “To be honest with you, we talked about it with the players (Wednesday), we can’t look at it as 3-1,” Boucher said Thursday. “That’s exactly what we don’t want to do. It’s those (first) 10 minutes of the next game that need to be a strong 10 minutes, and then we’ll manage the rest after. “That has been the approach since training camp and it has to continue to be our approach.” Hey, whatever works for you, but the reality is the Senators have a great opportunity here to get this series finished and get the weekend off before preparing to face either the Montreal Canadiens or New York Rangers in the next round. The Senators know there’s a sense of urgency here. They’ve planted a seed of doubt in the Bruins, and the best bet is to not give them any hope of a Game 6, which would likely be scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the Garden. “It’s important (to get this done) but you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, we have to do this,’ ” said centre Kyle Turris. “We’re going into the next game thinking the same way we have all series, just playing our system, trying to limit what they get and score on the opportunities we do get, just to give us a chance. “If it doesn’t happen the next game, we’re going to do the same thing after that. We won’t get frustrated but we do realize there’s urgency involved.” That’s OK, it’s the Bruins that are upset, and they’re wondering what it’s going to take to get back into this series. They haven’t done a very good job adjusting to the system that Boucher employs and when they had chances Wednesday goalie Craig Anderson was there to make the saves. Oh, the Bruins have served notice they’re not about to roll over and hand this over to the Senators, but they’ve lost to Ottawa seven of the past eight times these two teams have met. The games have been close, however that doesn’t mean anything because there’s no such thing as moral victories in the playoffs. “We’ll start by winning one game, and that’s all you’ve got to focus on, winning one game, and then come back home and win another one, and 1060778 Ottawa Senators “He has always had that offence, always had that vision, always had that skill, but what he has done this year is that he has used it in the right moments for the right reasons,” said Senators coach Guy Boucher. “It’s Karlsson takes charge as Senators take command of opening-round not just inspiring guys by defending so well and paying the price at the series right time defensively, but also managing his offensive game at the right time. That goes back to maturity. When your top guy is buying in, that will translate to the whole team. Ken Warren, “He has become something else in all aspects.” Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 5:16 PM EDT With the Senators now in control of the series, with an opportunity to finish the Bruins off on Friday night, Karlsson faces another challenge of his leadership. BOSTON — After the Ottawa Senators put the finishing touches on their He has to show the way by taking away the Bruins’ hope. 1-0 Game 4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, the accolades were raining down on captain Erik Karlsson inside the Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 dressing room. Zack Smith labelled him “superhuman”. Kyle Turris and Mark Stone said Karlsson has no equals in the NHL. “Again, 65 looks like best player in the world right now,” said Stone, referring to all the simple plays and the one big one Karlsson made, setting up Bobby Ryan at the side of the net with the slap-pass that resulted in the only goal. “Again, he makes the big play for us.” Truth be told, there hasn’t been all that much separating the Senators and Bruins. All four games have been one-goal decisions, two of them decided in overtime. A bounce here or there and the series could be deadlocked 2-2, or the Bruins could even be up 3-1. The Bruins’ Tuukka Rask was the better goalie in Game 1, but Craig Anderson had the upper hand in delivering the Game 4 shutout. Then there’s the difference-maker named Karlsson. If he looked tentative in coming off his late-season foot injury in Game 1, that’s pretty much forgotten now. He has at least one point in every game, five assists overall, with enough signature moments — see the Game 2 dance along the blue-line and setup for the Derick Brassard tap-in, the Game 3 Hail Mary pass to Mike Hoffman and Wednesday’s timely play to Ryan — to stand out in a series that has centred on defensive discipline. “It’s what I’m paid to do,” Karlsson said, when asked about the big plays at big times. Beyond the points, though, has been the maturity, recognizing when to take charge or sit back. According to Turris, Karlsson has also grown into his role as captain, understanding when to speak up. “I feel he has really come into his own as a leader,” said Turris. “He’s a great captain. He knows when to say something and when to leave things. He has a real good feel for things.” When told about Turris and Stone calling him the best player in the NHL, Karlsson simply smiled. “That’s nice of them,” he said, pausing. “I think that I’ve been doing my part for the most part of the year and in the playoffs here. And everyone else has being doing the same thing. In that, you allow yourself to be good individually, and that means you come together as a good team. “I couldn’t do anything if I didn’t get the help and strong play from everyone else.” Pressed on whether he carries the attitude that he wants to be, or needs to be, the best player on the ice, he once again deflected the question. “No, I play my game, I stay in the moment. I take it shift by shift. I always have and always will. “If you’re going to win anything, not everyone is going to score goals, but you need everyone to make plays. Everyone has accepted that, especially this time of year. It’s small things that make a big difference.” With the Senators nursing their 1-0 lead and only a couple of minutes remaining Wednesday, the Bruins attempted to clear the puck around the boards in their own zone. Karlsson took two steps toward the puck, in what was shaping up to be a 50/50 gamble to the loose puck. A year ago, Karlsson might have continued his charge ahead, wanting to make a play that might put the game out of reach. Instead, he pulled back, making the more conservative defensive decision, eliminating the possibility of an odd-man rush by the Bruins. 1060779 Ottawa Senators And now that he has as many career post-season wins as losses (15- 15), maybe Anderson can build on a genuine chance, playing behind the best defensive structure he ever has, to forge for himself a reputation as Brennan: Opportunity to do something special is knocking for the a playoff performer. Senators In fact, he may never get a better opportunity than the one sitting before him. Don Brennan And then there’s Erik Karlsson. Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 8:16 PM EDT No skater in the league is doing more for his team right now. Not Evgeni Malkin, not Ryan Getzlaf, not Alexander Radulov, not Sidney Crosby. If they handed out the Conn Smythe Trophy after one round, it would come down to Karlsson, Malkin and Pekke Rinne, and remember this was “Why not now?” written before the Predators goalie faced the desperate Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. The question Pierre Dorion asked players at last spring’s exit interviews was along the same lines as what Senators fans had to be thinking on For his position and minutes, and the way he’s playing, Karlsson is the morning of 4/20, when they were suddenly high on hope. currently the game’s most dominant player. It is a legitimate musing. Dorion likes to relay the story of last spring’s exit meetings, how when players gave their thoughts about what it would take to become a Why not now? contender, the answer usually involved time. Of course, there’s still a lot of gruelling hockey to be played. But as this His response was, “Why not now?” was being written, the Calgary Flames had already dropped from the post-season tournament and more of the remaining 15 entrants are soon It’s been 10 years since the Senators were in the Stanley Cup final. They to follow. have won just one of six playoff series since. Time for them to do something is up. The Senators, meanwhile, have a stranglehold on a series some of us were certain they’d lose. They are currently 13 wins from hoisting the mug. The parity in the league, especially at this point, is incredibly high. The East has become With a chance to advance in Game 5 at the Canadian Tire Centre on the better conference. Friday, Ottawa is going to move on to the next round, whether it’s now or later. Not because that, in their 92-year history, the Boston Bruins have Indeed, why not now? played 96 best-of-sevens and have never rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. It has more to with the right here and now. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 As close as the games between the teams have been, the Senators have the Bruins’ number. They have won nine of their last 10 against the B’s. They’re not about to drop three in a row now. So while Senators coach Guy Boucher wouldn’t dare — nor should his players — it’s safe for the rest of us to look ahead. The Senators can beat either the Montreal Canadiens or the New York Rangers, if Craig Anderson plays more like he did in Game 4 against the Bruins than he did in Game 3. With either Carey Price or Henrik Lundqvist at the other end of the ice, Anderson would have to keep the Senators in each game of what would likely be a low-scoring series, no matter which opponent. The city of Ottawa would prefer it was the Habs for easier access to road games and another chapter to a blossoming rivalry. The Senators would likely have better odds against a Rangers team that has trouble winning playoff games at home and, in general, putting the puck in the net, but whether they faced Montreal or New York, there would probably be no discernible favourite in Round 2. Bobby Ryan might cool down at some point, but neither Mark Stone or Kyle Turris have yet to heat up in the post-season. Stone in particular is long overdue. He hasn’t scored in two months plus a day, or 19 games or at least 434 shifts. When he does shed that big gorilla, he’s liable to carry the Ottawa offence by himself for a couple of weeks. So, yes, it is now conceivable that the Senators make it to the Eastern Conference final. Once upon a time, getting there via the Atlantic Division side of the bracket only meant that you were about to be dummied by the Washington Capitals or the Pittsburgh Penguins. But the Capitals, who still aren’t done with the upstart Toronto Maple Leafs, suddenly seem less invincible than the 118-point Presidents’ Trophy winners they were during the regular season. The Penguins, well, they are the defending champs and a strong favourite to repeat. But, at some point, the season-ending neck injury to Kris Letang could catch up to them, just as they face potential trouble if Marc-André Fleury has to keep carrying the load for Matt Murray. It’s also not a complete stretch to think the Senators and their trap could pose a problem for either the Capitals or Penguins, both loaded with offence. Again, a lot would depend on Anderson. Weariness shouldn’t become a problem for the 35-year-old veteran. He’s only made 44 starts this season, which, by comparison, is 26 fewer than Price (before Thursday) and 27 fewer than the Caps’ Braden Holtby. 1060780 Ottawa Senators McAvoy has seen more ice time than anyone not named Zdeno Chara, it’s also quite remarkable how much of an impact he has already had.

SHUTDOWN MENTALITY: During one stretch in the third period, the Warren: Bruins can't Backes down, Harpur steps up, the video review Senators held the Bruins without a shot for 12 minutes. “I didn’t know and Ryan earns respect that,” said Marchand. “It’s a good stat.” From a Senators point of view, yes. Not so much from the Bruins’ side of things, a reminder of them being held off the shot clock for the entire second period of Game 1. … Ken Warren, The other disturbing number for the Bruins was the fact they had 16 missed shots in Game 4. … Even though Bruins centre David Krejci has Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 7:33 PM EDT played in the past two games, it’s clear he’s not at full health. “I’m not going to comment on his health, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said

after Game 4. “Those things stay in-house.” BOSTON — With his team on the brink of summer vacation, Bruins Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 winger David Backes made one thing perfectly clear when meeting with Boston reporters on Thursday. Style points are meaningless. “Make it ugly,” Backes said. “Make it pretty. It doesn’t matter at this point. We need to do whatever it takes to make sure Game 5 is ours.” In this case, whatever it takes will have to be done without injured defencemen Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Adam McQuaid, who were all part of the Bruins’ top four during the regular season. “I think (the replacements) have done a pretty good job for guys that got thrown into the situation,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after Wednesday’s game. “But part of what we talk about for our guys is to own your moments. You’re getting an opportunity, and one that you probably wanted more of during the year. “At the end of the day, we need a play or two more out of them. That’s just speaking to the defence. In a 1-0 game, you can’t be too critical of your D-men.” SPEAKING OF REPLACEMENTS: Towering Ottawa Senators defenceman Ben Harpur has gone from afterthought to major player in the series. Stepping in for the injured Mark Borowiecki for the past two games, he has been poised and physical. In the Game 4 victory, he played 16:35 (Chris Wideman checked in at 9:53), with three hits and two blocked shots. He saved a sure goal by knocking Brad Marchand off the puck at the side of the net early in the third period and almost went end-to-end before being stopped by Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy. “Thinking back on it now, I probably should have shot the puck,” he said. “But he made a good play on the one-on-one to stand me up. It all kind of happened quickly. There was a turnover at the blue-line and I saw an opportunity to jump by two of their forwards, and then one of their defencemen (McAvoy) stepped up on me.” HANDS UP: When Noel Acciari skated over the Senators blue-line before the controversial non-goal in the second period on Wednesday, Kyle Turris raised his hands in the air, making his argument that the play was offside. But without a whistle from the linesmen, the play continued on for another 19 seconds, until Acciari deflected Charlie McAvoy’s shot past Senators goaltender Craig Anderson. Then came the video challenge, which overruled the goal, burst the balloon of excitement inside the TD Garden and caused the Senators bench to breathe a sigh of relief. “Watching the replay, I think I even pointed to it when I was going on the ice,” Turris said. “You kind of have a feeling it’s offside, but you don’t stop playing. You keep going, just in case. It was a big momentum swing for us.” THE MOOD FROM THE OTHER SIDE: “It’s disappointing when those things happen,” Cassidy said of the overrule. “But our guys on the bench were good. They said, ‘Listen, let’s be resilient here and let’s keep pushing.’ So, I don’t think it was a huge factor in the game. It might have given them a bit of life thinking they got a break.” CREDIT FROM THE OTHER SIDE: It’s remarkable, really, what difference a single week can make in the life of a hockey player. Especially when your name is Bobby Ryan and you’re responsible for consecutive game-winning goals. “On their goal, obviously, we weren’t good enough in the defensive zone,” said Cassidy. “We had a missed assignment and they out-willed us at the net. You’ve got to give him credit. He’s a good player, Bobby Ryan. We’ve seen that in this series. He’s a big body, and that ends up being the difference in the game.” OF YOUNGSTERS AND INJURIES: Ryan fought off McAvoy and Brad Marchand for the loose puck on the winning goal. Considering that 1060781 Ottawa Senators long-term contract because this is the time of year when he has to earn his lofty paycheque.

No, he can’t do it alone, but he can do more. The top 5 for Game 5: The reasons the Senators will send the Bruins packing 4. Bobby Ryan’s re-appearing act He’s coming in hot. Bruce Garrioch A hero is born every minute in the post-season, and the Senators winger has taken his game to a new level with three goals in four games. Yes, Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 7:13 PM EDT this is what the club was looking for from Ryan during the regular season, but he was slowed by various ailments, and if this is when he chooses to take it to another level, then his timing is perfect. BOSTON — The Boston Bruins are down but they’re not out. Coach Guy Boucher can laud Ryan’s play at both ends of the ice all he Not officially, anyway. wants, however that’s not why the expectations are placed on him. This is what the Senators need him for, especially when the goals are hard to But in their history, and I understand Ottawa Senators coach Guy come by. He has five points in four games, including two game-winning Boucher doesn’t care about history, the Bruins have never come back goals. from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, and it doesn’t look like it’s about to happen now. Ryan is the first Ottawa player to score the game-winning goal in consecutive games since a guy named Daniel Alfredsson completed the The Senators are sitting in the driver’s seat heading into Game 5 on feat in Round 1 in 1997 against the Buffalo Sabres. That was the first Friday night, and they shouldn’t squander the opportunity to finish it off. time Ottawa went to the playoffs. After losing Game 1 of the series at home 2-1, the Senators didn’t fold by letting Game 2 slip away. Instead, defenceman Dion Phaneuf scored the 5. Guy Boucher’s game plan OT winner to send the series back to Boston with the Senators alive and kicking. Now, with three straight wins, Ottawa has pushed Boston to the This is where Boston coach Bruce Cassidy has to be scratching his brink of elimination. head. What better way to set off a weekend party in Ottawa than by sending the Every game in the playoffs is about which team is able to find the Bruins into an early off-season? Whether it happens Friday night, Sunday answers for what’s making it difficult for it to have success. The Senators at the TD Garden or next Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre in answered back after losing Game 1, and they’ve been riding the wave of Game 7, if this happened to go the distance, the Senators look like momentum since. they’re going to get this done. Suddenly, the Bruins have given away the home-ice advantage they Here’s five reasons why the Senators are winning this series, and it gained with their victory in enemy territory in Game 1 and the Senators should be noted that I did pick them in six coming into this: have all the confidence heading into Game 5. At this point, the Bruins are in survival mode and the smallest mistakes can turn into big issues for 1. Erik Karlsson’s outstanding effort them. Captain, my captain. The Bruins just haven’t been able to answer the bell. The three finalists for the Norris Trophy will be announced Friday on Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.21.2017 Hockey Night in Canada, and there’s no question Karlsson is going to be among them. Really, it should be no contest after the way he finished the season. The voting is done before the playoffs begin so this doesn’t mean anything when the ballots are cast, but the way he’s playing in this series means everything to the Senators. Not only has he played a role in five of the 10 goals the Senators have scored against the Bruins in four games, he’s meant so much more. He’s playing hurt, but he’s the game-breaker, a difference-maker, and the Bruins simply don’t have one, or at least need to find someone to step up quickly. 2. Craig Anderson’s ability to step up Not really sure what was going on off the ice when he was replying with one- or two-word answers while facing the media on Wednesday before Game 4, but he did his talking with his play, making 22 stops in the win. Yes, the Senators had a tremendous effort in the third by holding the Bruins to only five shots, but Anderson was called upon early to come up big when Ottawa players looked like they were trying to find their legs in the first period. Of course, his best save was taking a chance by diving out of the net to stop Brad Marchand with the Bruins pressing hard to take the lead. The Senators don’t need Anderson to be perfect, they just need him to make the right saves at the right times, and let’s face it, he hasn’t been overly busy against the Bruins because they’ve only had 96 shots in four games. 3. Brad Marchand’s disappearing act He scored a the winning goal in Game 1 and hasn’t done a whole lot since. Nobody is sure why. We’re talking about an elite player here, somebody who had 35 goals and 85 points during the regular season. Marchand is at his best when he’s a pest, and you can’t really think of one particular moment in this series where he’s got under an Ottawa’s player’s skin. If the Bruins are indeed going to come back, they need their most valuable player to get out his funk in Game 5. He’s frustrated with the way he’s playing and the Bruins should be as well. They’ve given him a 1060782 Philadelphia Flyers defensive and goaltending prospects as trade bait. But if he were reluctant to give up any of those ascendant players, if he were really willing to wait as long as it took to rebuild the roster, wouldn't he have to In rebuilding the Flyers, Ron Hextall should consider all options, including consider trading Simmonds, Couturier and/or Schenn to get even trading Wayne Simmonds | Mike Sielski younger, to kick the can farther down the road? It might sound blasphemous to suggest that the Flyers should part with Simmonds, but the very attributes that make him so beloved here - his Updated: APRIL 20, 2017 — 5:22 PM EDT leadership, his toughness, his scoring touch - would make him an attractive trade commodity. More important, he is signed just through by Mike Sielski, 2019 at an annual cap hit of less than $4 million, which makes him less expensive than either Couturier (through 2022 at $4.3 million per) or

Schenn (through 2020 at $5.125 million per). It can be a challenge to find an honest and forthcoming man in a pro The Flyers don't have to trade him, but they probably have to think about sports locker room, but Jake Voracek comes closer to qualifying than it. That's just facing the reality of the situation. That's just being honest. most. The Flyers have missed the playoffs three times in five years and haven't won a postseason series since 2012, so during their get-away Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.21.2017 day at the SkateZone last week, someone asked Voracek the question that cuts to the heart of a critical offseason for general manager Ron Hextall and, really, the entire franchise. Claude Giroux, Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn: Can these players be the nucleus of a team that wins consistently? Voracek waited several seconds before answering. "I think so, yeah," he finally said. "There's no reason not to believe in ourselves." With that, he dispensed with the platitudes and got real. "It's tough to tell you something else," Voracek said. "We have, what, won one series, vs. Pittsburgh, in six years, right? If I'm not mistaken. It's not good enough. We're in our prime years. We've got to make sure that we step up our game and get this team to the playoffs and start winning some series, because if we don't, it's going to get broken up." Hextall did his best to brush off Voracek's comments. "Jake is a hockey player," Hextall told reporters. "Jake should play hockey." But Jake also touched on the truth about the difficult nature of Hextall's mission this summer. After these last three seasons, in which the Flyers missed the playoffs twice and found themselves overmatched in a six-game series against the Washington Capitals, it has become harder to argue that there's more excellence to be extracted from that core group of forwards. Giroux is 29, his production having declined steadily over the last four years. In August, Simmonds will turn 29; Voracek, 28. If the Flyers are committed to assimilating more of their young prospects into the lineup next season, one has to wonder whether these three players in particular can provide the quality of play necessary for the team to compete, eventually, for a Stanley Cup. "Every one of our players has to prove themselves next year," Hextall said. "Will it stay together? I don't know. If we'd have won a couple rounds of playoffs there's obviously a better chance of them staying together. Does that mean it's not going to stay together? I don't know what's going to come our way. Am I happy with the team? No. I'm not. How can you be, right? We missed the playoffs and, again, we were capable. I don't know one way or the other whether there's going to be change." Whatever changes Hextall might implement, they're unlikely to involve either Giroux or Voracek. That's not a matter of trusting that a few months of rest is all Giroux needs to become the dynamic forward he once was, or that Voracek is bound to repeat or surpass the career-high 81 points he put up in 2014-15. It's a matter of pure dollars and cents in a salary-cap age. Giroux signed an eight-year, $66.2 million contract, with a no-movement clause, in July 2013. Voracek signed an eight-year, $66 million extension two years later; his contract doesn't have a no-movement clause, but the deal's average cap hit of $8.25 million is prohibitive enough. (Giroux and Voracek were the 11th- and 13th-highest-paid players in the NHL last season. Among the comparable-to-superior forwards who came cheaper: Phil Kessel, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nicklas Backstrom. The first lesson of salary-cap general management: If you're going to pay someone as if he's a superstar, you had better be absolutely certain he will play and produce like a superstar.) Would it be impossible to trade Giroux or Voracek? No, but it would be pretty darned close. It's a safe bet that they're going to be here a good long while, and if the organization is able to develop other forwards who can supplant them as the team's top scorers - Travis Konecny? Oskar Lindblom? German Rubtsov? - then Giroux and Voracek can grow old gracefully. At the moment, though, that's a rather big if. Then there's the question of just how patient Hextall is willing to be. If he wants to effect a faster turnaround, he can use one or more of the Flyers' 1060783 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers prospects buying into Ron Hextall's patience

By John Boruk | Comcast SportsNet April 20, 2017 9:25 PM

When Sam Morin and Robert Hagg returned from their respective NHL debuts with the Flyers, Phantoms coach Scott Gordon sensed something different right away, and it had nothing to do with their performance on the ice. "The smiles were bigger," Gordon said Wednesday. "There's no questions about that. It's just one game but until you actually play that first game, I think as a player, you're waiting and you're hoping, and what if it doesn't happen? And when you get that first game, it's a load off your shoulders. I'm sure they were walking a little bit lighter." For both guys, it was like a sample you receive walking through Costco. Next season, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall will likely have both defensemen buying in bulk as they take on a bigger load after Hextall said last week the team will go younger as they replace free agents Michael Del Zotto and Nick Schultz (see story). But the timeline would test any young player's patience. "Yeah, that's [Hextall's] philosophy and I agree with it 100 percent," Hagg said. "You need to be good down here (AHL) in order to have a chance at the NHL. You need to relax and realize you have young players down here and take our time to develop. When we're ready, we'll get a shot." No other Flyers defensive prospect has as much AHL experience as the 22-year-old Hagg, who has logged 192 games. "You look at a guy like Robert, who's been here for three years -- it would be very easy to say, 'Jesus, it's just not going to happen here,'" Gordon said. "But he needed every bit of those three years to get to where he is now, and he's probably the most consistent defenseman out of our group. He doesn't have the amazing numbers offensively, but what he does in our defensive zone, on our penalty kill, how he gets up into the play, how he's improved his puck skills -- it's been a process." Twenty-eight of the 30 first-round picks from the 2013 draft had already broken into the league by the time Morin (drafted 11th overall) made his debut. "You see all those guys get their chance, but I'm not frustrated," Morin said. "I know my time's going to come. I didn't want to go to the NHL and not get better because I wasn't playing a lot. In juniors, I got a lot of ice time, here I've gotten a lot of ice time and I've gotten better every day and still getting better." Now Hagg, Morin and 2014 first-round pick Travis Sanheim will be the defensive pillars in the Phantoms' first playoff appearance since 2009. The 6-foot-7 Morin, who's been compared endlessly to that of Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, feels there's room (in his game) to grow. "I'm still young," he said, "and when you see me in five years in the NHL, you're going to be like, 'That time in the AHL was worth it.'" Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060784 Philadelphia Flyers "We have two amazing goalies this year," Morin said. "Stolie was up [with the Flyers] for a long time, so Alex got more ice time, and he got a lot better. He's always calm in the net and doesn't get [ticked] off, and that's Sam Morin and the Phantoms open the AHL playoffs on Friday what you want from a goalie." Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.21.2017 Updated: April 21, 2017 — 3:01 AM EDT by Sam Carchidi,

ALLENTOWN - Sam Morin has some extra motivation. The towering defenseman believes the way he and some of his Lehigh Valley teammates play in the AHL playoffs will help determine if they start the 2017-18 season with the Flyers. The Phantoms, the Flyers' top farm team, will open their best-of-five series Friday by hosting Hershey at the PPL Center in Allentown. "I need to have a good playoff," the 6-foot-7, 227-pound Morin said after practice Wednesday. "I think management is going to look at training camp, too, but you need to be in the present here and need to focus on the playoffs. I'm pretty sure they don't just look at your training camp. That's just two weeks. They look at your whole season to make sure you're consistent, and they look at the playoffs. "I don't want to say this is a showcase, but I want to show that I can do it," Morin said in his thick French Canadian accent. Morin, 21, and fellow defensemen Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim are the Phantoms with the best chance of starting next season with the Flyers. Center Scott Laughton and goalie Anthony Stolarz - who is injured and will miss the playoffs - are among the other candidates. Morin and Hagg each received a late-season call-up from the Flyers. Both were impressive in their debuts. "It was an awesome experience for me to come up and play my first game, but all the focus is on this team and the playoffs now," Hagg said. Hagg, 22, in his third year with the Phantoms, was the team's most consistent defenseman this season, coach Scott Gordon said. "I figured out how I had to play to be successful," Hagg said. "When I figured out that, positive things started to come." Gordon "was all over me to play more simple, and I see that now," Hagg said. "It's made me more successful to make the simple play instead of the home run play." Sanheim, 21, in his first full season with the Phantoms, made a smooth transition from the Western Hockey League. "I think it's come a long way compared to a season ago," he said of his game. "Just playing against older guys and having to play my one-on-one battles a lot harder. . . . In juniors, you're obviously playing against much younger players, and these guys have a lot more strength. I struggled at times, but I think I found some pretty good techniques." The Phantoms ended a seven-year playoff drought. They improved by 26 points in the standings this season and went 7-4-1 against Hershey. "It's going to be a great series," said Morin, who is expected to be paired with Mark Alt while Sanheim is with Hagg. "It's a quick one. It's just a best of five, so we need to be ready Friday." Hershey (43-22-11) has a veteran team that lost to Lake Erie in the Calder Cup finals a year ago. "They're a good team, and they have some great players that are super- skilled, and I think we can match them that way," said left winger Greg Carey, who led the Phantoms with 28 goals. "I think it's going to be a tough place for them to play this week." "We weren't just looking to make the playoffs," said defenseman T.J. Brennan, a Moorestown native who played on a Toronto Marlies team that lost to Hershey in last year's Eastern Conference finals. "We're looking to have an impact on it. We believe in our team here." The high-scoring Phantoms (48-23-5) finished in a tie for the second- highest point total (101) in the 30-team league. "I've seen growth from the beginning of the year in what we wanted to accomplish and where we are now," said Brennan, who scored 21 goals and led the Phantoms with 60 points. With Stolarz sidelined, Alex Lyon could see all of the action in goal for Lehigh Valley. 1060785 Philadelphia Flyers

FLYERS GOALIE PROSPECT CARTER HART ON DEVELOPMENT: 'TRUST THE PROCESS'

By John Boruk | April 20, 2017 9:35 AM

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- "You gotta trust the process." Flashbacks to Sam Hinkie? A line from Joel Embiid's Twitter feed? How about a direct quote from Carter Hart. The Flyers' 18-year-old goaltending prospect spoke to the media extensively Wednesday after joining the Phantoms on Monday in preparations for their first-round playoff series against Hershey (see story). "I think I got the sense that I'm just here to experience this area," Hart said. "I've never been to Lehigh Valley. It's nice to see the building, get to know the players, get to know the coaching staff, take it all in and learn from the pros." Hart joins the Phantoms after his major junior team Everett Silvertips were bounced in the second round of the WHL playoffs. In three seasons in the Canadian Hockey League, Hart has compiled an impressive résumé -- an 85-40-12 record with 19 shutouts, a 2.13 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. He was named CHL Goaltender of the Year in 2016 and was a member of Team Canada's silver medal- winning team at the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. "Great things take time," Hart said. "It's a long process. You just have to stick to the grind every day and just worry about getting better. I know that's one of the big things Philly believes in, and just worry about getting better every day." Unless the Phantoms enter crisis mode, Hart doesn't expect to play in the AHL postseason, but he's already grabbed the attention of the team's starter Alex Lyon. "He's a great guy," Lyon said. "Carter is the same height (6-foot-1) as I am, and he's so physically gifted. I can learn so much from him." "One of the things you can definitely tell that's in his game is structure," Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon said. "Clearly the structure is in Carter's game, where more times than not the puck will hit him and he'll have the appropriate response after the save is made to make the next save, and that will continue to be a strength of his." Along with talent, there's a maturity that instantly comes across when talking with the teenager from Sherwood Park, Alberta. He has a familiarity with the Flyers' organization and has studied the trajectories of other great netminders in the NHL. "One of my favorite goalies is Carey Price and I also like Braden Holtby, as well, and they've both taken different routes to the NHL," Hart said. "Both are some of the great goalies in the league. Holtby came in a little later and Price was thrown in as a 20-year-old. … The Flyers have had a lot of good prospects the past few years. To see a couple of guys like (Travis) Konecny and (Ivan) Provorov jump in as 19-year-olds is something pretty special. You don't see too many guys doing that. It shows how much they value their young prospects and how much they care about their development." Obviously, the Flyers thought enough of Hart to make him the first goaltender selected in the 2016 NHL draft, and during the team's development camp, general manager Ron Hextall couldn't help but praise his second-round pick. "Quite honestly, it's almost hard for me to relay that a 17-year-old understands what he's got to do to become a pro and hopefully an NHL goalie one day," Hextall said. "Typically, kids are 20, 21, 22 before they realize, 'You know what? I gotta get better.' He's impressive." Since Hart won't turn 19 until August, he has just two options for next season -- return to his WHL team for a fourth year or join the Flyers as a rookie much like Provorov and Konecny did. Hart said he's fine either way because he's come to accept the Philly way. Just trust the process. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060786 Pittsburgh Penguins Their goal differential in the first period was plus-1. In the rest of the game, it was plus-48.

It didn't come back to haunt the Penguins all that often in the regular Chipped Ice A.M.: Penguins digging first-period holes season because of how dominant they were in the second and third periods. JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Thursday, April 20, 2017, 8:12 a.m. And in fact, they might be able to get away with another slow start against Columbus, too, as long as it's followed by another furious Updated 9 hours ago comeback. It's just a dangerous game to play, one the Penguins don't want to try their hand at again. Penguins winger Scott Wilson is nowhere near old enough to have seen Muhammad Ali fight. "Our starts have to be better (in Game 5)," winger Patrick Hornqvist said, "in front of our own fans." Wilson, who will turn 25 on Monday, was born 11 years after Ali's last fight and 18 years after the Rumble in the Jungle. THE SERIES: The Penguins lead, 3-1 Yet when discussing what the Penguins need to do to finish off the LAST GAME: William Karlsson and Boone Jenner scored third-period Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of the first-round series between the goals to thwart a Penguins comeback and the Blue Jackets avoided a teams Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, Wilson suggests the strategy sweep with a 5-4 win in Game 4 Tuesday night. Ali made famous in his 1974 fight against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. NEXT GAME: The Penguins will try to finish off a first-round opponent in five games for the second consecutive season when they host the Blue The old rope-a-dope. Jackets for Game 5 at 7 tonight. "I think it starts in the dressing room," Wilson said. "We always say A NOTE: The Penguins were the only team in the NHL this season with a before we go out there that we've got to start better, but I don't think points percentage over .500 when giving up the first goal of the game. we've had a good start this series yet. The biggest thing is playing simple They went 20-11-4. and not worrying about scoring the first 10 minutes. Just take their pressure and tire them out a little bit more." A QUOTE: "You feel the energy. You get out there and you see the towels waving. It's a cool atmosphere. It's fun to play in. Obviously we A change in strategy is necessary because the Blue Jackets have been didn't want a Game 5, but we're excited to have it here on home ice." – generally dominating the Penguins in the first period in the series. In four Brian Dumoulin games, they've piled up a 56-27 advantage in shots and, more importantly, a 5-2 edge in goals. A NUMBER: 8 – points for Evgeni Malkin through four playoff games. No one else in the league has more than six. It hasn't provided terribly detrimental to the Penguins because of the way they've played after the first period, outshooting the Blue Jackets 112-87 Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at and outscoring them 13-7, but it's certainly not the easiest way to win [email protected] or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib. hockey games. Editor's note: Visit triblive.com for the Chipped Ice A.M. report every Who's your pick to be the @penguins star tonight against the morning the Penguins play or practice throughout their playoff run. @BlueJacketsNHL ? Tribune Review LOADED: 04.21.2017 — Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 20, 2017 It's a topic the Penguins have discussed at length before every game in the series. And now? "We've got to act on it," coach Mike Sullivan said. "It's about being ready from the drop of the puck. It's a mindset. It's not a wait-and-see approach. We've got to be ready to dictate the terms from the first puck drop. If we do that, we can grab a hold of the momentum. "It's such a game of momentum. There's swings on both sides. We've had a fair amount of it and they have as well. The one common theme through the series to this point is we know we're capable of much better starts than we have had to this point." It's difficult to pinpoint exactly why the Penguins have started slow, of course. If they knew, they would have fixed it by now. But there are a couple of conditions present that make the phenomenon more likely to occur. For one thing, the Blue Jackets are the type of aggressive, physical team that is probably at its best when its energy level is at its highest early in the game. They barrel into the offensive zone on the forecheck and make it difficult for a Penguins defense corps that is missing Kris Letang to break the puck out. The Blue Jackets have an 87-56 even-strength shot-attempt advantage in the first period in the series. That number wouldn't be nearly as lopsided if the Penguins were cleanly executing their breakout. "They're going to come hard," defenseman Brian Dumoulin said. "The more time spent in the offensive zone and not in the defensive zone, especially early, will benefit us." For another thing, the Penguins have been a pretty mediocre first-period team all year long. They scored 67 first-period goals in the regular season, which ranked 11th in the NHL. That doesn't sound bad until it's compared to what the Penguins did in the rest of games. They led the league in both second- period goals with 102 and third-period goals with 103. 1060787 Pittsburgh Penguins

Gorman: Penguins' Fleury gets the feels, steals the series

Kevin Gorman | Thursday, April 20, 2017, 11:54 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

Marc-Andre Fleury still gets goose bumps and feels butterflies when Penguins fans chant his name, and the goaltender gave them reason to roar. Fleury stopped a postseason career-high 49 shots as the Penguins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2, in Game 5 on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena to clinch their first-round series. It was Fleury's 57th career postseason victory, passing Tom Barrasso for the franchise record. “To be at home, in front of our fans and to be able to get that win with the support that they gave me throughout the season and all these years,” Fleury said, “I was happy I was able to contribute and get that win.” It was a storybook series for Fleury, who lost his starting job to a concussion last spring and watched the majority of the Penguins' run to their fourth Stanley Cup championship from the bench. A last-minute replacement for Matt Murray, injured in warm-ups before Game 1, Fleury proved to be the difference in outdueling Blue Jackets star Sergei Bobrovsky. “We all as teammates felt bad to not see him in the net every night. The situation is what it is, and Flower's a No. 1 goalie in this league,” Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley said. “We're fortunate that we have two No. 1 goalies. It's paying off right now.” Where Columbus coach John Tortorella called Bobrovsky the Blue Jackets' “backbone” and suggested they wouldn't “have a sniff” without him, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan credited Fleury for being “solid” and giving them a chance to win each and every game. “And that's all you can ask of a goaltender,” Sullivan said. The Penguins couldn't have asked for much more from Fleury in the first period. Columbus furiously attacked the net for the first five minutes, and Fleury stopped everything the Blue Jackets threw at him. When he couldn't, the Penguins' defense came to his rescue. “They threw a lot of pucks at the net and always had somebody around trying to poke it, trying to get it in,” Fleury said. “I love the way our guys played in front of me, the way they helped me. They made some saves for me.” It started with Columbus winger Josh Anderson's rebound floating behind Fleury before defenseman Olli Maatta knocked it out of mid-air. That was followed by Boone Jenner's point-blank shot from the slot off Fleury's shoulder, then glove saves on Matt Calvert's wrister and Alexander Wennberg's slap shot. Columbus had fired nine shots on goal by the time Penguins winger Phil Kessel scored. Soon, the Penguins had a 3-0 lead. But the Blue Jackets continued their assault and cut it to 3-2 on goals by William Karlsson and Jenner in the second period. Fleury stopped 19 shots in the third. “He was under pressure throughout the whole night,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “He had to make a ton of huge saves. They weren't necessarily routine, either. He was tested a lot. We don't like to have to make him work that hard, but he was our best player.” Columbus was counting on Bobrovsky to be that. After all, he is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy. Bobrovsky, however, allowed 21 goals in five games. Fleury, meantime, stopped 181 of 194 shots (a .933 save percentage). “He played great for us all series,” Penguins defenseman Ian Cole said. “He's a world-class goaltender. Enough can't be said about what he does for us. He's loose back there, and he feels those momentum swings and comes up big when we need him.” Fleury feels the butterflies, too. And the goose bumps, giving as many as he gets. Tribune Review LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060788 Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin, Kessel too much for Jackets

Bill West | Thursday, April 20, 2017, 11:45 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

Columbus coach John Tortorella lauded the Penguins for how they utilized their “equipment” on offense in the first-round series. No, the Blue Jackets' bench boss did not have qualms with how the Penguins handled sticks. The equipment he mentioned came with names, faces and jersey numbers, and the most valuable of the pieces combined for 26 points in the five-game series. “(Pittsburgh) has a ton of equipment up front there as far as scoring goals,” Tortorella said. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan went with a different and more predictable “E” word on the topic of Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby — “Elite.” The stars, no matter the label applied to them, shaped the series to the degree Tortorella feared. Malkin led the way with 11 points in the series, and Kessel followed with eight — each had three points in Thursday's 5-2 win in Game 5 at PPG Paints Arena. Sullivan, no matter how well he knows his stars, still finds it difficult to predict when an outburst of offensive production might start with Malkin and Kessel, both of whom are particularly potent with the man advantage — each tallied four of their first-round points during power plays. “It's hard, because those types of players, they have the ability to be difference-makers in one or two shifts,” Sullivan said. “They can have a quiet game for two periods and have a couple of shifts in the third period, and it changes the outcome of games.” When Malkin missed the final 13 games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, questions arose about not only his availability for Game 1 but his readiness to jump back into action against a physical Columbus squad. The Russian center responded with his best five-game stretch of the season in terms of point production. Kessel, scrutinized during the final quarter of the regular season for a lack of goal scoring, delivered two of the most authoritative tallies in the playoff series. Both came from the left circle during power plays and involved his wicked wrist shots. “Whenever you get a chance to get on the power play early, you know you're going to try to make the best of it, get some momentum,” Kessel said. “We were fortunate in this series to get some power-play goals. It's big for the team.” Will the power play prove so fruitful for the Penguins' stars in the second round, where they will meet either Toronto or Washington? None of the players in the room are foolish enough to consider it a certainty. “Tonight it was really important for us,” said Crosby, who tallied six shots on goal after finishing with none in Game 4. “To gain some confidence is good. We start fresh the next series, and whoever we play, I'm sure it'll be different challenges and things we have to adjust to.” That's the funny thing about the Penguins' high-end “equipment,” though. It operates well in a variety of conditions and activates without much prodding. “These guys, they get big goals at key times that change outcomes,” Sullivan said. “I always have it in the back of my mind that all it takes is one shift or two shifts, and these guys ratchet it up a notch. Tribune Review LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060789 Pittsburgh Penguins "It was crazy. It was a pretty intense game. Obviously a lot on the line," defenseman Justin Schultz said. "They were coming at us. Their season was on the line. They played well, but Flower was huge." Rust's 2 goals help Penguins eliminate Blue Jackets in 5 games Tribune Review LOADED: 04.21.2017

Jonathan Bombulie | Thursday, April 20, 2017, 9:45 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

Normally, Bryan Rust is a procrastinator. He doesn't file his taxes, for example, until his mother calls him and prods him to do so just before the April deadline. "She's an accountant, so she tends to get on me about that stuff," Rust said. When it comes to finishing off playoff series, however, Rust has a different approach. He believes in not putting off until tomorrow what he can do today. Rust scored a pair of goals in the second period to back a brilliant 49- save performance from Marc-Andre Fleury as the Penguins secured a 5- 2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, closing the first-round Eastern Conference series in five games. The Penguins will face the winner of the series between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. That series is tied 2-2. It was the third two-goal game in a clinching scenario in Rust's young NHL career. Rust scored the Penguins' only goals in a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last season. He also scored twice in a Game 5 clincher against the Rangers in the first round. "He's one of those guys … high-stakes players, players that play their best when the games are most important," coach Mike Sullivan said. "Rusty has shown that ability in the short time he's been a Penguin. He did that last year all playoffs long for us, and he's continuing to do that again." Fleury also fit the definition of a high-stakes player Thursday night, making 49 saves — a career high for a regulation playoff game — to pass Tom Barrasso on the team's all-time postseason wins list with 57. In a game filled with wild momentum swings, he was at his best when Columbus pressed the hardest — the first five minutes of the game, and the second half of the second period, for example. "The biggest thing was to find the puck," Fleury said. "They always had somebody around. If I can see it leave the guy's stick, I have a better chance of knowing where it's going and being in the right spot. The way our guys battled, our D, they helped me out in front." The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, had two main laments after seeing a 108- point season end five games into the playoffs. First, they were upset that a potentially tying goal almost six minutes into the third was waved off due to a goaltender interference penalty on Alexander Wennberg. Second, they regretted that their massive 51-32 shots advantage didn't turn into more goals. "I think we had over 30 chances, which is just insane," coach John Tortorella said. "We needed to capitalize. We didn't. They did." The wild momentum swings started from the drop of the puck. After Fleury helped the Penguins withstand Columbus' initial surge, Phil Kessel scored on a short-side wrister from the left faceoff circle on the power play to give the Penguins the lead for good. Rust's two-goal outburst came in the second period. He scored on a pair of rebounds less than three minutes apart, one on a Kessel shot from the left wing and one after he flew up the right wing and got his own shot on goal. Columbus fired back, closing to within 3-2 on a William Karlsson backhander from the right wing that rolled up over Fleury's right shoulder and a Boone Jenner airborne rebound whack. The Penguins finished things off with their final flurry, a bad-angle Sidney Crosby shot from the right wing on the power play and a spinning no-look rebound bid by Scott Wilson 51 seconds apart in the third. 1060790 Pittsburgh Penguins Foligno averaged 20 minutes and 25 seconds of ice time in the first- round series. He had two assists through four games.

