SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 10/30/18 Dallas Stars 1112632 Up next for the Ducks: vs. 1112661 Mired in scoring slump, Stars Jamie Benn and Tyler 1112633 Ducks’ has a few ideas about cutting down Seguin could be split up in Montreal on opponents’ shots on 1112662 How Stars prospect Ty Dellandrea is holding up as the 1112634 How the Ducks finally showed signs of breaking their 18-year-old on a winless OHL team shooting slump in OT loss to Sharks 1112663 From murals to video games: Jason Spezza was childhood hero for many current teammates 1112635 Coyotes have earned the right to feel optimistic about this season 1112664 Why Detroit Red Wings rookie Michael Rasmussen could 1112636 For improved Coyotes, kill and defense have been land bigger role critical 1112665 Red Wings to let Michael Rasmussen develop in NHL 1112637 ‘Inch by inch’: Lawson Crouse’s steady development 1112666 Red Wings believe NHL better for Michael Rasmussen's toward becoming an NHL mainstay development 1112667 Breaks finally go Red Wings' way during tough start to Bruins season 1112638 Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy appreciates Red Sox Steve Pearce’s story line 1112639 NHL partners with MGM for 1112669 What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 win over the Rangers 1112640 Bruins notebook: Torey Krug appears ready for game 1112670 Stevens: Kings forward Dustin Brown checks all boxes action 1112671 Dustin Brown’s successful return cools Kings’ 1112641 Bruins marvel at "amazing run" for Red Sox to World temperature, for now Series title 1112672 REIGN MONDAY NOTEBOOK – BUITENHUIS, 1112642 Grzelcyk doubtful for Bruins Tuesday in Carolina with NUMBERS, MONARCHS, HOLIDAY PLAN lower-body injury 1112673 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: OCTOBER 29 1112643 Ryan Donato starting to find his game with Bruins 1112674 Special-teams play stings Wild in loss to Canucks 1112644 Sabres Notebook: Evan Rodrigues back after son's birth; 1112675 Wild-Vancouver game recap Jake McCabe's status uncertain 1112676 Pettersson scores twice, leads Canucks past Wild 5-2 1112645 As he approaches 1,000 games, Pominville still a big 1112677 Wild's five-game winning streak ends with a thud at contributor for Sabres Vancouver 1112646 The Sabres keep talking about accountability. But what 1112678 Wild-Edmonton game preview exactly does that mean to them? 1112679 Scoring first key for Wild to extend win streak vs. Canucks 1112680 Wild's Jordan Greenway gets crash course in confidence 1112681 After ‘playing with fire’ for weeks, Wild finally get burned in 1112647 Questionable officiating not enough to stop Flames in loss to Canucks 1112682 Look what the Wild’s Jordan Greenway found in Iowa: His 1112648 The glory-free days and solitary life of healthy scratches confidence 1112683 Russo: ‘Playing with fire,’ slow-starting Wild get burned this time in Vancouver 1112649 Zach Sanford had a heart-breaking decision: See his 1112684 Wild, Jordan Greenway hope his triple of confidence dying... will get him going 1112650 What happens when you remove a goal horn, loud music and... 1112651 This teenager wins Halloween with his Blackhawks- 1112685 Canadiens Notebook: An NHL paycheque hasn't changed themed costume | Chicago Sun-Times Jesperi Kotkaniemi 1112652 Blackhawks rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju shuts 1112686 Dallas Stars at Canadiens: Five things you should know down star, opens eyes 1112687 Stu Cowan: Back in black — it’s early, but Habs GM likes 1112653 Why Jokiharju could be the answer for Blackhawks what he sees struggling power play 1112688 What the Puck: Will Habs' autumn heat wave lead to cold, 1112654 How sports betting partnership with MGM Resorts could dead spring? impact NHL and teams like Blackhawks 1112689 20 Questions with Jay Baruchel: On running for office, 1112655 Connor McDavid not surprised by former linemate Alex Carlton the Bear, and what he would do if P.K. Subban e DeBrincat's emergence in NHL 1112690 The long, winding road of Jake Evans from reluctant 1112656 Blackhawks prospect review: Adam Boqvist suffers injury participant to the cusp of the NHL scare 1112691 Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen says he's 'probably not' 1112657 Baby, where did our love go? If Avs fans miss Matt going to return to KHL Duchene, they will boo him in return to Denver. 1112692 Predators goalie Pekka Rinne 'feeling great,' inching close 1112658 Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen earns NHL’s third star of the to return from injured reserve week honor 1112659 Avalanche prospects update, vol. 1: Makar, Saigeon and Devils Werner off to strong starts 1112693 Devils activate Cory Schneider; Marcus Johansson practices | What it means 1112694 Cory Schneider returns in time for NJ Devils' seven-game 1112660 Zach Werenski eases Seth Jones' return road trip 1112695 Isles' Luca Sbisa recalls tribute to Las Vegas shooting 1112731 What are the Lightning players’ best Halloween victims ahead of game in Pittsburgh costumes? New York Rangers 1112696 Rangers desperate to find a way to eliminate mental 1112732 Flames dominate large stretches, beat listless Maple mistakes Leafs 3-1 1112697 It’s time for Rangers to speed up this season’s fire sale 1112733 Leafs fall into another neutral-zone trap in loss to Flames | 1112698 Rangers working on fixing mistakes on the fly The Star 1112699 Goldman: How should the Rangers best optimize their 1112734 Leafs offence cold minus Matthews in loss to Flames | The defensive pairs? Star 1112735 A month without Matthews hurts Leafs in many ways | The NHL Star 1112700 NHL partners with MGM to share data for sports betting 1112736 Flames’ Hanifin and Gaudreau have sympathy for Leafs’ 1112701 NHL teams must make call on prospects that can impact Nylander in contract impasse | The Star local junior hockey season 1112737 Auston Matthews to miss four weeks with shoulder injury | The Star 1112738 Leafs struggle at home, put in listless effort in loss to 1112702 Senators’ Mark Borowiecki hit with three-game suspension Flames 1112703 Warrenspiece: Condon expected to play, Harpur