Tribune Review LOADED: 04.21.2017 Penguins notebook: Schultz in advisory position with old team

Bill West | Thursday, April 20, 2017, 7:51 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

Justin Schultz looked to center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton's No. 1 overall pick in 2011, for advice and friendship as he learned the nuances of pro hockey in 2012-13. In a role reversal Schultz never anticipated, he offered words of wisdom to Nugent-Hopkins and other pals still with the Oilers as Edmonton proceeded through its first-round series with San Jose. “Never thought that'd happen,” Schultz said. “I didn't know anything about (the playoffs). And then, I obviously got a lot of experience last year, so I helped Nuge out a little bit.” Edmonton entered Thursday tied 2-2 in its first-round series. Schultz has kept an eye on his old team, which reached the playoffs for the first time since 2006. “It's awesome there right now,” Schultz said. “They're excited. The town, the city is really excited for them. They're a young and fast team.” More than any piece of advice, the defenseman simply suggested Nugent-Hopkins savor the energy that comes with the postseason environment. “He just asked me what it's like, what the playoffs are like, all of that,” Schultz said. “It's the best time of year. You don't realize until you get there how much fun it is. And that's what he said after the first couple games, that it was awesome and a lot of fun. “They're doing a great job against San Jose. Obviously not the best game the last game (a 7-0 loss in Game 4), but they'll bounce back.” Easing off? Columbus forward Scott Hartnell indicated the Blue Jackets planned to worry less about their hit totals and more about creating scoring chances midway through the first-round series, and even coach Mike Sullivan believed his opponent's priorities slightly shifted in Game 4. Those on the ice who absorbed most of the Blue Jackets' punishment detected little difference. “In the middle of the game, you don't really notice that stuff,” defenseman Trevor Daley said. “(But) it's about what we do out there. We're ready for whatever they bring us. We just have to be prepared.” Immediate impact If there's a player in the Penguins locker room least surprised by Jake Guentzel's star turn in the Columbus series, it's probably Carter Rowney. When Guentzel came out of Nebraska-Omaha at the end of last season and reported to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Rowney was his center on perhaps the most dangerous line in the AHL playoffs. Guentzel had 14 points in 10 games. Rowney had 12. “When you're coming out of college, you don't really know what's going on,” Rowney said. “The way he jumped into that lineup and filled a huge role down there and was able to produce, it shows a lot about how mature he is for young he is and the style of game he can play.” The third member of the line was 38-year-old Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain Tom Kostopoulos, who undoubtedly is thrilled to see his teammates from a year ago making an impact in the Stanley Cup playoffs. “Everyone knows you can learn from TK down there,” Rowney said. “He's got a tremendous resume, and he's a great leader and a great guy on and off the ice. You can pick his brain about anything, and he loves seeing people succeed and move up the ranks. You definitely get some texts here and there, and you chat about it. It's nice to be able to show that he's taught me a lot. I'm sure he's proud of us.” Late scratch Columbus captain Nick Foligno did not dress after participating in pregame warm-ups. The forward, who finished fourth on the team in points with 51 in the regular season, was ruled out with a lower-body injury, the team announced. 1060791 Pittsburgh Penguins “They have a good team down there,” Rowney said. “They have a lot of core players, and a lot of vets. The depth on that team is extreme.

“They’ve kept the train rolling, with different players in different roles, In-season injuries haven't slowed Daley and Maatta in the playoffs people moving up and down. They’ve still been able to succeed.” Although Jarry was the No. 1 goalie in Wilkes-Barre this season, his April 20, 2017 1:18 PM replacement — Casey DeSmith — had a pretty fair year, posing the AHL’s best goals-against average, 2.01. By Sam Werner and Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Casey’s a great goaltender,” Archibald said. “It all started for him last year, in a similar situation where [Jarry] was up here for the start of the playoffs and he started for us down there. Neither Trevor Daley nor Olli Maatta got much chance to enjoy the build- up to the playoffs over the final few weeks of the regular season, at least “He was terrific, and he’s been terrific for us down there all year long.” not on the ice. The Baby Penguins won the season series, 4-2, and have won all three Both came back from injury just before the postseason began but have previous playoff meetings with Providence. jumped in to become a reliable pairing along the blue line for the Penguins. Consistency is key “I think they’re getting better with each game they play,” Penguins coach When defenseman Brian Dumoulin was asked about the Penguins Mike Sullivan said. “I think their timing’s getting better, their conditioning starting the same lineup for the first four games of the playoffs — after a is getting better, their game conditioning is getting much better. These brutal run of injuries late in the regular season — he did everything but guys are good players.” knock on the wood of his locker. Maatta only played one game in the regular season before diving into “So far,” Dumoulin said. “Obviously playoff injuries happen. They’re playoff action, while Daley got two. Daley has regularly skipped some sometimes going to happen, sometimes they’re not. Obviously with that practices and morning skates this series as he finishes up his recovery bad luck that we had in that run, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s good from knee surgery. to get through some games injury free.” “Just to get some strength back,” Daley said. “That’s what we decided at Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 the start of it, so we’re just trying to stick to it.” The duo has put up a 2.67 goals against per 60 (GA60) in its 67:30 of postseason action so far, the best total of any Penguins defense pairing. It helps that they’re familiar with one another. The two played together for 473:02 in the regular season, making them the third most common pairing this season along the Penguins’ blue line. Maatta and Daley also happen to be the most experienced defensemen in the Penguins’ lineup when it comes to playoff action. The two have combined for 89 career postseason games. The second most experienced pairing —Justin Schultz and Ian Cole — has 54. “They’ve played in a high-stakes environment, they have experience,” Sullivan said. “They’re trustworthy guys and they’re good players. They’ve been a good pair for us. They played a fair amount together in my tenure here, and so there’s familiarity there. We think they’re getting better with each game that they get under their belt.” Rowney’s impact Carter Rowney had the least playing time of any Penguins player through the first four games of the series, averaging just 10 minutes and 51 seconds. The Blue Jackets are to be forgiven if they feel as if he’s been out there a lot more, however, because Rowney has recorded a team-high 18 hits. That comes out to 4.5 per game, or just under one for every two minutes he’s on the ice. Rowney, though, said he didn’t necessarily enter the series intent of being such a physical presence. “I don’t know if it was planned,” he said. “It’s just kind of the way the games have played out. “I’m just trying to play a hard game, make things difficult on them.” More playoffs The Penguins’ farm team in Wilkes-Barre, which posted the best regular- season record in the American Hockey League this season, will open the Calder Cup playoffs Friday night in Providence, R.I. They will be on the road for the first two games in the best-of-five series with the Bruins, then return to Mohegan Sun Arena for the balance of the series. The Baby Penguins sent players to the parent club on a regular basis throughout the winter, and some of their most important contributors — guys such as forwards Jake Guentzel, Josh Archibald, Carter Rowney, defenseman Cameron Gaunce and goalie Tristan Jarry — are on the NHL roster as Round 1 in the AHL begins. Nonetheless, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton looks to be capable of making a deep playoff run. 1060792 Pittsburgh Penguins 4. The Blue Jackets finished with just 27 hits in Game 4 after averaging 44.3 through the first three games of the series.

Plenty of that is circumstantial. How they keep hits varies building to Pregame: Penguins vs. Blue Jackets, 7:08 p.m. (PIT leads, 3-1) building. Teams that play with the puck aren’t going to rack up a lot of hits. April 20, 2017 12:38 PM Still, there was some talk out of Columbus yesterday that the Blue Jackets focused more on playing hockey than hitting. By Jason Mackey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Penguins, for their part, don’t seem to care. They’re going to try and play their own game regardless. The Penguins return to PPG Paints Arena on Thursday looking to close “The middle of the game you don’t really notice that stuff,” Trevor Daley out the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of their quarterfinal-round said. “It’s about what we do out there. We’re ready for whatever they playoff series at 7:08 p.m. bring us.” There’s no place they’d rather be, and that’s not pandering. 5. Special teams play will be important. Sullivan said this morning that he’s been satisfied with his team’s work in that category so far. As Sam Werner wrote about in today’s print edition, the Penguins are hoping their home dominance this season — their 66 home points tied He was not happy with how the first power-play chance of Game 4 went. the Capitals for the NHL lead — leads to a series-clinching victory. Nineteen seconds into the game, Nick Foligno went off ... and so did the wheels from the Penguins power play. “It’s tough to end a team’s season, especially one as competitive as this one,” Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin said. “We know it’s going to Sullivan talked afterward and having a chance to establish momentum be difficult. It’s going to be a challenge. With that, I think we have to play there and fumbling it away. The Penguins’ power play — three for 11 in our best game of the series in order to beat them. Their backs are the series — has to be effective. against the wall again. We have to come out hard tonight with a lot of energy, try to feed off the crowd and play our best hockey.” Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 Some numbers to keep in mind on this: • The Penguins went 31-6-4 at home this season and are 12-1-1 in their last 14 against Metropolitan Division clubs (regular season and playoffs). • Since the beginning of last year’s playoffs, the Penguins are 11-4 at PPG Paints Arena. • Last year, the Penguins clinched three series on home ice. Before that, in the first five years of this building, they clinched only one. How will the Penguins go about punching their ticket to the next round? Here are five keys: 1. Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been ordinary in this series, with a 3.61 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage. The Penguins can’t allow him to feel comfortable. Get traffic. Patric Hornqvist will play a key role. Columbus coach John Tortorella discussed Bobrovsky in his availability a few minutes ago. “I know there’s a little bit of chatter out there about Bob,” Tortorella said. “He’s a hell of a goalie. He is the backbone of our team. We don’t have a sniff as far as where we are as a team if it doesn’t start with him. We are very comfortable going into this situation tonight, another elimination game, that he’s going to be our goalie.” 2. A better start is a must. The Penguins weren’t good through about the first 25 minutes in Game 4. They were disorganized, didn’t get out of their own zone terribly well and permitted entirely too much for the Columbus attack, specifically off the rush. And, really, their starts in this series haven’t been great. They’ve become a major discussion point with the group. “We’re going to focus on coming out and getting our fans into it early,” Conor Sheary said. “Hopefully get a good start and use that as momentum.” 3. Speaking of Sheary, the Penguins top line of Sheary, Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby has to be better. They were a combined minus-7 in Game 4. Guentzel scored shorthanded, his third consecutive game with a goalie, but it was nothing more than lipstick on a pig. This group is at its best when it plays with the puck. They didn’t do that nearly enough in Game 4, for whatever reason. “I think we realized we have to defend a little better,” Guentzel said. “Obviously we have to defend a little better tonight.” Will be interesting to see the matchup here. As Game 4 wore on, Tortorella matched William Karlsson’s line against the Penguins’ top unit. Different world with the Penguins having last change, though. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan will surely try to get Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary away from Karlsson’s line as much as possible. “I know that our top lines can and will be better,” Sullivan said. 1060793 Pittsburgh Penguins

Rust shows up again in elimination game

April 21, 2017 12:00 AM By Sam Werner / Pittsburgh Post-Ga- zette

Bryan Rust can’t really explain it. Mike Sullivan called it “a good question.” Why is it, exactly, that Rust almost always finds a way to score big goals in elimination games?

“As far as success in these games, I don’t know what’s going on,” Rust said Thursday. “Just trying to have fun with it and play hard.” He added two more to his tally Thursday night in the Penguins’ 5-2 series-clinching win against Columbus. Rust now has seven career goals in nine potential postseason elimination games. In 112 career regular-season games, Rust averages 0.18 goals per game. In 28 career playoff games, that number creeps up to 0.36 goals per game. In games where one team could be going home at the end of the night? It’s 0.78. “He’s one of those guys,” Sullivan said. “High-stakes players. Players that play their best when the games are most important. Rusty has shown that ability in the short time that he’s been a Penguin. He did it last year all playoffs long for us, and he’s continuing to do that again.” Could it be Rust’s personality? Wanting to take care of business as quickly as possible? Not likely, he said. “I procrastinate a lot,” he said. “It’s a little bit of the opposite in this situation. I file my taxes at the last possible minute, whenever my mom gets on me. She’s an accountant, so she tends to get on me about that stuff.” Assuming he got his taxes in on time earlier this week, Rust probably only got congratulations from his mom after the game Thursday night. His first goal, at 1:07 of the second period, doubled the Penguins’ lead to 2-0. “Phil [Kessel] found me on the back door, and I got a tip on the first one,” he said. “The rebound kind of popped right back to me and I tried to shovel it into the net, and I was lucky enough to have it go off the post and in.” Less than three minutes later, he got another after a feed from defenseman Ron Hainsey. “Unbelievable play [by Hainsey], good heads-up play,” Rust said. “I was able to come down the wing and I was able to fire a shot far side. Their goalie made a really good save on the first one, I got a real fortunate bounce. It came right back too me and I just tried to shovel it in.” That score gave Rust two goals in a series-clinching game for the Penguins for the third time in his career, joining Game 5 against the New York Rangers and Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in last year’s Stanley Cup run. “I’ve kind of learned to expect the unexpected,” Rust said. And as for why, exactly, he always tends to show up big in these moments? Rust and Sullivan aren’t overthinking it. They’re just enjoying it. “That’s good for our team and that’s good for him as an individual, as well,” Sullivan said. “I think he should find confidence in that. I think it should help him moving forward. Certainly, he’s shown an ability to score some pretty big goals at key times for us.” Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060794 Pittsburgh Penguins There are blemishes and warts to address before the next round begins, but none prevented the Penguins from winning their fifth consecutive playoff series. Penguins' stellar play clinches series against Blue Jackets in five games “It wasn’t always pretty,” Cullen said. “It wasn’t always our best. But we found a way to get it done.” April 21, 2017 12:00 AM Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Win a playoff series in five games, and you’ve done some things well. Win a playoff series in five games against an opponent that earned 108 points in the regular season, and you likely have done quite a few things very well. And so it was for the Penguins, who closed out their opening-round series against Columbus — and earned a spot opposite the Washington- Toronto survivor in Round 2 — with a 5-2 victory against the Blue Jackets Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. They got stellar goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 49 of 51 shots. They got two goals from their power play, which converted five of its 15 chances (33.3 percent) in the series. They got offensive production from their big-name offensive talents — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel — and the usual big-game contribution from Bryan Rust. Bring those elements to the second round, and the Penguins should be able to make life miserable for the Capitals or Maple Leafs. Especially if they can clean up some of the recurring problems they faced against Columbus. “There’s lots of areas where I know we can improve, get better,” coach Mike Sullivan said. Reducing the shots-against — or, more to the point — the quality scoring opportunities they allow will be critical. Columbus coach John Tortorella said his team had more than 30 scoring chances in Game 5, and the Blue Jackets finished the series averaging 38.8 shots per game, most of any team to this point in the playoffs. Part of the reason was that the Penguins struggled to get out of their end efficiently for much of Round 1. Columbus deserves some credit for that, because it has an aggressive, effective forecheck. The Penguins, though, figure to make getting out of the defensive zone cleanly a priority in practices leading up to the next series. “The biggest thing for us is how quickly we can come out of our end,” center Matt Cullen said. “We’re a team built on speed and puck movement and hockey instincts. The quicker we can get out of our end and get on the forecheck, the better.” Doing that was a particular issue early in games; the Blue Jackets consistently dominated play then, and the Penguins were fortunate that their sluggish starts didn’t translate to deficits that couldn’t be overcome. “It was [an issue] in this series,” Cullen said. “I don’t really know why. … Hopefully, we can go to school on that a little bit.” A productive power play and stingy penalty-killing — Columbus converted 2 of 12 tries with the extra man — helped the Penguins to overcome their poor starts. Kessel staked them to a lead they never lost with a man-advantage goal at 9:07 of the first period in Game 5, and Crosby’s power-play goal at 5:31 of the third all but officially ended the Blue Jackets season. “Special teams are very important in the playoffs,” Tortorella said. “And theirs were better than ours.” He was adamant after Game 5 that, “that’s not a 4-1 series,” and that’s a reasonable perspective. The Blue Jackets, like the Penguins, controlled play for extended stretches. “We have to do a better job of not allowing teams to put us on our heels,” Sullivan said. He praised the Blue Jackets, calling them “the real deal.” So, of course, is his team. 1060795 Pittsburgh Penguins Joe Starkey: [email protected] and Twitter @joestarkey1. Joe Starkey can be heard on the “Starkey and Mueller” show weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. Joe Starkey: Fleury earns chance to make more memories Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017

April 21, 2017 12:00 AM By Joe Starkey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It’s not really Marc-Andre Fleury’s style, but the way things were going Thursday night, you half-expected him to pull an Andrew McCutchen and shout “This is my spot!” after one of his countless clutch saves. And you know what? If Fleury had said that, he would have been dead right: It is his spot, or at least it should be, heading into the Penguins’ next series, whether Matt Murray is healthy or not. Fleury has earned that much. He saved his best for last, stopping 49 shots in a series-clinching, 5-2 victory that vaulted him into first place on the Penguins’ all-time postseason wins list (57) and undoubtedly sent John Tortorella muttering all the way back to Columbus. The Penguins were outshot 51-32. Where did it rank among Fleury’s favorite home playoff games? “It’s up there,” he said. Fleury was probably going to be the story of this series one way or another, considering he wasn’t supposed to play. He wound up outdoing the certain Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, although, to be fair, a lot of people would have outdone Bobrovsky, who delivered all the resistance of a wet paper towel. Whatever term is furthest opposite of clutch, that’s “Bob” so far in his playoff career. His postseason record dropped to 3-10. Meanwhile, Game 5 brought out vintage Fleury. I’m talkin’ 2009 Fleury. He was never better than when he did the splits to stop Jack Johnson’s sure-goal rebound attempt near the end of the second period, when Columbus was frantically mounting a comeback. Fleury went full extension with his right leg to stop that one, and the Penguins, like a boxer getting pummeled on the ropes, were afforded time to regroup in the second intermission. Fleury also weathered an early flurry to start the game and made three critical stops at the beginning of the second period, just before the Penguins scored twice to grab a 3-0 lead. He stole the game, is what he did. Truth is, the Penguins really didn’t play all that great for much of the series. Their star power flashed when necessary, and Bryan Rust performed his usual series-clinching heroics with two goals, but Fleury was the headline act. In the Penguins’ three home games, he stopped 120 of 124 Columbus shots. “When [Murray] went down before Game 1, you got a guy stepping in who’s done it before, great goalie, regardless of what happened in last year’s playoffs,” said defenseman Ron Hainsey. “I think the guys fed off that. He played great the first 10 minutes in Game 1. We could have been down 2, 3-nothing. We were able to get that game later on, and away we went. “I don’t want to speak for everybody in here, but I think everybody in here has great confidence that he can be the guy back there, without question.” It’s a fairy tale at this point, starring a forever-smiling fan favorite called “The Flower.” And make no mistake, the fans are loving it. On several occasions Thursday, they nearly blew the roof off the place, exploding into perhaps their all-time favorite chant next to “Let’s Go Pens!”: FLUR-EEE! FLUR-EEE! FLUR-EEE! Fleury’s relationship with the fans has been mercurial, for sure, but they always seem to come back to loving him. Sitting at the podium late Thursday, after one of the more memorable games of his career, Fleury spoke of the support through the years and how those chants still move him. “I still get butterflies and goose bumps,” he said. 1060796 Pittsburgh Penguins They finished the year with the fourth-worst faceoff percentage in the league (47.6 percent) but won 52.5 percent of the draws over five games against the Blue Jackets. Penguins make a lineup shift late in Game 5, plus other postgame notes Jackets here to stay Don’t expect this Columbus team to go anywhere. They’re talented. April 20, 2017 11:52 PM They’re young. They play a pain-in-the-butt style that you saw have an effect on the Penguins. By Sam Werner and Jason Mackey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Just don’t try to sell Tortorella that this was a young group learning and finding its way. The Penguins’ lineup looked a bit different in the third period of Game 5 “I’m not going to the young and inexperienced … I don’t want to go there Thursday night than it did earlier on in the game. at all,” Tortorella said. “I thought our guys had no fear. Playing against the Stanley Cup champs, a very good team, and we put a ton of good Or, to be more accurate, it looked different than it has just about all minutes in. I’m proud of our club. That’s not a 4-1 series.” season. Numbers, notes and nuggets Penguins coach Mike Sullivan flip-flopped Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist for the final 20 minutes Thursday night, with Sheary playing • Fleury became the franchise record-holding with 57 career playoff wins, alongside Scott Wilson and Nick Bonino, and Hornqvist sliding up to surpassing Tom Barrasso. His 49 saves set a career-high for a regulation Sidney Crosby’s top line opposite Jake Guentzel. postseason game. “Listen, Conor Sheary is a really good player,” coach Mike Sullivan said. • The Penguins are 13-4 in series in which they hold home-ice advantage “Patric Hornqvist is a really good player. They’re just different players. during the Crosby/Malkin Era. They bring a different dimension to their lines. We thought Horny could bring some size and some grit and help in the battle areas a little bit • Including the regular season, the Penguins have won 60 of their past 80 more, just because of his size and his strength and his ability to go to the games at PPG Paints Arena. net and win puck battles.” • Penguins are 13-1-1 in their last 15 games against division opponents A minor move, and Hornqvist certainly has plenty of experience playing (regular season and playoffs). with Crosby, but taking Sheary of Crosby’s line is a pretty significant • Ron Hainsey has a three-game point streak (1-2–3). change. • Evgeni Malkin leads the NHL with 11 points this postseason. That’s tied Sheary has played 83.4 percent of his 5-on-5 minutes with Crosby this for his best point production in a single series (2013 Eastern Conference season, and the two have shown some good chemistry since last year’s quarterfinals vs. Islanders). Stanley Cup run. • Bryan Rust has eight goals in his last 13 playoff games. Rust has seven Sheary has hit a bit of a rough patch in this series, though, with no goals, goals and one assist in nine career postseason elimination games. just one assist and a minus-3 rating. Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 “Looking back on it, I think it helped us in the third period a little bit, both of the lines,” Sullivan said. “I think it helped Conor, in particular.” Sullivan said he hasn’t thought much about what lineup he’ll use in Game 1 of the next round, against either Washington or Toronto. Best guess is he’ll go back to Sid and the Kids, at least to start, to see if that line can rekindle some of its mojo from the end of the regular season and the beginning of this series. Pens win special teams battle It felt appropriate that Crosby scored a hugely important goal on the power play Thursday. Poetic, even. Alexander Wennberg bumped Marc-Andre Fleury, taking what looked for a second to be a 3-3 game back to 3-2, at 3:52 of the third period. At 5:31, Crosby delivered the dagger. “We were really happy to get that two-goal lead,” Justin Schultz said. “We were happy to see that go in.” The Penguins, of course, won the series in five. Special teams were a big reason why. Their power play finished 2 for 4 on Thursday and 5 for 15 in five games. “Special teams are very important in the playoffs,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “Theirs was better than ours.” The Blue Jackets scored a power-play goal Thursday — Boone Jenner got it in the second period — but finished just 2 for 12. “It’s important to every series — special teams,” Crosby said. “Tonight it was really important for us. "To gain some confidence is good, but we start fresh next series. Whoever we play, I’m sure will be different challenges and things we have to adjust to. It’s good that it was able to help us throughout the whole series.” Winning in the circle For an area in which they struggled this season, the Penguins sure looked comfortable in the faceoff circle against the Blue Jackets. They won more than 50 percent of draws in four out of five games (probably not coincidentally, the four games they won) after being generally pretty hapless in that area during the regular season. 1060797 Pittsburgh Penguins

Tickets for Penguins' second-round playoff series on sale Friday

April 20, 2017 11:06 PM By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Individual tickets for the Penguins’ first two home games in their second- round playoff series will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Approximately 2,000 tickets for each game will be available. The Penguins will face the winner of the Washington-Toronto playoff series, which is tied, 2-2. Games 1 and 2 will be at PPG Paints Arena if they face the Maple Leafs, but the first two home dates will be Games 3 and 4 if the Penguins are matched against the Capitals. The team is encouraging fans to purchase tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com, but they also will be available at the arena box office and by calling TicketMaster at 1-800-745-3000. Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060798 Pittsburgh Penguins Despite talking about wanting to have a better start, the Penguins played the first five minutes like they wanted to see more of Columbus.

Thankfully for them, Fleury held the fort, denying Cam Atkinson from Penguins finish off Blue Jackets with 5-2 win, advance to semi-finals point-blank range, then making another stop on Wennberg. Phil Kessel scored a power-play goal to flip the momentum in the April 20, 2017 9:41 PM Penguins’ favor. By Jason Mackey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Tonight was a big game,” Kessel said. “You never want to go back there. Flower played real well. They’re obviously a great team. It was a tough battle.” When the Penguins blew their chance at a sweep Tuesday in Columbus, Sullivan felt Thursday’s game was similar to this entire series: physical coach Mike Sullivan emphasized the need for everyone to reset their and back-and-forth, the need to handle such drastic swings heightened. mindset. “I don’t know that, in any moment in any game, that any one of us felt like Sullivan’s team had to do that a few times Thursday, but the Penguins we settled into the game, where it was more of a controlled game,” ultimately got the result they desired, a 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets in Sullivan said. “It felt like it was an emotional rollercoaster.” Game 5 of their opening-round series at PPG Paints Arena that pushed the Penguins through to the Eastern Conference semifinals. One the Penguins were ultimately able to survive because of their experience taking these sorts of rides. It’s that sort of ability, to assess and readjust on the fly, that separates the Penguins from most teams. Around the boards “Guys in the locker room have been there before,” said Bryan Rust, the Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno was a late scratch with a lower-body offensive hero on this night with a pair of goals, including the game- injury. … Rust has eight goals in his last 13 playoff games dating back to winner. “We’ve had elimination games that we haven’t won. We just try to last season. In his past nine elimination games, Rust has seven goals take each day as it comes. Each day is a new day. You can learn from and eight points. … Attendance was 18,585. the past game and move forward. I think we embraced the challenge and Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017 had fun with it.” A few of those veterans Rust alluded to stood tall in this one, too. Literally. After a lousy second period that saw them nearly fritter away a 3-0 lead, several Penguins leaders stood up in the dressing room and addressed the poor performance. One that nearly brought with it another trip to Columbus. “We needed to reset a little bit,” Matt Cullen said. “You can carry that with you into the third period, then who knows where we end up? “We didn’t have a good second period. We were able to come in here. All of us knew we weren’t happy with what had happened. We were able to sort of reset, step back, take a look at the situation and say, ‘If we have our best period here, we’re moving on.’ I think as a group we did a good job of that.” In addition to Rust’s two goals, Evgeni Malkin contributed three assists, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 49 of 51 shots to make this one happen. Jake Guentzel led the Penguins in goals this series against the Blue Jackets with five, followed by Rust’s four. Malkin tallied 11 points in the five games, matching his career-high for points in a playoff series. He also had that many in six games against the New York Islanders in the 2013 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The biggest turning point in Thursday’s game came with a sequence early in the third period. Columbus had what looked to be the game-tying goal wiped out because Alexander Wennberg made contact with Fleury and was called for goaltender interference. Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella protested vehemently on the bench but afterward didn’t feel much like dissecting the play. “You guys watched the game,” Tortorella said. “You don’t need my help with that.” A follow-up came on whether Tortorella thought Fleury was out of the crease when the contact occurred. “I’m not talking about the play,” Tortorella said. “Stop baiting me into it, please. “There’s no sense of me having a viewpoint on it. It happened.” On the ensuing power play, Sidney Crosby blasted a one-timer from the right circle to extend the Penguins’ lead to 4-2 and allow them the opportunity to breathe. “I think that’s one of the things that makes our team as competitive as it is,” Sullivan said. “These guys get big goals at key times that change outcomes.” And, of course, manage momentum swings, which the Penguins had to do early on. 1060799 Pittsburgh Penguins

Instant analysis: Penguins eliminate Columbus in Game 5

By Adam Bittner / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins got a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Here are some initial impressions from the victory, which clinched the series win and sends the Penguins to a second-round matchup with the winner of the Toronto-Washington series. It was over when: Sidney Crosby ripped a power play goal past Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky at 5:31 of the third period. The Blue Jackets had all the momentum at the end of the second period, down 3- 2, but Crosby’s goal, followed shortly after by a marker by Scott Wilson, completely deflated Columbus. It was a rocket of a shot that carried the Penguins into the next round. Heroes: Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury rebounded in a massive way from a rough Game 4, making 49 saves on 51 shots. He gave up a couple of goals but faced a ton of pressure at times and stood tall regardless. He kept the Penguins in it at the points where it seemed like Columbus had all the momentum, particularly at the beginning of the first period and the end of the second period. Then he made all the saves as Columbus pressed the action at the end, down three goals. He’s now the winningest goalie in franchise history. Winger Bryan Rust scored two goals in the second period to stake the Penguins to a cushy 3-0. Of course, they did their best to let Columbus back into the game shortly thereafter, but give Rust credit for going to the front of the net to score to get two huge scores off rebounds. It always seems like it’s gritty goals like those that make a difference, and they certainly did Thursday night. Rust now has 10 goals in just 28 career playoff games. Winger Phil Kessel snapped a nice shot past Sergei Bobrovsky for the Penguins’ first goal, then put a puck on net, where Rust was able to slam the rebound home for the second goal. He had another big game after quietly notching three assists to help keep the Penguins in Game 4. Evgeni Malkin added two assists, including a great pass to set up Crosby’s goal, to match a career high with 11 points in the series. Goats: The Blue Jackets’ penalty kill came up way short, allowing deflating goals to Phil Kessel in the first period and Crosby in the third. The first goal killed the momentum Columbus had built early in the first period, and Crosby’s goal, again, was basically a series-ender. Better start: The Blue Jackets outshot the Penguins in the first period yet again, but the Penguins did a nice job controlling play for long stretches of the frame. The pressure helped them cash in on a power play goal, and it gave Fleury a breather from the relentless Columbus attack he faced in the first four games of the series. Power play magic: As mentioned, the Penguins’ power play unit killed the Blue Jackets’ momentum with a goal in the first period and basically won it with Crosby’s goal in the third. That group was great all series and looked great in an elimination game. Those are good vibes the Penguins will surely be trying to build on in the next series. What’s next: The Penguins will take on the winner of the Washington Capitals-Toronto Maple Leafs series. That schedule, obviously, will depend on the outcome. That series is tied, 2-2. Game 5 is Friday at 7 p.m. in Washington. Post Gazette LOADED: 04.21.2017

1060800 San Jose Sharks It seems like an impressive turnaround for a Sharks team that ranked 23rd in the NHL in faceoff percentage (48.1) during the regular season. But perhaps it’s less impressive considering the Oilers were dead-last in Sharks notes: Boedker hungry to play; Vlasic on McDavid; Faceoff the league in the regular season at 47.0 percent. dominance “I think what’s turned it around is that (the Oilers) are one of the four teams that’s worse at it than we are,” DeBoer said with a laugh. “So, I mean, that’s the only answer.” By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: April 20, 2017 at 1:45 pm | UPDATED: April 20, 2017 at 1:48 PM Tomas Hertl has led the Sharks as he’s won 39 of 55 faceoffs in the series, leading the NHL with a 70.9 winning percentage for all players who have taken at least 15 draws in the postseason. EDMONTON, Alberta — Some of Mikkel Boedker’s most productive San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.21.2017 games this season came after he was a healthy scratch in January. The Sharks are certainly hoping for another positive response Thursday, as Boedker will be back in the lineup for Game 5 with the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place with the series level at two wins each. “It’s going to fun. It’s going to be a challenge,” Boedker said. “We came out and played really well last game, so obviously we come in here excited. It’s going to be a good game.” The Sharks held an optional skate Thursday morning so there was no indication on what line Boedker will play. Joonas Donskoi, who has a plus/minus rating of -3 after four games, will be coming out of the lineup, from all indications. Boedker played just 12:08 in Game 2, a 2-0 Sharks loss, and was a healthy scratch for games 3 and 4 in San Jose. It was the first time this season that Boedker had been scratched for consecutive games. The last time Boedker was scratched from the lineup was Jan. 5 against Minnesota. He came back to score in the following game against Detroit on Jan. 7 and had a hat-trick Jan. 10 in Edmonton. Boedker’s first year in San Jose hasn’t gone as planned so far, as he finished the regular season with 10 goals and 16 assists in 81 games. All that matters now to the Sharks is for Boedker to have a good game Thursday to help the team earn a critical win. “You’re always hungry to play,” Boedker said, “and be a part of it.” Connor McDavid hasn’t been held off the scoresheet in three consecutive games since his NHL career began. That there’s even a chance of that happening at this point of the series speaks a lot to how well the Sharks have paid attention to details as they’ve blanketed the Oilers superstar. McDavid was held without a point in games 3 and 4 in San Jose. With last change, the Sharks were able to put defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun on the ice with McDavid after every stoppage in play. “When you go up against one of the best offensive and dynamic players in the league and one of the fastest players, you’ve got to be aware of whenever he’s on the ice,” Vlasic said Thursday morning. “You’ve got to be able to skate with him and try and take away time and space, like against any good player.” Vlasic’s play doesn’t come as a surprise to Sharks coach Pete DeBoer, or Oilers coach Todd McLellan. “He’s been doing this for a decade,” DeBoer said. “Just watch Team Canada, listen to Mike Babcock talk about him. When they name (rosters for) World Cups, he’s one of the first guys that’s always named. He’s not a statistics guy. He’s just a hockey player. “There’s very few guys I’ve coached where I re-watch a game and he plays almost mistake-free. There’s a lot of games that I go through and I can’t find one decision that I would make differently watching the tape back. That’s really rare. He’s a special guy and a huge part of our team.” McLellan said Vlasic’s stamina is second to none. “He can go three minutes on a shift and still be playing at the same level of play in the last half of that shift as he is in the first,” McLellan said. McLellan said to help get away from the Sharks’ matching up Vlasic and Braun with McDavid’s line on Thursday, the Oilers need to win more faceoffs. But the Sharks have been strong in that part of the game for most of the series. Through four games, the Sharks have won 56.1 percent (110 of 196) of all draws. In two games at Rogers Place, the Sharks won 55.9 percent of all faceoffs, helping them bring Vlasic and Braun back on the ice quickly after the puck is dropped whenever McDavid is brought on after a stoppage in play. 1060801 San Jose Sharks

Tierney on Draisaitl: “Hopefully he doesn’t do that anymore”

By CURTIS PASHELKA | April 20, 2017 at 11:56 am

EDMONTON, Alberta — The usually composed Chris Tierney didn’t stray out of character Thursday when asked about the NHL’s Department of Player Safety decision to fine Leon Draisaitl instead of suspending the Edmonton Oilers forward. Wednesday, Draisaitl was fined $2,569.44, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for spearing Tierney in the second period of Game 4 in San Jose. For incident at the 13:44 mark, Draisaitl was given a five- minute spearing penalty and a game misconduct. Draisaitl had his hearing with the player safety Wednesday. “It’s up to league and the department of safety,” Tierney said after the Sharks held their morning skate at Rogers Place prior to Game 5. “They obviously did what they felt what was right and hopefully he doesn’t do that anymore. “It’s a dangerous play. It’s something you don’t want in the game and you don’t want to see. Hopefully that’s the last time he does that.” Draisaitl, participating in his first playoff series, lifted his stick into the groin of Tierney just after a group of players were fighting for the puck in the Oilers’ corner to the right of goalie Cam Talbot. Draisaitl skated away as Tierney crumpled to the ice. “Obviously, it was a stupid play,” Draisaitl said. “That’s not who I am, that’s not me, that’s not how I want to be seen as a player. I think everyone knows that I’m the last guy that wants to hurt anyone out there, that wants to play that type of game. “I know it was a bad play by me, so obviously, I’m happy with what I got.” Asked if he think there will be any response by the Sharks toward Draisaitl on Thursday, Tierney said, “I think we just play our game. It’s playoff hockey. We’re focused on wins now not getting about somebody back or trying to look for revenge.” San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060802 San Jose Sharks Coyote, if you know what we mean. Draisaitl received a game misconduct penalty (and Wednesday, a league fine). Once he was tossed out, the Oilers had even greater problems with their center depth Purdy: Identifying the four Sharks middle men who will now decide this and you saw what happened. series Draisaitl’s situation is interesting. He played most of this season as a winger on McDavid’s top line and leveraged that to become one of the league’s top 10 scorers. However, McLellan made the coaching decision By MARK PURDY | PUBLISHED: April 19, 2017 at 1:29 pm | UPDATED: to move Draisaitl back to the middle of the third line on the fly during April 20, 2017 at 1:36 PM Game 3 last Sunday, which is when Thornton made his first start of the series and began creating more challenging defensive issues for the Oilers up the middle. Thus, McLellan had third line winger Anton Slepyshev move up to play with Patrick Maroon and McDavid on the first It is best of three now. The Sharks play at Edmonton on Thursday night, line. Draisaitl, who has played center in the past, slid down between Zack then return with the Oilers to San Jose for a Saturday Game 6 before Kassian and Drake Caggiulao on the third line. (maybe) a Game 7 back in Alberta on Monday. Some people would say the series is just getting interesting, finally coming into focus. One of The move worked Sunday. Kassian , on Draisaitl’s new line, scored the those people would be me. game’s only goal. Tuesday,.things were different–perhaps because of DeBoer’s adjustments on the Sharks’ side. Principally, he moved Patrick The ultimate result is still a total tossup. That’s pretty clear. Do not expect Marleau up to play with Thornton and Joe Pavelski on the first line, where the Sharks’ overwhelming Game 4 performance in Tuesday night’s 7-0 Marleau has worked in the past. DeBoer then shifted Melker Karlsson victory in Game 4 to carry over into Game 5. Playoff hockey does not down to play alongside Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier on the third line. work that way. Each game is a separate entity. And we’ve had four Other players were also shuffled up and down as various dominoes fell wildly different entities so far–a comeback overtime victory for the Sharks into place. And what do you know? It led to a 7–0 victory. in Game 1, a tense and slightly bizarre Game 2 win by the Oilers on two shorthanded goals, a frustrating Sharks’ 1-0 loss in Game 3 that had Naturelly, DeBoer is never going to reveal his entire thought process such tight checking it squeaked . . . and then, out of nowhere, Tuesday’s about all of these moves. But after Wednesday’s practice, he opened the rout. door a little bit. But the players know the deal. Every opening faceoff is a reset. “The first domino was always where we felt Couture and Thornton were,” DeBoer said. “We all felt they were getting better, so we start with that “We can’t think it’s going to be another 7-0 game,” said Sharks’ and work our day down from there.” defenseman Justin Braun before leaving for Edmonton and Game 5. “We’ve got to play harder than we did the last game because we know Putting Marleau at left wing on the first line did seem to have an effect, that’s what they’re going to do.” starting with the game’s first shift. It may or may not have been due to Marleau taking away some defensive attention away from Pavelski, but At this point, we know what both teams are going to do, really. the Sharks’ captain had a little more room to deflect a puck into the net Edmonton is going to work hard at keeping games close by being just 15 seconds after the opening faceoff. Meanwhile, Karlsson worked responsible defensively and then instantly pounce on opportunities that well with Hertl. Meanwhile, in mid-game, DeBoer flipped Joonas present themselves. That’s how the Oilers won Game 2 and Game 3. Donskoi from the second line alongside Couture down to the fourth while The Sharks, meanwhile, will also take a defense-first approach with a Joel Ward made the exchange in reverse. That worked well, too. special concentration on quicksilver Edmonton star Connor McDavid, then rely on a grind-em-down offensive mindset with puck control to No matter which Sharks center goes over the boards, the strategy eventually create scoring chances. against McDavid’s has stayed the same. It’s no nuclear secret. They attempt to diminish his electricity as much as possible. Whenever And that’s where we get to the four middle men who will ultimately decide McDavid takes a shift, they try to keep him playing defense as long as this series for the beloved Los Tiburones. possible. So if the Sharks win a faceoff with McDavid on the ice, the When the Sharks made their run to the Stanley Cup Final a year ago, mission is to not give up the puck at all costs. And while the Sharks do they did so in significant part because they had four effective centermen play with the puck in their offensive zone, they make sure that one of the on their four forward lines–Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Chris Tierney forwards–usually the centerman–never goes beneath the goal line and and Nick Spaling. For the most part, coach Pete DeBoer was unafraid always stays between McDavid and the goal at the opposite end of the to put any of them on the ice in a matchup against opponents because rink, just in case he does get the puck. each of the four could hold his own and make an impact in different “Be above him,” Couture said, using the hockey lingo for the strategy. ways. It worked well until the Final against Pittsburgh when Sidney “And then try to slow him down.” Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bonino undid the plan. With an emphasis on “try.” You can’t shut down McDavid’s talent As this series against the Oilers began, DeBoer did not have the same entirely. But the idea is to prevent him from gathering his 100 percent option as a year ago, and not just because Spaling is playing in speed through the neutral zone to give him one of those breathtaking Switzerland. Thornton and Couture’s late-season injuries messed up breakaways that have built his well-deserved reputation as a game things.. Thornton didn’t even play in Game 1 or Game 2 as he still changer. So far in this series, McDavid has one goal and one assist. The recovered from an April 2 knee sprain. Couture did play in Game 1 and Sharks have to be very happy about that. Game 2 but was bothered by his wounded mouth and the wire cage he was forced to wear. They have to be even happier, though, that their four-center blueprint is once more in effect as this best-of-three unfolds. Keep an eye on the But starting with Game 3, as those hurts have started to heal and middle. It’s where the series will be won. Thornton has been back on the ice, you can see DeBoer shifting back into the gear he prefers: Maximizing his depth by giving each line San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.21.2017 relatively the same minutes, theoretically keeping legs fresher as the games and series extend. Edmonton coach Todd McLellan, by contrast, is riding the same formula that often led to sucess when he was with the Sharks — giving heavier minutes to his best players (in this case, McDavid and second line stalwarts Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Milan Lucic). Mark it down, then. Over the next three or five nights, those four Sharks’ middle men–Thornton, Couture, Tomas Hertl and Tierney–are going to determine and resolve which team advances to the next round to meet Anaheim. With Thornton returning, the Sharks’ depth down the middle is on paper even stronger than a year ago. Tomas Hertl, a winger during last year’s playoffs, is now using his big body to center the third line. Tierney, no small man himself, is now on the fourth line, where he’s made life very hard for the Oilers on certain shifts with certain matchups. For one thing, Tierney must have irritated third-line Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl immensely on Tuesday night. Draisaitl responded to one checking encounter by spearing Tierney at the confluence of the Guadalupe and 1060803 San Jose Sharks The Sharks looked like they were going to be able to protect the lead as they allowed just seven shots before Klefbom’s goal.

“I liked our third period. We managed it well,” DeBoer said. “We really Desharnais’ OT goal lifts Oilers past Sharks 4-3 gave them one chance and it ended up in the net. We started to defend with about 10 minutes left in the third, got in that mindset and when they tied it up and went to overtime, we couldn’t get back on our toes again By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: April 20, 2017 at 10:58 pm | and reestablish our forecheck.” UPDATED: April 21, 2017 at 1:01 am One constant throughout the first four games of the series was the Sharks’ ability to slow down McDavid, who entered Thursday still without a point at even strength. He had a secondary assist on Letestu’s goal EDMONTON, Alberta — The Sharks went into a defensive shell for the after he was held off the scoresheet completely in games 3 and 4. final 10 minutes of the third period on Thursday as they desperately tried to protect a one-goal lead against the surging Edmonton Oilers. With last change at home, the Sharks were able to put defensemen Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun on the ice with McDavid after When that failed, the Sharks couldn’t re-establish any type of momentum every stoppage in play. in overtime. Vlasic and Braun had 33:49 and 34:30 of ice time, respectively, on It all might end up costing the Sharks their season. Thursday. McDavid has 30:27 of ice time to lead the Oilers. Goalie Martin Jones was brilliant but couldn’t stop a shot from David “There’s a lot of mood swings. But that’s the way it goes,” Boedker said. Desharnais, who redirected a pass from Leon Draisaitl with 1:45 left in “You’ve got to play every game like it’s the last game. We’ll head home overtime to give the Oilers a riveting 4-3 win in Game 5 of the back-and- and look to tie it up.” forth opening round playoff series. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.21.2017 Jones had 13 saves in overtime, but Desharnais put himself in a perfect spot to receive a pass from Draisaitl. He beat Tomas Hertl to the slot and found the net to send the sold out Rogers Place crowd into hysterics and the Sharks to the brink of elimination. Oscar Klefbom scored with 2:46 left in the third period to tie the game 3- 3, as the Oilers came all the way back after trailing by two goals to take a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 on Saturday in San Jose. “What can we do? We’ve just got to get ready for the next one,” Jones said. “Our backs are against the wall now. So we’ve got to play with some urgency and win a home game.” Listen: Was Oilers’ Draisaitl adequately punished for spearing Sharks’ Tierney? Only a handful of sensational saves by Jones in overtime allowed the game to go as long as it did. Jones had 32 saves in regulation time and was epic in overtime, stopping Draisaitl point blank and making another save on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after the puck had bounced behind him. Jones also stopped shots by Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle, as the Oilers recorded 12 of the first 14 shots in overtime. The Sharks were hoping they could withstand the Oilers’ pressure in overtime and eventually find their footing. “But you’re playing with fire when you’re playing in your own end the whole time,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “We couldn’t reestablish any offensive momentum, and I think it’s because of our mindset the last 10 minutes of the third. We were defending and sitting on the lead and did a great job of that, made one mistake and couldn’t get it back again.” Mikkel Boedker, who was a healthy scratch in games 3 and 4, scored in the first period and assisted on David Schlemko’s goal in the second. Patrick Marleau also scored for the Sharks. Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu also scored in regulation time for the Oilers, who wanted to rebound after they were hammered 7-0 by the Sharks in Game 4 on Tuesday. “You’ve got to have a short memory in the playoffs,” Schlemko said. “You win 7-0, you kind of park it and get ready for the next one. It’s no different here.” The teams traded goals in the second period after mistakes by two of the most recognizable players in the series. The Sharks took a 3-1 lead at the 8:38 mark of the second period, as Schlemko’s shot from inside the blue line made its way through traffic and past Oilers goalie Cam Talbot for his first goal of the series. It came at even strength, just two seconds after the expiration of a penalty to Maroon for goalie interference on Jones. The Oilers got back to within one goal at the 18:33 mark of the second. The Sharks had already killed off a holding penalty to Timo Meier that came at the 15:09 mark. But Brent Burns took a delay of game penalty with 2:52 to go in the second period, as he cleared the puck over the glass from behind the Sharks’ net. With 35 seconds left on that power play, Letestu took a backhand pass from Draisaitl and beat Jones to cut the Sharks’ lead to one. 1060804 San Jose Sharks

Sharks can’t hold lead, fall to Oilers in overtime

Associated Press Published 11:42 pm, Thursday, April 20, 2017

EDMONTON, Alberta — David Desharnais scored late in the first overtime to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 win over the Sharks on Thursday night, pushing San Jose to the brink of elimination in the NHL playoffs. Desharnais, in the slot, one-timed a Leon Draisaitl cross-ice pass past Sharks goaltender Martin Jones to cap an overtime session dominated by Edmonton. The Oilers lead the Western Conference quarterfinal series 3-2. Game 6 is Saturday night in San Jose. The series winner takes on the Anaheim Ducks in the West semifinals. Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu, and Oscar Klefbom also scored for Edmonton. Mikkel Boedker, Patrick Marleau and David Schlemko had goals for San Jose. The Oilers — looking for a bounce-back game after a 7-0 beat-down by the Sharks in Game 4 — dominated the first 10 minutes, energized by the deafening roar of the orange-and-blue-clad fans at Rogers Place. Edmonton took a 1-0 lead at 5:28 of the first period when Maroon, standing at the edge of the crease, corralled a rebound off Matt Benning’s shot and swept the puck past Jones. The Oilers also hit the post with three shots — two by Darnell Nurse and one by Jordan Eberle — before San Jose responded at the midway point of the period. Marcus Sorensen slap-passed the puck from the blue line to Chris Tierney, who redirected the puck through the top of the crease to Boedker. He then wristed the puck into an open net. The Sharks made it 2-1 with just over four minutes to go in the period. Taking advantage of a bad Oilers line change, Joe Thornton and Marleau broke in over the blue line on a two-on-one. Thornton’s wrist shot leaked through Oilers goalie Cam Talbot and dribbled to the goal line, where Marleau stuffed it in. The Sharks increased their lead to 3-1 just under nine minutes into the second period. A wrist shot by Schlemko from the blue line fluttered through a crowd in the crease and over Talbot’s right shoulder. The Oilers cut their deficit to 3-2 on the power play with less than two minutes left in the second period, with Brent Burns in the penalty box for delay of game. Draisaitl backhanded the puck through a clutch of bodies in the slot to Letestu for a one-timer under the crossbar. The Sharks smothered the Oilers attack for most of the third period until Klefbom blasted a shot from the blue line to tie the game with less than three minutes to go. Sharks vs. Oilers Oilers lead series 3-2 Game 1: Sharks 3, Oilers 2 (OT) Game 2: Oilers 2, Sharks 0 Game 3: Oilers 1, Sharks 0 Game 4: Sharks 7, Oilers 0 Game 5: Oilers 4, Sharks 3 (OT) Saturday: at SAP Center, 7:30 p.m. NBCSCA NBCSN Monday: at Edmonton, TBA* NBCSCA *If necessary San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060805 San Jose Sharks

COUTURE PLAYING THROUGH PAIN, GIVING SHARKS EMOTIONAL LIFT

By Kevin Kurz April 20, 2017 1:38 PM

EDMONTON – There are always doctors and dentists on duty at NHL games. These days, they are likely paying a little more attention to one player than any other. Logan Couture revealed after Tuesday’s 7-0 Sharks in in Game 4 that after getting hit up high by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, he had to get a little procedure done between periods. “They just had to put some numbing into my face,” he said. “Got hit in teeth again. The dentist put some numbing in, and felt good the rest of the game.” Couture ditched the full cage that he was wearing prior to Game 3, saying that if he were to take another puck to the mouth like he did on March 25 in Nashville, he’d probably be the “unluckiest guy in the world.” While that may be true, the exposed lower half of his face is still susceptible to errant sticks, elbows or fists, as Game 4 showed. The Oilers seem to be targeting Couture, too, including a high hit from Eric Gryba in Game 1 and another by Zack Kassian in Game 2. Still, Couture motors on, and in Game 4 he was arguably the Sharks’ best player as he posted his first playoff points – a pair of goals – in San Jose’s win. All the while, the hardware in his mouth is visible, as he has what is called an arch bar keeping his bottom teeth from falling out and some plastic bonding keeping the remaining top ones in place. Every NHL player that’s fortunate enough to still be playing in the postseason is dealing with bumps and bruises, but Couture’s willingness to play through the kind of injury that he suffered – as well as the dental work that’s in his future, as at least half a dozen of his teeth will get replaced – seems especially fearless, even by NHL player standards. His teammates have noticed. “It definitely gives you an extra jolt on the ice, seeing him [and Joe Thornton], guys battling through injuries, guys coming back from painful situations and giving 100 percent out on the ice and just giving it all – it’s really inspiring,” Chris Tierney said. “It gives a lot of jump to us, and gives the team a lot of energy.” Joel Ward said: “For him to come back like that, obviously he’s a warrior. For him not to just be there but contribute as much as he has, key minutes – he’s a talented dude. The guys love him, just excited for him to be back. He definitely gives us a big lift.” It’s a positive sign for the Sharks, too, that Couture seems to be improving with each game. Had the Sharks managed to beat the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final last June, Couture likely would have been the Conn Smythe Award winner for playoff MVP, posting a league- leading 30 points in 24 games. That’s the Couture they need on the ice if they’re going to make a run. For now, Couture can continue giving the Sharks an emotional boost as he continues to improve physically. Pete DeBoer said: “When you see your best players with that type of commitment level – refusing to use injuries as an excuse, the behind the scenes stuff and what they’re going through getting prepared to play and help us – obviously, that’s motivating.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060806 San Jose Sharks Melker Karlsson – Tomas Hertl – Timo Meier Marcus Sorensen – Chris Tierney – Joel Ward NHL GAMEDAY: SHARKS' BOEDKER APPEARS TO BE IN; MCDAVID Paul Martin – Brent Burns SLUMPING Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun

Brenden Dillon – David Schlemko By Kevin Kurz April 20, 2017 11:08 AM Martin Jones (starter)

Aaron Dell Programming note – Sharks-Oilers coverage starts today at 7:00 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live on NBC Sports California Oilers SERIES SCHEDULE Drake Caggiula – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl The best-of-seven series is tied, two games apiece. Milan Lucic – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jordan Eberle Game 1: Sharks 3, Oilers 2 (OT) Patrick Maroon – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian Game 2: Oilers 2, Sharks 0 Benoit Pouliot – David Desharnais – Anton Slepyshev Game 3: Oilers 1, Sharks 0 Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson Game 4: Sharks 7, Oilers 0 Andrej Sekera – Kris Russell Game 5: Thursday, April 20, Sharks @ Oilers (7:30 p.m.) Darnell Nurse – Matt Benning Game 6: Saturday, April 22, Oilers @ Sharks (7:30 p.m.) Cam Talbot (starter) *Game 7: Monday, April 24, Sharks @ Oilers (TBD) Laurent Brossoit * - if necessary INJURIES PREGAME NEWS AND NOTES Sharks: None. ***The Sharks will apparently make one lineup change, as Mikkel Oilers: Tyler Pitlick (torn ACL) is out. Boedker will replace Joonas Donskoi, who remained on the practice ice SHARKS PLAYOFF RECORD WHEN… late with the other scratches. Boedker has sat out the previous two games, and is scoreless with a minus-one rating. Donskoi has one assist The Sharks are 6-9 all-time when a series is tied at two games apiece. and a minus-three rating in four games. They are 9-3 all-time when leading a series three games to two, and 1-10 all-time when trailing three-games-to-two. ***After they were shut out in games two and three, the Sharks’ offense came alive in a 7-0 beat down of the Oilers in Game 4 at SAP Center. The Sharks have an all-time Game 5 record of 16-16, including 6-11 on Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture had two goals apiece, and the Sharks the road. went 4-for-8 on the power play. It was the most lopsided Sharks playoff win in franchise history. QUOTEABLE The Sharks scored seven goals in a playoff win for the third time in “Their big boys stepped and had a game. It’s up to us, especially our key playoff history. They’ve lost the two previous series in which that’s guys, to step up and have a game for our hockey club. I don’t think we’ve occurred – 1999 vs. Colorado, and 2014 vs. Los Angeles. stepped up yet in this series. We get an opportunity to do that in Game 5 at home.” - Milan Lucic ***Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl earned a fine but escaped suspension for his spearing of Chris Tierney, and will be back in the lineup tonight on Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 Connor McDavid’s wing. The league’s eighth-leading scorer in the regular season has no points through four games. ***McDavid still has yet to break through in the series, with just one shorthanded goal and a secondary assist on the power play. Held off the scoresheet in games three and four, he has never gone three straight games in his NHL career without a point. ***April 20 marks the two-year anniversary that the Sharks fired head coach Todd McLellan and assistants Jay Woodcroft and Jim Johnson. All are now with the Oilers. ***Martin Jones’ shutout in Game 4 was his first since the 2016 playoffs, when he had three during the Sharks’ lengthy run. KEEP AN EYE ON... Sharks: Mikkel Boedker. Assuming he draws back in, Boedker will be trying to make an impact after he was a healthy scratch in games three and four. The 26-year-old was a healthy scratch once in the regular season on Jan. 5, and responded with four goals in his next two games - including a hat trick in Edmonton on Jan. 10. There were no hints as to which line he would play on, but skating with Logan Couture and Jannik Hansen is probably the likliest place. Oilers: Patrick Maroon. While McDavid’s struggles have been in the spotlight, his linemate, Maroon, has done even less. The winger is scoreless in four games with a minus-two rating, has taken some bad penalties, and will apparently be skating on the third line tonight. PROBABLE LINES Sharks Patrick Marleau – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski Mikkel Boedker – Logan Couture – Jannik Hansen 1060807 San Jose Sharks

DRAISAITL: SPEARING SHARKS FORWARD TIERNEY 'A STUPID PLAY'

By Kevin Kurz April 20, 2017 11:45 AM

EDMONTON – While the Sharks are probably not pleased that Leon Draisaitl escaped suspension for his spear to the groin of Chris Tierney in Game 4, perhaps there’s one benefit to Draisaitl being in the lineup for Thursday’s Game 5. That is, they can hit him back. Of course, getting revenge on Draisaitl for his dirty play isn’t something that’s going to be at the forefront of their minds in a playoff series that’s tied at two games apiece. This isn’t a situation like last year, when Pete DeBoer dressed Micheal Haley for the express purpose of fighting Darnell Nurse, after Nurse pummeled Roman Polak for no reason in the previous meeting. As much as Tierney or some others would surely love to finish their hits on the talented Oilers forward, they have bigger goals in mind, like winning Game 5 and earning a chance to clinch the series at home on Saturday. “I think we just play our game. It’s playoff hockey,” Tierney said. “We’re focused on wins right now, not about getting somebody back or looking for revenge.” When asked for his comment on the decision by the NHL to fine Draisaitl, Tierney said: “They obviously did what they felt was right, and hopefully he doesn’t do that anymore. Obviously it’s a dangerous play, and it’s something you don’t want in the game and you don’t want to see, so hopefully it’s the last time he does that.” Draisaitl also spoke about the play, which earned him a five-minute major and game misconduct in the second period. “It was a stupid play,” said the 21-year-old. “That’s not who I am. It’s not me. That’s not how I want to be seen as a player. I think everyone knows I am the last guy who wants hurt anyone, or play that type of game. I know it was a bad play by me.” Oilers coach Todd McLellan backed his young player, too, pointing out that Draisaitl had just 20 penalty minutes in 82 regular season games this season. “It doesn’t represent him as a player. He could probably be up for the Lady Byng the way he played this year and the amount of points he produced and lack of penalties that he took,” McLellan said. “I don’t think you can paint him with that brush. He made a mistake, he’s paying for it, and we move on." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060808 San Jose Sharks

SHARKS BLOW LATE LEAD, ARE OUTCLASSED IN OVERTIME LOSS TO OILERS

By Kevin Kurz April 21, 2017 12:24 AM

EDMONTON – The first storm came early, and it was expected. It was the second storm that developed out of nowhere and blew the Sharks’ house over. After withstanding Edmonton’s first period push and even taking a lead before the opening frame was over, the Sharks were thoroughly pummeled in overtime of Game 5 of their first-round series. The Oilers’ David Desharnais scored at 18:15 of the overtime period to give his team a 4-3 win, in a result that seemed inevitable as the extra session progressed. Leading 3-2 to start the third, the Sharks decided about midway through the frame that they’d start trying to run out the clock. It’s a strategy that’s not uncommon, especially on the road in an unfriendly environment. They were doing it well, too, until Oscar Klefbom unleashed a powerful one-timer that beat Martin Jones to the far side with less than three minutes to go. That tied the score at 3-3. Despite a full intermission after the third period to regroup, the Sharks still skated in overtime as if they were stunned. They were outshot 14-2, and the only reason it lasted as long as it did was the San Jose goalie. “We started to defend with about 10 minutes left in the third, we got in that mindset, and when they tied it up and went to overtime we couldn’t get back on our toes again and reestablish our forecheck,” coach Pete DeBoer said. Jones denied Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid on prime chances, doing everything he could to buy the Sharks enough time to find their legs. It never happened. “We weren’t really going and [Jones] allowed us…to get going. We just never really got going,” Joe Pavelski said. Instead, Draisaitl deftly set up Desharnais in the slot, and the diminutive forward whizzed a shot past Jones to put the Oilers just one win away from the second round. “Just happens quick,” Jones said. “[Draisaitl] threw the puck from the corner, I just lost it for a second and saw it go by my shoulder.” The Sharks seemed to have the game under control midway through the second period when David Schlemko’s seeing-eye point shot put them ahead, 3-1. It was the Sharks’ third straight goal after Patrick Maroon had given the Oilers an early lead that the Sharks erased on goals by Patrick Marleau and Mikkel Boedker. Late in the second, though, Mark Letestu’s power play goal with just 1:27 to go with Brent Burns off on a delay of game penalty put the game within reach in the third for Edmonton. They just needed one little opening, and they got it when Desharnais skated behind the net before setting up the Klef-bomb that tied it. “I think we battled hard tonight and we did some good things that made us [go] up 3-1, and unfortunately we couldn’t battle it out,” Boedker said. The Sharks wouldn’t have changed anything they did in the third period, which DeBoer said he “really liked.” They were, after all, just two minutes and 46 seconds away from taking the series lead back. “I thought we did a good job limiting their chances. They had one good shot they buried,” Schlemko said. Overtime, though, was baffling. The Sharks never had a chance, and now their season is one loss away from being over. “It would have been nice to at least have an attempt to cash in there,” Pavelski said. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060809 San Jose Sharks Jones, who has played every minute of the series, fell to 16-13 in overtime with 44 saves.

Talbot, who was pulled in Game 4 after allowing five goals, made 27 INSTANT REPLAY: SHARKS OUTLASTED BY OILERS, MUST WIN saves. FINAL TWO GAMES Lineup

To make way for Boedker, Joonas Donskoi was a healthy scratch for the By Kevin Kurz April 20, 2017 10:45 PM first time. Donskoi, who had 12 points in 24 playoff games last season, has one assist and a minus-3 rating in four games this year. EDMONTON – The Oilers erased a two-goal deficit in regulation and Draisaitl played after he escaped suspension for spearing Tierney in David Desharnais scored in overtime as Edmonton downed the Sharks in Game 4. Game 5 of their first round playoff series at Rogers Place, 4-3. Up next The Oilers can advance to the second round on Saturday in San Jose, The Sharks and Oilers go back to San Jose for Game 6 on Saturday while the Sharks will attempt to force a decisive Game 7 back in (7:30 p.m.), while Game 7, if necessary, would be at Rogers Place on Edmonton. Monday, April 24. At 18:15 of overtime, Desharnais cut towards the net and directed in a The Anaheim Ducks, who swept the Calgary Flames in the first round, saucer pass from Leon Draisaitl. await the winner in the second round. Prior to the overtime goal, Martin Jones made a number of remarkable Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 saves to keep it tied. He stopped Draisaitl alone in the slot, closing his five hole, and dove back with his stick to deny Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who was trying to poke in his own rebound. Later, he stretched from his right to his left in denying Connor McDavid with a left pad on a two-on-one. Edmonton outshot the Sharks 14-2 in overtime, and 48-30 for the game. The Sharks held a 2-1 edge after the first period, and increased that lead in the second. Just two seconds after Patrick Maroon stepped out of the penalty box, a place he’s become familiar with in the series, David Schlemko’s point shot fluttered into the top corner with Tomas Hertl setting a screen at 8:38. It was the second straight game that the defenseman scored a goal, after the Edmonton native’s miscue led to the only goal in Game 3. The Oilers got one back late in the frame. On a power play, Draisaitl directed a pass through traffic to a cutting Mark Letestu, who had an empty net to flip it home to make it a 3-2 game with 1:27 left in the second period. Shots were hard to come by in the third period, as the Sharks attempted to play back in an attempt to run out the clock. Edmonton tied it with 2:46 to go, though, when Desharnais teed up Oscar Klefbom for a heavy one- timer from the top of the circle that cleanly beat Martin to the far side. As expected, Edmonton came out with the early energy. Milan Lucic threw a couple of big hits, including on Logan Couture in first minute, and later Maroon flattened Brent Burns in the corner. The Oilers also got the game’s first goal, courtesy of Maroon, who buried a Matt Benning rebound on Jones at 5:28. After the Oilers hit three posts, including two by Darnell Nurse and another by Jordan Eberle, San Jose took control of the first. Mikkel Boedker, who was a healthy scratch in games three and four, buried a Chris Tierney pass on a two-on-one rush at 10:12 to tie the score. Another Sharks odd man rush, thanks in part to a bad line change by Edmonton, resulted in a Patrick Marleau goal at 15:52. Joe Thornton wound up and fired a slap shot that Marleau slammed home after Cam Talbot couldn’t keep the Thornton blast from sneaking behind him. The Sharks are 22-22 all-time in overtime in the playoffs, including 1-1 this series. The Sharks fell to 16-17 all-time in Game 5s, including 6-12 on the road. San Jose is just 1-10 all-time when trailing in a series, three games to two. According to Elias, the winner of Game 5 in a best-of-seven series that was tied at two games apiece goes on to win the series 78.1 percent of the time (193-54). Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of the Sharks and Oilers head coach Todd McLellan parting ways after seven seasons. Special teams Officially the Sharks finished 0-for-1 on the power play, although Schlemko’s marker was essentially still a five-on-four. San Jose is 5-for- 23 in the series, with four of those goals coming in Game 4. Edmonton is now 2-for-15 in the series, going 1-for-3 in Game 5. In goal 1060810 St Louis Blues past three games. With the Wolves starting the playoffs on Thursday night and with the Blues' top six defensemen healthy, Schmaltz didn't figure to get any playing time and the Blues can recall him if someone Stastny could be available for Blues in Game 5 gets hurt. “We just want to make sure he's active,” Yeo said. “It's tough on a player to sit around, especially right now, we're not having a lot of practice time By Jeremy Rutherford and Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 – we'll have a practice tomorrow – but get him into the lineup and get him hrs ago (…) playing. We obviously have to make sure everybody's sharp, everybody's playing.”

DOT DEVELOPMENTS After the Blues' 2-0 loss to Minnesota Wednesday, the club is heading on the road for Game 5 Saturday and there could be a significant addition to The Blues won 49 percent of the draws (30 out of 61) in Game 4, their the lineup. best mark in the series. Paul Stastny was one of eight skaters on the ice for Thursday's optional “Well if they're not kicking our center men out every second time last practice and, speaking for the first time since a foot injury March 21 in night,” Boudreau said. “I think it was 7-1 that they kicked out and looking Colorado, said he's making enough progress that he could soon be at the video there was no reason for that. So we'll go back and I'll look at returning. it again and see if that warranted that situation. When you have possession of the puck to start the plays off it's so much more of an "It feels good," said Stastny, who has been on the ice for about six days. advantage because you either get it out or you get it in and those are two "Every time I've been on the ice, I've felt more and more comfortable. I pretty important things.” don't know (about being available Saturday). We'll see. To me, it's more catching up to the speed, thinking at a high rate. The team practices we St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 had two days ago, it was good. Then tomorrow's team practice will be good and we'll go from there. I never really put a date on when I want to return. For me, I've told the guys, it's always been kind of day by day, and when I feel confident out there in myself and in my abilities to help the team anyway I can, I will." That team practice will take place Friday morning before the Blues leave for Minnesota, where they'll meet the Wild at 2 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center. The club, according to Blues coach Mike Yeo, hopes to make a decision on Stastny's status based on the workout. "He's moving well, he's progressing," Yeo said. "I think what we'll just say is let's get him through a real good practice (Friday) and see how that goes." The Blues had been utilizing rookie Ivan Barbashev in Stastny's spot on the top line, centering Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko. But in Game 4 Wednesday, Yeo moved Alexander Steen to that hole, slipping Barbashev down between Magnus Paajarvi and Zach Sanford. The coach was asked if Stastny would return to his regular position right. "I think first things first, let's have a good practice tomorrow and evaluate whether he's going to be a player or not," Yeo said. Stastny left in the first period of the Blues' 4-2 win over Colorado, after taking a shot from Tarasenko off the left foot. That appeared to be the obvious injury, but Stastny had also suffered another injury that was believed to be the bigger issue. Yeo said after that game that Stastny had a 'tweak,' and it wasn't serious, but the following day the team announced that he was out week to week with a lower-body injury. "(The shot) hurt right away," Stastny said. "I tweaked my back earlier in the shift, so I think that was kind of my focus. I was just a mess all on one shift ... upper body, lower body. But there was not much I can do, there's not much anyone can do. It's just kind of a bad bounce, or unfortunate situation. I think you get frustrated for a couple of days. But it's just part of the plan for me - I've always been a believer in that - and there's always a silver lining in everything. Whether it was healing up other injuries, or whether it's a mental break or doing different things, I think everything happens for a reason. So no reason to dwell on it." There will be more on Stastny in Friday's Post-Dispatch and on Stltoday.com. PIETRANGELO VS. PARISE Just before the final horn of Game 4, Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo leveled Wild forward Zach Parise in the Blues offensive zone. Words were exchanged and pushing followed before the teams left the ice. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau didn't like the play. “I thought it was cheap. It was cheap,” he said Thursday when the team arrived hom in Minnesota. “They knew the game was over. There was one second left. If this was 1984 or 1978 that guy would've had a stick right in his face. You know? But they don't do that anymore.” “It's a rough series,” Yeo said. “I didn't really think anything of it.” SCHMALTZ SENT DOWN The Blues sent defenseman Jordan Schmaltz down to Chicago so he could get some games during the AHL playoffs. Schmaltz played in the final seven games of the regular season and Game 1 of the Wild series while Robert Bortuzzo was hurt, but he's been a healthy scratch for the 1060811 St Louis Blues

NBC commentors rip Blues

By Dan Caesar St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago

Mostly retired St. Louis sportscaster Jay Randolph was asked to evaluate some tapes of xx’s work when the hiring process still was underway. “He sounded good,” said Randolph, who serves as Fairmount’s in-house handicapper for its Tuesday afternoon cards. “I think he will be very well received. We’ll miss John, but he should do fine.” Mostly retired St. Louis sportscaster Jay Randolph was asked to evaluate some tapes of xx’s work when the hiring process still was underway. “He sounded good,” said Randolph, who serves as Fairmount’s in-house handicapper for its Tuesday afternoon cards. “I think he will be very well received. We’ll miss John, but he should do fine.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060812 St Louis Blues Although the Blues don’t really care who scores the goals as long as they win, they’ll surely have a much better chance throughout the playoffs if Tarasenko finishes with more goals than Edmundson and Parayko. Blues need to give Allen some breathing room “We got to find a way to score goals,” Pietrangelo said. “They’re saying the same thing in there. They did a good job of limiting our opportunities, but we need goals to win games.” Jose de Jesus Ortiz St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago As everybody expected, the Wild played with a sense of urgency while avoiding a sweep in Game 4. They could not afford to lose. They still cannot afford to lose. If goaltender Jake Allen hadn’t stolen Game 1 and carried his teammates through the next two games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, The Wild would need to win three more games to advance to the second the Blues might have been even more disappointed after their lackluster round. The Blues will get another chance to close out the series in Game showing Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild. 5 on Saturday afternoon. As it was, the Blues were quite critical in their self assessment after the Tarasenko and his teammates are still in control of the series. They Wild staved off elimination with a 2-0 shutout. surely must realize the pressure will ratchet up if the Wild can stave off elimination again on Saturday and force a Game 6. Captain Alex Pietrangelo bemoaned the team’s slow start, and enforcer Ryan Reaves didn’t pull any punches while analyzing the team’s They must find the offense to give Allen some breathing room. punchless offense. “We need to be better,” Pietrangelo said. “We need to find a way to A brilliant goaltender can only do so much. The Blues would be wise to create some offense. It starts with me there. I had a lot of chances (in ease Allen’s burden so they can close out a best-of-seven series that Game 4) in the third period. I got to find a way to get some in.” they lead three games to one. They all do. “He’s keeping us in every game,” Reaves said of Allen. “He’s given us a chance to win every day, but we can’t lean on our goalie every day. We St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 got to put a couple of pucks in the net for him if you want a chance. They played more desperate than us.” With Allen and his Minnesota counterpart Devan Dubnyk in control, goals have been at a premium during the series. Allen allowed multiple goals for the first time this postseason in Game 4. Nonetheless, he still has a stellar .966 save percentage while stopping 140 of the Wild’s 145 shots on goal. Dubnyk has a .943 save percentage with one shutout while stopping 100 of the Blues’ 106 shots on goal. The Blues, who hope to close out the series Saturday at Xcel Energy Center, must figure out a way to mount a better attack on Dubnyk after getting only 16 shots on goal in Game 4. Forwards have accounted for only four of the Blues’ seven goals in the series. Only two of the forwards’ goals were scored on even strength or with the goaltender in net. Alexander Steen accounted for his goal on an empty-netter to cap the scoring in the 3-1 victory in Game 3. One of Jaden Schwartz’s two goals was on the power play. Vladimir Sobotka, who scored the first goal of the series, is the only other Blues forward with a goal. Defenseman Joel Edmundson, who scored the game-winner in overtime in Game 1, is tied with Schwartz for the team lead in goals this postseason with two. Fellow defenseman Colton Parayko accounted for the Blues’ other goal. In assessing his team’s performance, coach Mike Yeo readily conceded that the Blues “need some offense.” The Blues have scored only one five-on-five goal over the last two games in the series. At that rate, it will be difficult for the Blues to advance beyond the second round if they can close out the Wild in the first round. “Both teams are playing very tight,” Yeo said. “I think (the Wild) recognize that. They did a nice job of it (Wednesday). They played well. They played well in their own zone. They pressed real aggressively. I thought that as the game went on we started to deal with that a little bit better. “The biggest thing for me is we have opportunities in the first period to shoot the puck, and we’re looking for a different play. Not only do we not get a shot, but it leads to a turnover. Certainly I think that we can put a lot more pressure at their net. It’s something that they’re doing to us and we have to find a way to do it to them.” Sooner or later, the Blues’ best player must assert his brilliance. The Wild have done a masterful defensive job against All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko, who has been limited to two assists and 16 shots on goal during the series. You have to believe that it’s only a matter of time until Tarasenko makes his presence felt in the series after scoring 75 points on 39 goals and 36 assists in the regular season. Tarasenko, 25, must find the form that has made him one of the best forwards in the NHL over the last four years. He has tallied 284 points on 149 goals and 135 assists with a plus-54 in 341 games over the last five seasons. Yet, he is a minus-7 with 19 goals and nine assists over 37 career playoff games. 1060813 St Louis Blues The Blues would benefit from the return of Stastny, who’s been out since March 21, when he left in the first period of a win over Colorado after taking a shot off the foot from Tarasenko. The team’s top center missed Blues need Tarasenko to get going the final 10 games of the regular season and the first four playoff games. He skated again Thursday and, speaking for the first time since the injury, said his recent progress is a good sign. By Jeremy Rutherford St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6 hrs ago “It feels good,” Stastny said. “Every time I’ve been on the ice, I’ve felt more and more comfortable. I don’t know (about being available Saturday), we’ll see. I never really put a date on when I want to return ... When the Blues were ahead three games to none in their Western when I feel confident out there in myself and in my abilities to help the Conference quarterfinal series with Minnesota, the lack of scoring was a team any way I can, I will.” concern, but a mild one. Stastny’s immediate availability could be known after Friday’s practice. Eventually, Vladimir Tarasenko would get on the board, right? At some point, Tarasenko and his teammates would take the weight off “He’s moving well, he’s progressing,” Yeo said. “I think what we’ll just say defenseman Joel Edmundson’s shoulders, correct? The power play is let’s get him through a real good practice tomorrow and see how that would have to come around, wouldn’t it? goes.” After being blanked 2-0 by the Wild in Game 4, trimming the Blues’ lead St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 to three games to one in the best-of-seven series, concern over the offense has grown. Excluding an empty-netter from Alexander Steen in Game 3, the club has just six goals through four games and three of those belong to defensemen. Left winger Jaden Schwartz has done his job with two game-winners, but outside of him, Vladimir Sobotka has been the only forward to score on Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk. If the Blues have hope in regaining the momentum when they return to Xcel Energy Center for Game 5 Saturday at 2 p.m., the club must find the back of the net. A lineup that Mike Yeo took over on Feb. 1 and averaged 2.9 goals and 29.6 shots per game and converted 19.8 percent of its power plays over the last 32 games of the regular season has managed just 1.75 gpg, 26.8 spg and operated at just nine percent on the man- advantage. The pending return of injured center Paul Stastny could help, but with his availability for Game 5 still in question — not to mention that the veteran will have some rust after missing the last month — the team will need more from within itself. “First off, (the Wild are) defending very well, we’re defending very well,” Yeo said. “It’s tight checking, it’s good hockey right now. (But) certainly looking back and watching the video especially, not nearly enough net presence at their net right now. We’re drifting away from their net so we have to do a better job of that. You look at (Wednesday) night, and we weren’t good enough. We had probably four opportunities to shoot pucks that could be scoring chances, or could lead to secondary opportunities, and we’re passing up those shots. So we have to do a better job.” That includes Tarasenko, who has yet to score in the series despite a team-high 16 shots on net. He assisted on Edmundson’s overtime clincher in Game 1, but that’s one of only two points against Minnesota. After raving about Tarasenko early in the series, Yeo indicated after Game 4 that he wants the right winger shooting more as well. “He had a couple good looks again last game — he’s getting at least two, three looks a game — but certainly we’d like to increase that,” Yeo said. “He’s getting heavily checked, no question, but that means somebody else should be open on the ice. Maybe that’s why (Schwartz) has two goals in the series. If they’re keying on (Tarasenko), it means somebody else is available. We have to do a little bit better of job of isolating people, finding people and certainly when he gets an opportunity, that’s what he does, he finishes.” Tarasenko began his playoff career on a torrid scoring pace, but has cooled down. He netted 16 goals in his first 24 postseason games, but has just three in his last 13 and each when games were out of hand. There was an empty-netter in a 6-1 win over Dallas in Game 7 of the conference semifinals last year and two others in Game 6 of the conference finals against San Jose that cut the Blues’ deficit to 4-2 in the third period of a game they eventually lost 5-2. “There’s no question, we need our best players to play their best,” Yeo said. “That’s not just in the playoffs, that’s anytime, it’s certainly magnified right now. What we need from Vladi, from all our top players, is make sure we understand if we’re going to play well, if we’re going to beat these guys, then we have to be great defensively. That’s how we got up 3-0 in the series and realistically that’s what we need to do if we want to close it here. “We need everybody on page with that, we need everybody on board with that, but with that, we can’t be satisfied. That’s not just enough. We have to push offensively and try to make plays. So how we do that is going to be critical. It’s making sure we’re not playing high risk, but at the same time finding ways to break people down one on one, finding ways to create and to execute when we have opportunities.” 1060814 St Louis Blues

Blue Notes: First goal is crucial in Blues-Wild series

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago

Though each game between the Blues and Wild has gone down to the wire, the games in effect have been decided much earlier. In each of the first four games, the team that has scored first has gone on to win. That’s been in keeping with season-long trends for both teams. When the Wild have scored first this season, they’re 36-8-5 (including the playoffs). Since Mike Yeo took over as coach of the Blues, they’re 22-3-1 when they score first. In a series that has seen three goals or less (not counting empty net goals) in each game, getting that first goal means you’re halfway to winning. The Wild had never led before Charlie Coyle scored late in the first period on Wednesday. “For us, it was not your average normal goal, I think,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday. “To get a lead when you hadn’t had one and it’s so tough to get one to crawl back, I think it was a little bit of a relief for the players. It’s something that I know St. Louis is really going to pounce on to try to deny us, which is why the first period on Saturday will be so important.” “I think what’s important is that you continue to play if it doesn’t happen,” Yeo said. “Obviously, you would love to score the first goal. It’s two good defensive teams that make it hard to battle back. But if it doesn’t happen, we have to make sure we keep playing the right way. For a little while, we started to find our game in the second period, but obviously not consistently enough and giving up that second goal was tough yesterday.” Pietrangelo vs. Parise Just before the final horn of Game 4, Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo leveled Wild forward Zach Parise in the Blues offensive zone. Words were exchanged and pushing followed before the teams left the ice. Boudreau didn’t like the play. “I thought it was cheap. It was cheap,” he said when the team arrived home in Minnesota. “They knew the game was over. There was one second left. If this was 1984 or 1978 that guy would’ve had a stick right in his face. You know? But they don’t do that anymore.” “It’s a rough series,” said Yeo. “I didn’t think anything of it.” Schmaltz sent down The Blues sent defenseman Jordan Schmaltz down to Chicago so he could get some games during the AHL playoffs. Schmaltz played in the final seven games of the regular season and Game 1 of the Wild series while Robert Bortuzzo was hurt, but he’s been a healthy scratch for the past three games. With the Wolves starting the playoffs on Thursday night and with the Blues’ top six defensemen healthy, Schmaltz didn’t figure to get any playing time and the Blues can recall him if someone gets hurt. “We just want to make sure he’s active,” Yeo said. “It’s tough on a player to sit around, especially right now, we’re not having a lot of practice time — we’ll have a practice tomorrow — but get him into the lineup and get him playing. We obviously have to make sure everybody’s sharp, everybody’s playing.” Blue Notes The Blues had an optional practice on Thursday and only a few players who saw action in Game 4 — Magnus Paajarvi, David Perron, Ivan Barbashev, Zach Sanford and Carl Gunnarsson — took part. During a shooting drill, Gunnarsson hit Paajarvi, standing in front of the net, with a shot on the inside of his right thigh that left a mark. Gunnarsson skated by and tapped Paajarvi on his pads by way of apology. “What can you do? Kiss it?” he asked. “I don’t want to do that.” Said Paajarvi: “Luckily it was him that shot it.” Gunnarsson is the only regular on the team not to score a goal this season. ... The Blues won 49 percent of the draws (30 out of 61) in Game 4, their best mark in the series. “Well, if they’re not kicking our center men out every second time last night,” Boudreau said. “I think it was 7-1 that they kicked out and looking at the video there was no reason for that.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060815 Toronto Maple Leafs “Yeah, he was by himself,” Brown said. “We had the puck and so when there is a loose puck we’re trying to create as much pressure as possible or outnumber them in that wall and we’ve got to get our clears down. Maple Leafs suddenly find themselves with little margin for youthful When they get it back it’s tough to be in our coverage.” errors Sorry, no English translation was provided. But a rough guess is, “We all took off to chase the puck on the right side. We didn’t get it. Ovie did. That’s when I knew I didn’t want to go back to our bench.” DAVID SHOALTS You can bet Babcock went over the Ovechkin lesson again Thursday Published Thursday, Apr. 20, 2017 9:40PM EDT morning. You can also bet no one sneaked out for a smoke in the boys’ room. Leafs defenceman Connor Carrick admitted as much when he was Last updated Thursday, Apr. 20, 2017 9:57PM EDT asked about the need to worry more about Ovechkin. “It’s our job to play at our pace, with our execution, in our system, what’s made us successful all season long and against Washington, be aware The playoff pressure pendulum that was stuck on the Washington of our pitfalls and stay away from them and manage the game,” he said. Capitals for the past two games is now bearing down on the Toronto “We saw some clips [Thursday] morning in our meeting – is this what the Maple Leafs. Maple Leafs are doing when we’re playing our best? No.” Their skate-like-crazy, throw-pucks-at-the-net, see-what-happens style Globe And Mail LOADED: 04.21.2017 made the Leafs the talk of the NHL for the first week of the playoffs. But now that the Capitals gave them a good lesson on playoff hockey in Game 4 – yes, the Leafs made it close near the end but that was only on the scoreboard – it is time to see if the roller-coaster team really is ready to stay ahead of the rebuilding plan and finish this upset, which looked so close until the Caps tied the first-round series with that 5-4 win on Wednesday. The best-of-seven series is now a best-of-three, with two games in Washington. The Leafs have more than a chance to win but that means once again bouncing back against the best regular-season team in the league. Game 5 may well decide this, since the winner gets a 3-2 lead, one game from ending it in what is a battle of the psyches as much as on the ice. After hearing Leafs head coach Mike Babcock talk every day about how much pressure there is on the Capitals because they are the heavy favourites despite their mediocre playoff history, his counterpart with the Capitals threw a little back on Thursday. “I think they’re wrapping their heads around what we have to do,” Barry Trotz said of the Maple Leafs. “As I said [Wednesday] we’ve just got to continue to build a 60-minute game. “In the playoffs, you’re going to have times where you have to weather their storm and times they’re going to have to weather our storm. There’s no 60-minute domination. That doesn’t happen in the playoffs. I think we’ve figured out how we have to play and we’ve just got to do it for longer.” What the Leafs have to do now is figure out a way to stop making the glaring error. So far, they’ve been able to play their way out of them, but that did not happen in Game 4. The reason the Maple Leafs are wildly entertaining is that they can buzz around the Capitals goal one minute and then watch the Caps wheel around the Toronto end the next because of some awful mistake. Everything is writ large with this team, the mistakes as well as the highlight-reel plays. Nothing speaks to that more than a couple of blunders against Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin, who is not dominating this series by any degree but has managed some moments thanks to the Leafs. Ovechkin was left all by himself on the left side of the ice on an early power play Wednesday night for an easy goal. This must have driven Babcock into a rage. Ovechkin is a sporadic participant in this series. He has three goals, but two of them were gifts from the Leafs. During a Game 2 power play last week, Ovechkin was Zach Hyman’s man. Now, anyone who has watched more than three Capitals games knows Ovechkin plays the left point on the power play. Then everyone else works to get him an open shot from the top of the faceoff circle, where Ovechkin can launch his customary bombs. Hyman must have been hiding in the washroom playing poker with a couple of the other kids from the back of the class when Babcock taught that particular lesson because he was nowhere in sight when Ovechkin ripped a shot that tied the score and put some life into the Capitals. Connor Brown was probably in that poker game, too, along with a couple of others on the penalty-killing unit. Four minutes and 34 seconds into the first period Thursday night, Brown and company left the entire left side of the ice open for another Ovechkin rocket that made it 2-0 Washington. Brown was asked what happened. 1060816 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs get physical with Ovechkin, with mixed results

By MARK ZWOLINSKI Thu., April 20, 2017

The Maple Leafs’ approach to Alex Ovechkin through four games of their opening-round playoff series with Washington has been straightforward: lay the body on him, cross-check, stay physical. Even Mitch Marner, one of the lightest Leafs, laid a decent hit on the Capitals superstar. “Mitch is doing great. He’s got a smile on his face … he’s throwing his weight around, and it’s pretty funny for a 160-pounder,” Leafs winger Matt Martin said with a smile Thursday. The in-your-face approach will no doubt continue when the teams meet in Game 5 on Friday night in Washington. Matt Hunwick, whose diligent work on Ovechkin has flown under the radar, has knocked the 235-pounder on his back several times and, like many teammates, used his stick liberally when the Capitals forward is anywhere close to the Leafs’ net. Nazem Kadri, Connor Carrick, Nikita Zaitsev and Leo Komarov have also done their part. Still, Ovechkin has scored three of his team’s 14 goals in the series, one of them on the power play. “He’s a hard guy to knock off his feet,” Kadri said Thursday before the Leafs jetted off to Washington. “You have to try and frustrate him, limit his room. If you have someone bumping off you wherever you go, it’s frustrating. We’ve done a good job on him, but we can do better.” Ovechkin has certainly noticed the attention he’s getting and referred to Komarov, a good friend off the ice, as “a bit of a rat” prior to Game 4. Meanwhile, the Leafs have other concerns. For one, Capitals checking forward Tom Wilson has buried big goals against his hometown team. “We’ve got the split so far in games,” Kadri said. “We’ve found a way to win games and now we have to figure it out again. We have to play the right way and not trade chances with a team like them. “It’s going to go back and forth,” Kadri added. “We’re both confident teams.” Kadri also mentioned the fact that there’s extra pressure on Ovechkin and the Capitals after finishing first overall in the regular season. The veteran club’s competitive window is closing after years of playoff disappointment. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has indicated the franchise is “going for it” this year and next, and their success or failure will determine what comes next: retool or rebuild. “For him, it’s probably hard not to think about that sort of thing,” Kadri said of Ovechkin. “He’s focused on the games, but I’m sure he’s feeling it, too.” The Leafs can’t afford to let up. “He’s talked about every night by every team he plays against. They all talk about that same thing,” said Leafs defenceman Connor Carrick, a former Capital. “You’ve seen how he handles it. That’s how elite level players do it. A lesser player might be a different story, but he’s an upper-echelon player. He gets that every night.” Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060817 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs know there's not much margin for error against Capitals

By MARK ZWOLINSKI Thu., April 20, 2017

The fact the Leafs-Capitals series is tied 2-2 only underlines how close the two teams have been through four games. They’ve also had the exact same number of goals (14 each), are close in shots on net, and all but tied in possession. That sets up a finish to the series that could go either two or three games. The victor will be the team that best manages its mistakes, its special teams, and its on-ice focus. “I think it will be which team manages momentum and execution that goes along with it,” said Leafs defenceman Connor Carrick, as the Leafs had the day off the ice Thursday before flying to Washington for Friday’s Game 5. “When the play is down your throat, it’s the one play you make that brings you back down the ice again, it’s who can bend and not break.” “Avoiding turnovers, getting goals, a failed penalty kill, a missed powerplay … that’s what will separate the two clubs. Who will be able to tackle those tasks over the next two or three games, that’s who is going to have success.” Washington has a slight edge in possession, with a 51.33 Corsi percentage for, compared to 48.67 for the Leafs. And Washington has a 125-116 edge in shots. Toronto spent the morning reviewing game tape from their 5-4 loss on home ice Wednesday, with a firm message from the coaching staff: Take advantage of the opportunity you have. The players took that to heart; the pre-series tags that had the Leafs as “underdogs” are now “history,” the players say. It’s down to which team wants the series the most. “We showed them … look, we’re pretty straight forward around here, we showed them what was good and we show them what was bad,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “But last night is last night, let’s move on and get ready for what’s next … it’s all about which team is getting better, so why not let it be us.” “This is the most fun time of the year, and the thing I tell players is you’ve earned the right to be here, so let’s compete, it’s the greatest fun you can have … so dig in.” Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060818 Toronto Maple Leafs playoffs started. They return home for a game Friday, the same night the Leafs play in Washington, but less than 400 tickets were available on StubHub early Thursday afternoon. Leafs’ return to playoffs draining money, fans from Raptors, Jays The Raptors will be back at the Air Canada Centre on Monday for Game 5 of the series. Anjos bemoans what he perceives as a less-enthusiastic Raptors crowd compared to last year’s playoffs run, noting the ACC’s By CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI tailgate zone — known as Jurassic Park — hasn’t been as full and is now being shared with Leafs fans. Thu., April 20, 2017 He says he lost $75 per ticket for his lower-bowl seats in Game 2, and is bracing for more possible losses — especially if both the Leafs and Raptors advance to their respective second rounds. Toronto Raptors fan Victor Anjos didn’t think it’d be hard to find takers for his extra NBA playoff tickets. “It’ll start getting more expensive in the second, third and fourth round and that’s where I think you’ll see bigger losses,” he says, admitting he’s But he also wasn’t counting on the Toronto Maple Leafs making their resigned to whatever lies ahead. own playoff run, a rare feat that has electrified the city and ensnared casual sports fans into the fold of a reinvigorated Leafs Nation. “Suck it up. What else can you do?” As a result, Anjos and many other Raptors fans looking to sell some Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 extra tickets — which were in high demand last year when the Leafs missed the playoffs — are finding the secondary market flooded with seats offered at face value and less. While Raptors tickets during the regular season could often be sold for a profit, now sellers are lucky to find a buyer at all. “I know a lot of guys who are losing money,” sighs Anjos, a season-ticket holder who purchased a pair of 300-level and 100-level playoff tickets, anticipating he’d be able to flip two seats at a markup. Jamie Capstick wasn’t looking to make any money by selling his extra playoff tickets but also had a surprisingly hard time finding takers for his 300-level tickets. “When I went on the secondary ticket websites I couldn’t believe how much is out there,” says Capstick, who adds it was much easier to move his extra playoff tickets last year. “There’s more supply and I think there’s probably less demand because one, the Leafs, and, two, because maybe the series (against the Milwaukee Bucks) is not as sexy a series, given (the Raptors) have gotten past the first round (before). So maybe people are waiting to jump in later.” Meanwhile, once tough-to-get Toronto Blue Jays tickets are suddenly being offered at fire-sale prices. While the team’s terrible start to the season is no doubt a factor, even a marquee matchup against the Boston Red Sox this week paled in comparison to the hype surrounding the Buds. It’s hard to compete with the storybook comeback of Toronto’s energized Maple Leafs led by exciting rookie Auston Matthews. The team last clinched a playoff spot four years ago but suffered a humiliating collapse in Game 7 of the first round, giving up a three-goal lead in the third period before losing in overtime. Davin Raiha at Western University’s Ivey Business School says the “exceptional circumstance” of the blue-and-white squad winning two games so far against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals has sucked revenue from sports and entertainment rivals alike. He suspects Leafs-mania is draining audiences from non-sporting events including films, theatre and night clubs. “People also get turned off from the additional traffic and crowds and other congestion that’s then produced by major sporting events,” Raiha says, noting non-sports fans might be deterred from going out to eat or checking out a museum if they suspect hordes of sports fans are crowding downtown streets. StubHub communications manager Cameron Papp says Toronto is definitely first and foremost a hockey town, and the Leafs trump everything else at the reseller site. Volume is skewed, too, with supply and demand working in the favour or those looking to sell Leafs tickets — and Raptors and Jays fans seeking a bargain. While there’s usually about 1,000 Leafs tickets available a few days in advance, Papp estimates, there might be three times that for the Raptors. As for baseball, there may be as many as 5,000 Jays seats on offer, but Papp notes that’s a sport with more games and more secondary tickets in general. “If all else is the same . . . Leafs are going to win out. It’s just more of a hockey town.” How this all impacts the city’s soccer team is less clear. The Toronto FC have had two home games so far, but both were before the hockey 1060819 Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Marlies drop playoff opener vs. Albany Devils

By The Canadian Press Thu., April 20, 2017

ALBANY, N.Y.—Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 27 shots he faced as the Albany Devils blanked the visiting Toronto Marlies 3-0 on Thursday to open their American Hockey League playoff series. Game 2 scheduled for Saturday night in Albany. Toronto is the higher seed, but won’t return home to Ricoh Coliseum until Game 3 on Wednesday under the 2-3 format in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Ben Thomson and John Quenneville gave the Devils a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes, with Brian Gibbons adding an empty netter late in the third to seal the win. Garret Sparks stopped 20 of 22 shots for the Maple Leafs’ affiliate. Albany went 1 for 5 on the power play, while Toronto failed to score on four chances with the man advantage. Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060820 Toronto Maple Leafs loss, three shots on Braden Holtby, first playoff goal already in his pocket from Game 1.