making 1112739 LEAFS FAN: Chasing hockey history in progress and Duchene playing with confidence Winnipeg 1112704 GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators at Arizona Coyotes 1112740 Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews on latest shoulder injury: ‘It 1112705 Dorion happy with young Senators progress, keen to nail sucks’ down Duchene 1112741 More Tavares and Kadri: How the Leafs are moving 1112706 With public money unlikely, Eugene Melnyk exploring forward without Auston Matthews other avenues to finance new arena 1112759 Canucks Post Game: Pettersson’s passion plays, 1112707 Flyers hope new-look power play will help snap skid; Nic Granlund’s gritty game, Sutter’s severe injury Aube-Kubel to make NHL debut 1112760 Canucks 5 Wild 2: Prized rookie Pettersson shoots, 1112708 NHL strikes deal with operator to share data for scores, even blocks shots sports betting 1112761 Ben Kuzma: Recalled Bachman hasn’t lost relentless 1112709 They call Flyers center Sean Couturier ‘Godfather,’ and drive, upbeat demeanour he’s his dad’s boss | Marcus Hayes 1112762 Canucks Game Day: Pettersson’s potential, Nilsson’s 1112710 Fire Dave Hakstol? Make a big trade? Reality says the injury, another Granlund Flyers’ best solution is simpler. | Mike Sielski 1112763 Canucks stock report: With injuries mounting, Bo Horvat 1112711 Tyrell Goulbourne, Nicolas Aube-Kubel can give Flyers a and Ben Hutton have stepped up their games fighting chance 1112712 Future Flyers Report: German Rubtsov 'biggest surprise' Vegas Golden Knights with Phantoms 1112743 First fight by Golden Knights’ Jon Merrill a worthy battle 1112713 With confidence down, Flyers trying to stay loose and find 1112744 Rough road stretch for Golden Knights opens in Nasvhille spark 1112745 MGM Resorts, NHL sign sports betting partnership deal 1112746 NHL partners with MGM Resorts to share data for sports betting 1112714 Penguins' Dominik Simon takes turn on team's top line 1112747 As Jonathan Marchessault goes, the Golden Knights 1112715 For Penguins' Sidney Crosby, scoring surge was 'just a follow matter of time' 1112748 Golden Knights Considered Anti-Bullying Campaign After 1112716 Penguins rally around wounded city after Squirrel Hill Social Media Comments Skewered New Mascot Last Year shooting 1112717 Penguins' Kris Letang leaves practice early with 'nagging' injury 1112749 Andre Burakovsky hopes new mental approach can 1112718 Penguins' Sidney Crosby named NHL's first star of the breathe life into his game week 1112750 6 observations from the Capitals' first 10 games of 1112719 Feel free to exhale: It looks like Matt Murray will be fine 2018-19 NHL season 1112720 Kris Letang's status up in the air for Tuesday's game 1112751 The NHL’s new sports betting partnership with MGM 1112721 Sidney Crosby named NHL's First Star of the Week Resorts, explained 1112722 Just how much do sports teams contribute to Pittsburgh's 1112752 NHL and MGM Resorts team up for landmark sports economy? betting partnership 1112723 Penguins equipment manager Dana Heinze makes sure 1112753 NHL Power Rankings: Is the power play making the Caps road trip is perfect behind the scenes, too look better than they are? 1112724 Jack Johnson deeply appreciative of Mike Sullivan’s public support 1112725 Successful road trip sets Sharks up nicely for four-game homestand 1112726 Timo Meier powers Sharks' red-hot second line in win over Ducks 1112727 What we’ve learned: Sharks battle through brutal early schedule, Thornton ‘getting closer’ St Louis Blues 1112728 Fabbri ready, Kyrou sent to San Antonio 1112729 Husso's back (again), but Johnson in line to start for injured Allen 1112730 Updated: Blues recall goalie Husso from San Antonio, send down Kyrou Websites 1112764 The Athletic / What happens when you remove a goal horn, loud music and make a hockey game more inclusive 1112765 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown weekend power rankings: The Leafs and Jets collide and nobody wins 1112766 The Athletic / Behind the scenes during a game with the women’s hockey team 1112767 The Athletic / What would a soft cap look like in the NHL? 1112768 .ca / Maple Leafs' first look without Auston Matthews not very pretty - Sportsnet.ca 1112769 Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames maintain better structure in win over Toronto Maple Leafs 1112770 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks don't flinch in win over high-flying Wild - Sportsnet.ca 1112771 Sportsnet.ca / NHL partnership with MGM all about growing the business - Sportsnet.ca 1112774 Sportsnet.ca / Where Oilers stand with Puljujarvi, Kassian, Bouchard - Sportsnet.ca 1112775 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' solid start has GM Bergevin back to his old self - Sportsnet.ca 1112776 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews' injury spoils award-worthy start to season - Sportsnet.ca 1112777 Sportsnet.ca / Flames refuse to use 'weird schedule' as excuse - Sportsnet.ca 1112778 Sportsnet.ca / How newcomers are fitting in on new teams after switching jerseys - Sportsnet.ca 1112779 Sportsnet.ca / Flames Thoughts: Calgary looks to bounce back after string of losses - Sportsnet.ca 1112780 TSN.CA / Leafs' home struggles continue in loss to Flames 1112781 TSN.CA / Injury to Matthews will test Leafs’ depth 1112782 TSN.CA / How puck luck impacts the NHL standings 1112783 TSN.CA / NHL moves all-in on sports gambling 1112784 TSN.CA / Frustrated Matthews facing another spell on the sidelines 1112785 TSN.CA / Matthews on Trouba: He did 'what you're supposed to do' 1112786 USA TODAY / Gritty, Serena, Harbaugh, Tiger — plenty of quality sports Halloween costume ideas to choose from 1112787 USA TODAY / From pucks to pot: Could NHL be a leader in marijuana policy? Winnipeg Jets 1112754 Maurice had a positive Finn-ish in previous NHL series 1112755 's slow production has Finnish fans scratching their heads 1112756 Laine’s talent evident from beginning: Jets sniper showed growth on road to NHL 1112757 Former Jets D-man an outstanding ambassador, Numminen shows off his city 1112758 Winnipeg Jets coach Maurice following the code

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1112632 Anaheim Ducks

Up next for the Ducks: vs. Philadelphia

By LOS ANGELES TIMES STAFF

Up next for the Ducks: vs. Philadelphia

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. PDT.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 830.

Update: The Ducks finally earned a Sunday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks, but their losing streak was extended to five games. Anaheim faces a Flyers team that is giving up a league-worst 4.18 goals a game. The Ducks and Flyers split two games last season, the road team winning each time.

LA Times: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112633 Anaheim Ducks “When they’re carrying it through the neutral zone and crossing into our zone, that’s when they’re going to get shots because they’re creating possession,” Manson said. “They might just throw it on net, but that’s a Ducks’ Josh Manson has a few ideas about cutting down on opponents’ shot, and if they’re driving toward the net, it creates scrambles. shots on goal “There’s a big difference between stopping them just outside the blue line and them getting across with possession, a big difference. You think five times a period, we have better gaps in the neutral zone and we keep By ELLIOTT TEAFORD |PUBLISHED: October 29, 2018 them out of our zone, that could be five shots per period we’ve eliminated.

“Now you’re at 30 shots per game.” ANAHEIM — The shots climbed to an unsustainable level again Sunday. Ducks John Gibson was under siege for extended stretches It would be a dramatic improvement for the Ducks. during a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center, facing 49 shots, including 19 in the first period. Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.30.2018

No one in the NHL had faced more shots than Gibson going into play around the league Monday, with his total of 384 coming out to an average of 38.4 per game after 10 appearances. Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators was next with 348 shots in nine games (38.7 per game).

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Sunday marked the fourth time in the past five games the Ducks had surrendered 40 shots or more. It was not a coincidence the Ducks lost each of their previous five games, a byproduct of their early struggles to keep the opposition from running amok in front of Gibson.

The good news for the Ducks was that they seemed to find a formula to cut down on the shots on Gibson. It was a two-pronged approach: First, the Ducks played a more physical defensive game and, second, they sustained an offensive attack.