Except Game 4, of course, saw the spread between the first seed and Leafs sensation Marner keeps eyes on the prize: DiManno the eighth seed emerge, the Capitals pumping in four goals in the opening frame, and the 5-4 final was somewhat flattering to Toronto. By ROSIE DIMANNO Babcock: “I thought it was our least competitive game of the four, from the faceoff circle to the battles on the wall to the races for the puck to Thu., April 20, 2017 getting to the net to being boxed out.” Bright side: It hasn’t taking long — and three OT contests helped — for the neophytes to come up to playoff speed, physically and psychically in It was during the national anthem that the TV camera panned in on Mitch the swing of a seven-set series, should it come to that. Marner standing at the bench and lingered on him for a while. Not a one considers himself too raw for the task. They figure they’ve Eyes shut, forehead resting against the edge of his stick, swaying gently seen the best of what the Caps can throw at them. But of course they side-to-side, that hockey rhythm thing. haven’t seen the best of the Caps at all yet, which is the truly unfathomable part: Why have these Caps, but for 20 minutes on He might almost have been praying. Wednesday, been so un-Capitalian? (Quick cutaway to sound bite from Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock on Not Marner’s problem to figure out. His problem, Toronto’s problem, is the morning after Game 4: “It went downhill after the national anthem.’’) correcting the deficiencies of Game 4, hence the team’s video tutorial Marner, though, was indeed kind of Zen-ing out on “O Canada,” seeking Thursday morning. his small and quiet place before the puck dropped, before who know how “Obviously last night at the start we were a little slow,” states Martin as things would unfold — except we now do know and, to quote Babcock, Captain Obvious. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to, I think we all “she wasn’t pretty.’’ know that.’’ “Since junior, for the national anthem, I just close my eyes and clear my That’s the exasperation of sports sometimes; you know what’s going mind,” the teenage Leaf was explaining on Thursday, ahead of the club wrong but can’t fix it in the moment. Yet the Leafs might want to make a charter-jaunting back to D.C., in what has all the hallmarks of multiple study of the Caps, noted Marner, or at least the Capitals who unleashed stop travel itinerary for both teams over the coming days, regardless of a frenzied attack out of the chute Wednesday. It would not be an who returns to Toronto with a 3-2 edge for Game 6. exaggeration to state Washington had desperation in their sails. Marner expounds on his eyes wide shut. “They showed from the very start how bad they wanted to win that “Think about what I need to do to be successful on the ice,” Marner is game,” says Marner. “That’s where we’ve got to come out and be the saying about his pre-game mental exercise. “Relax, take a couple of same way.’’ deep breaths. Use those moments.’’ Even if, perhaps, the Leafs will have to manufacture some of that But there’s more to it, as Marner will admit, a bit bashfully. Because it’s desperation, since few predicted they would drag this series to six. corny, you know? It’s not quantum physics: Establish a hard forecheck early, pressure the “When I was little, I used to sing the national anthem and close my eyes. D, traffic in front Holtby, exploit superior speed to get behind the blue- It stayed with me in junior. It’s just been my thing since day one.” liners, muck it in the corners, quick transitions to penetrate Washington’s hard-shell defensive structure and shoot-shoot-shoot the puck. In the And while many of us consider the anthem ritual a time-wasting pain in opposition zone, that’s all the fun stuff. the butt, that was a rather goose-pimply rendition on Wednesday, as Martina Ortiz-Luis lifted her microphone towards a crowd in full-throated “They’ve got a lot of skill on that team, a lot of depth,” acknowledges a capella. Marner, who doesn’t appear remotely cowed by the opposition. “A lot of guys can do a lot of damage. We’ve got to respect them. At the same “I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in this great country,” says Marner, time, be ready to play our game, not give them any space and time with who hardly looks that grown up at all, and why isn’t he at the mall the puck because they’ll do something with it.” manically texting his teen pals or doing his algebra homework instead of contesting in the Stanley Cup playoffs? They’ve come through the forge of the Verizon Center already. Big deal. “Hearing our national anthem all the time, hearing our fan base singing it “The first 10 minutes is going to be very important for our team,” Marner last night, so cool.’’ continues. “That’s going to really predict the rest of the game for us. We haven’t started the way we wanted to, really, in any of the games. Totally cool. Totally awesome, how this collection of Leafs — nearly half (Wednesday) night, we knew they were going to come out hard. We of them kidlets in their debut post-season, even the so-called vets expected it. What we didn’t know was how hard it was actually going to scarcely familiar with the playoff strut — have sprung out of their short be. pants in a series, catching the Capitals with their pants down both here and there, cutting them down into bite-sized pieces from the back-to-back “Now we know.” Presidents’ Trophy elitists they were just a week ago. Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 So caught up in the yin and yang of this series that Marner wasn’t even aware that the Calder Trophy nominees would be revealed within a few hours. In any sane year, Marner would certainly have heard his name announced among rookie-of-the-year finalists. Except it’s been such a bumper crop in 2016-17 with solid contenders right in this dressing room, with Marner and William Nylander record-busters both. But Marner rolls his baby blues when it’s suggested he might, he should be in the running, along with the likes of Patrik Laine and Zach Werenski and . . . That eye-roll casts to the left, towards the locker of one Auston Matthews. “It’s pretty simple,’’ says Marner, without a hint of grudge. “Just look at what he did this year. That’s what I would say: Just look at what he did for this team. He’s been a huge part of our success. But we’re all brothers in here.” Well yes. And ditto. Marner, despite his slight dimensions, hardly any fill in his chest and arms, his first-round selection by Toronto ridiculed in some corners — too small for the NHL game — had been a stud in the regular season, arguably the most clever of all Leaf forwards with that 360 vision that some players are born with, fast and flitting. Masterful assists leader on the club, somehow finding space and ice for himself even inside the close quarters of playoff hockey, a couple of assists in Wednesday’s 5-4 1060821 Toronto Maple Leafs There’s a sports-science component at work here. Billion-dollar franchises, convinced by sleep experts of the value of a good night’s rest, are willing to spend money to ensure players get one. And there’s a price Leafs make room for fun with reservations: Feschuk clubs will pay to promote some team bonding, too. The life of the modern athlete can be one of isolation. Leaf alumni have observed that, while in olden times players often gathered frequently for dinners and drinks (or at least drinks), subsequent generations, flush with more money and By DAVE FESCHUK options, have been more apt to operate as lone wolves or in small cliques. Thu., April 20, 2017 So a little forced togetherness never hurts.

“It increases those collisions, those random run-ins where you’re talking As they wrapped up another team meeting and an optional off-day to a guy, whether it’s (veterans such as Brian Boyle or Martin), some of practice at their Etobicoke practice rink, the Maple Leafs headed back on the older guys,” said Carrick. “You can settle your thoughts down right the road Thursday. Their loved ones could have been convinced they’d before bed. Whatever it is. It adds up. It helps.” been gone all along. Still, the setup is new to some Maple Leafs. Boyle played 100 playoff As part of the organization’s post-season strategy, the Leafs have been games before arriving in Toronto in a trade-deadline deal, and he said staying together at a downtown Toronto hotel on the nights before playoff Thursday he’d never before stayed in a home-city hotel before a match. home games. So home games are being made to feel a little like road How does he feel about staying in one during this run? Boyle, 32, is at a games, complete with a team bus to the rink, communal team meals and different stage of life than most of his younger teammates. His wife, common rooms set up for formal meetings and relaxed lounging. Lauren, is eight months pregnant with their second child. She’s due May Which seems fine with the bulk of a young Maple Leafs roster heavy on 22. bachelors who live alone in downtown condos and often subsist on “Most of us don’t have significant others on this squad. And the ones that takeout. do have some really, really understanding wives,” Boyle said. “They’re a “I think they want us talking to each other about the games, about the special breed. There’s not many interviews going on talking about them. series, supporting each other,” said Connor Carrick, among 10 Maple But they should (be talked about), because they deserve a lot of credit for Leafs who’ve made their playoff debuts this spring. “For a lot of guys, it’s what they do to support us. When I do get home, my place is clean. their first time. How do you handle failure? How do you handle success, There’s food. She’s pregnant. Unbelievable.” personally and as a team? It’s a great opportunity to get together and talk The 31-year-old Fehr, a trade-deadline pickup who hasn’t played in the about that stuff.” series but is skating daily in case he’s needed, is married with two young Certainly it’s working well enough. The underdog Leafs, who moved their children. operation to a hotel in Washington, D.C. in the lead-up to Friday’s Game “They’re always used to you being home for home games. When your 5 against the Capitals at the Verizon Center, find themselves in a wife’s there with the kids, she could use some help,” Fehr said. “But situation beyond favourable. that’s the part of the game where it’s tough — you’ve got to put the “I think if you told our guys at the start of the series and said it was 2-2 hockey team first and do what’s best for the team.” and we’re going into a best-of-three, they’d all do a cartwheel if they In saying all that, Boyle pointed out that some of his fondest recollections knew how,” said Mike Babcock, the Toronto coach. “I couldn’t do it; I’d from his long list of previous playoff runs didn’t even happen on the ice. hurt my back. But we’re in a great situation. Let’s enjoy today. Let’s enjoy Winning together as a team is wonderful. Being together as a team the atmosphere. Let’s enjoy the playoffs, but let’s compete.” brings a certain kind of joy, too. For players like Mitch Marner, left, and Connor Carrick, who are making “I mean, I have memories of pre-game meals and what we were doing on their playoff debuts, the Leafs strategy of staying together in a hotel even off-days in the playoff runs that we had that’ll stick with me forever,” when they play in Toronto is a great opportunity to talk with teammates Boyle said. “It’s the most fun there is. When you’re having fun doing it, it’s about how to handle the stress of playoff failure and success. much easier to get motivated to play your best. Every part of your day For players like Mitch Marner, left, and Connor Carrick, who are making becomes a lot more fun.” their playoff debuts, the Leafs strategy of staying together in a hotel even That sounded something like Babcock’s message to his players on when they play in Toronto is a great opportunity to talk with teammates Thursday; that simply having a chance to embark on the long journey to about how to handle the stress of playoff failure and success. (CHRIS a Stanley Cup is “the greatest thing going.” YOUNG) “I told the guys this morning, the greatest thing about this league is you Toronto’s accommodation arrangement is not a new invention. NHL have to earn the right to keep playing,” Babcock said. “Everyone else teams have been reserving blocks of hometown rooms for years during goes home.” the playoffs. The New Jersey Devils were proponents of the practice during the management tenure of Lou Lamoriello, now the Leafs GM. Everyone except the Leafs on Saturday, when they’re scheduled to Ditto the Detroit Red Wings during current Leafs president Brendan check into a Toronto hotel to prepare for Sunday’s Game 6. Shanahan’s time as a hall-of-fame-bound forward. Guy Boucher, now the Ottawa Senators coach, tried it during his run with the Tampa Bay Toronto Star LOADED: 04.21.2017 Lightning a few years back. “Bubble hockey,” Boucher called it. As in, “anything outside (the bubble) can’t affect our game.” Does it also make for celibate hockey? Short of illicit room service, it possibly clarifies a team’s preference on the age-old question of night- before-a-game exertions. There are other practical concerns at play. Players will tell you some of their homes, given the grand occasion of Toronto’s first post-season run in four years, might currently be confused with hotels. Parents and siblings and friends have been flying into Toronto to share in the buzz (and to borrow a spare bed). So a team-mandated sequestering can be seen as an escape. The club did the same thing on the eve of the Centennial Classic. “There’s definitely something to be said for it,” said Eric Fehr, the veteran forward. “You don’t have any distractions. You can go to bed whenever. You can get away from it all.” Said Matt Martin: “It’s just like on the road — you’re just sitting around together, watching hockey, playing video games, just spending time together before the game . . . I’m indifferent to it. As long as I have a bed, I’m pretty easy.” 1060822 Toronto Maple Leafs

Babcock to Maple Leafs ahead of Game 5: 'Dig in'

BY LANCE HORNBY, TORONTO SUN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 03:16 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 03:22 PM EDT

TORONTO — Mike Babcock started his postmortem of Game 4 with a little humour. “It went down hill after the national anthem,” the Maple Leafs coach said on Thursday. “(Anthem singer Martina Luis-Ortiz) did a heck of a job, I thought it was spectacular, best I ever heard. Then (the game) wasn’t pretty.” Game 5 on Friday in Washington will require the Leafs to answer in the same bold fashion as the Capitals did, realizing their season could be on the line if they don’t pull out a road victory. The first-round series is 2-2, with each team scoring 14 goals in four one-goal games. “We have to start on time, execute, compete at a high level,” said Babcock, a familiar theme he’s had to pound into his young team for much of the 2016-17 season. When they don’t, they get run over on the scoreboard, down 4-1 on Wednesday before eventually falling 5-4, and losing 1-on-1 battles, from the goal line out. “We’re capable of winning this series, we just have to stay the course,” winger Matt Martin said. “They will carry momentum sometimes, we have to stay within our structure and execute. They’re capable of putting four goals in the back of the net before you even blink an eye. That’s two games in a row where we didn’t execute (Washington also went up two in Game 3). We got away with one and almost climbed back in the other.” The physical tone of each night is certainly ramping up with key goals in both Games 3 and 4 coming after bodies and some blood were spilled on both clubs. “Physicality is important in a playoff series,” Martin said. “It can be undervalued. Emotions run high when you see someone get hit. But mainly, what you do in Games 1, 2 and 3 can affect what you do later in the series. “In Brooks Orpik’s case (the Caps’ hard rock defender had taken a few shots at the Leafs), Nazem Kadri threw a couple of big hits on him and Auston Matthews came out and scored a big goal for us. That got a lot of emotion going in the building and it gave the fans a reason to cheer. We kind of responded from that.” In Washington on Thursday, Capitals coach Barry Trotz listed injured defenceman Karl Alzner as day-to-day after he missed the Toronto portion of the series. An interesting outcome of his absence has been a good showing by replacement Nate Schmidt, a development which Trotz hinted might change his plans when Alzner is healthy. One of Trotz’s biggest concerns is his team’s inability to hold leads in the series. “We sat back a little more than we needed to,” Trotz said of the Leafs coming in range of rallying from down three Wednesday night. “They set up a neutral zone forecheck too easily.” Babcock repeated another message he wants his team to comprehend — if they made it this far, all the way to an unexpected playoff spot, why not extend the season as long as possible? “These are bonus games, you have to earn the right to keep playing,” he said. “Everyone else goes home, why wouldn’t you want to play? These are the most fun games you can have. Dig in.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060823 Toronto Maple Leafs It’s not a simple task for the veteran Maple Leafs centre, as his wife, Lauren, is due to give birth to the couple’s second child on May 22. She is heading back to Florida in the next few days to begin final preparations Maple Leafs' hopes of advancing might hinge on Ovechkin's impact for the baby’s arrival. “We understand that for the majority of us, since we can remember, this is what we have been chasing,” Boyle said of the quest for the Stanley Terry Koshan_ Cup. “She is feeling good. Getting bigger, but she looks great. I’m a lucky guy.” FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 04:25 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 04:51 PM EDT The Boyles have experience in juggling the playoffs and family additions. Two years ago, when Boyle was with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the couple’s son Declan was born during the Eastern Conference final as TORONTO — For parts of two seasons, Connor Carrick was a teammate Tampa squared off with the New York Rangers. of Alex Ovechkin and had the opportunity to admire the Russian superstar from across the dressing room. In Boyle’s immediate future, there’s business to be done first. The respect for Ovechkin from Carrick’s view on the Maple Leafs blue “You lose a game (like the Leafs did in Game 4 to Washington), you line continues as the Leafs and Capitals head into Game 5 of their first- better be hungry and motivated to play the next game a little better than round series on Friday night in Washington deadlocked 2-2 in the best- we did,” Boyle said. “That’s what we have to do to a man, each of us.” of-seven. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 Every player skating in the post-season knows the glare of the spotlight and the weight of expectations. That the Leafs are tied with the Caps, the Presidents’ Trophy winner during the regular season, and about to begin a best-of-three series is proof of their resiliency and desire. Few gave the Leafs a chance to win the series, let alone at least two games. While Carrick and his Leafs teammates have zero interest in their season ending in the next several days, the 23-year-old defenceman isn’t envious of Ovechkin, who is 31 and has never hoisted the Stanley Cup. Ovechkin’s everyday hockey nemesis, Sidney Crosby, twice has won the Cup and has been instrumental on the Olympic stage where Ovechkin has not. “I’ll never know the pressure he’s under, given the pick he was (first overall in 2004), the Crosby/Ovechkin thing and all the storylines he has been a part of,” Carrick said Thursday. “The clock is always ticking in this sport; you are always one game closer to your next one. (Ovechkin) is a guy who has tons of expectations and ability, he has been a part of good teams but for whatever reason they haven’t put it together in the time he has been there. So that’s something we’re playing against, we’re playing against a desperate team.” Ovechkin might not have the same flash he once did, but his passion to win never has subsided. His ice time in the series has been an issue in some corners — he is sixth among Caps forwards on average, after he led in that category in the regular season. Still, with an average of 19 minutes one second in four games, he’s on the ice more than he was in the regular season, when he averaged 18 minutes 21 seconds. And he is having a clear impact. Ovechkin and the surprising Tom Wilson have three goals each to lead Washington, and the Leafs haven’t been able to nudge Ovechkin out of his faceoff-circle office while the Caps are on the power play. Ovechkin has 18 shots on goal, the most of any player in the series, and he still would rather go through you than around you. His 19 hits are the most among Washington forwards. “I just know as a player who has played against him a bunch of times, that he competes really, really hard,” Leafs veteran centre Brian Boyle said. “His skill level speaks for itself. I don’t love talking about individual guys on the other team in the playoffs, but he is a world-class player and he is their leader and I think he showed it pretty good (in the Caps’ win in Game 4).” At least two games remain in the series. The Leafs know Ovechkin is going to be a factor to some degree. The key is ensuring that it’s not to the point where Ovechkin puts the Caps on his back and leads his team to the second round. How much more wary now do the Leafs have to be of Ovechkin, given what’s at stake? “You’ve got to answer the bell,” Carrick said. “You always expect the other team’s best and it’s our job to counter or hit first, so to speak. It’s our job to play at our pace, with our execution, in our system, things that have made us successful all season long and against Washington. Be aware of our pitfalls and let’s stay away from them and manage the game.” BABY BOYLE ON ITS WAY Brian Boyle, as much as possible, is keeping his focus on the playoffs. 1060824 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017

Off the rails early

BY LANCE HORNBY, TORONTO SUN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 11:14 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 11:25 PM EDT

TORONTO - Mike Babcock could pin-point the exact moment things began unraveling for his Leafs in Game 4. “It went down hill after the national anthem,” said the coach, starting Thursday’s press conference with some levity. “Martina (Luis-Ortiz) did a heck of a job, I thought it was spectacular, best I ever heard. Then (the game) wasn’t pretty.” Turning serious, Babcock hammered on a familiar theme about his team not starting on time. Even though the calendar is getting close to May 1, the Leafs began both games in the home portion of the series by falling behind 2-0. “We have to start on time, execute, compete at a high level,” said Babcock. DESPERADOS Winger Matt Martin says the Leafs must once more project themselves into the role of win-or-go-home in Game 5. “I think people have been trying to find that recipe forever,” Martin said. “Being the team kind of with their back against the wall, like Washington was, they always seem to find a little more desperation than the team that’s coming off a big win. But for whatever reason, we just didn’t execute early in the game. We expected them to push, they’re the best team in hockey for a reason. We expected them to come out strong. But the goals they scored were us breaking down mentally.” Babcock had forewarned the Caps would come as hard at his group as the San Jose Sharks did a couple of nights ago against Edmonton, another young team that was getting a glut of positive press for its play early in the series. “I think it’s an experience we had to go through,” Martin said. “I think maybe just the hype around the (Leafs) the last few days was a lot. These things are best-of-7’s for a reason. Just because you’re up 2-1, nobody is going to remember that if (Washington) go on to win the Cup. We need to learn not to be satisfied with having two wins under our belt.” MORE GREAT DANES Herning, Denmark, home of Frederik Andersen, has already produced one champion player this year to whom the Leaf goalie wanted to give a shout-out. Centre/winger Mads Christensen was part of Munich’s run to the top of the German League, which was the 10th title he has won. “That’s his fifth in the German League and he won five at home (mostly with Herning Blue Fox),” Andersen said. “That’s pretty impressive — and he’s only 30 years old.” Christensen and Frans Nielsen of the Red Wings are in a tight group of Andersen supporters from Herning, though Leaf success in future will likely expand that base in Denmark. “My family, they’re following along with the NHL playoffs and my best friends from home always check up on me,” Andersen said. HOT DOG This series marks the second straight spring Connor Carrick has faced the Capitals in playoffs, if you count their Hershey farm team last spring when Carrick was a Marlie. The defenceman has a constant reminder of those days in Hershey, his beloved three-year-old French bulldog, Hoagie, named after the famous sandwich in that region of Pennsylvania. “People say I got the dog too early, but it’s the best mistake I ever made,” Carrick said. “It’s a great city dog.” Carrick took Hoagie for a late night walk after Toronto’s overtime win in Game 3. “People were running down the street yelling ‘go Leafs go’. It had been two hours after the game. It’s a good buzz in the city.” 1060825 Toronto Maple Leafs Three-time Cup-winning GM Lou Lamoriello was brought in to run the team in each and every capacity, from making trades to implementing a no-facial-hair rule. If Babcock didn’t come, Guy Boucher — the man who Sabres should take page out of Maple Leafs' blue has led the Senators to within one game of the second round — was poised to be hired.

Actually landing the top pick in Auston Matthews after finishing in last BY MIKE ZEISBERGER, TORONTO SUN place has accelerated the Leafs rebuild, to be sure. But Matthews is just one of many reasons the surprising Leafs are tied 2-2 with the FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 08:25 PM EDT | Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals in the first round. UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 08:33 PM EDT Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment understandably is a despised entity in western New York, especially since chairman Larry Tanenbaum and rocker Jon Bon Jovi tried to buy the NFL Bills with intentions of moving For a long-suffering Buffalo Sabres fan base that certainly deserves the team out of town. But, in this instance, there is a lesson to be learned better, this heartache could have been avoided. here from MLSE. If only … As an owner, bring in a hockey man to run the operation, hire his own If only the NHL’s lottery balls had played out properly, the last-place staff, then let the group run things independently. Sabres would have landed coveted defence prospect Aaron Ekblad with The late Mike Ilitch did that in Detroit. With Jimmy Devellano. With Kenny the first overall pick in 2014. Holland. With Scotty Bowman. With Babcock. The result: 25 consecutive If only it wasn’t for the bad luck of those same cursed balls a year later, playoff appearances and four Cups for an owner considered to be among Connor McDavid — yes, the same generational player who had spent his the best pro sports has seen in the past 50 years. outstanding junior career in Erie, Pa., just a 75-minute drive west — How does that sound? would now be in Buffalo blue. THE SABRE DANCE And, if only Mike Babcock hadn’t had a late change of heart and opted against the Sabres in favour of the rival Maple Leafs, the coach with a A quick look at some candidates to run the Buffalo Sabres: Stanley Cup title and two Olympic gold medals would be running the show. Lindy Ruff: Former Sabres coach has Buffalo ties. Let him run the entire show. What a dream scenario that would have been. Dean Lombardi: Ex-Sharks/Kings GM won two Cups in L.A. And then Sabres Nation woke up Thursday morning to the sobering reality of the dumpster fire that is the Buffalo NHL franchise. Bill Guerin: Pens assistant GM a key component in building defending Cup champs. In a short statement released through the team, owner Terry Pegula informed the world that general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Jason Botterill: Pens associate GM. Same as Guerin. Bylsma had been relieved of their duties. Brad Treliving: If Flames are silly enough not to re-sign their GM in the Bylsma’s dismissal comes as no surprise, given all the reports swirling next six weeks, he’ll be coveted free agent. about an apparent disconnect between the coach and his players inside the dressing room. Franchise player Jack Eichel, still just 20, did reject a Craig Conroy: Flames assistant GM one of the brightest minds in game. report suggesting he wanted Bylsma gone but, in this instance, where Paul Fenton: Preds assistant GM ready to take the next step. there’s smoke, there’s probably fire. Chris Drury: Former Sabre has been learning ropes as assistant GM with The axing of Murray who, while being gruff and candid on the outside, is Rangers. one of the most knowledgeable minds in the sport. His dismissal is headscratching. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 Whether he was let go because of a loyalty to Bylsma remains to be seen, but no one can criticize Murray for consistently attempting to make his team better. Yes, there were some questionable trades and free agent signings, but being unable to land Ekblad and McDavid was not his fault, while Babcock’s decision came despite the fact the Sabres' offer was believed to be the same as the eight-year, $50 million US deal he inked with the Leafs. It’s not as if the Sabres don’t have promising talent on the roster. In the likes of Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, Kyle Okposo and Evander Kane, although the latter’s off-ice shenanigans might be the type of distractions not needed here. So, with all of that being said, here’s a suggestion for Sabres owner Terry Pegula: Take a page from the Maple Leafs' blueprint of building an organization. Not so long ago such a suggestion would have been considered a joke. Follow in the footsteps of the despised Leafs, the franchise just a 90- minute drive to the north that hasn’t won a title in half a century? But the events at the Air Canada Centre the past two years have brought a different perspective, one the Pegulas might want to heed. After decades of the Leafs being plagued by meddling ownership, the hiring of Brendan Shanahan as team president in April 2014 changed the outlook forever. A Hall of Fame player who had gone on to spend time working at the NHL’s head office in New York, Shanahan was given the keys to the franchise. It seemed like such a simple solution. Handing over complete control of a hockey franchise to a hockey guy, one who was familiar with both the personnel and functional sides of the game. What a concept. After silently waiting and watching the team implode in 2014-15, Shanahan had seen enough. If players didn’t want to be Leafs, they’d be shipped out. 1060826 Toronto Maple Leafs That was the overwhelming feeling among those in the Leafs dressing room kept around to do interviews on Thursday. The loss was disappointing. The way in which it transpired was more disappointing. Babcock's last-minute choice — Toronto over Buffalo — looking genius in “If you had told our guys at the start of the series it’s 2-2 and we’re going hindsight to a best-of-three, they’d all do a cartwheel if they knew how. I couldn’t do it. I’d hurt my back,” said Babcock, knowing he needs to bring the perspective a lot of the time because his young players don’t have a lot BY STEVE SIMMONS, TORONTO SUN of it. FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 08:09 PM EDT | “We’re in a great situation. Let’s enjoy today (Friday night). Let’s enjoy UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 09:32 PM EDT the atmosphere. Let’s enjoy the playoffs. So let’s compete ... “I don’t think you have to trick yourself. I think if you’ve been around at all, and you know how much fun winning is, there’s no tricking yourself. TORONTO — Mike Babcock was standing in his familiar place at the It’s just the greatest thing. You get to play hockey right now. These are back of the Maple Leafs dressing room, having watched and digested the bonus games. You have to earn the right to keep playing. tape of Game 4, his mind racing as it always does, and yet fully understanding the unusual juxtaposition of this hockey morning. “I told them, the greatest thing about this league and this time of year is you have to earn the right to keep playing. Everyone else goes home. He was talking about Game 5, reflecting back on the first four games of Why wouldn’t you want to play? Nothing greater than doing this. It’s the this ultra-competitive playoff series with the Capitals, all the while aware most fun you can have. of what went down in Buffalo on Thursday morning. “So dig in.” The place he almost went to coach. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 It isn’t something he talks much about, not now, not then, but know this: The Sabres believed they had a deal with Babcock to become their coach. The Leafs believed the same thing, that he was going to Buffalo so much so that they had Guy Boucher all ready to become their coach. Yet in Buffalo on Thursday, the general manager, Tim Murray, and the coach, Dan Bylsma, were shown the door and Babcock spent the afternoon on a plane to Washington, further preparing for Game 5. Coaching is forever about making decisions. The word around Buffalo two years ago was Babcock looked hard at the rosters of both the Leafs and Sabres and decided, doing the math and running the rosters, that he preferred the hockey situation in Buffalo to that of Toronto. The living situation — that was the holdup. Babcock’s wife preferred life in Yorkville, downtown, to life in Tonawanda or Lackawanna. And the wife won. Babcock now lives in Yorkville, not far from Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello; they’re all neighbours. And not only did Mr. and Mrs. Babcock win, but Toronto the hockey town won as well. “I don’t know how close I did anything,” Babcock answered, when I asked him on Thursday about the Buffalo determination. “So I’m the coach of Toronto. Any time a coach gets a new opportunity to go somewhere else, in some ways, it’s a good opportunity for the coach. “In other ways, you have to move your family, so that’s tough. As far as evaluating what happened, I’m just surviving here.” If living in Yorkville, being paid $6 million US a year — which is, give or take a dollar, $8 million in Canadian funds — coaching the Leafs in the playoffs and probably being up for coach of the year is “just surviving,” then the rest of us have a whole lot to worry about. But Buffalo and kidding aside, the decision made by Mr. and Mrs. Babcock has truly worked out in their favour and the Maple Leafs’ favour. The combination of Shanahan, Lamoriello and Babcock is now on the model franchise list for NHL front offices. Buffalo is looking for a coach and general manager and some sense, none of which they have right now. Babcock is trying to figure out a way to slow down the Capitals’ big forwards after his team was physically overwhelmed and at times mentally undressed in Game 4. What almost happened or didn’t happen in his big move out of Detroit is only relevant now because the Sabres cleaned house. But what really matters is Friday night. Game 5. It’s not winner-take-all. It only feels that way. The winner doesn’t take all: That team just gets in a position to play for a series victory. And, for Babcock, who gets excited about most things, he is super- excited about Game 5, especially considering the way the Leafs competed in Game 4. “We weren’t very good last night and, still in the end, it was a one-goal game, wasn’t it?” Babcock said in his daily media briefing. That makes you feel great and terrible all at the same time. What is and what could have been. You weren’t good, but you were close. That means if the Leafs were a touch better, they might have won. 1060827 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs' Matthews named finalist for Calder Trophy

BY LANCE HORNBY, TORONTO SUN FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 07:59 PM EDT | UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 08:05 PM EDT

TORONTO — Auston Matthews has taken the first step to ending the Maple Leafs’ 51-year separation from the Calder Trophy. Matthews, the first overall pick, who led the Leafs with 69 points and helped power them to their first playoff berth in four years, was named one of three finalists for rookie of the year on Thursday night with Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski. “It would be an honour to be considered a finalist,” Matthews said earlier in the day, “seeing that there are so many great rookies in this year’s class.” The wider field might have included two or three more Leafs. Teammate William Nylander had 22 goals and 62 points, Mitch Marner 42 assists and 62 points in four fewer games than Nylander. Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev might also get consideration with Werenski for the NHL all-rookie team. “I’ve been fortunate to play with a lot of great teammates this season,” Matthews said, “and have had a blast playing in Toronto.” It was Scottsdale, Ariz., native who captivated the NHL with a four-goal debut in the season opener in Ottawa, six months after Toronto won the draft lottery. He racked up his 69 points playing the whole year on a rookie line with left winger Zach Hyman and either Nylander or Connor Brown on the right. He broke both Wendel Clark’s rookie goal record of 34 and Peter Ihnacak’s points’ record of 66, both in the mid-1980s Forward Brit Selby was the last of nine Leafs winners of the Calder back in 1966 and Clark was the Leafs’ only legitimate threat the past 30 years. He was runner-up to Calgary Flames defenceman Gary Suter, who had 35 first-place votes to Clark’s 18. “I don’t want to jinx Auston,” Clark laughed in a phone interview on Thursday. “But it’s a huge honour and he should be a finalist for what he did, piling up all those points. I’m rooting for him to win (when the announcement of the winner is made in June in Las Vegas).” Many thought Clark’s goals, his impact as a policeman and his role in getting Toronto to the playoffs in 1986 should have been enough to beat Suter, even though the latter was learning a harder position. “I don’t ever worry about awards,” Clark said. “You have to play hard just to get in the running.” Laine, picked right behind Matthews at last June’s draft, had 36 goals and 64 points and was ahead of Matthews and the others for stretches of the schedule, before an injury cost him nine games. Werenski had 47 points and was a plus 17. Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060828 Toronto Maple Leafs Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen, second and third-round picks respectively in 2015, saw a little playoff time last year as graduating juniors and have been in the Marlies’ top four much of this year. Toronto Marlies’ six-season playoff tradition helps prepare the next wave “Dermott has been terrific all season,” Keefe said of Connor McDavid’s of future Maple Leafs childhood friend and one-time Erie Otters teammate. “We gave him a lot of responsibility, and he’ll move into different situations throughout this coming series. Andrew took positive steps in even-strength situations.” Lance Hornby, Postmedia Network | April 20, 2017 8:03 AM ET Nielsen played 74 games and had 39 points, both tops among Marlies defencemen this season. Marlies defenceman Rinat Valiev from Game 3 of the 2016 AHL Eastern Kapanen was a 2014 first-round pick of the Penguins who came in the Conference against Hershey. Phil Kessel deal, and the Marlies are working on a similar project with Kerby Rychel, a high pick by Columbus in 2013 who the Leafs acquired To some Toronto Maple Leafs players, the joys of playoff hockey are a in a deal in June 2016. Rychel, the son of former NHLer Warren Rychel, new experience. But for those who arrived via the team’s AHL club, it scored a team-leading 52 points and 118 penalty minutes in 73 games would be a shock to their systems if they weren’t playing now. this season. The Toronto Marlies enter post-season play for the sixth straight spring, “Rychel really found a way,” Keefe said of the six-foot-one winger. “He’s beginning Thursday in Albany, N.Y. All but one of those trips began in the been very strong the past few months, he’s a guy who has shown he can driver’s seat with the choice of starting or finishing with three home dates play in big moments and I remembered how he came through for Guelph in a best-of-five opening round. As higher seed, nearly coming first in (32 points in the 2014 OHL playoffs) and was part of a Calder Cup for their division after a strong finishing kick, they’ve chosen to play Lake Erie last season. Thursday and Saturday in the Devils’ den and ideally be in position to win at the friendly confines of Ricoh Coliseum. “That said, he can take his game to another level, he has more to give and he has increased confidence.” “Hockey doesn’t end in April, it ends in June,” Sheldon Keefe said as he prepares for his second playoff as Marlies head coach. “That’s what we The Marlies should be able to count on strong goaltending again, which want for all players in the organization, get in the habit of extending your started with Ben Scrivens under Eakins and followed with Drew McIntyre, season beyond April. The more you have that attitude, the healthier it is, Antoine Bibeau and Chris Gibson. Garret Sparks emerged this season as the higher the level of competitiveness.” the No. 1, compiling a 2.16 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 31 games. Four coaches — Dallas Eakins, Gord Dineen, Steve Spott and now Keefe — have been in charge during the streak, with Keefe’s setting a “Sparks is in a good place, ready to be the No. 1 guy at this time of year,” franchise record with 54 wins and going three rounds last season. Keefe said. The Marlies The Marlies’ roster are also scattered with veterans, some picked up in deals as salary dumps so Toronto could land draft picks and other high Record 42-29-2-3, 89 points, second in the North Division profile players. They include forwards Colin Greening, Seth Griffith, Sergey Kalinin and defenceman Steve Oleksy. Playoff matchup vs. Albany Devils, third in the North The Leafs also have late blooming draft pick Andreas Johnsson, their Playoff roster only 20-goal scorer after Byron Froese was sent to Tampa Bay in the Forwards Andreas Johnsson, Cal O’Reilly, Seth Griffith, Mark Sislo, Leafs’ Brian Boyle deal. Johnsson was kayoed by Dan Kelly in last year’s Sergei Kalinin, Dmytro Timashov, Brendan Leipsic, Frederick Gauthier, Albany series in just his second North American start, for which Kelly was Trevor Moore, Kerby Rychel, Brett Findlay, Colin Greening, Rich Clune, suspended 10 games. Kelly is now with San Jose’s farm team. Pierre Engvall, Tony Cameranesi “Albany has a different group from last year and four or five new faces Defence Travis Dermott, Steve Oleksy, Rinat Valiev, Andrew Campbell, that showed up when New Jersey’s season ended,” Keefe noted. Andrew Nielsen, Justin Holl, Jesper Lindgren, William Wrenn “They’re much better on paper now. But I feel good about our playoffs, we have a good mix who’ve had more than enough time to get Goalies Garret Sparks, Antoine Bibeau, Kasimir Kaskisuo comfortable. I think we’ve played our best hockey in the last month or so. In terms of the excitement of the challenge, it’s the same for us again.” Series schedule National Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 Game 1 Thursday at Albany, 7 p.m. Game 2 Saturday at Albany, 5 p.m. Game 3 April 26 at Toronto, 7 p.m. Game 4* April 28 at Toronto, 7 p.m. Game 5* April 29 at Toronto, 7 p.m. * if necessary Thirteen players utilized by the parent Maple Leafs this season were on last year’s Marlies team that went to the Eastern Conference final, led by William Nylander, Connor Brown, Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Nikita Soshnikov, Josh Leivo and Frederick Gauthier. The Marlies finished the regular season in St. John’s on Saturday and Keefe missed Kapanen’s scoring heroics against the Capitals. “I’m happy for Kapanen and the others, but it’s the whole organization that has contributed,” Keefe said. “We’ve all watched their success, but what goes for anyone who has worn the Marlie uniform is that they’ve taken the opportunity and ran with it.” Now a new group of Marlies gets its chance to impress the brass. When the Albany series opens, much attention will be on the defence. With the Maple Leafs’ own defensive questions — Roman Polak will be agree agent this summer and there remain concerns whether Connor Carrick, Martin Marincin and Alexey Marchenko can evolve into lasting roster pieces — the Marlies blueliners will be examined as future members of the big club. 1060829 Toronto Maple Leafs Lost Round 2 4-3 vs. N.Y. Rangers 2015-16* Are the Washington Capitals really chokers? Why their pre-Toronto Won Round 1 4-2 vs. Philadelphia Maple Leafs playoff results aren’t that bad Lost Round 2 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh

2016-17* Nick Faris | April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: Apr 20 10:52 AM ET Down in Round 1 2-1 vs. Toronto

*Capitals won Presidents’ Trophy for finishing first overall in the NHL Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (left) skates against Toronto regular season. Maple Leafs forward William Nylander on April 17. Their playoff series have been incredibly tight The facts are well established: In the Alex Ovechkin era, the Washington Capitals have never made the third round of the NHL playoffs, much less Washington has made the playoffs eight times since drafting Ovechkin won a Stanley Cup. Six times, they’ve been eliminated in a Game 7. And right before the 2004-05 lockout, excluding this season. They’ve played they’re currently tied 2-2 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team 23 points 13 series in that span. Nine of those matchups have gone to a Game 7, lower in the regular-season standings, after dropping two of the first three seven of which were decided by a single goal. games in overtime. Through 84 pre-Toronto playoff games in the Ovechkin era, the Capitals’ DC is so shook (via @daveizzle) https://t.co/YqkMVKzAkR goal differential was plus-3, meaning that over the equivalent of a full regular season and change, they played their opponents to a virtual Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) April 19, 2017 standstill. In seven of Washington’s 13 series, the differential was no larger than three goals in either direction. So do the Capitals deserve to be known as choke artists? Not to the extent you’d think. Essentially, the Capitals are very rarely blown out of games or series; most of the time, the margin is thin to the point of being a toss-up. (This This may not be the prevailing sentiment in the D.C. area right now, trend has held through four straight one-goal games against the Maple despite a 5-4 win in Game 4 Wednesday. Express, a free daily Leafs.) newspaper published by the Washington Post, superimposed a Capitals jersey on the ghoulish figure from Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Any number of weird things can swing the outcome of a close game: a hit splashed it on their front page Wednesday morning. The Capitals, the post, a puck-over-glass penalty, a referee’s blown call, a random bounce paper said, “are at a crossroads.” that finds its way into the net. Because of this, teams that win a lot of one-goal games in one season are in danger of regressing the next year. One could forgive coach Barry Trotz for empathizing with the anguished Norwegian spirit in his weaker moments. But a glance at his team’s past In that vein, Washington, given the chance to play those 84 playoff playoff results shows the Capitals have been pretty unlucky. They’ve games again, might experience a better result purely based on luck. taken tough teams to the brink and lost games that could have gone either way. And Ovechkin, for the most part, has played up to standard. Tyler Anderson / National Post As the Capitals try to avert disaster against Toronto, here’s why their In most series, Washington hasn’t been the stronger team history isn’t actually so dark. The harsh reality of the playoffs is that teams don’t get a regular season’s Michael Peake / Postmedia Network worth of games to prove their mettle; they live and die on the results of best-of-sevens, a far smaller sample. Still, a majority of Washington’s Capitals' playoff results in the Ovechkin era best-of-sevens shouldn’t necessarily have been expected to go their way. 2005-06 The Capitals did earn more regular-season points than eight of their 13 opponents. But if you reset the odds based on Simple Rating System — Missed playoffs a Hockey Reference metric that gauges team performance based on 2006-07 goal differential and strength of schedule — they would have entered as the underdog in seven of 13 series, including some of their most painful Missed playoffs defeats. 2007-08 Indeed, the Capitals’ three best playoff runs — the times they’ve reached Game 7 in the second round — have all come when they were the SRS Lost Round 1 4-3 vs. Philadelphia underdog. 2008-09 In 2008-09, five of their first six games against the eventual Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins were decided by one goal. The 2011-12 Won Round 1 4-3 vs. N.Y. Rangers Capitals were mediocre, grading out at -0.13 in SRS, but traded wins with Lost Round 2 4-3 vs. Pittsburgh the more powerful Rangers until losing Game 7 2-1. And they fell by the same Game 7 score in 2014-15, this time to a Rangers team that had 2009-10* won the Presidents’ Trophy. Lost Round 1 4-3 vs. Montreal Some losses within those series were regrettable. The 2008-09 Penguins beat Washington 6-2 in Game 7. The Capitals blew a 3-1 series lead 2010-11 against the Rangers in 2015. Overall, though, advancing to Round 2 and Won Round 1 4-1 vs.N.Y. Rangers taking a stronger team to the limit isn’t the worst fate. Lost Round 2 4-0 vs. Tampa Bay Peter J. Thompson / National Post 2011-12 They’ve only been upset a couple times Won Round 1 4-3 vs. Boston The flipside of faring relatively well as the underdog is disappointing as the favourite, which Washington has admittedly done. The first two times Lost Round 2 4-3 vs. N.Y. Rangers they won the Presidents’ Trophy, 2009-10 and 2015-16, they weren’t able to parlay their regular-season success into a deep run, and they’re 2012-13 in danger of suffering the same fate against the Leafs. Lost Round 1 4-3 vs. N.Y. Rangers But it’s not as if the Capitals are bungling massive advantages every 2013-14 other year. They were the SRS underdog in five of eight series they lost. Last season, they were bounced in six second-round games by Missed playoffs Pittsburgh, the league’s second-best team by SRS and the eventual champ. 2014-15 SRS: by the numbers Won Round 1 4-3 vs. N.Y. Islanders The two strong Washington teams discussed here — 2009-10 (0.90 Vancouver and Philadelphia all made a final in that span. Dallas, SRS) and this season (0.99 SRS) — would be ranked fourth and eighth Carolina, Montreal, Phoenix (!), Anaheim and St. Louis all made a among all teams’ SRS between 2005-06 and the present. conference final. More than half the league has gone deeper in the playoffs than the post-lockout Capitals. 1.18 Ottawa (2006) From 2005-06 to the present, Washington has won more regular-season 1.04 Chicago (2013*) games than all but five franchises, all of whom made a final or lifted the 1.03 Detroit (2006) Cup in that period. And in most seasons, the Capitals outscored their opponents by way more than three goals, their differential with Ovechkin 0.99 Washington (2017) in the playoffs, meaning they have underperformed in April and May. 0.93 Detroit (2008) If even a couple of those one-goal Game 7s went their way, though, the narrative surrounding them would be markedly different. Take San Jose, 0.92 Boston (2014) the league’s winningest regular-season team since the lockout. The Sharks were the archetypal playoff underachievers until last season, 0.91 Pittsburgh (2013*) when they made it all the way to Game 6 of the final — and redeemed 0.90 Washington (2010) their good name in the process. *Lockout-shortened season Washington’s core group is on the wrong side of the age curve. Ovechkin is 31, Backstrom 29 and defenceman Matt Niskanen 30; all are signed The two remaining eliminations were the only truly bad upsets. In 2009- through 2020 or 2021. Pending unrestricted free agents T.J. Oshie and 10, Washington (0.90 SRS) wasted a 3-1 series lead against the lowly Kevin Shattenkirk are 30 and 28. Their window to win will close sooner Montreal Canadiens (-0.14 SRS), scoring just one goal in each of their rather than later. last three losses. The next season, a worse Capitals team (0.27) made it to the second round, but allowed 16 goals in four games and were swept As such, Ovechkin’s remaining years in Washington could easily elapse by the Tampa Bay Lightning (0.04). without a Cup. Considering the talent on his team over the past decade, and the acclaim directed their way, it would be a shame. But it wouldn’t There are no positives to take from those defeats, but at least the make him or the Capitals chokers. Capitals have come agonizingly close to the third round more than they’ve fallen embarrassingly short. Unless, of course, they lose to the Leafs. For the most part, their stars have shown up National Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 If the Capitals are considered chokers, the logical extension is that their best players are chokers. But Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the only Capitals to appear in all 13 series, have actually played well in the playoffs. Consider their career regular-season stats (starting in 2005-06 for Ovechkin, his rookie season, and 2007-08 for Backstrom, when he joined the Capitals from Sweden): OVECHKIN: 921 GP: 558 G, 477 A, 1035 PTS (1.12 PPG), 12.3 Sh%, 51.76% Corsi close BACKSTROM: 734 GP: 188 G, 540 A, 728 PTS (0.99 PPG), 12.0 Sh%, 52.41% Corsi close And here are their playoff stats from the start of their careers until 2015- 16, accounting for the Capitals’ 13 completed series: OVECHKIN: 84 GP: 41 G, 41 A, 82 PTS (0.98 PPG), 10.4 Sh%, 53.06% Corsi close BACKSTROM: 83 GP: 20 G, 42 A, 62 PTS (0.75 PPG), 11.1 Sh%, 55.71% Corsi close *Corsi close figures from NHL, which measure 5-on-5 possession in tied or one-goal games, only date back to 2009-10 Washington’s top tandem hasn’t scored as much in the playoffs. Still, the dip in their respective shot percentages suggests this is at least partly due to bad luck. And their Corsi figures show they both drive possession at a higher rate come playoff time. (The Capitals as a whole have been a 50.39 per cent Corsi close team in the regular season and 50.60 per cent in the playoffs.) Ovechkin, in particular, has stepped up offensively at times when his team has struggled. In 2008-09, his 21 points ranked fifth overall in playoff scoring, even though he only got to play 14 games. The stunning seven-game loss to Montreal in 2009-10 was one of his best series ever: he had 10 points, including four in Game 2 and three in Game 4. In 2014- 15, he had six shots and scored his team’s goal in the 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Rangers. Just as the Capitals lost an aberrant amount of one-goal games, their stars could have expected their possession advantage to translate into more scoring. Whatever Washington’s problem is, it probably isn’t Backstrom, and it definitely isn’t Ovechkin. Counterpoint: Every comparable team has broken through to Round 3 The most damning indictment of Washington in the Ovechkin era is that despite whatever misfortune has come their way, they still haven’t capitalized on any opportunity to make the conference final. Each of their best opponents have. Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit have combined to win the last nine Stanley Cups, dating back to the Ovechkin Capitals’ first playoff berth. San Jose, Tampa Bay, the Rangers, New Jersey, 1060830 Toronto Maple Leafs “He’s come a long ways,” said long-time teammate Jake Gardiner. “When he first got here it was a lot of offence, and — I think he would agree with this, too — (he) probably wasn’t the best defensive player. ‘He’s come a long way’: Nazem Kadri has emerged as a force since And I think at times he would show that physical side, but now he’s Toronto Maple Leafs’ last taste of playoffs consistent every single night. He’s scoring, he’s passing, he’s frustrating the other team’s top lines and then off the ice, too, he’s come a long way.” Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press | April 20, 2017 1:24 PM ET Frequent linemate Leo Komarov added Kadri isn’t trying to score all the time any more and had improved plenty as a defensive entity.

“He’s got a lot of skill and he could be a top player in this league,” TORONTO — Nazem Kadri thought his first career playoff goal had Komarov said. “He’s not far away, but he’s getting close.” sealed a berth in the second round for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, it was the prologue for years of upheaval in Toronto. Kadri describes himself as more mature and better prepared to handle the ups and downs of an NHL career. He believes his years in the The Boston Bruins stormed back with four unanswered goals after Kadri Toronto spotlight have made him mentally stronger and perfectly suited gave Toronto a 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 of a 2013 first- to the playoff terrain, where he’s emerged as a bothersome force against round series. The Leafs have changed in almost every way imaginable in the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin-led top line. the years since, and so has Kadri. “I don’t mind the big stage at all,” Kadri said. “At the end of the day, I The 26-year-old shining on the post-season stage this spring bears only think playing in a market like Toronto prepares you almost in a sense to slight resemblance to the flawed but skilled player on that ill-fated team of play in the playoffs.” the past. National Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 “I played against Toronto lots, obviously, and, nothing against Naz, you didn’t concern yourself too much with Naz,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said before the team’s first round series with the Washington Capitals began. All James van Riemsdyk knew about Kadri before he got to Toronto was what he saw in the media: a confident kid who “always kind of said funny stuff — at least I thought.” It was that brash, self-assured personality that quickly endeared him to a market itching for stars. He had game, too — highly skilled, pugnacious, and unafraid to toss his smallish frame around against bigger opponents. But to the Leafs, he was missing a few things that came to light under the Toronto microscope. There was his conditioning, which bubbled to the surface in the fall of 2012, when then-Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins blasted a 21-year- old Kadri for showing up to training camp out of shape. Kadri got to the NHL a few months later and thrived offensively (18 goals, 44 points in 48 games), but over time he frustrated a Randy Carlyle-led coaching staff with his recklessness with the puck and half-hearted commitment to defence. Though he was always an effective player according to underlying numbers, Kadri hadn’t cemented his future with the Leafs. Dave Nonis, formerly the team’s general manager, said in January 2014 that he was open to trading Kadri if the right deal came along. Doubts over his future with the club spiked just over a year later, when team president Brendan Shanahan suspended Kadri for repeated off-ice behavioural issues. Shanahan said Kadri, who showed up late to a team meeting, needed to grow up and gave him one last chance with a one- year deal that summer. Kadri evidently took the message to heart and found out “what his game was and (where) it was best suited” as Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello remembers it. Babcock focused Kadri’s swaggering personality away from points and toward shutting down the stars of the league as a matchup centre. The role seemed to suit Kadri, who liked making himself the thorn in the side of those like Sidney Crosby and John Tavares. He ended up leading a lacklustre Leafs squad in scoring and earned a fan in Lamoriello for his competitive play during the 2015-16 season, when the club plummeted to 30th place. “He’s fearless, and I say that with respect, because that’s in his DNA,” Lamoriello said in a recent interview. “And he’s dwelled on his assets this year. He’s cut down on things that maybe he shouldn’t be doing. And whenever he gets a little to the left, a little to the right, the coaching staff pulls him right in line.” Tyler Anderson / National Post Just over a year after Shanahan’s public shaming, Kadri was signed to a six-year, US$27 million deal. An organization once iffy on his future was now all in. Kadri was arguably the Leafs’ best all-around player in the first year of his new deal, boasting a career-high 32 goals and 61 points this past regular season with above-average puck possession numbers — all this in spite of his challenging nightly role against opposing top lines. 1060831 Toronto Maple Leafs “He’s come a long ways,” said long-time teammate Jake Gardiner. “When he first got here it was a lot of offence, and — I think he would agree with this, too — (he) probably wasn’t the best defensive player. ‘He’s come a long way’: Nazem Kadri has emerged as a force since And I think at times he would show that physical side, but now he’s Toronto Maple Leafs’ last taste of playoffs consistent every single night. He’s scoring, he’s passing, he’s frustrating the other team’s top lines and then off the ice, too, he’s come a long way.” Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press | April 20, 2017 1:24 PM ET Frequent linemate Leo Komarov added Kadri isn’t trying to score all the time any more and had improved plenty as a defensive entity.

“He’s got a lot of skill and he could be a top player in this league,” TORONTO — Nazem Kadri thought his first career playoff goal had Komarov said. “He’s not far away, but he’s getting close.” sealed a berth in the second round for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, it was the prologue for years of upheaval in Toronto. Kadri describes himself as more mature and better prepared to handle the ups and downs of an NHL career. He believes his years in the The Boston Bruins stormed back with four unanswered goals after Kadri Toronto spotlight have made him mentally stronger and perfectly suited gave Toronto a 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 of a 2013 first- to the playoff terrain, where he’s emerged as a bothersome force against round series. The Leafs have changed in almost every way imaginable in the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin-led top line. the years since, and so has Kadri. “I don’t mind the big stage at all,” Kadri said. “At the end of the day, I The 26-year-old shining on the post-season stage this spring bears only think playing in a market like Toronto prepares you almost in a sense to slight resemblance to the flawed but skilled player on that ill-fated team of play in the playoffs.” the past. National Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 “I played against Toronto lots, obviously, and, nothing against Naz, you didn’t concern yourself too much with Naz,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said before the team’s first round series with the Washington Capitals began. All James van Riemsdyk knew about Kadri before he got to Toronto was what he saw in the media: a confident kid who “always kind of said funny stuff — at least I thought.” It was that brash, self-assured personality that quickly endeared him to a market itching for stars. He had game, too — highly skilled, pugnacious, and unafraid to toss his smallish frame around against bigger opponents. But to the Leafs, he was missing a few things that came to light under the Toronto microscope. There was his conditioning, which bubbled to the surface in the fall of 2012, when then-Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins blasted a 21-year- old Kadri for showing up to training camp out of shape. Kadri got to the NHL a few months later and thrived offensively (18 goals, 44 points in 48 games), but over time he frustrated a Randy Carlyle-led coaching staff with his recklessness with the puck and half-hearted commitment to defence. Though he was always an effective player according to underlying numbers, Kadri hadn’t cemented his future with the Leafs. Dave Nonis, formerly the team’s general manager, said in January 2014 that he was open to trading Kadri if the right deal came along. Doubts over his future with the club spiked just over a year later, when team president Brendan Shanahan suspended Kadri for repeated off-ice behavioural issues. Shanahan said Kadri, who showed up late to a team meeting, needed to grow up and gave him one last chance with a one- year deal that summer. Kadri evidently took the message to heart and found out “what his game was and (where) it was best suited” as Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello remembers it. Babcock focused Kadri’s swaggering personality away from points and toward shutting down the stars of the league as a matchup centre. The role seemed to suit Kadri, who liked making himself the thorn in the side of those like Sidney Crosby and John Tavares. He ended up leading a lacklustre Leafs squad in scoring and earned a fan in Lamoriello for his competitive play during the 2015-16 season, when the club plummeted to 30th place. “He’s fearless, and I say that with respect, because that’s in his DNA,” Lamoriello said in a recent interview. “And he’s dwelled on his assets this year. He’s cut down on things that maybe he shouldn’t be doing. And whenever he gets a little to the left, a little to the right, the coaching staff pulls him right in line.” Tyler Anderson / National Post Just over a year after Shanahan’s public shaming, Kadri was signed to a six-year, US$27 million deal. An organization once iffy on his future was now all in. Kadri was arguably the Leafs’ best all-around player in the first year of his new deal, boasting a career-high 32 goals and 61 points this past regular season with above-average puck possession numbers — all this in spite of his challenging nightly role against opposing top lines. 1060832 Toronto Maple Leafs Lost Round 2 4-3 vs. N.Y. Rangers 2015-16* Are the Washington Capitals really chokers? Why their pre-Toronto Won Round 1 4-2 vs. Philadelphia Maple Leafs playoff results aren’t that bad Lost Round 2 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh

2016-17* Nick Faris | April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: Apr 20 10:52 AM ET Down in Round 1 2-1 vs. Toronto

*Lockout-shortened season The two remaining eliminations were the only truly bad upsets. In 2009- 10, Washington (0.90 SRS) wasted a 3-1 series lead against the lowly Montreal Canadiens (-0.14 SRS), scoring just one goal in each of their last three losses. The next season, a worse Capitals team (0.27) made it to the second round, but allowed 16 goals in four games and were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning (0.04). There are no positives to take from those defeats, but at least the Capitals have come agonizingly close to the third round more than they’ve fallen embarrassingly short. For the most part, their stars have shown up If the Capitals are considered chokers, the logical extension is that their best players are chokers. But Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the only Capitals to appear in all 13 series, have actually played well in the playoffs. Consider their career regular-season stats (starting in 2005-06 for Ovechkin, his rookie season, and 2007-08 for Backstrom, when he joined the Capitals from Sweden): *Corsi close figures from NHL, which measure 5-on-5 possession in tied or one-goal games, only date back to 2009-10 Washington’s top tandem hasn’t scored as much in the playoffs. Still, the dip in their respective shot percentages suggests this is at least partly due to bad luck. And their Corsi figures show they both drive possession at a higher rate come playoff time. (The Capitals as a whole have been a 50.39 per cent Corsi close team in the regular season and 50.60 per cent in the playoffs.) Ovechkin, in particular, has stepped up offensively at times when his team has struggled. In 2008-09, his 21 points ranked fifth overall in playoff scoring, even though he only got to play 14 games. The stunning seven-game loss to Montreal in 2009-10 was one of his best series ever: he had 10 points, including four in Game 2 and three in Game 4. In 2014- 15, he had six shots and scored his team’s goal in the 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Rangers. Just as the Capitals lost an aberrant amount of one-goal games, their stars could have expected their possession advantage to translate into more scoring. Whatever Washington’s problem is, it probably isn’t Backstrom, and it definitely isn’t Ovechkin. Counterpoint: Every comparable team has broken through to Round 3 The most damning indictment of Washington in the Ovechkin era is that despite whatever misfortune has come their way, they still haven’t capitalized on any opportunity to make the conference final. Each of their best opponents have. Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Detroit have combined to win the last nine Stanley Cups, dating back to the Ovechkin Capitals’ first playoff berth. San Jose, Tampa Bay, the Rangers, New Jersey, Vancouver and Philadelphia all made a final in that span. Dallas, Carolina, Montreal, Phoenix (!), Anaheim and St. Louis all made a conference final. More than half the league has gone deeper in the playoffs than the post-lockout Capitals. From 2005-06 to the present, Washington has won more regular-season games than all but five franchises, all of whom made a final or lifted the Cup in that period. And in most seasons, the Capitals outscored their opponents by way more than three goals, their differential with Ovechkin in the playoffs, meaning they have underperformed in April and May. If even a couple of those one-goal Game 7s went their way, though, the narrative surrounding them would be markedly different. Take San Jose, the league’s winningest regular-season team since the lockout. The Sharks were the archetypal playoff underachievers until last season, 1060833 Vegas Golden Knights “It would be great to play in some games but even if I don’t, I’m getting on the ice every day and I’m learning a lot,” he said. “Whenever I get the call, I’ll be ready.” Golden Knights player Reid Duke learning a lot in AHL More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyInVegas on Twitter. By Steve Carp Contact Steve Carp at [email protected] or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter. April 20, 2017 - 10:00 am LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 04.21.2017 Updated April 20, 2017 - 10:35 am

Imagine having never stepped foot on a college campus. Then one day you’re enrolled in graduate school. At times, it might feel a bit overwhelming. That’s what Reid Duke’s world feels a little like these days. The 6-foot, 190-pound, 21-year-old former center for the Brandon Wheat Kings who was signed by the Golden Knights on March 6, is currently with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. Duke, who has a Player Tryout contract with Chicago, has yet to take a shift for the Wolves, who began their first round of the playoffs Thursday at Charlotte. And he may never get in a game of the best-of-five series given the importance of the playoffs. But he understands his situation is a bit unique. “They’ve got a very close team,” Duke said Wednesday from North Carolina. “They’re trying to make a deep run (in the playoffs) so I understand. ”For me, I’m here to learn as much as I can and get better. I’m skating every day in practice so I use practice as my games to show them what I can do. I’m just thankful to the Wolves for giving me the opportunity.” Wolves assistant coach Daniel Tkachuk has been impressed with Duke in the short time the player has been with Chicago. “Reid’s a very hard-working player and that’s encouraging,” Tkachuk said. “That will translate very well to pro the way he works. “As far as his skill set, he’s got a nice little speed burst, good center of gravity. He’s pretty good in tight. You can see he’s got a give-and-go game and a great, quick release. The good thing is, thus far, he’s coachable. So he’s a guy I can foresee early on in his American League or professional career, he’s going to be a guy who can go up and down the lineup. He can fit into a lot of different spots. Tkachuk said Duke also has shown some “feistiness.” ”What we do (in practice) is play a lot of small-area games,” Tkachuk said. “You can see that he’s a pretty good thinker out there and he’s got some good hockey sense. You can fit into a lot of spots — whether it’s center or wing or even on his off-wing. He’s a guy that can do a little bit of everything there.” Duke said he’s trying to apply as much of what he has learned in practice to his game and add to his versatility. “The big thing I’ve noticed since I joined the Wolves is how intense everything is, how hard everybody works on and off the ice an how high the level of play is, watching their system and how smart they play,” said Duke, who led Brandon in scoring with 37 goals and 71 points in 59 games. “I’m learning so much every day.” Off the ice, things have sort of settled down for the Calgary native. The Wheat Kings’ season ended in late March, he signed his PTO deal with the Wolves April 7, and has been a healthy scratch in the team’s last five games. He’s living in an apartment in Schaumberg, a 20-minute drive to the Wolves’ rink. But a number of his teammates are in the same complex and he gets out for dinner and a trip to a nearby shopping mall while watching the NHL playoffs. He also has a daily phone conversation with Wil Nichol, the Golden Knights’ director of player development. “We talk hockey-related things,” Duke said. “But lately, it’s more casual conversation like ‘How are things going?’ It’s nice that the Golden Knights are keeping an interest in what I’m doing (in Chicago).” Duke said he hasn’t decided when he’ll arrive in Las Vegas. In all likelihood, he’ll be in town at the end of June and participate in the team’s first development camp at the Las Vegas Ice Center. But he promised to be ready to perform and use the knowledge he has gained in Chicago to his advantage. 1060834 Washington Capitals — Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 20, 2017 His attempts to clear the crease on the Leafs’ last goal of Game 4 weren’t exactly praiseworthy either. Braden Holtby’s poor playoff performance isn’t all his fault Brooks Orpik clearing the crease pic.twitter.com/s1UQAbxhyx

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) April 20, 2017 By Neil Greenberg April 20 at 2:28 PM “He brings tons of energy,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said of Schmidt. “His drivetrain is real high, all of those things you love in a player. So, It has been a rough postseason for Washington Capitals’ netminder he’s got an opportunity and he’s making the most of it.” Braden Holtby. The Capitals will want to continue to rely on Schmidt, rather than Orpik, if The former Vezina Trophy winner stopped 35 of 37 shots in the overtime they hope to advance to the next round. Holtby? Unless he continues to win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1, made 47 saves in a struggle with rebounds, the goaltender with the NHL’s best playoff save double-overtime loss to Toronto in Game 2 and then allowed four goals percentage (Hint: It’s Holtby) is the one the Caps should stick in the on 28 shots in Saturday’s Game 3 loss. On Wednesday, Holtby’s uneven crease for the rest of the series. performance almost got him pulled from the game after the second Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 intermission, but a 5-on-3 power play for the Maple Leafs to start the third period eliminated the option. Repeated four-goal games is not the norm for Holtby, but what’s wrong? Is he off his game? Or are the Caps skating in front of him the larger problem? Holtby is partially to blame for the Capitals inability to shut the door on a feisty Toronto squad, especially when dealing with high-danger chances, those that originate in the slot or the crease: His save percentage against these shots has fallen off a cliff, dropping to a career low .771 against Toronto during this series. Perhaps backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer would fare slightly better — his regular-season save percentage on high-danger shots at even strength (.837) was higher than Holtby’s (.822) — but that still wouldn’t improve the Caps’ defense, which has left Holtby out to dry on more than a few occasions during this series. During the regular season, the Maple Leafs created 10.1 scoring chances per 60 minutes (the second-best mark in the league) with three expected goals created off these attempts, based on shot type (wrist, slap, etc.), distance and angle. In the playoffs, Toronto is not only creating an increased number of chances (10.3 per 60), but it’s producing a higher quality as well (3.2 expected goals per 60). Washington’s defense is allowing more than 35 shots per 60 minutes of ice time in the playoffs, five more than Holtby has seen since the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, with a larger percentage of shots coming off rebounds (defined here as any shot taken within two seconds of uninterrupted game time of any other shot by the same team) and off the rush — any shot taken within four seconds of uninterrupted game time of any event occurring in the defensive zone or within four seconds of uninterrupted game time of any giveaway or takeaway. You could make a case that the rebound shots are on Holtby. And, by the eye test, he’s had some trouble holding onto the puck in this series. (See: the shot that led to Tom Wilson’s diving, goal-saving heroics below.) .@tom_wilso woke up in beastmode #RockTheRed pic.twitter.com/XI3qTpHl2w — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 19, 2017 But the Leafs’ approach in the offensive zone isn’t making it easy on Holtby. When he isn’t dealing with second-chance shots or odd-man opportunities, he’s seeing traffic in front of the net, limiting his ability to stop the high-danger chances while making it easier for deflections and tip-ins to find their way into the back of the net. Jake Gardiner's point shot is deflected by Zach Hyman and puts the Leafs back in it, 2-1 game. pic.twitter.com/1aSxnLMnhI — Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 19, 2017 Part of the solution requires Holtby to play better, but the Capitals’ defense needs to improve too, with a swap of Nate Schmidt for Brooks Orpik when Karl Alzner gets healthy the best possible option. With Orpik on the ice, the Maple Leafs have created shots that can be expected to create almost four even-strength goals per 60 minutes of ice time. That drops to 2.1 expected goals per 60 with Schmidt on the ice while playing a similar level of competition and given comparable zone starts. In fact, Orpik has now been on the ice for seven of Toronto’s 14 goals — five of those at even-strength — with the goal scored by Auston Matthews in Game 4 a direct result of Orpik losing track of Matthews on the play. Auston Matthews scores his second goal of the playoffs and the Leafs are back in this game, 4-3 in the third period. pic.twitter.com/Rtj2hD3Clg 1060835 Washington Capitals playoff game before 2004, they couldn’t just lose, they were always “cursed.” And in the hours since the Caps lost to Toronto on Monday night, Eric Fingerhut finally understood what Simmons meant. The Caps Capitals-Maple Leafs Game 5 preview: Braden Holtby may be the key to can’t just lose anymore — they’re always “chokers.” taking control of the series >> The local teams took turns congratulating themselves Wednesday for their second-ever triple play, the rare “D.C. sports trifecta.” But it didn’t come without some heart-stopping moments. “They make you work hard By Washington Post Staff April 20 at 1:54 PM for your fun, though, don’t they?” wondered Dan Steinberg. >> Something appears wrong with these Capitals now that they’ve reached the postseason. The team that won 50 games during the regular Ease off that panic button, Capitals fans. After Washington went into season to earn the playoffs top seed is suddenly on its heels against the Game 4 on the road and trailing 2-1 in the series, there were plenty of No. 8 seed in the East. Three hockey experts were surveyed as to what “here we go again” sentiments floating around. But the Caps took Game they think is the problems are for Washington: Lack of speed, mistakes 4 in Toronto, 5-4, to even up the series as it shifts back to D.C. Now it’s and matchups. “There’s no other way to say this, but the Leafs are simply a best-of-three. Will the Capitals defend home-ice and surge making Washington look slow at times, ” Pierre LeBrun said. ahead in the series? Or will the young Maple Leafs again give Washington fits — and stoke those all-too-familiar fears of local failure? >> Alex Ovechkin was credited with just 15:08 of ice time on Monday night, the second lowest in a playoff contest for his career. So, why did Game information the team’s captain play so little in a crucial Game 3 on the road? “That’s on me to get him in the ice time,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “ … It wasn’t Game 5: Washington Capitals (1st place, 55-19-8, 118 points) vs. based on play. I thought Ovi was playing terrific. It’s on me to get him a Toronto Maple Leafs (wild card 2, 40-27-15, 95 points) little more ice time, no question.” Date and time: Friday, 7 p.m. >> There are two camps assessing the Capitals, writes Post columnist Channel: CSN Barry Svrluga. One group believes a deficit can be overcome. The other camp says: “Holy $&%&#@, not again.” Whichever camp you call in, one Location: Verizon Center thing is certain: The Capitals are not normal participants in playoff hockey. They have their history, and it colors every tense situation. Game 1 result: at Capitals 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT) >> The Capitals now face a crossroads between champions and Game 2 result: Maple Leafs 4, at Capitals 3 (2OT) chokers, writes Post columnist Thomas Boswell. All year the Caps have Game 3 result: at Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 3 (OT) yammered about how they want to win a Stanley Cup and that, without a doubt, they have the team character, depth of talent and lack of Game 4 result: Capitals 5, at Maple Leafs 4 weaknesses to grab that Cup. Now they need to prove it. Regular season series: Capitals 2, Maple Leafs 1 >> Since Alex Ovechkin made his postseason debut in 2007-08, the Capitals have lost 17 of their 87 playoff games in overtime, which is more Remaining schedule than any other team during that span. Game 6: Sunday in Toronto, TBD (TBD) >> Have you ever wondered why they’re called the Toronto Maple Leafs Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday in Washington, TBD (CSN) and not Maple Leaves? Yeah? Well, don’t worry: We asked around on your behalf. Everything you need to know >> The expectation was that the Capitals would have an easy time >> If it looks as if Braden Holtby is battling the puck at the moment, it’s against the Maple Leafs, who didn’t clinch their postseason berth until the because he is. Perhaps none of the 14 goals he has allowed over the second-to-last game. But to Washington’s credit, it never underestimated course of four games of this playoff series against the Maple Leafs is the young, feisty Maple Leafs. “I think it’s exactly what we thought it particularly egregious. But with this enthralling series tied at two games would be coming in,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. apiece heading back to Verizon Center Friday night, one of the Capitals’ obvious strengths — Holtby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the >> A decade ago, before a trip to Washington carried all kinds of stakes NHL’s best goalie, and a candidate again this year — has become a bit and expectations, the empty, untouched ice made William Nylander feel of a wobbly question mark, writes Barry Svrluga. How did that happen? like a professional hockey player. He was 11 years old then and his father, Michael Nylander, played for the Capitals. “You see those guys >> Braden Holtby is partially to blame for the Capitals inability to shut the doing it. You look up to them, and you think they are so cool,” William door on a feisty Toronto squad, especially when dealing with high-danger Nylander said. “It made me want to get there, and it also made me think it chances, those that originate in the slot or the crease: his save was possible.” That ambition eventually led Nylander to the Maple Leafs, percentage against these shots has fallen off a cliff, dropping to a career the team now pushing the top-seeded Capitals in the first round. low .771 against Toronto during this series. Perhaps backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer would fare slightly better — his regular-season save >> Meet the Toronto super fan who paints his face with a maple leaf, percentage on high-danger shots at even strength (.837) was higher than shaves the Stanley Cup into the top of the head and “GO LEAFS” into Holtby’s (.822) — but that still wouldn’t improve the Caps’ defense, which the back of his head, and dyes both that hair and the hair on his chin has left Holtby out to dry on more than a few occasions during this series. different shades of blue. >> Tom Wilson had dreamed of celebrations at Air Canada Centre just >> The Post’s Dan Steinberg argues that the Capitals actually deserve to like this one — stick in the air, helmet askew from teammates joyfully win the Stanley Cup this year: “There’s not much more you can say mobbing him, a bench of players leaning over and waiting for him to about the most complete Capitals team we’ve ever seen. They had the skate by and bump fists. A Toronto native, Wilson had probably once most points in the NHL this season, the best goal differential, the fewest envisioned doing just that in a blue Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, but the goals allowed, the most wins at home. They had the best goal differential Capitals have never been so happy to see him in their road whites. In a in the first period, and the best goal differential in the third period. They bit of light hyperbole, The Post’s Dan Steinberg went so far as to label had 59 points in their first 41 games, and 59 points in their last 41 games. Wilson’s play “his best shift ever.” They were the best hockey team out there, and it wasn’t that close.” >> Mercifully, there was no need for extra periods in Game 4. The victory >> We all know the decade-long narrative for the Capitals: They’re a also answered a lot of the questions that surfaced in Washington’s back- talented team that can’t get past the second round. Why is this year to-back overtime losses. Here are the best and worst moments from the different? Here are five reasons to be optimistic about the team’s Stanley game. Cup chances, and because this is the Capitals, the five reasons to be pessimistic. >> “Right now, he’s making a statement going, ‘You’re not getting my spot back,’ ” Coach Barry Trotz said of Nate Schmidt, who got a second >> Meanwhile, Fancy Stats’ Neil Greenberg makes the case that, despite assist in as many games and could have had a goal were it not waved off their reputation, the Capitals aren’t chokers in the playoffs: “The tendency for goaltender interference. “That’s good on Nate.” is to set postseason expectations based on regular season performance, but history shows this to be a bit unfair. For example, only eight of the >> Before the Red Sox started their title run in 2004, Bill Simmons wrote last 31 Presidents’ Trophy winners — awarded to the team with the best about how he wanted the Red Sox to win the World Series not just overall record during the regular season — have won the Stanley Cup. because he wanted to win a championship, but because it would make Just three others made the Stanley Cup Finals. In the NBA, by the Red Sox a “normal” team. He meant that every time the Sox lost a comparison, the team with the most wins has gone on to win a title 14 times in that same span, with two others making the NBA Finals.” >> “I think this is the time for the Washington Capitals.” So says NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk, who is far from alone in his prediction. As for the Capitals’ Kevin Shattenkirk, he urges nervous fans to let go of the past and think happy thoughts: “I think not worrying about what happened in the past, it’s hard to do, but you need to push it out of your mind.” >> Five years ago, goaltender Braden Holtby was a quirky curiosity who hadn’t yet endured the most discouraging developments of a young career. Entering these playoffs, Holtby is nothing short of a franchise backbone, a reason to have confidence rather than questions. There’s no overstating the importance of that development, writes Barry Svrluga. >> The list of similarities between the Capitals and their first-round postseason adversary is short — Toronto is the youthful upstart team and Washington is the veteran one familiar with this stage. But nine years ago, the Capitals were in the same position as these Maple Leafs, a young core making the playoffs for the first time. Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060836 Washington Capitals even the goals he has allowed. It’s the pucks he has fought on their way to his glove.

The last time Holtby allowed as many as four goals in three straight ‘It’s a pinball machine out there,’ and Capitals’ Braden Holtby has been games was in January 2015, losses against Nashville, Edmonton and on tilt Columbus. No one remembers those, though, because they were in the dead of winter. Come springtime, such performances stand out. By Barry Svrluga Columnist April 20 at 12:48 PM [In a series that shows off his speed, the Capitals’ Nate Schmidt is shining]

Perhaps the key moment of Game 4 came with less than seven minutes TORONTO — If it looks as if Braden Holtby is battling the puck at the remaining in the first period. Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly fired a moment, it’s because he is. Perhaps none of the 14 goals he has allowed shot on net from below the right circle. And in an exchange that’s over the course of four games of this playoff series against the Toronto emblematic of what’s going on with the Capitals goaltender, Holtby had it Maple Leafs is particularly egregious. And he was, in some ways, the momentarily – but didn’t necessarily know it. It trickled through his pads. Washington Capitals’ savior during a crucial two-man disadvantage that began the third period of Game 4 Wednesday night at Air Canada “I probably shouldn’t have let that puck get through me,” Holtby said, and Centre. he’s right. When he’s locked in, those saves are clean and confident. But he’s not locked in, so the puck ended up creeping to the goal line. The “It was nice to feel the puck a bit,” Holtby said. “There wasn’t many in the exchange became the signature moment of Game 4 because Caps first two periods that were clean.” forward Tom Wilson dove into the net to push the puck back out to Holtby, and then seconds later skated up the ice to tip in Lars Eller’s With this enthralling series tied at two games apiece heading back to shot, restoring a two-goal advantage for Washington. Verizon Center Friday night, one of the Capitals’ obvious strengths — Holtby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goalie, and All that’s great for the Caps. It’s not so great for Holtby. He is, by now, a a candidate again this year — has become a bit of a wobbly question playoff veteran, someone who has been called for the Canadian national mark. How did that happen? team. He is recognized as one of the best at his craft in the world. “It’s one of those types of stretches,” Holtby said after a 5-4 win “I’m not worried about him at all,” Trotz said. Wednesday, “where every bounce seems to be going the wrong way.” Perhaps not. But in the middle of a crucial opening-round playoff series, Those are the words of a goalie who’s unsure of himself. And he isn’t the there’s no question he’s having to figure out a way to settle himself. only one with such an assessment. That 5-on-3 with which the Maple Leafs opened the third period? It might have been the only thing that kept “Every series is different, obviously,” Holtby said. “This one is completely Holtby on the ice for the entirety of Game 4. This all-star stud, the man different than most we’ve played in the past, just the way the puck’s who has provided unquestioned stability to what had been a volatile going in and the way things are happening. It’s a good mental test for position in Washington, was shaky enough to that point that Capitals us.” officials discussed putting in backup Philipp Grubauer to start the third This is, in reality, a crucial mental test for Holtby. The Caps have period. survived his unsteady play to this point, and his history would indicate a But it wouldn’t have been fair to introduce Grubauer to playoff hockey turnaround. with his team down two men. So Holtby remained, and his best work But if there isn’t one, be prepared. Grubauer has to be. He’s next in line, came in those two minutes, when he made five saves. But make no and another opening two periods like Holtby produced Wednesday could mistake: This is a situation that bears watching. well lead to a dramatic change in net. [How the Capitals solved the Maple Leafs and saved the series in Game Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 4] Holtby knows his position, knows how he feels, understands the situation. Thus, he realizes that he’s searching a bit. “You just got to focus on the percentages, where [pucks] usually go if you’re taking them away,” he said. “There’s some I’ve played that you can’t really do anything about, some that I’d like to change a bit. [I’m] trying to overcompensate, almost, for the bad bounces at times with the screens and traffic and interference in front. It’s one of those times you’ve got to battle, look at video a little more than usual to see certain ways to fight through that.” This is a moment, with the top-seeded Capitals being pushed by the relentless, carefree Maple Leafs, when Washington could use what every eventual champion needs: a victory stolen by its goaltender. And yet, they’re coming off three straight games in which Holtby has allowed four goals. Now, goals-allowed is a complex equation involving the quality of the defense, the odd bad bounce — say, off Nate Schmidt’s face in Game 3 — opportunities for the opposition with the extra man, and lengthy overtime battles, such as Game 2, which went more than 90 minutes before Holtby allowed the fourth goal. “He’s playing fine,” Coach Barry Trotz said Thursday. “It’s just not very predictable right now because there is stuff that is bouncing all over. It’s a pinball machine out there a little bit.” Still, The Caps need better than “fine.” It’s worth looking at Holtby’s body of work, and that clearly shows that a three-game stretch like this is an outlier. Prior to this series against the Leafs, Holtby had 46 postseason starts and allowed as many as four goals seven times. Contrast that with the times he had allowed zero or one goals: 21 times. He has been a superior playoff goalie, one with a .937 save percentage entering this series – the best in the history of the NHL. His 1.87 goals against average was simply stellar. The Capitals had every right to expect that kind of work, whatever it took, not this kind of work, which is problematic. Holtby’s save percentage in these playoffs: .907. His goals-against average (which compensates for the three overtime games): 3.02, 12th of 16 playoff goalies. And it’s not 1060837 Washington Capitals As crazy as this dynamic is, though, the only way for it to change is for the Caps to win a championship. So come on, Caps, play every first period like you did Wednesday night. Keep winning. There’s nothing The Caps can’t just lose anymore — they’re always ‘chokers.’ Please let Caps fans want more than to see Alex Ovechkin hold a Stanley Cup over that change. his head in June. It would be awesome to celebrate a long-awaited title. And it would also be great to be a fan of a “normal” team again.

Eric Fingerhut is a lifelong Washington sports fan. By Eric Fingerhut April 20 at 10:20 AM Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017

One of my most vivid Washington Capitals memories as a youngster is the final game of the team’s 1979-80 season. In their sixth season in the NHL, the Caps needed to beat the Atlanta Flames (and for Vancouver to lose later that night) to qualify for the playoffs for the very first time. They held a lead with less than five minutes to go, but Atlanta tied it up and the game ended in a 4-4 tie. Nine-year-old me was crushed — but I had no idea that that night was just a tiny preview of a lifetime of excruciating Caps playoff disappointments. By the middle of that decade, the Caps had become an NHL power and were considered a Stanley Cup contender. And that’s when they first earned their reputation for not performing in the playoffs. In 1985, they blew a 2-0 lead in games and lost a series. The next year, they lost to a team that finished 29 points behind them in the regular season. And in 1987, they took a 3-1 series lead before losing three games in a row, the last in four overtimes in the famous Easter Epic. For the next 20 years, most Caps playoff appearances included at least one of those four features. Sure, the team finally advanced to the conference finals in 1990 with a team that had finished under .500 but got hot at the right time; and yes, they reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 after the top three seeds in their conference were upset in the first round, but both times the Caps were quickly swept in the next round. What is remembered is the nickname they acquired from a well-known local sports columnist because of all those ugly losses: “choking dogs.” When the Ovechkin era began in earnest with a playoff appearance in 2008, finally it seemed a young, dynamic Caps team was ready to shed that old label and regularly become a postseason power. And then history just repeated itself. They lost 2-0 series leads (to Pittsburgh in 2009, and the Rangers in 2013). They got beat by a team they were much better than in the regular season (Montreal in 2010). They blew 3-1 series leads (Montreal in 2010, and the Rangers in 2015). They lost an excruciating multi-OT game (Rangers, 2012). And that “choking dogs” thing never went away. Before the Red Sox started their title run in 2004, Bill Simmons wrote about how he wanted the Red Sox to win the World Series not just because he wanted to win a championship, but because it would make the Red Sox a “normal” team. He meant that every time the Sox lost a playoff game before 2004, they couldn’t just lose, they were always “cursed.” And in the hours since the Caps lost to Toronto on Monday night, I finally understood what Simmons meant. The Caps can’t just lose anymore — they’re always “chokers.” The #Capitals face another make-or-break night in the playoffs. Anybody else feeling deja vu? pic.twitter.com/EOfcdFZ812 — Express (@WaPoExpress) April 19, 2017 Certainly, the Caps haven’t earned much benefit of the doubt when it comes to overcoming adversity — although the team did come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series against an inferior team in 2009, and won a game seven on the road against the defending champions in 2012. But we’ve gotten to the point where the local and national media, as well as some fans, treat anything negative the team experiences in the playoffs as not just poor play or a loss, but as a character flaw, a “choke” — and a harbinger of certain doom. Have a bad first period in Game 1 of a series? “See, nothing’s changed, they’re still chokers.” Lose a game in double overtime? “Choking dogs.” Go down 2-1 in a best-of-seven series, as they did this past Monday night? “Why did we even pay attention to the regular season? What’s the point? They’re just choking dogs.” Some seem to act as if it would be better for the Caps to finish in third place in their division every year and barely qualify for the playoffs, instead of being the best team in the league the last two regular seasons. Sports radio hosts have been openly speculating over the past week on whether the Caps will lose a significant chunk of their fan base if they lose this series against the Maple Leafs. (This despite the fact that no big-four team in Washington has won a title since January 1992, and in that time, the three non-hockey teams in town have qualified for the playoffs 18 times in 62 combined seasons.) 1060838 Washington Capitals

The Capitals and Wizards delivered playoff wins, but don’t forget about the Nats

By Scott Allen April 20 at 7:57 AM

Wednesday marked only the second time in eight opportunities over their 42 seasons of coexistence that the Capitals and Wizards won playoff games on the same day. The first time was two years ago Friday, and there are a few similarities between that memorable night and D.C.’s latest rare double-dose of playoff euphoria. Both times featured wins in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, by the Wizards over the Raptors in 2015 and the Capitals over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Both times featured Capitals wins on the road that evened their first-round series at two games apiece. Both times featured John Wall doing John Wall things (26 points, 17 assists in 2015; 32 points, 9 assists on Wednesday). And both times the Nationals joined in the fun with curly Ws to make it a bona fide D.C. sports trifecta. [The Caps and Wizards deliver a double-dose of desperate drama] This time of year, the Capitals and Wizards typically command more attention than the Nationals, both in the sports pages and among fans of all three teams. While the Capitals and Wizards are playing for their postseason lives every few nights, the Nationals are still less than one- tenth of the way through their regular season. Baseball will be there when the city’s hockey and basketball teams either flame out or do the unthinkable, but Bryce Harper and the Nationals are once again making it difficult to relegate them to a second (or third) screen in the meantime. On Sunday, before the glow of the Wizards’ Game 1 win over the Hawks at Verizon Center had faded, Harper crushed a walk-off home run to beat the Phillies at Nationals Park. It was reminiscent of the time in May 2015 when the Nationals’ right fielder hit a walk-off to beat the Braves 30 minutes before Paul Pierce made his ‘I called game’ buzzer-beater against the Hawks in a second-round playoff game. On Wednesday, while Wall was staking the Wizards to a first-half lead and Tom Wilson was making Maple Leafs Coach Mike Babcock eat his words north of the border, Harper rounded the bases following his second home run of the first two innings in Atlanta, a grand slam. Harper finished 4 for 4 with three runs scored and five RBI and now has six home runs. Ryan Zimmerman added a grand slam for good measure in the eighth inning of the Nationals’ 14-4 win. The blowout wasn’t as dramatic as the walk-off win that Yunel Escobar delivered to cap D.C.’s first such trifecta two years ago, but it was noteworthy on a night when the Capitals and Wizards played much bigger games. At some point, maybe even over the next few weeks, the D.C. sports trifecta will become so commonplace that it doesn’t warrant a mention every time it happens. Even so, three wins in one night will never get old. Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060839 Washington Capitals knowing that you’re going to squeeze someone out. But I couldn’t be happier for how he’s been rewarded. … Believe me, he’s human. I’m sure he’s not thrilled with it, but he doesn’t let it show. That’s the most In a series that shows off his speed, the Capitals’ Nate Schmidt is shining important thing, and it allows me to be comfortable as well.” “I don’t think he had a Voodoo doll or anything,” Shattenkirk then cracked. By Isabelle Khurshudyan April 20 at 6:33 AM “Fantastic person,” Trotz said of Schmidt. “He brings tons of energy. His drivetrain is real high, all of those things you love in a player. So, he’s got an opportunity and he’s making the most of it.” TORONTO — Capitals Coach Barry Trotz seemed to sense a message from Nate Schmidt on Wednesday night, when in Game 4 against the Washington Post LOADED: 04.21.2017 Maple Leafs, he got a second assist in as many games and could have had a goal were it not waved off for goaltender interference. “Should have been his goal,” goaltender Braden Holtby said. “Right now, he’s making a statement going, ‘You’re not getting my spot back,'” Trotz said after the Capitals’ 5-4 victory. “That’s good on Nate.” Schmidt got into the lineup for Game 3 of this first-round series between Washington and Toronto because defenseman Karl Alzner was ruled out with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The best skater on the Capitals’ blue line, Schmidt has impressed in the past two games against a young, speedy Toronto team. On Monday night, Schmidt was on the ice for every Washington goal. On Wednesday night, he assisted on Washington’s first of the game, and he was on the ice for the game- winner by T.J. Oshie. [How the Capitals solved the Maple Leafs and saved the series in Game 4] Alzner is considered to be day-to-day and skated Wednesday afternoon. But even when he does get healthy, it’s unclear if Schmidt will come out of the lineup because his speed is well-suited in this series. For Schmidt, this is a sort of reward for his steadfastness. A year ago, Washington traded for Mike Weber at the trade deadline, cutting into Schmidt’s playing time down the stretch. When Schmidt had a costly turnover in the postseason, he was benched. He played regularly this season, one of the Capitals’ most-improved players on the blue line, but got pushed out by the trade-deadline addition of defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He remained patient as the team’s seventh blue-liner, and he’s played even better in the opportunities he’s had since the trade. “Nothing for me to lose,” Schmidt said earlier this week. “He’s stepped in and played phenomenally,” Holtby said. “Ever since the other game here in the regular season, he’s flying, using his legs, making the quick plays. He’s a great player, and I think it hasn’t been an easy road for him the last couple years with deadline moves and such. I think this time, he’s much more mature. He says, ‘You know what, I’m a good player, and I’m just going to show it when I get an opportunity.’ That’s what he’s doing. He’s going to be a good player for a long time, and he’s showing what he can do.” [Svrluga: Capitals move back to their least comfortable state: Favored] Before the game, the Capitals focused on cleaner breakouts with Holtby more involved in playing the puck from the trapezoid and moving it to the defensemen for quicker exits. That negated some of the headaches Toronto was creating with speedy forecheckers. It also highlighted a strength of Schmidt’s, a one-man breakout because of his smooth skating ability. On a top-four pairing with John Carlson, Schmidt skated 19:10, a playoff career-high, as Trotz shortened his bench to nine forwards and four defensemen. When Washington was shorthanded in a five-on-three situation to start the third period, Trotz had Schmidt on the ice, showing his trust in him. “It helped me feel the rhythm a little bit better,” Schmidt said. “It helps you feel the game, how it’s pulsating, how the play is going. I thought Carly and I did a really good job, and we limited opportunity and created some of our own.” Before Monday’s game, Schmidt acknowledged the trade for Shattenkirk was hard for him personally because it meant he wouldn’t be playing anymore. “When you lose a spot to a guy like that, it makes it a little easier to swallow, but he’s a tremendous player, and for me, you can actually learn a little bit from him. That’s the best you can do,” Schmidt said. Shattenkirk appreciated how welcome Schmidt made him feel despite the potential awkwardness of the situation. [Best and worst from the Capitals’ Game 4 victory over Toronto] “There was never any animosity, that’s for sure,” Shattenkirk said. “It was refreshing. It’s tough to be a new player coming to the locker room and 1060840 Washington Capitals

Trotz: ‘I think we’ve figured out how we have to play’

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Thursday, April 20, 2017

Given the stakes of Game 4 for the Capitals, Washington coach Barry Trotz called his team’s 5-4 win a “real test for us.” Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a push with a late goal, but this time, the Capitals held on. Now as the teams head to the Verizon Center for Game 5 on Friday with the series tied 2-2, Trotz said the Capitals have to continue to build toward a 60-minute effort. Toronto has also pushed the Capitals to step up. “We are getting really mentally tough in this series, cause we’re getting — we’re working, and you create your own luck,” Trotz said. “They’ve got some strange goals, and that sometimes can play in your mind a little bit and we fought through that. “I thought [Wednesday] was a lot of fighting through stuff and we did. That was really good for us.” Trotz also conceded that a 60-minute domination doesn’t usually happen in the playoffs. But there are areas that the Capitals will look to clean up, specifically the way they end periods. In Game 4, Washington committed two penalties seconds apart near the end of the second period to give Toronto a 5-on-3 opportunity. The penalties were another instance of mental lapses, akin to when Capitals forward Lars Eller was called for high-sticking 15 seconds before overtime in Game 3, which they lost 4-3. Toronto also scored with 40 seconds left in the second period in Game 3. Trotz said his team has to stay on its toes. “We sat back a little more than we needed to,” Trotz said. “I think we’ve got to continue just pushing forward, staying on top of them. We started just sort of going into that neutral-zone forecheck a little bit too easily. And then they put it in there and they’re throwing pucks everywhere. They’re not too selective, as you can see.” The Capitals, though, have been able to limit Toronto’s chances with adjustments, namely breaking the puck out and having bodies at the net. Washington was able to maintain a two-goal lead for most of Game 4 because it forced a series-high 29 giveaways. Toronto coughing up the puck allowed the Capitals to control breakaways and dictate the offense. “You see some of those goals, (Toronto goalie Frederik) Andersen’s having a tough time fighting through traffic,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said after Game 4. “He’s a good goalie, so we’ve got to get in front of him. You see all of the goals in the playoffs; it’s generally some traffic that causes the goalie to lose it for a second.” Trotz has tweaked lineups, as well. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk played only 13 minutes in Game 4 after being a minus-4 through the series, although his ice time was partly affected because the Capitals had fewer power play chances. Wilson, meanwhile, moved to the third line. Alexander Ovechkin also got more involved, with his team having a plus- 6 shot attempt differential when he was on the ice in full strength, his best outside of the power play. Trotz previously said it was on him to get Ovechkin more ice time. Trotz also said the Capitals are wrapping their head around what they have to do. “I think we’ve figured out how we have to play and we’ve just got to do it for longer,” Trotz said. Washington Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060841 Washington Capitals Carlo and Adam McQuaid are progressing, but he doesn’t expect them to play in Game 5.

The Senators aren’t missing three of their top four defensemen but could Trotz: Caps victim of ‘strange goals’ as series shifts to DC again be without Mark Borowiecki because of a lower-body injury and miss forward Tom Pyatt after he left Game 4 with an upper-body injury. Mentally, though, Ottawa is healthy and at peace with its situation in the By STEPHEN WHYNO - Associated Press - Thursday, April 20, 2017 series. “It’s important (to close it out) but you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, we have to do this,’” center Kyle Turris said. “If it doesn’t happen next game, we’re ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Barry Trotz is wondering aloud if Washington going to do the same thing the game after. We won’t get frustrated, but Capitals have been the victim of some bad bounces against the Toronto we do realize there’s urgency involved.” Maple Leafs. More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/NHLhockey “They’ve got some strange goals, and that sometimes can play in your mind a little bit and we fought through that,” Trotz said Thursday. “We’re Washington Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 getting really mentally tough in this series because we’re working, and you create your own luck.” With the series tied 2-2 going into Game 5 in Washington on Friday, the Capitals are facing a bigger test than anyone ever imagined. Morgan Rielly said the Maple Leafs have earned the right to feel confident, and players don’t believe they’re all even in this series because of luck. Quite the opposite. Echoing their coach, who noted they weren’t at their best and still were within a goal in the Game 4 loss , defenseman Connor Carrick called Game 4 an “opportunity missed.” “We didn’t play anywhere close to what we’re capable of,” goaltender Frederik Andersen said. Had the Maple Leafs erased a 4-1 deficit to take command of the series, the pressure would have been squarely on the Presidents’ Trophy winners with the checkered playoff past. Already the Capitals were looking tight and the expectation is still on them to win and advance. “I think we got our heads on straight right now on how we want to play, and unfortunately it’s taken us a couple games to get there,” right winger T.J. Oshie said after the game. “So we want to improve on (Game 4) and get even better, but I think (Wednesday night) was a right step breathing- wise. Breathing is essential for a team that hasn’t made it past the second round in the past decade with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, and is facing major roster changes this summer no matter the result. This is Ovechkin’s best chance at the Stanley Cup, and everyone knows it. “Yeah, I’m sure for him it’s hard not to think about that type of thing,” Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri said. “But I think he’s not the only desperate one that’s going to be out there. I think we’re going to be a desperate team fighting to bring the series back to Toronto up a game. It’s desperate for both groups, but yeah, I’m sure he’s feeling it a little bit.” Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are at the start of their contending window. They’re playing with house money and sound like the more confident bunch. “We’re capable of winning this series,” winger Matt Martin said. “We just have to stay the course.” Maple Leafs at Capitals, series tied 2-2 (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN) Washington defenseman Karl Alzner’s status is unclear after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury. He skated with a handful of other players Thursday, and Trotz termed him “day to day.” Braden Holtby, who has allowed 14 goals in four games and has a .902 save percentage, also skated. Trotz called it “a pinball machine out there” and said he wasn’t worried about Holtby but didn’t exactly give his reigning Vezina Trophy winning goaltender’s play in this series a ringing endorsement. “It’s hard to gauge it because they’ve had a lot of strange stuff,” Trotz said, praising Holtby for being hard-nosed to handle bad bounces. “During the year, goalies, they do everything on predictability and there are a lot of things that aren’t very predictable right now and that’s what at times makes Braden look like he’s not there.” Who’s actually not there are winger Brett Connolly, who played 4:26 in Game 4, and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who saw 12:18 of ice time with just one power-play shift. Depth was considered one of the Capitals‘ advantages, but Trotz shortening his bench bears watching. Bruins at Senators, Ottawa leads 3-1 (7:30 p.m. ET, USA) Boston is still banged up and is now on the brink of elimination. Interim coach Bruce Cassidy said injured defensemen Torey Krug, Brandon 1060842 Washington Capitals “Everybody has to do their job that way (so that) when you get close on a guy and you have the close support, you can outnumber and put him in situations where you can get the puck back,” Boyle said. “It’s not 1-on-1 How to stop a superstar is biggest challenge in NHL playoffs for 200 feet of the ice. It takes five guys.” Sometimes it takes six, and when the last line of defense falters it can be the difference in the series. Evgeni Malkin has eight points and Crosby By STEPHEN WHYNO - Associated Press - Thursday, April 20, 2017 six for the Penguins, who have taken it to the Blue Jackets and struggling goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in going up 3-1.

Tom Wilson plays hero for Capitals in Game 4 win over Leafs

By - Associated Press - Thursday, April 20, 2017

TORONTO (AP) - Tom Wilson’s homecoming of sorts has proven to be crucial for the Washington Capitals. Wilson scored twice and saved a goal from his own net in Washington’s 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 on Wednesday night. “I think it’s that time of year, there’s been some fabulous heroes, not always the ones that you think are going to be there,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “Obviously the big names are always there, but I just think he played the right way today. He’s a growing young player who is physically very strong and he’s grown to be a good penalty killer and his game continues to grow. Real happy for him.” The series is tied 2-2 and Game 5 in Washington is on Friday night. Wilson now has three goals in four playoff games, including the overtime winner in Game 1. The Toronto native had seven goals in 82 regular season games this season. Wilson’s play has earned the confidence of Trotz, who moved the winger onto Washington’s third line alongside Andre Burakovsky and Lars Eller. Washington was hanging on to a 2-1 lead with 6:31 to play in the first period when Wilson prevented the game-tying goal. A Morgan Rielly shot squeezed through the pads of Braden Holtby, but Wilson dove into the crease to clear the puck from the goal-line. Wilson gave Washington a two-goal cushion just 12 seconds later, redirecting an Eller shot. “It’s good awareness by him obviously and then that huge play right after,” Holtby said. “I probably shouldn’t let that puck get through me, he made up for my mistake there, goes down scores a goal.” Washington made it a three-goal advantage 2:23 later with Wilson finishing off a 2-on-1 feed from Burakovsky. Wilson now has five goals in eight career games at Air Canada Centre, raising the notion that he might be a bit of a villain in his hometown.. “I just take them as they come, trying to work hard,” said Wilson of the first period. “We got scored on early so we needed to bounce back.” Washington Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060844 Washington Capitals

Penguins eliminate Blue Jackets, await winner of Capitals-Leafs series

By Will Graves - Associated Press - Thursday, April 20, 2017

PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby and Scott Wilson scored 51 seconds apart in the third period, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminate the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 5-2 win in Game 5 of their first-round series on Thursday night. Bryan Rust scored twice for Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel added his second of the playoffs and Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 49 saves. The defending Stanley Cup champions will face the winner of the Toronto- Washington series in the conference semifinals starting next week. William Karlsson and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets, but Sergei Bobrovsky stopped just 27 of 32 shots to finish a forgettable series. Columbus trailed by three in the second period but had a potential tying goal waved off in the third for interference. Pittsburgh responded immediately. Crosby’s one-timer on the power play restored a two-goal lead and Wilson’s backhand less than a minute later finished off the Blue Jackets. Columbus avoided being swept with a spirited 5-4 win on Tuesday, extending the series by playing with the kind of desperation Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan insisted his team needed if it wanted to get some rest before the second round. It’s a refrain Sullivan has preached repeatedly over the last couple weeks and once again, the Penguins didn’t listen. And once again, they were able to get away with it thanks to Fleury. He fended off 15 shots in the first period alone, several of them from point- blank range. It gave the Penguins time to find their legs, and Kessel’s wrist shot from the top of the circle 9:07 into the first put Pittsburgh in front. When Rust scored twice less than three minutes apart early in the second — both of them on backhand rebounds — the Penguins appeared to be in control. The Blue Jackets, trying to extend a breakthrough season that included a franchise-record 108 points and the sixth-best record in the league, showed one last flash. Karlsson and Jenner beat Fleury twice in 2:54 at the game’s midway point and Columbus was right back in it. The surge ended when Fleury flopped to the ground after Alex Wenneberg clipped the goaltender as he fought off a check in the crease five minutes into the third. Columbus coach John Tortorella and the rest of the Blue Jackets bench erupted in anger. Things only got worse for Columbus when Crosby powered a shot from just above the goal line by Bobrovsky. Wilson pushed the lead to three when he casually tapped a backhand by a woefully out of position Bobrovsky. The Russian led the NHL in goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931) during the regular season but couldn’t keep the league’s highest-scoring team in check. Pittsburgh scored at least three goals in all five games and at least four in four of them to leave the Blue Jackets still searching for their first playoff series victory. It’s become old hat in Pittsburgh, which will have some time to rest before beginning the next step in its title defense. NOTES: Columbus F Nick Foligno was scratched following pregame warmups due to a lower-body injury. … Pittsburgh finished 5-0 at home against the Blue Jackets this season, never trailing in any of the five games. … Rust has seven goals and one assist in nine career playoff elimination games. … Columbus went 1 for 3 on the power play. Pittsburgh was 2 for 4. Washington Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060845 Washington Capitals

Wednesday night was big for D.C. sports and television ratings

By Peter Santo - The Washington Times - Thursday, April 20, 2017

Wednesday night was a busy one for DC sports fans, with both the Capitals and Wizards playing first round playoff games in primetime. The Capitals led the way with an overnight rating of 4.34 in the Washington market, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. That rating combines a 3.42 average rating on CSN as well as a 0.92 rating on NBC Sports Network. The Wizards lagged slightly behind with an average household rating of 3.28 in the Washington market. Their game was shown on CSN Plus in the DC area (it was picked up by NBA TV nationally). Game two was the highest-rated playoff game ever on CSN Mid-Atlantic or CSN Plus. The Nationals finished third with a 2.57 rating on MASN. The Capitals game peaked with a 6.34 rating near the end of the game, while the Wizards peaked with a 4.3 rating around the same time (approximately 9:30-9:45 PM). The Nationals peaked after the playoff games finished with a 3.36 rating. As for how those ratings translate to number of viewers, the Capitals averaged about 159,000 viewers between the two networks, the Wizards averaged 121,000, and the Nationals about 99,000. In all, about 489,000 people watched at least one of the three games— 229,000 on the Capitals, 158,000 on the Wizards, and 102,000 on the Nationals. Some of those viewers were likely counted twice by flipping between games. This was the second time in recent years that all three teams played on an April weeknight. That night, the Capitals averaged a 3.28 rating, the Wizards a 2.36, and the Nationals a 2.50. All three teams eclipsed those numbers Wednesday night. CSN Mid-Atlantic also recorded its highest-ever streaming numbers for Wednesday night’s Wizards game. Washington Times LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060846 Washington Capitals

BRADEN HOLTBY'S PLAYOFF STATS AREN'T VERY HOLTBY-LIKE

By Tarik El-Bashir April 20, 2017 3:10 PM

Through the Caps’ first four postseason games, Braden Holtby’s numbers haven’t been very Braden Holtby-like. In fact, this year’s William M. Jennings Trophy winner ranks 15th in both save percentage (.907) and goals against average (3.02) among goalies who have appeared in at least three games. He's allowed 2, 4, 4 and 4 goals, respectively, in a Washington-Toronto series that's knotted 2-2. For comparison’s sake, Holtby entered the playoffs with a .938 save percentage—the best postseason percentage in league history. Asked to assess his starting goalie’s play on Thursday, Trotz said he's not concerned and pointed to the number of “strange” bounces that Holtby's seen as the primary reason his play may not appear up to its usual stratospheric standards. “It’s hard to gauge it because they’ve had a lot of strange stuff,” Trotz said. “During the year, goalies do everything on predictability. And there’s a lot of things that aren’t very predictable right now. And that, at times, makes Braden look like he’s not there. But it’s bouncing off four different guys.” Trotz added: “He’s playing fine. But it’s not very predictable right now because there’s stuff that is bouncing all over. It’s a pinball machine out there a little bit.” Trotz’s point is a legitimate one. In just the two games in Toronto, one puck hit Nate Schmidt in the visor and went to Auston Matthews. Then there were the pucks that went in off of the skates of Zach Hyman and Dmitry Orlov. Another went off of Brooks Orpik’s backside. The Leafs have also scored three times on the power play in the series. “They wrist it from the point and he’s in position and it goes off of Brooks and [Connor] Brown in front,” Trotz said of Nazem Kadri’s Game 3 tally that went in off of Orpik. “Kadri threw the puck to the net. [Holtby] is expecting it to be at his chest and all of a sudden it’s changing six feet.” It should also be noted that the Leafs have done a good job creating havoc in and around the crease and hunting rebounds. In addition, Holtby has faced more shots—150—than any other goalie in the playoffs, including the 34 he saw in Wednesday’s pivotal 5-4 win at Air Canada Centre. The victory evened the series and earned the Caps the day off from skating on Thursday. But that didn’t stop Holtby from getting on the ice around 10 a.m. for some fine tuning with goalie coach Mitch Korn. “He’s a guy that wants to work and do stuff,” Trotz said, asked about Holtby hopping on for some extra work. “He’s one of those that a body in motion stays in motion, you know?” Holtby's dogged work ethic has always separated him from his peers. But it's not the biggest reason Trotz remains confident Holtby will manage to push through this challenging stretch. That would be Holtby's mental toughness. “Those are things that things that are just happening and you got to deal with that mentally,” Trotz said of the bad bounces. “And he is; he’s a tough goaltender. One thing I know about Braden is that he’s got some good Saskatchewan blood in him. He’s hardnosed and he fights through that. I’m not worried about him at all.” Holtby did not speak to reporters since it was not an official practice. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060847 Washington Capitals

WILL NATE SCHMIDT'S PLAY KEEP HIM IN THE CAPS' LINEUP?

By Tarik El-Bashir April 20, 2017 1:30 PM

Karl Alzner skated for a second straight day on Thursday, though it remains unclear when the Capitals defenseman will be ready to return to the lineup. He’s missed the last two games with an upper body injury. “Day to day,” Trotz when asked about Alzner’s recovery. Alzner took a twirl at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, but there was no contact involved. He was joined on the ice by only a handful of teammates. If there is a silver lining to losing a big-minute blue liner in the postseason, it's this: thanks to Nate Schmidt's outstanding play the past two games, the Caps have the luxury of allowing Alzner all the time he needs. Since entering the lineup in Game 3, Schmidt has been on the ice for five of the Capitals’ eight goals. Conversely, he’s only been on the ice for one Leafs’ goal—and the puck hit him in the visor before going to Auston Matthews in Monday’s game. Schmidt's plus-4 rating leads the Caps. In addition, Schmidt has two assists, which is tied for the most among the Caps’ blue liners (in half the games). He also skated 45 seconds on the critical 5-on-3 penalty kill to start the third period in Game 4. It's a small sample size and Alzner has been a big part of the Caps for a long time. But it begs the question: If Schmidt continues to play well, will he put the Caps’ coaching staff in a tough spot when Alzner is healthy? Trotz wasn’t ready to go there on Thursday. “We’ll see when he’s ready to play what our status on defense is,” is all the coach would offer up Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060848 Washington Capitals

BARRY TROTZ SURPRISED BY DISALLOWED GOAL AFTER FREDERIK ANDERSEN GRABBED NICKLAS BACKSTROM

By J.J. Regan April 20, 2017 12:45 PM

Up 4-2 in the third period in Game 4, the Washington Capitals thought they had given themselves some extra breathing room with a goal from Nate Schmidt, but it was immediately waived off by the referee for goalie interference by Nicklas Backstrom. When watching the replay, you can’t argue that Backstrom did not make contact with Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen, but it’s hard to blame him when he is getting pushed into Andersen by defenseman Jake Gardiner and literally held by Andersen. You can see the video of the play above. It’s pretty blatant. If Andersen had been a skater, he would have been called for holding. So when the goal was ultimately called back, it caught Barry Trotz off guard. “I was actually surprised that we got our goal called back to be honest with you,” Trotz said to the media on Thursday. “I look at it and I think, that's a goal. I think sometimes you look at it and you see interference, but you got to look at what the goalie's trying to do too. “I thought Andersen, honestly when I looked at it, he couldn't find the puck and I think he, from my perspective, it looked like he was looking to try to grab a call because he's wrapping his arm around Backstrom. Backstrom's actually trying to get out and they're trying to squeeze him in there and he's trying to pull him into him.” The NHL released an explanation per its situation room blog stating, “After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee determined that Washington's Nicklas Backstrom interfered with Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen.” If you find that explanation unsatisfying, well, it’s hard to blame you because it explains nothing. “It’s interference because it is.” Perhaps the NHL should explain what they believe Backstrom should have done differently on that play because there is not much he can do if he is being simultaneously pushed and grabbed. There’s even a point where he throws his hands in the air basically showing the ref that he is not being allowed to move away from Andersen. It seems like a bad precedent when a goalie can maintain contact with a player in order to get an interference call. Said Trotz, “There's gamesmanship with the goalies too.” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060849 Washington Capitals

WHO MADE THE BETTER SAVE FOR THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS, TOM WILSON OR BRADEN HOLTBY?

By CSN MID-ATLANTIC April 20, 2017 11:01 AM BY TYLER BYRUM,

With a monumental 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night, the Washington Capitals have tied the first round series at two games a piece. Easily though the Capitals would not be here without an incredible play by Tom Wilson in the first period of Game 4. After a puck squeaked under Braden Holtby, it precariously drifted toward the goal line that would have tied the game at two in the first period. Wilson, at near full speed, went diving face-first into the netting, able to get his stick out to prevent the goal. On the other end mere seconds later, Wilson ended up redirecting the same puck in the back of the Toronto net to put Washington up 3-1. Now in a season of 82 games and a playoffs that requires 16 victories to take home the trophy, its hard to place the weight of the season on a single play. However, if there was a play to call on at the end of the year, look back to this one from the Toronto native. Back in Game 3, Holtby also made an incredible save nearly 50 feet away from the pipes. For those not familar with hockey, that is pretty rare for a goalie. Now everyone knows that he is a 'Holtbeast' but was it more incredible than Wilson's key shift in Game 4? Take out the fact that Washington won Game 4 and Wilson's second goal of the night, but which individual performance was better? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060850 Washington Capitals

PREDICTION RECAP: ALEX OVECHKIN GETS MORE ICE TIME BUT NOT MUCH

By J.J. Regan April 20, 2017 9:41 AM

We’ve got a tie series! The Caps split two games in Toronto after a 5-4 win in Game 4 and now return home with the series tied at 2. Here’s a recap of the three bold predictions for Game 4. 1. Alex Ovechkin will get over 23 minutes of ice time – Not even close Interestingly enough, Ovechkin’s ice time for Game 4 was still low at just 16:31. That’s not enough. Granted, the third period started with the Caps being on the five on three penalty kill for almost an entire two minutes. That cuts into Ovechkin’s minutes for sure, but Trotz still needs to find a way to get his best player out on the ice. And while we are on the subject of playing time, Daniel Winnik got 6:37 and Brett Connolly just 4:26. Has Trotz lost faith in his fourth line? 2. Toronto will take a goalie interference penalty - Wrong I am tempted to give myself half a point here because Toronto’s fourth goal was reviewed for goalie interference, but the goal stood and, to be honest, that play wasn’t goalie interference. The referees made the correct call. The disallowed goal for Nate Schmidt? Well, that’s a different story, but I digress. I thought Toronto would be much more physical with Holtby, but they really didn’t change what they have been doing which makes sense. They are getting over three goals per game against Holtby, there’s no reason to change anything. 3. Whoever scores first will win - Correct Washington took the early 2-0 lead and finished the first period up 4-1. The rest of the game was no cakewalk though, as the Caps escaped with just a one-goal victory. That big win we all keep expecting from Washington, that 4-1 or 5-0 breakout win we all expected to see may not be coming. But, so long as the Caps escape this series, no one will care how big their margin of victory was. 2017 Predictions: The playoffs, in general, are hard to predict and this series is proving to be no different. Correct: 5 Wrong: 7 Push: 0 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060851 Winnipeg Jets

Laine, Matthews and Werenski finalists for Calder trophy

Posted: 04/20/2017 6:15 PM StAFF

Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine is among three finalists for the NHL's rookie of the year award, The Calder Trophy. Winnipeg Jets right-winger Patrik Laine is one of three finalists for the NHL's Calder Trophy, awarded to the league's top rooke. The 19-year-old finished the 2016-17 season second in scoring among NHL freshmen with 64 points and 36 goals. He will be joined by centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenceman Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the final trio. The Calder Trophy winner will be unveiled during the NHL Awards Show from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 21. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 04.21.2017 1060852 Vancouver Canucks Guess the only positive here is the Canucks are lucky they haven’t traded Hutton, yet.

Tryamkin was mentioned several times by President Trevor Linden Jason Botchford: Canucks lose Tryamkin to the KHL in a stunner during his post-mortem media conference just last week as someone the team is building around. Jason Botchford He was also said to be a player Desjardins handled well, and one he helped develop which is technically true but unfortunately Desjardins was Published on: April 20, 2017 | Last Updated: April 20, 2017 3:55 PM PDT developing him for the KHL. In his own season-ending press conference with local media here in Vancouver. Tryamkin said: One Canuck saved a bombshell for after the season, and not the good kind. “I did get a lot of pleasure working in the NHL Unless you think you can find something good in the Canucks losing one “My contract is over. It’s not determined what’s going to happen next but of their top young players. my interest is to play here.” Because that’s how it looks currently based on reports Vancouver’s 22- If there really was interest from Tryamkin, there wasn’t nearly enough. year-old, 6-foot-7 Russian defenceman has fled for the KHL and those reports include an interview with Nikita Tryamkin, who said he was not Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 04.21.2017 exactly thrilled with his lack of ice time with the Canucks. Just imagine how displeased he would have been if Erik Gudbranson never got hurt. Tryamkin is leaving the Canucks to play in the KHL for Avtomobilist instead, in a move that was announced first on the Avtomobilist web site and then confirmed by the KHL in a tweet. Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin returns to @IHCAvtomobilist after one full season with @Canucks in NHL. pic.twitter.com/3kJRLpvc0i — KHL (@khl_eng) April 20, 2017 It’s a transition which was rumoured back in early November but then Tryamkin wasn’t playing and the Canucks were urging him to go to the AHL, a move he had to sign off on because of a clause in his contract. Russian reporters said he didn’t much like how that stretch was handled by the Canucks, but any issues seemed to go away when Gudbranson was shut down because of a season-ending surgery, clearing out a spot in the top six for him. From ab0ut mid-December on, the Canucks had a pretty consistent top six, including Chris Tanev, Alex Edler, Luca Sbisa, Troy Stecher, Ben Hutton and Tryamkin. They all played more than 40 games from that date on, but Tryamkin was the only one among the six to average fewer than 19 minutes a game. He was playing 16:44. It wasn’t an issue mentioned often late in the season when people were clamouring for then-head coach Willie Desjardins to “play the kids.” It seems now, this should have been a much, much bigger story. In an interview with Russian media, discussing his return to the KHL, Tyramkin just hammered the Canucks for his playing time, if you’re to believe Google translation. Asked what his objectives were for his new team, Tryamkin said: ‘”Getting decent playing time. But not for 12 minutes in the game to come out. This I do not want. “I have experienced these feelings. When you do, I would not get pleasure from the game and (instead) just sit, look and realize that there’s nothing you can do. “And you just want to enjoy hockey, play as much as possible, try to benefit first and foremost, the team.” Tryamkin said he didn’t “understand the situation” in Vancouver, which seemed to suggest he thought he’d be entrenched in the top six to start the year, and he wasn’t. He admitted he was contemplating leaving when he wasn’t playing early in the season. He also suggested he could have played as much as any of the other defencemen, around 20 minutes, but instead was kept to 16 or even 12 minutes in playing time, and this was not acceptable, it turned out. “During the season, I was not happy with some of the matches. “Sometimes I just do not understand — why?” All of this represents a a stunning blow for the Canucks, who may still lose Sbisa in the expansion draft. Suddenly, the team that kept saying defence was an area of strength has a glaring need for young defencemen. 1060853 Vancouver Canucks Being mean and dirty, like Pronger, wasn’t one of Tryamkin’s best skills. Skating was. And the Canucks’ defence can actually use all the good skaters it can find. Jason Botchford: Defenceman Tryamkin takes offence and bolts The Canucks will qualify Tryamkin soon and can retain his rights until Canucks for Russia he’s 27 years old, which could take this to July 2022. To me, Benning did his job here. He drafted a good player with loads of Jason Botchford potential in a third round. Others let him down from there, and that’s why Tryamkin isn’t going to be where he should be this fall — playing April 20, 2017 4:34 PM PDT regularly in the Canucks’ top four on defence. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.21.2017 It was Canucks general manager Jim Benning who chose Nikita Tryamkin. He was Benning’s guy, and the draft pick was a beauty. Tryamkin is 6-foot-7 and graceful on skates. This isn’t easy. The Canucks, desperate for talent, landed a valuable one and did it in the third round. They got a player they could develop into something good, maybe more. Tryamkin could have been a game-changer for a franchise in desperate need of one or five. With a high ceiling and mountainous size, Vancouver needed Tryamkin to succeed and instead he failed, and they failed him. For a team that needs a lot to go their way to accelerate the current rebuild, this one will hurt and that hurt will linger. The official word from the Canucks is Tryamkin left for family reasons. This, of course, is part of the story. But, generally, when players choose to leave a postcard city and the luxurious, red-meat, Ritz-Carlton lifestyle of the NHL to return to a city in eastern Russia, the reasons are plenty and complex. In Russian interviews after deciding to leave Vancouver, Tryamkin has made some things clear. He’s talked openly about his ice time, or lack thereof, which was limited, even though he clearly outperformed Luca Sbisa and arguably Ben Hutton, too. He has expressed confusion about why the coaching staff in some games went to five defencemen late in third periods, keeping him on the bench. Some of us watching were confused, too. He questioned why it took so long for him to play at the start of the season (10 games), knowing the only reason he did play that first game was an injury to Chris Tanev. He seemed genuinely flummoxed as to why the Canucks asked him to go down to the AHL, when he was so adamant that he didn’t want to do this that he had a clause about it written into his contract. It’s clear there was a breakdown in communication between the coaches and Tryamkin and, language barrier or not, that falls on the team. Tryamkin did believe he was better than defencemen who were getting ice time in the first 10 games, when he wasn’t playing, and when he got his chance in the lineup he proved he was right. Tryamkin has also publicly talked about coach Willie Desjardins, though he didn’t mention that time Desjardins called out his manhood, suggesting to the press that if Tryamkin “stepped-up” during some meaningless game against the Boston Bruins that the Canucks could have won. Gimme a break. Desjardins can be kind and caring, but that stunt was a low point, and plenty of players around the league were talking about it late in the season, including Russians. There was a disconnect, and it was ongoing, between Tryamkin and the coaching staff, but his biggest issues about that staff were actually not with Desjardins. But even with a promised coaching change, a bad taste lingered, and it played a role in all of this. Those coaches were bent on getting more aggression out of Tryamkin, which isn’t one of his strengths. This was talked about openly by the coaches and there were reports Thursday that staff showed Tryamkin videos of Chris Pronger, asking him basically to do the impossible, which is “be like Pronger.” The irony is what hurt Tryamkin’s game the most this season was the penalties he took. Tryamkin was called for 27 minors. It was the most on the Canucks (no one else had more than 18) and it ranked 25th in the NHL. This for a player who missed 16 games. The issue definitely wasn’t helped by urging him to be more aggressive. Without those penalties, and the negative drag they created, there was a case to be made Tryamkin was the Canucks’ third-most-effective defenceman behind Tanev and Troy Stecher. 1060854 Vancouver Canucks Guess the only positive here is the Canucks are lucky they haven’t traded Hutton, yet.

Tryamkin was mentioned several times by President Trevor Linden Canucks lose Tryamkin to the KHL in a stunner during his post-mortem media conference just last week as someone the team is building around. JASON BOTCHFORD He was also said to be a player Desjardins handled well, and one he helped develop which is technically true but unfortunately Desjardins was April 20, 2017 1:32 PM PDT developing him for the KHL. In his own season-ending press conference with local media here in Vancouver. Tryamkin said: One Canuck saved a bombshell for after the season, and not the good kind. “I did get a lot of pleasure working in the NHL Unless you think you can find something good in the Canucks losing one “My contract is over. It’s not determined what’s going to happen next but of their top young players. my interest is to play here.” Because that’s how it looks currently based on reports Vancouver’s 22- If there really was interest from Tryamkin, there wasn’t nearly enough. year-old, 6-foot-7 Russian defenceman has fled for the KHL and those reports include an interview with Nikita Tryamkin, who said he was not Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.21.2017 exactly thrilled with his lack of ice time with the Canucks. Just imagine how displeased he would have been if Erik Gudbranson never got hurt. Tryamkin is leaving the Canucks to play in the KHL for Avtomobilist instead, in a move that was announced first on the Avtomobilist web site and then confirmed by the KHL in a tweet. Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin returns to @IHCAvtomobilist after one full season with @Canucks in NHL. pic.twitter.com/3kJRLpvc0i — KHL (@khl_eng) April 20, 2017 It’s a transition which was rumoured back in early November but then Tryamkin wasn’t playing and the Canucks were urging him to go to the AHL, a move he had to sign off on because of a clause in his contract. Russian reporters said he didn’t much like how that stretch was handled by the Canucks, but any issues seemed to go away when Gudbranson was shut down because of a season-ending surgery, clearing out a spot in the top six for him. From ab0ut mid-December on, the Canucks had a pretty consistent top six, including Chris Tanev, Alex Edler, Luca Sbisa, Troy Stecher, Ben Hutton and Tryamkin. They all played more than 40 games from that date on, but Tryamkin was the only one among the six to average fewer than 19 minutes a game. He was playing 16:44. It wasn’t an issue mentioned often late in the season when people were clamouring for then-head coach Willie Desjardins to “play the kids.” It seems now, this should have been a much, much bigger story. In an interview with Russian media, discussing his return to the KHL, Tyramkin just hammered the Canucks for his playing time, if you’re to believe Google translation. Asked what his objectives were for his new team, Tryamkin said: ‘”Getting decent playing time. But not for 12 minutes in the game to come out. This I do not want. “I have experienced these feelings. When you do, I would not get pleasure from the game and (instead) just sit, look and realize that there’s nothing you can do. “And you just want to enjoy hockey, play as much as possible, try to benefit first and foremost, the team.” Tryamkin said he didn’t “understand the situation” in Vancouver, which seemed to suggest he thought he’d be entrenched in the top six to start the year, and he wasn’t. He admitted he was contemplating leaving when he wasn’t playing early in the season. He also suggested he could have played as much as any of the other defencemen, around 20 minutes, but instead was kept to 16 or even 12 minutes in playing time, and this was not acceptable, it turned out. “During the season, I was not happy with some of the matches. “Sometimes I just do not understand — why?” All of this represents a a stunning blow for the Canucks, who may still lose Sbisa in the expansion draft. Suddenly, the team that kept saying defence was an area of strength has a glaring need for young defencemen. 1060855 Vancouver Canucks How the Canucks view their coaching situation — and how they’re going to replace fired assistants Perry Pearn and Doug Lidster — is open to interpretation because they’re not commenting on the process. They Is there room behind Canucks bench for Green and Lowry? have retained assistant Doug Jarvis and a new coach usually gets to choose an assistant.

Desjardins brought Lidster with him from the AHL Texas Stars and it’s BEN KUZMA fair to suggest that if Green takes over, he may want Comets assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner to run the defence. That would leave room for April 20, 2017 5:24 PM PDT another assistant. The fact Lowry had considerable autonomy with the Flames works for him in understanding the trickle-down effect of command as an assistant In a connect-the-dots business, the level of interest in Dave Lowry and how he might run his own bench, if it comes to that. becoming part of the Canucks’ coaching staff is understandable. “We had a real good dynamic in Calgary because there was a lot of trust The former grinding winger was a Vancouver teammate of general from Brent Sutter for people in their roles,” said McLennan. “He allowed a manager Jim Benning and director of collegiate scouting Stan Smyl in the lot of freedom for assistant coaches to voice what they thought was mid-1980s. However, it’s what Lowry has accomplished since retiring needed and Dave would run-point on a lot of practices and lineups. after the 2003-04 season and logging 1,084 career games with five NHL teams that has piqued the interest as a possible replacement for the fired “He was kind of like Brent’s right-hand guy and you could see that he Willie Desjardins, or to work in some capacity within the organization. was very trusted.” Former Canucks winger Dave Lowry has paid WHL and NHL coaching Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.21.2017 dues. Utica Comets coach Travis Green has been groomed for the head position and with four AHL seasons to his credit, he’s considered the front-runner. Dan Bylsma, who was fired Thursday by the Buffalo Sabres, was interviewed by the Canucks in the search to replace the fired John Tortorella and could be interviewed again in the due-diligence process. However, Bylsma has a college connection with Los Angeles GM Rob Blake and could be in contention to replace fired Kings coach Darryl Sutter. There’s something about Lowry’s connection here and body of work that’s attractive. He was named WHL coach of the year twice in the last four seasons and guided Team Canada in the 2016 world junior championship. At the NHL level, communication and preparation were his strong suits and he wasn’t afraid to stand up to veterans and commanded respect for not giving in. If Green lands the head Canucks gig, then Lowry would merit consideration to guide the Comets or perhaps serve in an assistant capacity in Vancouver. That might be a tough sell. Lowry has paid the coaching dues for a dozen seasons — nine in the WHL with Calgary and Victoria, and three as a Flames assistant — and the 52-year-old Sudbury, Ont., native is convinced he’s ready to run an NHL bench. He has reportedly talked to the Canucks, but hasn’t spoken publicly about his level of interest. But others will speak for him. Jamie McLennan and Lowry were Flames teammates and then served as Calgary assistants to Brent Sutter from 2009-12. Brent Sutter relied on Dave Lowry to help run the Calgary Flames’ bench. “You knew he was a smart guy and that he was always going to be in hockey because he had coach qualities with the way he played and understood the game,” said McLennan, a former NHL goalie and current hockey analyst. “He wasn’t a 50-goal scorer (his career high was 18) and when you’re a guy who’s a role player and maximizes his skill, those guys usually have a better understanding of what it takes to play in the NHL and stay in the NHL. And Dave was that. “He was good at identifying what guys needed. Some needed a rub on the back and some needed a kick in the ass and Dave wasn’t shy. It almost felt like he was more suited to be a head coach (with the Flames) than an assistant because a lot of times as an assistant you have to be the good cop. “He’s a sharp guy. It doesn’t surprise me that his name is mentioned for head-catching situations. And you want to pick the right job and not hitch your wagon to somebody else’s success as an assistant coach. I see Dave as a head guy.” Lowry was a pain to play against and McLennan is convinced that will help him direct his own bench at the NHL level. He had 176 penalty minutes in the 1986-87 season with the Canucks and had 168 minutes in the 1990-91 season with the St. Louis Blues. He wouldn’t give in on the ice or off of it. “Some coaches will conform and guys respected him for what he believed in — and he played like that,” added McLennan. “Whatever it took to be effective, whether that was getting under the skin of opposing players or being hard on the goalie in front of the net. He maximized himself and he’s taken that into coaching.” 1060856 Websites

ESPN / Ducks flying through the first round with balanced scoring depth, good goaltending

12:07 PM ET ESPN.com

What makes the Anaheim Ducks such a strong Stanley Cup contender? Pierre LeBrun: What doesn't get talked about as much is how late in the season the Ducks found offensive balance up front. Look at Wednesday night: Nate Thompson centered Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry. The other top lines had Selke Trophy candidate Ryan Kesler and series MVP Ryan Getzlaf as centers. Faceoff magician Antoine Vermette centered the fourth line. Talk about a matchup nightmare for the Calgary Flames. The Ducks have the goods to go deep as long as the goaltending of John Gibson holds up. Craig Custance: To me, it's Getzlaf. When he plays like one of the top centers in the game, like he seems to do every postseason, the Ducks are at another level. He certainly eases himself into the regular season, but he's clicking now with five points in the Ducks' sweep of the Flames. EDITOR'S PICKS Ducks sweep away Flames with 3-1 win in Game 4 Patrick Eaves, Nate Thompson and Ryan Getzlaf scored, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday night for a sweep of their first-round playoff series. Blackhawks officially on the brink After a crazy night of blown leads and OT drama in all four games, the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames suffered the worst damage to their playoff hopes. 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs coverage Visit the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs page to get dates, game schedules, team matchups and featured news all the way into the finals on ESPN. Scott Burnside: What's been impressive to me has been the play of the youngsters on the blue line. Without the injured Cam Fowler, who is coming off a renaissance season, Shea Theodore has risen to the challenge and is averaging 20:08 in ice time and has five points. The last couple of years have seen lots of ups and downs for the Ducks' top players, but Kesler is the favorite to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy and Getzlaf has been a beast, collecting five points. Playing without the pressure of being the heir apparent to the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference has been a bonus. Joe McDonald: The Ducks are playing solid hockey at the right time. In addition to strong goaltending, for a team to contend for the Stanley Cup, it needs all four lines and all six defensemen making contributions. Anaheim is getting all of the above, which bodes well for its chances in the West. ESPN LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060857 Websites McPhee also vividly recalls his predraft conversation with Wilson. "His interview with us was outstanding,'' McPhee said. "He's a high-, high- character person." ESPN / Washington winger Tom Wilson a villain to hometown Maple Those are not words you'll often hear from other teams or their fans Leafs -- and unlikely hero for Capitals about Wilson. The 23-year-old winger is viewed as villain No. 1 in many NHL rinks for his history of big hits -- some of them borderline -- as well as his willingness to drop the gloves with all comers. 8:06 PM ET "He's always been rambunctious," said his father, flashing another smile. Pierre LeBrun "His brother is five years older [than Tom] and was always inclusive. Tom grew up thinking that playing with guys five years older was what you did. So he went to play major junior at 16. He's just out being rambunctious and loving every minute of it. He loves to play." TORONTO -- Tom Wilson scored seven goals in 82 games this season. As for Wilson's unexpected -- and unlikely -- offense in this playoff series, The Washington Capitals winger has three big ones in four playoff games it's worth remembering that in his last season of junior in Plymouth he put so far. up 58 points (including 23 goals) in 48 games. So, he can score. Hence You have to love springtime hockey. the first-round draft pick pedigree. And while Wilson has mostly been a fourth-liner, Trotz has not hesitated to move him up in the past -- as he "It's that time of year, [with] some fabulous heroes -- but not always the did again for Game 4, promoting Wilson to the third line with Lars Eller ones you think are going to be there," said Capitals head coach Barry and Andre Burakovsky. Trotz after his team's series-tying win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. EDITOR'S PICKS "[Wilson's] game continues to grow," Trotz added. "I'm real happy for Capitals' aggression key in tying series him." Determined not to go down 3-1 to the underdog Toronto Maple Leafs, the Playoff history is filled with examples of bottom-six forwards owning big Washington Capitals turned on the jets from the opening faceoff and held moments at this time of year, and Wilson has done just that so far in a on for a big 5-4 win. wild first-round series between his top-seeded Capitals and the underdog Moment of truth for Capitals Maple Leafs. The true test of the team's talent and character wasn't supposed to come Following Wilson's overtime heroics in Game 1, you kind of had a feeling this early for the Washington Capitals. How they respond to the pressure he would try to steal a bit of the spotlight again against his hometown of needing to win now will be key. team. Kids, comebacks, unlikely heroes among playoff surprises Tom Wilson, center, has been a potent weapon for the Capitals in their series against the Maple Leafs. Claus Andersen/Getty Images Auston Matthews isn't the only youngster making waves this postseason, which has featured a raft of rallies, shocking potential sweeps and Wilson grew up just a few miles from the Air Canada Centre, dreaming of unexpected stars like Blues goalie Jake Allen. one day becoming a playoff hero for the Maple Leafs. Trotz gave the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Wilson a specific assignment when On Wednesday night, he scored twice in a huge 5-4 win over his favorite he informed him of the move Wednesday morning. boyhood team, three games after sealing the first game of the series for Washington with an OT marker. "He wanted me to stay at the net and create space for my linemates," Wilson said. "Burky is really good with the puck, Lars is a workhorse. [So "When you're a kid, you always have big dreams, and I was kind of lucky I] just kind of added a big body [that the Leafs] have to worry about a little enough to fulfill them," Wilson said Wednesday night. "It's a huge bit in front of the net and give our guys space." privilege. A lot of guys work hard to get to this level, and if you get a chance to play an NHL game it's special. A playoff game? Even better. I That big body made his coach look smart. Before he scored his two goals thought all our guys stepped up tonight. There was good scoring from in Game 4, Wilson made the save of the night. About halfway through the every line." first period, as the puck slipped through Caps goalie Braden Holtby's pads, a diving Wilson whisked it away before it crossed the line, Wilson's friends and family congregated in the stands at Air Canada protecting Washington's 2-1 lead. Centre. Years ago, they would have been sporting Leafs sweaters. But there they were, wearing perma-smiles after the game -- and Caps gear. "I knew it would be exciting," Wilson said of this series against his hometown team. "There's a great atmosphere here, great fans, we all "It's tough. I think Toronto's got a great team," said Keven Wilson, Tom's know that. It's fun to win in Toronto, for sure. And it'll be even more fun if father, adding that Leafs assistant GM and draft guru Mark Hunter and we get the win and take the series." head coach Mike Babcock have "done an amazing job. In September I said they would make the playoffs. If they beat Washington, I'll be ESPN LOADED: 04.21.2017 cheering for Toronto. ... "But my kid plays for Washington," added Keven with a laugh, who coached his son for many years into a high-end prospect. "So guess what?" Keven Wilson brought up another Hunter brother while recounting the tale of how former Capitals GM George McPhee selected his son in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2012 draft. As the story goes, according to Keven, McPhee made the pick after getting a rousing endorsement of the younger Wilson from Dale Hunter. Hunter -- the owner and head coach of the London Knights -- gushed about how Wilson had stood out for the Plymouth Whalers when they faced his Knights in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs that year. "Dale said that Tom was like a man against boys in that playoff series,'' McPhee, now the GM of the expansion Vegas Knights franchise, told ESPN.com over the phone Thursday morning from Slovakia, where he's scouting the world under-18 hockey championships. "I remember seeing Tom play at the [Top] Prospects game. On his first shift, he skated all the way down the ice and laid somebody out,'' McPhee said, recalling the annual game that showcases NHL draft hopefuls. "He was hard not to notice." 1060858 Websites

ESPN / Injured linesman Don Henderson files suit against Dennis Wideman and the Flames

7:02 PM ET Craig Custance

NHL linesman Don Henderson has filed a lawsuit against Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman and the team, a Calgary court confirmed with ESPN.com. The statement of claim for damages was filed on April 18 and is seeking damages of $10.25 million. The lawsuit was first reported by TSN's Rick Westhead. Henderson was injured during a January 2016 Flames game against the Nashville Predators when he was hit from behind by Wideman. Henderson hasn't returned to work since. Wideman was originally suspended 20 games by the NHL, a suspension that was later reduced to 10 games. The Flames, through a spokesman, declined to comment on the lawsuit. ESPN LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060859 Websites

FOXSports.com / NHL official reportedly files $10 million lawsuit against Flames’ Dennis Wideman

Pete Blackburn Apr 20, 2017 at 6:31p ET

It’s been more than a year since Calgary Flames’ defenseman Dennis Wideman found himself in hot water after body checking a linesman during a game. That incident is now headed to a court of law. NHL linesman Don Henderson has filed a $10.25 million lawsuit against Wideman as a result of the incident, TSN reported Thursday. Henderson is seeking general damages of $200,000 and an additional $50,000 for expenses like housekeeping, yard work and hospital bills, and $10 million for loss of income and future loss of income. During a regular season game last January, Wideman was left dazed (and later diagnosed with a concussion) as a result of a hit from an opponent. As the veteran defenseman made his way back to the Flames bench, he plowed into Henderson with a hit from behind and injured the official. Wideman was initially suspended 20 games by the league, which pointed to the “nature and severity of the offense,” but that ban was later cut in half by an independent arbitrator. The suspension ultimately cost him over $250,000 in pay. But the lawsuit filed by Henderson, who has yet to work an NHL game since the incident, suggests that the official suffered far more punishment. Per TSN: According to his lawsuit, Henderson suffered injuries to his head, neck back, shoulder, and right knee. He also allegedly suffered a concussion, pain, numbness and tingling in his right arm and hand, shock anxiety and depression, headaches and permanent and partial disability. … In his lawsuit, Henderson’s lawyer wrote that he “has suffered a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life, and will continue to suffer a limitation of activities and enjoyment of life.” Neither Wideman nor the Flames, who are also listed as defendants in the suit, have yet to release a comment on the matter. FOXSports.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060860 Websites

FOXSports.com / 5 reasons why the Calgary Flames got swept by the Anaheim Ducks

Pete Blackburn Apr 20, 2017 at 2:39p ET

The Calgary Flames are dead. Extinguished. With a 3-1 loss to the Ducks on Wednesday night, the Flames became the first team to get knocked out of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff ring. It only took the minimum four games for Anaheim to bounce Calgary, which may have come as a surprise to some. With that in mind, let's take a look at some reasons why the Flames are trading in hockey bags for the golf bags so soon. Goaltending Brian Elliott was not very good for the Flames during the regular season, posting a .910 save-percentage with a 2.55 goals-against-average. But he was very solid in net during his previous two playoff runs with the St. Louis Blues, so there was hope that he could turn it around this postseason for Calgary. Um, about that ... Goaltending is critical in the playoffs and it was incredibly lopsided in this series. Elliott absolutely stunk. There's really no other way to put it. He only had an .880 save-percentage while letting upwards of four goals per game. That's not going to get the job done. On the flip side, the Ducks' goaltending was solid for most of the series. John Gibson gave up four goals on 16 shots before being pulled in Game 3 (Jonathan Bernier stopped all 16 shots he faced in relief), but he bounced back in Game 4 and finished the series with a collective .926 save-percentage and a 2.60 GAA. Lack of even-strength production The Flames are strong on the top half of their roster but have been plagued by a lack of depth beyond that all year. Considering how important depth is for a strong playoff run, that was always going to be an issue for them. Unfortunately, Calgary didn't even get much production from their lineup's heavy-hitters — at least not at even-strength. Top centerman Sean Monahan led the team in points with five (four goals and an assist), but all of those points came on the power play. The Flames scored two five-on-five goals all series long, neither of which came from a top-six forward. Those top six forwards had just one point between them at even-strength in four games. That is a horrendous lack of production from the guys Calgary relied on all year long. FOXSports.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060861 Websites

FOXSports.com / The Buffalo Sabres clean house, fire coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray

Pete Blackburn Apr 20, 2017 at 10:44a ET

There’s a changing of the guard coming in Buffalo. The Sabres announced on Thursday morning that both head coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Tim Murray were fired from their posts with the club. General Manager Tim Murray and Head Coach Dan Bylsma have been relieved of their duties. — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 20, 2017 The decision comes following a disappointing season in which the Sabres finished with just 78 points in the standings, worst in the Atlantic division. Sabres owner Terry Pegula released a statement shortly after the official announcement and will be available to the media at KeyBank Center on Friday morning. Statement from Sabres Owner Terry Pegula – pic.twitter.com/4fvEmqAryV — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 20, 2017 Both Bylsma and Murray reportedly met with ownership on Wednesday. Prior to that meeting, a report surfaced suggesting that star forward Jack Eichel — the team’s No. 2 overall pick in 2015 — would not sign an extension with the team if Bylsma remained behind the bench. However, Eichel and his agent quickly refuted that report, calling it a total fabrication. Where there’s smoke there’s often fire, though, and now both the coach and the general manager are out in Buffalo. FOXSports.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060862 Websites

FOXSports.com / Tom Wilson strikes again as unlikely difference-maker for Capitals

Pete Blackburn Apr 20, 2017 at 10:05a ET

The Capitals and Maple Leafs continue to duke it out in what is the best series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far. After the Leafs took a 2-1 series lead with an overtime victory in Game 3 earlier this week, I wrote that the Capitals need to take advantage of their depth to overpower Toronto and climb back into the series. On Wednesday night, they were able to do that as they came away with a 5- 4 victory on the road to even the series. Not only did Washington get solid contributions from their heavy-hitters up front — especially Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie — but they also got a career-best performance from Tom Wilson. Wilson is more recognized for being an instigator and physical presence on the ice than he is for being a difference-maker on the scoreboard, but the 23-year-old had the game of his life on Wednesday. Not only did Wilson score twice — the first multi-goal game of his NHL career — but he also prevented a goal for Toronto with what might be the best save of the series. On a wild sequence in the first period, Wilson made a diving stick save to prevent the puck from rolling across the goal line after it trickled through Caps’ netminder Braden Holtby, then immediately went down to the other end of the ice and scored a goal on a deflection in front of the Leafs’ net. It was a hell of a swing for the Capitals, and one that ultimately made a huge difference in game decided by a single goal. Wilson, who scored seven goals all regular season, went on to add a second tally on an odd-man rush later in the period. It may not have been the sexiest overall game for Wilson, but for bottom- six depth players it’s more about taking advantage of the opportunities in front of you than it is about being sexy. Wilson was able to become an unlikely difference-maker by taking advantage of those opportunities. It wasn’t the first time he’s been able to put his stamp on this series, either. Wilson also played the role of surprise hero in Game 1 when he netted the game-winner in overtime. Through the first four Capitals’ playoff games, would anyone have guessed that Wilson would play a central role in earning both of their victories? Probably not, yet here we are. FOXSports.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060863 Websites

FOXSports.com / NHL ref gets creative to prevent rogue beach ball from interfering with play

Pete Blackburn Apr 20, 2017 at 8:53a ET

The Stanley Cup Playoffs can be an unpredictable beast. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’re reminded that things can get weird at any moment. That’s what happened in Boston on Wednesday night. During Game 4 between the Bruins and the Senators, a rogue beach ball found its way onto the ice during play and threatened to interrupt the action by causing a stoppage. But referee Brad Meier wasn’t about to let that happen. Instead, Meier showed some quick thinking by grabbing the beach ball and stuffing it under the back of his jersey, which created a hilarious visual as he skated around with the ball. Unfortunately, it didn’t serve as a solution for too long, as the ball fell out of Meier’s jersey after a few seconds. Luckily, a natural stoppage came before the ball could interfere with play. The ball was then returned to the crowd in style. FOXSports.com LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060864 Websites Somewhere along the way in Adirondack, Strader received the nickname, “The Voice,” which is like a flame-throwing pitcher answering to “The Arm” or a prizefighter called, “The Fist.” His velvety tones more CNN/Sports Illustrated / For ‘The Voice’ Dave Strader, return to the booth than justify the label, but Strader isn’t anywhere near bombastic in style. amid cancer fight is the ‘best medicine ever’ He wears black suit jackets over white dress shirts with have his initials— DRS—stitched into the cuffs. He researches hard, educates viewers, lets moments breathe. Once in 2015, the Dallas broadcast crew was out to dinner at Elway’s Steakhouse in Denver when Daryl Reaugh, the Fox ALEX PREWITT Sports Southwest color commentator and Strader’s partner, stood up. “You,” he said, pointing at Strader, “You make us better, and I want you 3 hours ago to know that.” It was Oct. 10, the opening road trip of Strader’s first season calling the Stars; by then the duo had called only one actual game together. WASHINGTON, D.C.—Inside the national broadcast booth overlooking the rink at Verizon Center, Dave Strader gets ready to call his first game Tonight at Verizon Center, though, Strader is uncharacteristically in almost three months. Settling into the play-by-play chair, he pulls a nervous. Not necessarily because he called just five games this season, hefty three-ring binder from his briefcase, crammed with info for this all during one Stars homestand in late-February, but because he hasn’t Thursday night, April 13, when the Capitals and Maple Leafs meet for seen the young Maple Leafs play all season. This makes him feel Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in about an hour and a unprepared. He slips on a headset and fiddles the announcer’s console. half. “One, two,” he says. “One two. That sounds good, actually.” Glasses perched low on his nose, Strader flips through pages of It took an alignment of the cosmos for Strader to even come. After NBC laminated rosters; notebook paper with handwritten bio blasts; printed Sports executive Sam Flood asked if he wanted to work the playoffs, charts of each team’s salaries; and two hardstock cards covered with Strader laid out a list of conditional criteria: The assignment had to be on colorful Post-It notes, arranged into the projected lineups. He prefers the East Coast, close enough to Glens Falls, in a city with a downtown using Post-Its because he can shuffle them as coaches tinker lines on arena and located near a major medical center. For that last reason, the ice. The NHL, especially the Stanley Cup Playoffs, can be so Strader had met with the Capitals’ team doctors upon arriving at the rink unpredictable that way. Almost four decades behind microphones have and arranged overnight contacts at Georgetown University Hospital. And taught Strader to expect every possible scenario. it was why, a few minutes before warmups, he puts down the headset Basketball was his first love, you know. “That’s what’s really weird about and calls Colleen, reassuring her that proper measures were in place. me ending up in hockey,” he says. Growing up in small-town Glens Falls, “I gave him a little bit of what I’m going through.” Strader says. “Feel fine? N.Y., he’d huddle under the covers at night with a transistor radio, Yeah… listening to Andy Musser announce the 76ers or Marv Albert narrate the Knicks. Those were his heroes, the guys who gave him the broadcasting “Right...No...He’s in my phone, I’m in his phone, and if anything bug. In an early effort to learn their craft, Strader started taping calls on happens….yeah. his cassette recorder. He still remembers one massive Knicks comeback against the Bucks, particularly how Albert set up a critical pair of free “Alright, well I’ll check with you at intermission. throws by Bucks guard Lucius Allen: “You will know from the crowd reaction.” The line itself amuses Strader, who delivers it with a spot-on “Alright. Love ya.” Albert impersonation. But more than that, he loves what Albert did next: The horn sounds on the first intermission, Toronto ahead by a goal, and shut up. “I thought, that is really cool,” Strader says, “that a guy could say the broadcast cuts to commercial. Strader rises slowly, using one hand to so little and tell you so much and let you live in the moment.” steady his back, and fetches a container of peach yogurt from the mini- By his junior year at UMass-Amherst, Strader was calling Minutemen fridge. Over the past 10 months he’s lost almost 60 pounds and three suit games courtside at the Palestra and Madison Square Garden. The sizes, but his restricted diet still allows only soft foods. So he went to following summer he married his high-school sweetheart, Colleen, a Legal Seafoods twice in Washington. So he brought cottage cheese, burgeoning dental hygienist who was a cheerleader while Dave played cranberry juice and a fruit cup in case Game 1 reaches overtime, which it on the Glen Falls basketball team. Upon graduation they moved to does in the Capitals’ 3-2 win. southern California. Strader dreamed of becoming the next Albert, the As Strader spoons the yogurt and dissects the first period with partner audible author of some NBA team’s journey. Instead, his first paid gig Brian Boucher, his iPad glows with texts. Support has streamed from all was calling “eight-man football games from atop scaffolding, atop a angles since last spring, when doctors diagnosed Strader with Chevy van.” cholangiocarcinoma, otherwise known as bile duct cancer. Dallas players NHL wore patches on the ice this season, designed like a microphone with DS inside the stand, while broadcasters around the league pinned the same From Madison to Midtown, a Wisconsin trio leads Rangers in NHL logo to their lapels. playoffs Never once did Reaugh, who shifted into the play-by-play role while Homesickness tugged the couple back east to Glens Falls, where fate Strader underwent treatment, enter an opposing NHL rink and field at sparked Dave’s career. A minor league hockey team was coming, he least a handful of well-wishers asking to pass along their sympathies. learned, an affiliate of Detroit soon to be named the Adirondack Red Last summer, when some Glens Falls friends who host an annual charity Wings. Strader had never seen the sport live before. Shortly after the golf event for Alzheimer’s research instead dedicated proceeds to the new Garden opened in 1968, Strader and one of his brothers went to Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the Stars contributed a package of two watch a day-night basketball doubleheader. The Blackhawks also round-trip plane tickets, two lower-bowl seats and two nights in a hotel. happened to be in town to face the Rangers, so upon spying Bobby Hull At home Colleen is running out of shopping bags to stash all the letters and Chico Maki in the lobby of the Statler Hilton, Strader’s brother and cards. geeked out and sprinted to ask for autographs. An unimpressed Strader replied, “Who?” And now here arrived another wave in Washington, buzzing into the iPad: He had no choice but to learn. For six years Strader called in the minors, doubling as Adirondack public relations department and making $11,000, Just watched the first period. Welcome back!!! until Detroit promoted him to the big leagues in ‘85. Strader figures he You sound so strong!! Carry on brother! might’ve just stayed with the Red Wings forever had ESPN’s Tom Mees not tragically drowned in ‘96, which opened the door for a national leap. Good to hear you on TV Strads. Hope you’re doing great!! An eight-year run at the Worldwide Leader ended post-lockout when OLN acquired the NHL’s cable rights and Strader’s contract expired, but That last one came from John Tortorella, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ not before his thirst for hoops had been quenched with 40 annual head coach. He also texted Strader on Oct. 26, when Dallas hosted college, WNBA and D-league games. He has hopped around sunbelt Columbus for Hockey Fights Cancer Night at American Airlines Center. hockey markets—the Panthers, Coyotes, and currently the Dallas Stars. Since Strader wasn’t healthy enough to attend, the team had invited his He worked the Winter Olympics in Torino (‘06) and Sochi (‘14) and called 28-year-old son Trevor, an aspiring Broadway actor, to sing the national basketball in London (‘12). He has voiced 18 consecutive Stanley Cup anthem and drop the ceremonial puck. Not 10 minutes before the Finals for NHL International TV, including Detroit's back-to-back titles in opening faceoff, Strader received a message from Tortorella reporting '97 and '98 with ex-Red Wings partner Mickey Redmond. He served as that Trevor had done the family proud. NBC’s postseason No. 2 behind Doc Emrick. And later this year, Strader Colleen remembers learning about Dave’s disease in May ‘16, after he will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as the 2017 recipient of the Foster returned from Dallas’s second-round, Game 7 loss to St. Louis Hewitt Memorial Award, the sport’s highest honor for broadcasting. experiencing severe stomach pain. “It felt like I had been kicked with a To the organization, seeing Strader in the booth again brightened an steel-toed boot,” she says, and all the unknown factors multiplied their unexpectedly gloomy campaign. “It was one of those injections,” Reaugh distress. According to the CDC, “rare cancers” carry rates of less than 15 says, “a moment late in the season that seemed to really mean new cases per 100,000 persons annually; cholangiocarcinoma affects something.” At his first game on Feb. 18, Dave and Colleen walked from only 6,000 total in the entire United States each year. Ultra-rare, in other the parking lot to the arena with forward Antoine Roussel, who then words. One oncologist told Strader that the median survival rate was 11 recorded his first career hat trick in an overtime win over Tampa Bay. months, though he was about a decade below the average age, then 60 Team president Jim Lites, the same executive who gave Strader his first years old. Hearing this, Strader asked how long the 90th percentile lived. full-time job in Adirondack, remembers conducting an interview together “Three years,” the doctor said. Strader nodded and resolutely replied, for NBC News, which Strader spent snapping selfies because he’d never “What do we have to do to get to that?” seen Lites in makeup. “That was my mindset from the beginning,” he says, “how we’re going to Courtesy: Dave Strader get into that group that has better luck and better survival numbers and push this horizon back one day at a time.” To Strader, calling those five games was “the best medicine ever, the best part of therapy.” But he finds energy from plenty other sources. On Much of this has involved a battery of treatments, ranging from his iPhone, Strader has saved quotes from Craig Sager and Stuart Scott, chemotherapy to surgery to stents that require replacement at the late broadcasters who fought and died from cancer. And every so Massachusetts General Hospital every 10 to 12 weeks. But equally as often he rewatches Jim Valvano’s famous 1993 ESPYs speech for important to Strader are the breaks in between. One came last summer, inspiration. “One of the reasons I wanted to do this and be public, a lot of when his second grandchild, Charlie—whose smiling picture is the people would look at this initially as being entirely hopeless,” Strader background on his iPad—was born. Though he couldn’t see Trevor belt says. “I never ever wanted to look at it that way.” the Star Spangled Banner in person, Strader made it to Sonoma, Calif. in August for three outdoors shows of the Transcendence Theater Even when friends ask, though, how can he possibly explain the true Company’s Broadway Under the Stars. Each night Trevor, a tenor, sang depths of his treatment? The trip to see Trevor in Sonoma coincided with two numbers with a female soprano: “Make Our Garden Grow,” from the the end of Strader’s third chemotherapy session, which left him feverish operetta Candide, and Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma. The latter rendition and experiencing night sweats. A second combination of drugs triggered was the only song to receive standing ovations all three performances. a ventricular cardiac event, in which Strader’s heart was moments away from stopping before nurses shook him back to consciousness. Upon Clearly Trevor inherited the musical genes from his father. One of Dave’s getting back from Detroit, he checked into the hospital and went into friends jams in a band called the Sundowners, so whenever they roll neutropenic shock because his white blood cells were bottoming out. through Glens Falls he’ll join them onstage to sing some Beatles tunes at Just because two weeks before flying to Washington, Colleen says, her a local bar. (The most recent karaoke session was last month.) He’s also husband “could hardly walk to the washroom. He had a cane. He was been known to write parody songs for friends. A popular one was based pushing around his IV pole.” Doctors told him chemo is done and surgery on the observation that, while at ESPN, broadcasts would always open isn’t an option, so he applied to several clinical trials and is waiting to get on solo shots of the play-by-play announcer, instead of a wide angle that matched with an immunotherapy drug to target his tumor. He’s anxious to showed both booth members. It’s called “Single of Me.” Sung to the advance to the interview process, “to see if we can knock this back and Beverly Hillbillies theme, the opening verses go like this: buy some real time.” Come and listen to my format for the perfect show… Rangers must forget about 'playoff hockey' if they want to beat the Canadiens If you want to please the audience there’s one sure way to go... Strader betrays none of this while working Game 1. He bounces in his Whether the game is on F-S-N or even N-B-C… chair at Verizon Center, animated in his gestures. He spends Wide shot, matchup, single of me! intermission giving advice to Boucher, an ex-NHL goalie who’s still learning to call from the booth. He digs into the cottage cheese before Now the first thing you know, there’s the analyst in the shot… overtime, currently gaining weight (five pounds) for the first time since the diagnosis. He lets the moment breathe when Capitals forward Tom Just because he played the game, he thinks he knows a lot… Wilson strikes the game-winning goal, holding a finger up to Boucher to let his partner know, Not yet. He’ll be back at the same perch Thursday But if you ask the focus group what they’d rather see… for Game 5, and maybe Game 7 if the series gets there. Who passes up Wide shot, matchup, single of me! the playoffs? And so it was perfectly fitting that NBC Sports studio host Kathryn Before the first trip to Washington, Colleen worried so much that she Tappen threw the matinee broadcast to a single shot of Strader on Feb. developed stomach problems—how Dave would get there, where he 26. Eight months after his first chemotherapy treatment, he had received would stay, what food he would eat. Her fears were mostly eased when medical clearance to call five Stars home games. Since national TV Dave connected with the Capitals’ doctor, who referred him to a picked up this Sunday matchup between Dallas and Boston, Flood colleague at Georgetown. Then she tuned into the broadcast, heard The carved out a few pregame minutes for The Voice to speak. “Strades, I Voice, and saw her cell too was blowing up with friends, everyone know when you got your diagnosis, you wondered if you would ever be amazed at how healthy Dave sounded. back in the booth,” Tappen said. “Well, here you are.” “He’s back working,” Colleen replied to them. “This is what he loves to From the first procedure, which removed Strader’s gall bladder but do. This is where he needs to be.” detected that the cancer was migrating to his abdominal wall, hockey CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 04.21.2017 served as a steady distraction. On game nights Strader still filled out his game rosters and scribbled down stats, sometimes falling asleep on the couch with the three-ring binder across his chest. Even as the Stars slipped into mediocrity—one season after earning the Western Conference’s best record, they would miss the playoffs and fire coach Lindy Ruff—Strader remained an enthusiastic presence, regularly texting Reaugh and calling the production crew with analysis. He kept looking for chances to return but never felt strong enough to endure the full routine—morning skates, pregame segments, and finally three hours of nonstop action. “I needed to know I was in a place where I could do it,” he says. In the meantime the Stars kept Strader’s spirits lifted. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the team invited him to attend its final game at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on Dec. 29. Over breakfast at the hotel, Strader received his 2016 Lone Star Emmy for live sporting events, which Fox Sports Southwest had won for a first-round game last postseason; several players then asked to snap pictures with Strader and the trophy. In the locker room after warmups, Ruff asked Strader to read the starting lineup, so he channeled his inner Knute Rockne and gave a rousing pep talk. Defenseman Esa Lindell proceeded to score within 16 seconds. “They weren’t able to hold on and win it,” Strader says, “But I took credit for helping spark them to their first goal.” 1060865 Websites unique in their own ways. It’s great they have history, that’s got to be fun for them.”

He remembers Smith as a fiercely intense, with a strong left-handed shot CNN/Sports Illustrated / From Madison to Midtown, a Wisconsin trio whose weak-side one-timer blasted 11 power play goals in ‘09-10, leads Rangers in NHL playoffs Smith’s third and final year at Wisconsin before turning pro. No wonder the Badgers reached the NCAA title game, because that blue line was loaded. Justin Schultz, then a 19-year-old freshman, just posted a ALEX PREWITT career-best 51 points during the regular season with Pittsburgh. Sophomore Jake Gardiner is leading the entire Stanley Cup playoffs in Thursday April 20th, 2017 average ice time, is a critical piece in Toronto’s quest to upset the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals.

Indeed, when asked for his memories, Smith replies while laughing, NEW YORK—On Feb. 28, the day before the NHL trade deadline, Blake “Well, first, I think we were better than everybody. I think we naturally had Geoffrion tapped out a group text to three of his former University of more skill, but on top of that, it was the work ethic that Mike Eaves Wisconsin men’s hockey teammates: “Boys getting the band back brought into the room, this life of, ‘You also work harder than your together, eh?” opponent and your skill will take care of it.’ It’s what we did.” The responses were brief, some "haha"s and "looking-forward-to-it"s, but First-round series provides Sharks and Oilers a lesson in dealing with Geoffrion understood the radio silence. “They’re not big texters,” he says. playoff pain Plus, Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan were plenty busy in New York, respectively serving as team captain and an alternate for the playoff- The blue line’s sturdiest workhorse, the same role he serves today for the hunting Rangers. And defenseman Brendan Smith had just been shipped Rangers, was McDonagh. “A freak in the gym,” says Geoffrion, who from Detroit to join them, reunited in Manhattan after three years together alongside McDonagh served as a team captain in ‘09-10. During bench- in Madison. “Camaraderie is a big advantage,” says Geoffrion, now an press tests before their sophomore season, Geoffrion recalls McDonagh assistant GM for Columbus’ AHL affiliate. “To acquire someone at the cranking out so many reps at 315 pounds that the strength coach just deadline who comes right in and already knows guys, you just feel that gave up and said, "Okay, you’re done, no more.” When he would skate much more comfortable, almost instantaneously. Teams look at that kind by the bench, Eaves swore he could hear the ice crunching underneath of stuff now.” the power of McDonagh’s legs. “We used to say, Ryan McDonagh, shot from a cannon,” Eaves says. “He was the foundation of that defensive For Smith, the fit has indeed gone smoothly. On one of his first days in group.” town, McDonagh took him on a walk around the city, working from SoHo to Tribeca, down to Battery Park and back up to Chelsea for dinner. “A If McDonagh represented raw physical power to Eaves, Stepan was the great tour guide,” Smith says. “It was him and his wife, they had the dog embodiment of mental strength. “His six inches between his head helped and their little girl, we wheeled around and they showed me around.” In make the six feet below his ears perform at a high level,” Eaves says. the first round against Montreal, with the series knotted 2-2 entering “He’s not the fastest guy around, but he’s so smart, in terms of angling Thursday’s Game 5, Smith and Brady Skjei have formed the Rangers’ and knowing where the puck’s going to be.” Ranked second nationally in most efficient possession pairing, enjoying a 57.47% shot attempt points (54) and tied for first in assists (42) in ‘09-10, Stepan signed with advantage when together at 5-on-5, according to Corsica Hockey. the Rangers that July before Eaves could deliver on a longstanding plan to make him captain. It was something Eaves had known since a bus trip Like the Rangers at-large, the three ex-Badgers haven’t produced much back from Minneapolis during Stepan’s freshman year. As he wandered offensively against the Habs -- each has just one assist. But McDonagh into the back to check on the team, Eaves saw Stepan holding court, leads the roster in average playoff ice time (25:35), while an all-situation telling jokes and playing games, “Just engaging all the classes, the workload has Stepan topping all forwards (21:06). “More than anything, seniors, juniors, sophomores, didn’t matter. He had the ability to tie they’re also the leaders of this group,” Smith says. “So to come into that, everyone together and make them part of the conversation. I remember it makes it that much more familiar.” When tough times have hit, he adds, thinking, that’s a pretty cool thing to have.” they sometimes reflect on their Wisconsin days -- particularly their run to the 2010 Frozen Four championship -- and discuss how they might’ve Rangers must forget about 'playoff hockey' if they want to beat the persevered through problems then. Canadiens “Those are guys I want to have in my foxhole,” Smith says. “They After finishing third in the ‘10 WCHA tournament, Wisconsin beat compete hard. That was, I think, the biggest thing that we took from how Vermont and St. Cloud State to reach the Frozen Four. Playing at Ford we played. We put it out there on the line. For some of the younger guys, Field in Detroit, they then pummeled RIT in the semifinals, 8-1, behind that’s what we want to show in this room. That was the way of life.” two goals from Stepan. The day before the championship game, Geoffrion won the Hobey Baker Award. But he and the Badgers were He failed to mention the importance of farts. blanked by Boston College, 5-0, in which Eaves recalls Stepan crashing The word was exfuviation. into the end boards during the third period, suffering a concussion, and never returning. "B.C. played a perfect game,” Geoffrion says. “It was just “E-X-F, or E-X-P-H,” spells Mike Eaves, the former Wisconsin coach, like, this wasn’t meant to be. But we played hard, man. Probably the “and then U-V-I-A-T-I-O-N. I don't think that’s a real word. But you can most fun I had playing hockey in my career, just because of how close ask Brendan all about it.” our team was, how hard we worked.” Exfoliating is a spa treatment. Animals exuviate when they shed their Now the trio has migrated to midtown, where the series against Montreal outer skin, or feathers, or hair. Those are real words. Exfuviation, on the will return regardless of what happens Thursday night at Bell Centre. All other hand, is an invented term that Eaves somehow came to believe three have been on longer playoff runs since college -- McDonagh and was legit. “It means to pass gas,” he says, but for one Badger it simply Stepan to the ‘14 Stanley Cup Final and the ‘15 Eastern Conference meant, “Calm down.” Whenever Eaves thought Smith was getting too finals; Smith to Game 7 of the second round with Detroit after the ‘12-13 emotional during games, torturing himself too hard for mistakes, Eaves lockout. But after Smith arrived in the locker room, it was only natural for would find him on the bench and whisper, “Exfuviation.” Then, “he’d relax them to feel a jolt of reminiscence. a little bit.” So what about Rangers forward and Boston College alumnus Chris Over the phone, Eaves laughs. He’s calling from his coaching office at Krieder, whose third-period goal for the Eagles helped flip a 1-0 contest St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, not far from the peaceful into the eventual 5-0 blowout? lakeside cabin where he lives. At St. Olaf Eaves works with modest means compared to the 14 seasons he spent helming Wisconsin. For “I tell him to try to pipe it, try to nix that right away,” Smith says. “And we instance, the small D-III liberal arts school only hired its first full-time don’t talk about it.” athletic director in July 2015. Still, he’s plenty happy — to be molding a CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 04.21.2017 program in his image, to have seen gradual progress over a 7-15-3 season, to flip on the television and watch three former players all wearing Blueshirts. Jake Allen's turnaround fueling Blues' playoff run “The common denominator, they’re all pretty good,” Eaves says. “At the same time, they’re all distinctly unique in their personalities, which makes it great. To say they’re all the same would be boring, but the only thing they have in common is they’re very good players, very different, very 1060866 Websites He’s not the player many would have expected to be tied for the lead in goals on the Capitals through four games, but nobody tunes into the playoffs to see the expected results unfold anyway. Tom Wilson is now CNN/Sports Illustrated / Tom Wilson emerging as an early—and living proof of that. unlikely—playoff hero for the Capitals “He’s a growing young player who is physically very strong,” said Trotz of Wilson. “He’s growing to be a good penalty killer. His game continues to grow.” JOSHUA KLOKE CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 04.21.2017 Thursday April 20th, 2017

TORONTO—Compared to the regular season, the NHL playoffs are a different beast. The spaces become smaller, the battles that much more intense. It’s the type of stage where the greatest players rise to the occasion. Which is why it’s strange that, so far in the first round of the 2017 playoffs, it is the beasts who are scoring goals and contributing to their team’s success in a big way. Take the Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound forward scored seven goals in each of the last two regular seasons and logged 296 total penalty minutes in the process. Not exactly a prototypical sniper. And yet in the Caps’ first round series against his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, Wilson has come alive. He’s scored three goals in four games, including the overtime winner in Game 1 and another two in the first period of Wednesday’s 5-4 Game 3 win. “You take ‘em as they come,” he said. It sounds simple, and maybe it is. But Wilson is not alone in terms of players who aren’t normally accustomed to finding the back of the net doing so through the first round. Zack Kassian, a 217-pound bruiser who logged just seven goals and 101 penalty minutes through the regular season, has two goals through four games with the Edmonton Oilers. Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson had three goals through the regular season and has two through the first round so far. Rangers tough guy Tanner Glass notched the first goal of the postseason against the Canadiens. And while the Alex Ovechkins of the world are still contributing offensively, having players like Wilson step up at a time when they’re needed is exactly the kind of depth that makes the Capitals a tough team to write off. “It’s that time of the year,” said Capitals coach Barry Trotz after the game. “There’s some fabulous heroes. Not always the ones you think that are going to be there.” Thanks to the unlikely contributor, Washington finds itself even with the Leafs with two wins apiece, though it’s not where the Caps pictured themselves at this juncture. Still, the newfound scoring threat says the team is keeping calm. “We didn’t want to hit the panic button at all,” Wilson said. “You want to stay even keel.” Wilson also showed some of that resolve with a calm and steady hand in the first period as he dove in behind Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to stop a loose puck from sliding into the net. “You know what, [Holtby] has been stellar for us. I know it’s going to probably hit him. I just had an eye on it that no one else did. I just tried to make sure it stayed out of the net.” Players like Wilson, a former first-round pick, very often go overlooked throughout the regular season, especially on a Capitals roster so loaded with firepower. And yet Wilson is also the type of player to keep things simple and buy into coach Barry Trotz’s game plan, which included shuffling the lines ahead of game 4. Wilson was moved up to the third line with Lars Eller and Andre Burakovsky. “He played the game the right way,” Trotz said. “He played hard. He went to the net. He got rewarded.” Wilson towed the good guy line after the game, giving credit to his teammates and refusing to allow much of the spotlight to shine on himself despite adding to his personal highlight reel. “We’ve got to have a good answer for them and tonight, for the most part, we did,” he said. Wilson knew there were people watching him tonight: the Toronto native had his dad, mom, brother, girlfriend, brother’s fiancé and “Grampy” in the Air Canada Centre crowd for the game. By the final buzzer, there were plenty of extra eyes on him, too, as his moment in the spotlight. 1060867 Websites Jones had been heroic in the overtime session, robbing Ryan Nugent- Hopkins and Connor McDavid, who came on the longer this game was played. In McDavid’s career, he has only gone two straight games Sportsnet.ca / Draisaitl arrives with best post-season game of young without a point six times. That scoreless streak has never reached three, career and he kept that stat alive with the second assist on a Mark Letestu power-play goal that made it 3-2.

Now, to San Jose, where the defending Western Conference champs will Mark Spector be a stout foe with their playoff lives on the line. April 21, 2017, 3:36 AM “Our group believes,” declared Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. “We know how bad we played in Game 4 (7-0 loss), but we were able to park it, and start again. Make amends. It didn’t look good for us, but we kept at it, and when we do that we’re a tough out. EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl speared a Shark in the groin in Game 4. In Game 5 — one Sharks fans thought he should be watching under “I’d like to think we learned our lesson now, that when you have a little bit suspension from the press box — he harpooned the whole school of of success you have to take it to another level on Saturday.” them, right in the heart. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.21.2017 Draisaitl set up a crucial goal at 18:33 of the second period that made the score 3-2 for San Jose and gave his team some belief before the intermission. Then he finished in overtime, dealing a lovely pass to unheralded David Desharnais to complete an Oilers comeback at 18:15 of overtime. Upon this thrilling 4-3 OT victory, Edmonton leads the series three games to two as it shifts to San Jose for Game 6. Draisaitl — the club’s second- most prolific scorer in the regular season — has suddenly dialled into this series with the first two post-season points of his young career. He’d been a ghost through four games. What happened? “It’s easy. It’s playoffs,” said the Cologne, Germany native, whose father Peter was an 18-year pro back in the old country. “This is what every kid dreams to play in. “The team needs me,” he continued. “The team needs everyone to play at their best. I wasn’t good the first couple of games, now this is a step in the right direction.” Draisaitl experienced his first ever phone hearing with the department of player safety on Wednesday, and was fined US $2,569.44. No one would argue he’d gottten his money’s worth on that vicious spear to Chris Tierney’s nether regions, but the NHL didn’t kick him out — which likely burns the Sharks this morning. “That’s just not who I am,” the 21-year-old said. “I’m not a dirty player by any means. I try to play hard; I try to play physical. Emotions got the best of me. You’ll likely never see that again from me.” The highlights Draisaitl made in Game 5 are what we’ve become more accustomed to from the NHL’s eighth-leading scorer this season. In an overtime absolutely dominated by the Oilers (shots 14-2), Draisaitl corralled a puck to the right of the Sharks goal long enough for Desharnais to blast past an unaware Tomas Hertl, then met him with a deft saucer pass right on the tape for a one-timer over Martin Jones’ glove hand. “Who had David Desharnais in the overtime pool!?!” asked Sportsnet play-by-play man Dave Randorf, and the call was perfect — because no one did. Desharnais came to Edmonton from Montreal at the trade deadline in return for defenceman Brandon Davidson, a Smurf compared to the acquisitions that general manager Peter Chiarelli had previously stocked this beefy Edmonton roster with. It was a hunch by Chiarelli, who had been enamored with Desharnais’ work as a Canadien in past series against Chiarelli’s Bruins. But to be honest, many in Edmonton were calling for Desharnais to have his own seat in the press box, having been ineffective and deemed too small to help against the big, grinding Sharks. Desharnais might have justified the trade in a single game Thursday, putting a puck on a tee for Oscar Klefbom for his game-tying, one-time blast at 17:14 of the third period. Then he scored the winner, his first two playoff points this spring and his first post-season goal since May 17, 2015. “Daniel Briere once told me that he's always had success in the playoffs and he visualizes himself scoring goals,” said Desharnais, who is almost certainly heading for the unrestricted free agent market on July 1. “I did that tonight and I got the goal. Everybody can be a hero just on one shot. You need to think that.” “That's how you win in the playoffs,” Draisaitl said. “You need guys that maybe usually don't put the puck in the net. Davey was unbelievable tonight. Assist to tie it, goal in overtime. Huge props to him.” 1060868 Websites From Pacioretty’s early miss in the slot, to the two blown power plays in the opening five minutes of the second period, to the short-handed 2-on- 1 chance Phillip Danault rang off the post in the third period, to Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ misses could cost more than just Game 5 loss Pacioretty’s clean breakaway opportunity as time ticked away in to Rangers regulation time; the Canadiens had the bullet in the chamber and ended up shooting themselves with it.

“It’s like everything else, you’ve got to find ways,” said Julien. “Whether Eric Engels it’s power play, 5-on-5, we’ve got to find ways to win games.” April 21, 2017, 12:40 AM What's behind Max Pacioretty's playoff goal scoring woes? ANDREW BERKSHIRE MONTREAL — Max Pacioretty stood with his hands at his hips, wearing The Rangers did. a defiant look on his face as he stared down reporters and said his team had to be disappointed about a blown opportunity. Brady Skjei finished off the only good chance his team had in the second period to tie the game 2-2. And Chris Kreider took advantage of his There’s no doubt about it. team’s momentum in overtime — they outshot the Canadiens 10-3 in the extra frame — to set Mika Zibanejad up with the game-winner at the His Montreal Canadiens let two precious one-goal leads — and a myriad 14:22 mark. of opportunities to ice a pivotal game in their series against the New York Rangers — slip away. As a result, they lost 3-2 in overtime and are now It should’ve never gone that far. staring elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the face. “That’s what the playoffs are all about,” said Gallagher. “You can’t take “Nothing really we can do about this now,” said Pacioretty. “There were your foot off the gas. Look at what’s going on around the league right opportunities to close out the game… now. There’s a lot of comeback wins. You’ve got to be able to play with the lead, hold those leads. You can’t feel comfortable with a one-goal “We have an opportunity now to show what we have in this room. We’ve lead. I don’t think we sat back or anything, but we got a little loose with come back a lot this year, and hopefully we can do it in this series as our play and it cost us tonight.” well.” It could cost the Canadiens much more. History — according to Elias Sports Bureau — says the Canadiens have a 21.9 per cent chance of doing it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.21.2017 In order to pull through in Game 6, they’re going to have to forget about how they held a 2-1 series lead after dominant games that followed a series-opening loss, and they’ll definitely have to erase the missed opportunities in Game 5 from their memories. There was much promise in the air for the home side at the Bell Centre on Thursday. In a first period played at breakneck speed, the Canadiens scored two goals, had 15 shots on net, threw 25 hits and won 65 per cent of the faceoffs. When Artturi Lehkonen drove in on the forecheck in the eighth minute of the frame, the fans moved to the edge of their seats. When he trapped Marc Staal, stole the puck from him, and cycled the play out to Nathan Beaulieu, they rose. And when Lehkonen corralled Beaulieu’s point shot, beat Staal to the outside, and jammed the wraparound through Henrik Lundqvist’s pads to open the scoring, they nearly broke through the sound barrier. A short-handed goal by Jesper Fast scored just under four minutes later quieted the crowd for 24 seconds. Then Brendan Gallagher scored on the power play to restore the lead, and the volume in the building got cranked back up to 11. Still, an opportunity missed by Pacioretty — who had come into the game with just one assist to show for his efforts through the first four — felt like a moment that would require review if the Rangers would be able to creep back into the game at a later point. Ryan McDonagh was sprawled out on the ice in front of him, holding his head and writhing in pain, and Pacioretty had a wide-open lane to the slot and a chance to uncork his weapon of choice: the wrist shot that has been responsible for so many of the 219 goals he’s scored in this league. He got all of it, and so did Lundqvist. The Canadiens didn’t sulk about it, they came out to work in the second period, pushing the play towards New York’s end and limiting the Rangers to just two shots on net through the first 12 minutes. But then the tide turned. “We didn’t play a good second half of the game,” said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. “We weren’t as hungry on the attack as we were at the start when we were throwing more pucks at the net and getting there. When we were able to do that, we were winning our battles along the boards. Then we started losing those battles and they took over. You have to continue to play for 60 minutes the way we played in the first half. Tonight we played maybe 30 minutes, it wasn’t the type of game we needed to play.” Even still, the chance to go back to New York with a 3-2 series was ripe throughout. 1060869 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Pegulas the latest owners to fall victim of being fans

John Shannon April 20, 2017, 7:10 PM

Terry and Kim Pegula’s hearts are always in the right place. They have been loyal to Western New York. They have saved both the Buffalo Sabres and Bills from outside investment and potential relocation (football more than hockey). They have invested billions into downtown Buffalo. They have stabilized the business of pro sports in that city. And what do they have to show for it? A disgruntled fan base, and it appears, dysfunction on the operations side of the sports world. The latest chapter for Pegula Sports and Entertainment saga appears to be the knee-jerk reaction typical of a fan. Rumblings of player discontent with coach Dan Bylsma have been permeating for the past eight weeks. Jack Eichel’s alleged claim that he wouldn’t re-sign with Buffalo if Bylsma remained only exacerbated those rumblings. This is certainly far from the dream that the Pegulas had when they purchased the team from Tom Golisano in February of 2011. They were fans of the hockey team. Terry waxed poetic about his love for the early Sabres, and Gilbert Perreault and his French Connection linemates Rene Robert and Richard Martin. He has always paid respect, and continues to to pay respect to Sabres greats, as any true fan would. What has followed is a constant roller-coaster ride of emotions for the hockey team that could hardly be described as healthy. And it appears to have started from Day 1, from the overpayment of Ville Leino, to the Pat LaFontaine experiment, then the return of Ted Nolan and dismissal of president Ted Black, the Sabres always appear to be in a constant state of flux. And now, after a few years of being the saviours of the Sabres, the Pegulas are now being criticized for not creating a world of stability for the hockey team. A state that occurs when ownership feels it knows better than the hockey experts. We’ve seen it before in other cities, and I suppose we always will. It is after all, their money. The Buffalo rebuild has taken time. It appears it will take longer than both Edmonton and Toronto. As a Sabres fan, that has to be frustrating. Just imagine being a fan and the owner. It’s even more frustrating, but ex-manager Tim Murray should not be blamed for losing the draft lottery for Connor McDavid. Nor can he be blamed for Auston Matthews being born two days after the deadline day for the 2015 draft, and potentially a better second-overall pick than Jack Eichel. Where Murray can take some blame, perhaps, is signing Byslma to a contract, rather than Mike Babcock (who rejected the offer from Buffalo). There's also the fact that Murray’s plan was taking longer than those of Peter Chiarelli and Lou Lamoriello, which I believe mitigated his position with ownership. Rebuilding most franchises takes time. Well beyond drafting generational players. There are things that had to happen with the Sabres. A coaching change? Yes. There’s no doubt Byslma lost support of the roster in Buffalo. There was a total disconnect. As one insider told me, "Dan Bylsma was selling himself and his system. The players weren’t buying what the salesman was selling.” Where Murray erred was being an old-fashioned hockey guy, falling on his sword and not firing Bylsma when he was asked. But the disconnect the players had with the coach pervaded into the owner's suite. And that’s not healthy. As the owner, you have to trust what your manager believes. It probably isn’t in the best interest of the franchise, if the whim of a fan becomes team policy. It is a recipe for disaster. The rebuild isn’t anywhere near finished, and now they have fired the architect. From a business perspective, it makes no sense. From a fan's perspective, it is the norm. And you can’t run a professional sports organization if you’re a fan. You have to have trust in the technocrats to build your team for the long term. And no one knows what that timeline truly is, particularly the fans… owner or not. Being a fan, it would appear, got in the way of being an owner, again. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060870 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Tim Murray’s ouster not a surprise to those paying attention

Gare Joyce April 20, 2017, 7:47 PM

I’ve known Tim Murray for about 20 years. As a scout he’s put a great record together; Ottawa Senators fans can never thank him enough for making an out-of-the-box pick that paid out with Erik Karlsson. Yeah I know, no one scout owns a draft pick but Karlsson’s an exception and really good picks had a way of following Tim around at stops he had made along the way in Anaheim, New York, and Ottawa before he took the GM’s job in Buffalo. That said, I tried not to think about this day, namely the day when owner Terry Pegula would fire him. Yeah, it’s a hired-to-be-fired business but still, you don’t want to go there. Should we have seen it coming? Everyone should have. He inherited a coach, Ted Nolan — a Pegula hire to win a news cycle with the fans — who wasn’t Murray’s choice and never would have been. Anyone who saw the press conference with the new GM standing beside the coach could read the body language — there was going to be no co-existing. Disdain wouldn’t have been a strong enough word, in part because at an emotional level Tim never had done anything in half measures. Or three quarters. Or 15/16ths. Pat LaFontaine was hanging around as well when Tim came in. No one could figure out his role and Pat, a great guy, seemed like even he didn't want to be there. Which is to say, Pegula already established his love for big gestures, however empty. He bought a franchise going in the wrong direction, created more dysfunction and handed it to Tim to fix. Tim had assistant GM on his resume but that was working for Brian Murray who was family and with whom Tim had an extended working history. He had always managed up with people he knew and trusted and people who knew the NHL. He was not your average GM. He was sine qua non. Remember when he lost the lottery and ended up with the No. 2 pick in the McDavid draft? That they-shot-my-dog reaction. He knew that McDavid didn't just represent a turnaround for the organization, but also job security. And then there was the Mike Babcock sweepstakes and the Sabres came up with the silver medal once again. I'm sure Pegula pins it on Tim. After all, the owner is on a lifetime winning streak. How would Babcock and McDavid look in Buffalo right now? They'd be bigger than The Beatles. When Jack Eichel suffered that high-ankle sprain at the start of the season both he and Tim were hobbled. It was going to be a rough ride. I don't want to say that it was the beginning of the end. I suspect it goes farther back than that, but Eichel's injury fast-tracked it. I wouldn't criticize Tim on any single count as a hockey man. The one thing I'd say though is that for better or ill he gets married to his evaluations — the one that bit him was Robin Lehner, a goaltender that he drafted and then traded for and I can't figure out why. Then again, the problems in Buffalo only started in net and fed out and ultimately up to the owner's box. Murray started assembling his scouting staff on arrival but really this year was the first that he had every piece in place. Great, an owner who brings in someone to build through the draft and then starts the meter running like a taxi idling outside the arena. I know what Tim is thinking: He doesn't just want back in the game but he wants to work for a team that picks after the Sabres so he could show Pegula what he's missing out on. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060871 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski named finalists for Calder Trophy

Sportsnet Staff April 20, 2017, 6:49 PM

Patrik Laine, Auston Matthews, and Zach Werenski are the nominees for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s most proficient rookie. Laine scored 36 goals for the Winnipeg Jets, second among rookies, and seventh most of any NHLer this season. The second pick of the 2016 NHL Draft played in 73 games and turned 19 years old on Wednesday. Matthews led all rookies in goals (40) and points (69). Only Sidney Crosby scored more goals than 2016’s No. 1 pick this season, which also saw Matthews lead the Toronto Maple Leafs in points en route to their first playoff berth since 2013. He played in all 82 games this season. The last Leaf to win the Calder Trophy was Brit Selby in 1966. Werenski led rookie defencemen in goals (11) and points (47). The 19- year-old averaged played 20:55 a night while appearing in 78 games for a Columbus Blue Jackets team that finished with a franchise-high 108 points. He also set a new Columbus record for assists and points by a rookie. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060872 Websites series. That’s all they can hang their hat on now after displaying a lack of killer instinct in Game 5.

“If I don’t have confidence in my team I have no business being here,” TSN.CA / Lack of killer instinct has Habs on brink of elimination Julien said. “I believe in this team because they’ve showed it numerous times in coming from behind, they’ve shown a lot of character in the past. This is their chance to show it again.” By Frank Seravalli TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017

MONTRÉAL — Now, Brendan Gallagher said, is when we will learn about the Montreal Canadiens. But what if we’ve already learned all there is to know? Whenever it ends, the final handful of minutes of regulation in Game 5 may have told the story of the 2016-17 Canadiens, with the Habs failing to convert on two glorious chances to put away the New York Rangers. They won’t be served up on a platter any better than a Max Pacioretty breakaway and a two-minute power play - all in the final seven minutes of a tied pivotal playoff game at home. Henrik Lundqvist sticked away Pacioretty’s shot to keep him goalless for the series and the Canadiens didn’t register a single shot on the man- advantage. The Habs are on the brink now. The flame of a once promising season can be snuffed out on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, after Mika Zibanejad delivered the dagger for New York with his overtime winner with 5:38 to play in the extra session. For Montreal, a team built to win now, they were the kind of chances that could haunt long into the summer. “There were opportunities to close out the game,” Pacioretty said. “[Lundqvist] made some good saves and they got a bounce on that goal, but there’s nothing to do about it now.” The odds are stacked against the Canadiens, even in a series where the margin has been so incredibly razor thin. The team to take Game 5 has gone on to advance in nearly 80 per cent of series tied at 2-2 in NHL history, according to WhoWins.com. The Rangers are also 6-1 in series in which they have turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead in best-of-seven series. “I think everyone knows exactly what needs to be done,” Carey Price said. “There’s no secrets.” Few would give the Canadiens a chance to win the series at all if Pacioretty were to be held off the scoresheet completely. That is a distinct possibility after his breakaway miss, with the voices seemingly only growing louder. After leading the Habs with 35 goals and 67 points, Pacioretty has just one assist to show for a team-high 24 shots on-goal in five games. He had 13 shot attempts on Thursday night, but no tangible result. Even if Pacioretty scored on each of his next three shots in succession, he would still fall short of his career average shooting percentages. Claude Julien didn’t mention his captain by name, but Pacioretty is one of the few possible targets when the coach says two or three times in his post-game press conference that he needs his best players to perform. “In order to get through this we’re going to need more from a lot of guys,” Julien said. “It’s going to be time for everybody, certain players to elevate their game and have that confidence and that desire to be better. There’s no doubt.” The Canadiens didn’t sit back on their lead in Game 5, but they had very little sustained offensive zone pressure in the last half of regulation - which was puzzling considering how much of the ice they controlled in the first half. Julien couldn’t have asked for a better start. Their 2-1 lead - like their edge in the series - slipped through their fingers. Any one of those two chances would have erased the Rangers' momentum, and a hurricane of criticism for Pacioretty. Instead, it opened the door for New York to score on any number of prime chances in overtime before Zibanejad finally turned out the lights. They may not shine again until October in the Bell Centre. “We’re going to learn what type of character we have,” Gallagher said. “If you don’t have character, this is the time you’re going to doubt yourself. If you do have character, this is where the belief is going to come out.” The Canadiens have more come-from-behind wins than any other team in the NHL this season, a trait they have shown once before in this 1060873 Websites

TSN.CA / NHL linesman Henderson files $10.25M lawsuit against Wideman, Flames

By Rick Westhead

(Updated: 6:07pm et) - National Hockey League linesman Don Henderson has filed a $10.25 million lawsuit against Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman more than a year after Wideman hit Henderson from behind during a game against the Nashville Predators. CTV News and TSN have learned that Henderson filed his lawsuit against Wideman on Apr. 18 in a Calgary court. Henderson seeks general damages of $200,000, special damages to pay for housekeeping, yard work and hospital expenses of $50,000, and damages for loss of income and future loss of income of $10 million. The Flames are also listed as a defendant. According to his lawsuit, Henderson suffered injuries to his head, neck back, shoulder, and right knee. He also allegedly suffered a concussion, pain, numbness and tingling in his right arm and hand, shock anxiety and depression, headaches and permanent and partial disability. None of the allegations have been proven in court. No statements of defence have been filed. A Flames spokesperson did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. Wideman hit Henderson during a Jan. 27, 2016, game in Calgary. Wideman was suspended by the league for 20 games as a result of the incident, the second-longest suspension in league history for abusing an official. The NHL said in a video explaining the discipline that Wideman was diagnosed with a concussion after that game, but that his being disoriented was no excuse for “the nature and severity of the offence he committed on the ice.” After an independent arbitrator reduced Wideman’s suspension to 10 games, the NHL went to court in New York in an attempt to vacate the arbitrator’s decision. The league lost that court battle on March 15. In his lawsuit, Henderson’s lawyer wrote that he “has suffered a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life, and will continue to suffer a limitation of activities and enjoyment of life.” Henderson has incurred expenses related to medical care and treatment, prescription medication and other medical supplies, hospital expenses, and other damages, his lawyers claim. “The Plaintiff has been and continues to be unable and restricted in the ability to work as he has yet to get cleared to officiate National Hockey League games, thereby resulting in a loss of income in an amount to be determined at the trial of this action,” the filing says. According to his lawsuit, Henderson suffered injuries to his head, neck back, shoulder, and right knee. He also allegedly suffered a concussion, pain, numbness and tingling in his right arm and hand, shock anxiety and depression, headaches and permanent and partial disability. The government of Alberta is also listed as a plaintiff in the case. “The Plaintiff, the Queen, claims for the cost of health services provided to the Plaintiff, or which will likely be provided to the Plaintiff in the future for the injuries suffered as a result of the wrongful acts or omission of the Defendants as alleged…” According to the statement of claim, the government has asked the court to order Wideman and the Flames to cover the cost of in-patient and out- patient services provided in a hospital, dental surgery services, optometric services, chiropractic services, services provided by a podiatrist, mental health services, drug services, or any goods or services provided by a health service. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060874 Websites one point or fewer in three games. The next three rounds Marner put up 32 points in 12 games.

Leafs, Capitals both dealing with crease concerns. @markhmasters and TSN.CA / Babcock encourages Leafs to enjoy the ride @Real_ESPNLeBrun have more. Video: https://t.co/NwEmz1t1A4 pic.twitter.com/5JCt9ZzSM9 By Mark Masters — TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 20, 2017 - Neither goalie has had the greatest series. Braden Holtby is only slightly better than Frederik Andersen when it comes to save percentage (.907 TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes versus .905). Is Babcock surprised how much offence has been from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The team held an generated so far? "I don't know what I expected," the coach said before optional practice on Thursday before travelling to Washington. taking a long pause. "Too many goals are going in. How's that?" Andersen's career save percentage in the playoffs is .914 and this is his - The Capitals may have some momentum, but the series has been as first season as the undisputed No. 1 guy for a franchise. For his part, the tight as can be. Two games each, 14 goals each and the Leafs have fired Dane admitted he needed to be better after allowing five goals on 27 just three more shots on net (150-147). "If you would have told our guys shots in Game 4. "Not the best," Andersen said on Wednesday night at the start of the series that it's 2-2 and we're going into a best-of-three when asked to assess his performance. "I wish I could have helped the they'd all do a cartwheel – if they knew how. I couldn't do it, I'd hurt my team out a little bit more, coming up bigger when they had their back," coach Mike Babcock said to laughs from the assembled media. chances." "We're in a great situation, so let's enjoy today. Let's enjoy the atmosphere, let's enjoy the playoffs, but let's compete." Is it time for the Coach Trotz talks during today's off-day... Game 5 tomorrow #CapsLeafs young Leafs to start turning some of the lessons into tangible results? #RockTheRed "This is our opportunity," the head coach noted. "We earned this opportunity. Let's make good on this opportunity. I'm not trying to tell you, https://t.co/yG5qJHlI53 pic.twitter.com/CRI1LKbw91 'Hey, they're young, we shouldn't win.' I never said that." — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 20, 2017 Martina Ortiz-Luis was singing the Canadian anthem before Game 4 when she decided to raise the microphone to the crowd and let the fans - Holtby, meanwhile, is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and owned an at the Air Canada Centre take over. It was the type of moment that gives NHL record .937 playoff save percentage coming into the series. As a you chills. "It went downhill after the national anthem," Babcock said in result, his struggles are a bit more notable. Barry Trotz was asked to analyzing Wednesday's defeat. "Martina did a heck of a job. I thought it assess his netminder when he met the media in Washington on was spectacular. Best I ever heard." As for the game? "Wasn't pretty … I Thursday. "He's playing fine. It's just not very predictable right now thought it was our least competitive game of the four." Faceoffs, wall because there is stuff that is bouncing all over. It's a pinball machine out battles, puck races, getting to the net, in all those areas the Leafs head there a little bit," the Capitals coach said. "They wrist it from the point and coach believed the Capitals had the edge. So, what was Babcock's he's in position and it goes off of [Brooks Orpik] and I think it might've message on Thursday as his team regrouped? "You have to earn the been [Connor] Brown or [Zach] Hyman in front. I think [Nazem] Kadri right to keep playing," he said. "I told the players that this morning. The threw the puck to the net and he's expecting it to be at his chest and all of greatest thing about this league and this time of year is you have to earn a sudden it's changing six feet. Those are things that are just happening the right to keep playing. Everyone else goes home. Why wouldn't you and you've got to deal with that mentally and he is. He's a tough want to play? There's nothing greater than doing this. This is the most fun goaltender. One thing I know about Braden is that he's got some good you can have. Dig in." Saskatchewan blood in him. He's hard-nosed and he fights through that. I'm not worried about him at all." This isn't Mike Babcock's first rodeo. #TSNHockey #StanleyCup https://t.co/CYzJdAoKNv TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 — TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 20, 2017 - Mitch Marner musters a small smile when asked about the state of his playoff beard. "There's nothing I can really do about it," the teenager said. "Just grind it out and see what happens. It's still pretty early." Marner has received some good-natured ribbing from teammates when it comes to his peach fuzz. "It's definitely a work in progress," Matt Martin noted with a smile. "He got mad at me yesterday because I guess I went a little hard on him with his beard, so I'm not going to humiliate him publicly." After scoring early in Game 1, Marner has struggled to make a major impact on the series. He played just 13:26 in Game 4. It was his second lowest total of the season (not counting the game in Columbus when he left with an injury). What's been the biggest challenge for Marner in his first NHL playoff series? "Probably just how much limited time and space you have with the puck," he said. "It's a lot tighter defensively. A lot harder defensive structure so that's the thing that's really been a difference maker." Does the 6-foot, 170-pound winger find the playoffs more physical? "In the regular season there's still a lot of contact, but in the playoffs it's kind of just more battles in the corners and stuff like that. That's the big difference." Martin on Marner in playoffs: "He's doing great. Got a smile on his face. Throws his body around, which is pretty funny for 160-pounder." — Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) April 20, 2017 Before the series began, Babcock noted that Marner had a track record of big-game success. "He's been a dominant playoff performer everywhere he's been so let's be that here," Babcock said on April 11. Marner, the Memorial Cup MVP one year ago with London, was asked if this playoff run is comparable to anything he's been through in the past. "Just last year and the grind of it," Marner noted. "What we had to go through in our first round. It wasn't easy. It wasn't like what we'd thought it would be. It kind of woke us up, that first series against Owen Sound that we played. I think it's going to be the same here. We just got to make sure we're coming to play every game and are not taking anything for granted." The Knights needed six games to dispatch Owen Sound in the first round of the OHL playoffs before running the table en route to the 2016 championship. During the Owen Sound series, Marner was held to 1060875 Websites

TSN.CA / Leafs say lessons learned ahead of Game 5

By Kristen Shilton

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have learned a lot of valuable lessons this season, lessons used to fuel an impressive finish to the season that pushed the team into the postseason. Now that they’re in the thick of a first-round series, tied 2-2 with the Washington Capitals, class is truly in session. The Maple Leafs don’t have the wealth of postseason experience Washington does to draw from, but that hasn’t stopped them from forcing every game in this series to one-goal territory or overtime. For 10 of the 20 players in Toronto’s lineup each night, the NHL playoffs are new territory. So spotting the Capitals a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of Games 3 and 4 and blowing their own two-goal lead in the first period of Game 1 could be chalked up to the feeling-out process of a new frontier. But with Game 5 back in Washington on tap, and momentum in the Capitals’ clutches after their 5-4 win on Wednesday, Maple Leafs young and old have to find their next gear. “The adjustment period is over. Let’s go,” said Leafs head coach Mike Babcock after a team meeting on Thursday. “Get after it. Tomorrow is a big game. You’ve got to dial in, dig in, and get yourself going and find the game you have within the game that’s available.” Toronto hurt itself repeatedly in Wednesday’s loss, committing errors that went well beyond, but started with, another poor opening. The Maple Leafs scored the most first-period goals in the NHL’s regular season (85), and gave up its fewest markers in that frame (70). While they did get on the board first in both games in Washington, their starts at home have been abysmal. “Sometimes in the regular season there’s a bit of a lull to start,” said defenceman Connor Carrick. “…The game doesn’t really start until the five-minute mark. Everyone just settles in, makes a play, gets hit, and makes a hit. In playoffs it’s off puck drop number one, you’ve got to be ready to go.” All the standard hockey clichés apply here – players have to be dialed in, have to get pucks in deep and have to execute their brand of hockey. When Toronto doesn’t do those things, they end up in the situation they were Wednesday night, getting steamrolled for the first 35 minutes and facing a 4-1 deficit before the first period ended. Babcock said after the game that it was the first time in the series against the Capitals that the Leafs “weren't scared enough of them,” which hurt how hard his team competed. “Fear can be used to an advantage,” said Toronto winger Matt Martin. “But we also want to be confident as well. You can use both. At the end of the day we were a little too relaxed going into last night and they were more desperate. We were expecting a push, we talked about it, we knew they were going to push, but in the end we didn’t execute. …That’s something we have to reassess and start when the puck drops tomorrow and not dig a hole.” Washington’s best players have stepped up their games, with the top line of Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie accounting for three goals and five points on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs countered with four points from their best line of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Zach Hyman, but it was a costly panic play by Carrick and Connor Brown with eight minutes to go in the third that led to the Oshie goal that was the difference in the game. Now facing what amounts to a best-of-three series, the Leafs need to bounce back from a game they feel was their least competitive contest of the series. “We saw some clips this morning in our meeting. Is this what the Maple Leafs are doing when we’re playing our best? No,” said Carrick. “You’ve got to answer the bell. You always expect the other team’s best and it’s our job to counter or hit first, so to speak. It’s our job to play at our pace, with our execution, in our system, [and do] what’s made us successful all season long and against Washington.” TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060876 Websites "His interview with us was outstanding,'' recalls McPhee. "He's a high, high character person.''

Those are not words you'll often hear from other teams or their fans TSN.CA / Wilson a villain to hometown Maple Leafs about Wilson. The 23-year-old winger is viewed as villain No. 1 in many NHL rinks for his history of big hits -- some of them borderline -- as well as his willingness to drop the gloves with all comers. By Pierre LeBrun "He's always been rambunctious," said his father with another smile. "His brother is five years older [than Tom] and was always inclusive. Tom grew up thinking that playing with guys five years older was what you did. TORONTO -- Tom Wilson scored seven goals in 82 games this season. So he went to play major junior at 16. He's just out being rambunctious and loving every minute of it. He loves to play.'' The Washington Capitals winger has three big ones in four playoff games so far. As for Wilson's unexpected -- and unlikely -- offense in this playoff series, it's worth remembering that in his last year of junior in Plymouth he did You have to love spring-time hockey. put up 58 points (including 23 goals) in 48 games. So, he can score. "It's that time of year, [with] some fabulous heroes -- but not always the Hence the first-round draft pick pedigree. And while Wilson has mostly ones you think are going to be there," said Capitals head coach Barry been a fourth-liner, Trotz has not hesitated to move him up in the past -- Trotz after his team's series-tying 5-4 win against the Toronto Maple as he did again for Game 4, promoting Wilson to the third line with Lars Leafs on Wednesday night. Eller and Andre Burakovsky. "[Wilson's] game continues to grow," added Trotz. "I'm real happy for Trotz gave the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Wilson a specific assignment when him." he informed him of the move on Wednesday morning. NHL playoff history is filled with examples of bottom-six forwards owning "He wanted me to stay at the net and create space for my linemates," big moments at this time of year, and Wilson has done just that so far in said Wilson. "Burky is really good with the puck, Lars is a workhorse. [So a wild first-round series between his top-seeded Capitals and the I] just kind of added a big body [the Leafs] have to worry about a little bit underdog Maple Leafs. in front of the net and give our guys space.'' The thing is, after Wilson's overtime heroics in Game 1, you one kind of That big body made his coach look smart. Before he scored his two goals had a feeling he would try to find a bit of the spotlight again against his in Game 4, Wilson made the save of the night. About halfway through the hometown team. first period, as the puck slipped through Caps goalie Braden Holtby's pads, a diving Wilson whisked it away before it crossed the line, Man of Stihl: Tom Wilson protecting Washington's 2-1 lead. After saving a goal, Tom Wilson cruised down the ice and buried one of "I knew it would be exciting," Wilson said of this series against his his two-goals against the Maple Leafs to help the Capitals even up the hometown team. "There's a great atmosphere here, great fans, we all series and earn Wednesday's Man of Stihl. know that. It's fun to win in Toronto, for sure. And it'll be even more fun if we get the win and take the series." Wilson grew up just a few miles from the Air Canada Centre, dreaming of one day becoming a playoff hero for the Maple Leafs. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 On Wednesday night, he scored twice in a huge 5-4 win over his favorite boyhood team, three games after sealing the first game of the series for Washington with an overtime marker. "When you're a kid, you always have big dreams, and I was kind of lucky enough to fulfill them," Wilson said on Wednesday night. "It's a huge privilege. A lot of guys work hard to get to this level, and if you get a chance to play an NHL game it's special. A playoff game? Even better. I thought all our guys stepped up tonight. There was good scoring from every line." Wilson's friends and family congregated in the stands at Air Canada Centre. Years ago, they would have been sporting Leafs sweaters. But there they were, wearing perma-smiles after the game -- and Caps gear. "It's tough. I think Toronto's got a great team," said Keven Wilson, Tom's father, after Game 4. "(Leafs assistant GM and draft guru) Mark Hunter, in his recruiting, and Babs (head coach Mike Babcock) behind the bench, they've done an amazing job. In September I said they would make the playoffs. If they beat Washington, I'll be cheering for Toronto. ... "But my kid plays for Washington," said Keven, who coached his son for many years during Tom's development into a high-end prospect, with a laugh. "So guess what?" Keven Wilson brought up another Hunter brother while recounting the tale of how former Capitals GM George McPhee selected his son in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2012 draft. As the story goes, according to Keven Wilson, McPhee made the pick after getting a rousing endorsement of the younger Wilson from Dale Hunter. Hunter -- the owner and head coach of the London Knights -- gushed about how Wilson had stood out for his Plymouth Whalers junior team when they faced his Knights in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs that year. "Dale said that Tom was like a man against boys in that playoff series,'' McPhee, now the GM of the expansion Vegas Knights franchise, told ESPN.com over the phone on Thursday morning from Slovakia, where he's scouting the world under-18 hockey championships. "I remember seeing Tom play at the (Top) Prospects game. On his first shift, he skated all the way down the ice and laid somebody out,'' McPhee said, recalling the annual game that showcases NHL draft hopefuls. "He was hard not to notice.'' McPhee also vividly remembers his pre-draft conversation with Wilson. 1060877 Websites

TSN.CA / Wilson plays hero for Capitals in Game 4

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — It's not always the big names that are going to win you games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That was proven Wednesday night as Capitals forward Tom Wilson scored twice and saved a goal from his own net in Washington's 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4. "I think it's that time of year, there's been some fabulous heroes, not always the ones that you think are going to be there," Caps coach Barry Trotz said following the win. "Obviously the big names are always there, but I just think he played the right way today. "He's a growing young player who is physically very strong and he's grown to be a good penalty killer and his game continues to grow. Real happy for him." The win tied the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Friday in Washington. Wilson now has three goals in four playoff games, including the overtime winner in Game 1. The Toronto native had seven goals in 82 regular season games this season. Wilson's play has earned the confidence of Trotz, who moved the winger onto Washington's third line alongside Andre Burakovsky and Lars Eller prior to the game. Washington was hanging on to a 2-1 lead with 6:31 to play in the first period when Wilson prevented the game-tying goal. A Morgan Rielly shot squeezed through the pads of Braden Holtby, but Wilson dove into the crease to clear the puck from the goal-line. Wilson gave Washington a two-goal cushion just 12 seconds later, redirecting an Eller shot past Frederik Andersen for his second goal of the series. "It's good awareness by him obviously and then that huge play right after," said Holtby. "I probably shouldn't let that puck get through me, he made up for my mistake there, goes down scores a goal." Washington made it a three-goal advantage 2:23 later with Wilson finishing off a 2-on-1 feed from Burakovsky for his third of the series. Wilson now has five goals in eight career games at Air Canada Centre. "I just take them as they come, trying to work hard," said Wilson of the first period. "We got scored on early so we needed to bounce back." Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said before the series that the six-foot- four, 210-pound forward wasn't a big concern prior to Game 1. "When you're a kid you always have big dreams and I was kind of lucky enough to fulfil them. It's a huge privilege," Wilson said. "There's a lot of guys that work hard to get to this level and to get a chance to play in an NHL game is special and a playoff game is even better." TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060878 Websites Boston is still searching for a solution. I don’t think one exists. That’s why the Senators are one game away from moving on to Round 2.

TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 TSN.CA / Karlsson is dominating the Bruins

By Travis Yost

Last week, I posited a simple question to the Ottawa Senators: How do you plan on slowing down the Patrice Bergeron line? The Bergeron line (including wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak) was coming off of a monstrous Game 1 and little has changed on that front. They aren’t scoring right now, but the ice is comically tilted when they are out there for 15 or so minutes a night. This has been a consistent theme throughout the season – it seems no team really has a solution for slowing that group down other than a little hope and prayer. Ottawa is a unique team from a matchup perspective though. While they still don’t have an answer for the Bergeron line, they can counter in a way most teams can’t. The Bruins don’t have an answer for Sens defenceman Erik Karlsson, and considering he plays significantly more than Bergeron (or Marchand, or Pastrnak), the advantage slides the way of Ottawa. I mentioned that the Bergeron line has dominated for four games. The problem is that Karlsson has more than offset the Bergeron line, creating a situation where Boston is emphatically losing about half of the game at even strength. That’s a problem for many reasons, not the least of which concerns how much pressure you put on your top line to score goals – something the Bruins trio isn’t doing right now. Consider the shot differentials with the Bergeron line and Karlsson both on and off of the ice. You can see the clear divide I’m talking about in both instances: Embedded Image From a pure territorial advantage, both units are picking apart the opposition (note: scoring chances are strikingly similar from a percentage basis). But the disparity on the Karlsson side is the clear takeaway here. Boston is getting absolutely caved in whenever he’s on the ice, and that’s close to half of the game (he’s averaging close to 28 minutes a night). That puts an incredible amount of pressure on the Bruins to try to win the minutes he’s not out there. If the goals aren’t coming – and they aren’t right now for Boston – you’re in a bad spot. A lot has been made about Karlsson’s scoring (he already has five assists in the series, a few of which have been of the highlight-reel variety), but the real hallmark of this series is in the data above. Boston simply can’t sustain offensive zone pressure when he’s out there. If they lose the puck, he recovers it and instantly breaks out – something the rest of the Ottawa defensive corps struggles with. Far too frequently he takes a high-pressure situation in the defensive zone and turns it into offensive zone time. The question for Boston is pretty simple: What do you do with your lines? Do you throw your elite trio against him as frequently as possible and hope your depth beats Ottawa’s? Or do you let him run roughshod on your weaker players and hope that the Bergeron unit starts scoring? I don’t think there are any great answers. Karlsson has pretty much had the better of every regular Bruins player he’s faced. Here’s how his aggregated shot differential looks against any player he’s seen on a consistent basis: Embedded Image There’s not a single regular Bruins skater who is in the black against Karlsson. That’s the first problem. The second problem is that even Boston’s elite line is fighting to break even against Karlsson in the minutes they are out there. I look at this as unstoppable force versus unmovable object, but it’s notable that the Bergeron group has been pulverizing the rest of the Senators. The further north you get on the graph, the more trouble you have had in the series. Guys like Zdeno Chara are concerning here, but note that they have played a ton of minutes head to head. Names like Frank Vatrano, David Backes and Kevan Miller have played half as many head- to-head minutes and have basically bled the same number of shots. At the end of the day, I think Ottawa conceded that they don’t have an answer for slowing down the Bergeron line. Rather, they posed a question back to the Bruins: How are you going to slow down the league’s best defender, and a guy who is going to eat up a lot of minutes? 1060879 Websites

TSN.CA / Anderson: Karlsson reminds me of Alfie

TSN.ca Staff

The Ottawa Senators are starting to heat up at the right time after picking up their third consecutive victory over the Boston Bruins Wednesday night at TD Garden to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. In the centre of everything is Senators captain Erik Karlsson who is playing some of the best hockey of his career in this opening round series. The defenceman picked up another assist in Ottawa's 1-0 shutout victory on Wednesday, giving him five helpers over four games in these playoffs. His most impressive one came in Game 3 when he made a tremendous saucer pass from his own goal line all to way to Mike Hoffman at the far blue line for a beautiful breakaway goal. With the excellent play from Karlsson, Sens goalie Craig Anderson is starting to see some similarities to a former Senators great in the 26- year-old defenceman. "He’s starting to remind me a lot like Alfie (Daniel Alfredsson), where guys are starting to kill themselves for him,” Anderson told ESPN's Joe McDonald. Sens' Craig Anderson on Erik Karlsson: "He’s starting to remind me a lot like Alfie, where guys are starting to kill themselves for him.” — Joe McDonald (@ESPNJoeyMac) April 20, 2017 The Swede put up 17 goals and 54 assists over 77 games in 2016-17, his eighth season in the nation's capital. Karlsson missed five of the last seven games of the season with a foot injury, and it's unlikely he's playing at 100 per cent right now. Alfredsson, a fellow native of Sweden and former Ottawa captain, recently topped the list of best Senators in team history. He netted 426 goals and 1,108 points over 1,178 games played in an Ottawa uniform. Karlsson was number two on that list. TSN.CA LOADED: 04.21.2017 1060880 Websites general manager, the rebuilding process is expedited. The Toronto Maple Leafs, located 98 miles up the QEW highway from Buffalo, are proving that. USA TODAY / For the Sabres, dysfunction starts with ownership The Pegulas must understand that because they tried to hire Mike Babcock as his coach before the Maple Leafs did. Kevin Allen , USA TODAY Sports Published 2:17 p.m. ET April 20, 2017 | USA TODAY LOADED: 04.21.2017 Updated 13 hours ago

Shouldn't the first call by Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula be to former Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi? In Buffalo today, some fans are thrilled with the Pegula family's housecleaning, which included the firing of general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma. Some point fingers at young star Jack Eichel. Others believe the Pegulas' ownership hasn’t provided stable leadership. Since 2011, the Pegulas have parted ways with eight team executives and coaches. Since 2012, Lombardi has won two Stanley Cup championships. All we know for sure is that there’s a mess in Buffalo and the job description for the new general manager should read: Clean up on aisle 26. Only four teams had fewer points than the Sabres this season. Nobody is innocent in this case. While Murray only had three years to turn around a troubled team, the Sabres took a step backward this season. A disconnect between Bylsma and players was evident. In the modern game, communication is the currency of coaching. Success doesn’t happen unless players buy in. Players don’t have to like the coach, but they have to believe in him. Blaming this on Eichel is unfair. He’s 20, and still sorting out how to be a star and a leader. Eichel had ups and downs with Bylsma. But young players always go through this. Remember Joe Thornton in his early years in Boston? How about Steven Stamkos with Barry Melrose? Mike Modano years ago with Bob Gainey? Eichel was guilty of wearing his heart on his sleeve, letting his grievances show outside the dressing room. But he didn’t get Murray and Bylsma fired. At the start of this season, there were whispers the Pegulas had some discomfort with Murray’s style. Murray is likable guy, much appreciated by the media because he says what he’s thinking. He is refreshing in that regard. But he can come across as unpolished. More than once, his honesty has made folks within the organization cringe. He knows the league. He knows the game. He didn’t always know when it was best to say nothing. Perhaps that gave him a short leash. The Pegulas bear much of the responsibility for the Sabres’ troubles. The Sabres were a playoff team when the Pegulas bought them in 2011, but they have missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons under their stewardship. They keep hiring new people, but getting similar results. They must not be asking the right questions. The good news for the Sabres: A long list of quality candidates for both the GM and coaching job are available. If the Pegulas want to hire another fresh face, as they did when they hired Murray, they have a long list of quality people. That list includes Pittsburgh’s Bill Guerin (assistant GM) and Jason Botterill (associate GM), Nashville’s Paul Fenton (assistant GM), Calgary's Craig Conroy (assistant GM) and the New York Rangers’ Chris Drury (assistant GM). Drury was a captain in Buffalo. The other positive for the Sabres is their talent. Eichel is a franchise player who will compete for the scoring championship for many years to come. Rasmus Ristolainen is a difference maker on defense. Forwards Sam Reinhart and Ryan O’Reilly will also be part of the solution. The Sabres were headed in the right direction before becoming a dysfunctional family this season. That’s why the Pegulas may be inclined to seek someone who has already proven they can push a team over the top. The list is topped by Lombardi, a man with a reputation of being both polished and organized. He is a complicated thinker who leaves no stone unturned when pursuing excellence. When a team has a foundation player like Eichel, it shouldn’t take forever to become a competitive team. If you hire the is the right coach and 1060881 Websites

USA TODAY / NHL playoffs 2017: Who said you need experience to thrive?

Kevin Allen , USA TODAY Sports Published 12:22 p.m. ET April 20, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago

Experience is supposed to be king in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But here are five less heralded players age 23 and under who are significantly helping their teams in the postseason: Right wing Tom Wilson, 23, Washington Capitals: When Wilson was drafted, scouts envisioned the big, physical winger would eventually have a major impact on a playoff series. While Wilson hasn’t developed into the scorer the Capitals hoped, he has three goals, include an overtime tally, in the first four games of the first round this season. He’s tied with Ovechkin for the Capitals' goals lead. Wilson also made a dramatic play to clear the puck out of the Capitals' crease in Washington's 5-4 win on Wednesday. He scored twice in that game for the first NHL multi-goal contest of his 345-game career. That includes both the regular season and playoffs. Left wing Jake Guentzel, 22, Pittsburgh Penguins: He’s the first player to score five goals in his first four NHL playoff games since Maurice “Rocket” Richard did it in 1944. None of this is surprising because Guentzel scored his first NHL goal on is first NHL shift. He entered the league well schooled because he’s the son of University of Minnesota associate coach Mike Guentzel. The younger Guentzel is slick and slippery in the offensive zone. He has meshed well on a line with Sidney Crosby. “I don’t think the stage is too big,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think he has a quiet confidence about him that he has displayed since Day 1.” Defenseman Shea Theodore, 21, Anaheim Ducks: With Sami Vatanen injured, Theodore has stepped up. He was a big factor in the Ducks' first- round sweep of the Calgary Flames, averaging more than 20 minutes per game. With two goals and three assists, he ranks 10th in playoff scoring. He had nine points in 34 regular-season games. Theodore is a first-round pick from the 2013 draft and has been considered a blue-chip prospect. Left wing Rickard Rakell, 23, Anaheim Ducks: He matured into a 33-goal scorer this season and has continued that impressive play in the postseason with two goals and three assists in four games. As Corey Perry’s play dropped off this season, Rakell took over as the team’s go-to goal scorer. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, 19, Boston Bruins: Last month he was playing at Boston University and now he’s averaging 25:26 minutes per night on the injury-riddled Bruins’ defense. He’s a smooth, two-way defender who hasn’t looked out of place in his first weeks as a pro. He’s smart, and a sharp outlet passer. By next season, he could be having as much impact in Boston as Seth Jones is having in Columbus. USA TODAY LOADED: 04.21.2017