The two were not unrelated as the Sharks’ shots fell from 19 in the first period to 15 in the second and 10 in the third as the Ducks rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force OT. The Ducks’ shots rose from eight in the first period to nine in the second and then to 13 in the third.

“I don’t think we want to look at it as a blueprint for success,” Ducks defenseman Josh Manson said. “Even though we played well in that third, I still think there are some things we can do a lot better. We’re still giving up a lot of shots. Is it turnovers? What is it? We’ve got to get to the bottom of that.

“But I think offensively, we were creating more, we were playing faster, we were getting pucks out and chasing them down and putting more pressure on their defense and getting pucks toward the net, so those were good signs.”

One significant change in the Ducks’ play late in Sunday’s game was that they started to play a more cohesive game. Instead of five players skating in five different directions, they began to skate together more purposefully as a five-man unit.

“Guys were reading off each other,” Manson said. “When you read off each other, you play faster. That’s what we’re trying to get to. When the other four guys on the ice know exactly what’s going to happen with that puck, they don’t really have to read, they just go. They know where to go.

“I think that’s what we were getting more toward in that third period.”

Defensively, the Ducks stopped allowing the Sharks to enter the zone so easily. The Ducks started with their bodies instead of their sticks and the difference was noticeable. The Sharks didn’t enter the attacking zone as freely and shots and scoring chances decreased significantly.

“I don’t know if we’re not trusting one another or what it is, but when you trust the other guys on the ice, it makes it a lot easier to stand up and trust your gap,” Manson said of playing tighter defensively against the onrushing attackers.

“When the ‘D’ don’t trust what’s going on over the middle, you back off that little bit and that extra second makes a huge difference. You’re playing in the NHL, you give a guy a half-second and you don’t pressure them and they’ll make plays, and I think that’s what’s been happening to us.”

Too often, opponents have zoomed into the Ducks’ zone in odd-man rushes. It’s led to lopsided shots-on-goal totals, and to a five-game losing streak going into the Ducks’ game Tuesday against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers at Honda Center. 1112634 Anaheim Ducks allowed an NHL-high 39.1 per game and have taken a league-low 24.5. Both numbers are easily the worst.

But they were finally playing with some verve. There was a bounce in How the Ducks finally showed signs of breaking their shooting slump in their step. Getzlaf said they were having fun again, an obvious allusion to OT loss to Sharks the state of things within the room.

“Sometimes that’s just you playing,” said defenseman Josh Manson, who By Eric Stephens Oct 29, 2018 got his first goal of the season. “The puck starts going your way. You’re making the right plays. Guys are reading each other. When you read off each other, you play faster. That’s what we’re trying to get to.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the first 30 or more minutes of Sunday’s contest “When the other four guys on the ice know exactly what’s going to against San Jose, it appeared as if the only victory the Ducks would get happen with that puck, they don’t really have to (think). They just go. And was a successful challenge that took away Timo Meier’s potential second they know where to go. I think that’s what we’re getting more towards goal of the night that was about to give the Sharks a commanding three- there in that third period.” goal lead. Make no mistake, the Ducks (5-5-2) have a lot to do when it comes to Another mistake-filled, poorly-played loss was in the offing. A fifth straight producing quality hockey as they kicked off a seemingly favorable part of woeful defeat seemed certain. their schedule with 11 of 13 games being played at home.

Something changed within this maligned group. And a goal being Manson wasn’t ready to call Sunday a roadmap to producing victories. removed from the opponent’s ledger was the trigger. The shots against are a sticking point for a defense corps that hasn’t played well overall but also may unfairly draw most of the blame for the “We got emotionally involved and we started to move our feet and get issues within their own zone. involved in the physical part of it,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We didn’t make as many mistakes with the puck in the second half as we did Retreating isn’t the answer though. But that has often been what’s left to in the first half. I think the turning point was we had a break when they do after attempts to play more forward and cutting teams off before they were offside on the goal. It kind of turned things in our favor and then we get going up the ice have largely failed, with them breaking out easily and started to play. getting multiple odd-man rushes and grade-A scoring chances as San Jose had in the first half of the game. “The question is what were we doing in the first 30 minutes that was so much different than the last 30 minutes? That’s the question mark for us.” “I don’t know if it’s because we’re not trusting one another or what it is,” Manson said. “When you trust the other guys on the ice, it makes it a lot The final play wasn’t any different that what they have shown over a easier to stand up and trust your gap. When the (defensemen) don’t trust losing streak that stretched to five games Sunday. The Ducks were a what’s going on, the guys over the middle or whatever it may be, you mess in front of the net, with John Gibson being unable to sweep a back off that little bit and that extra second makes a huge difference. Joonas Donskoi rebound try into the clear, Brandon Montour and Rickard Rakell flailing away at an elusive puck and Ryan Getzlaf getting out of “You’re playing in the NHL. You give a guy a half second more with the position to do anything about Meier getting that second goal. This one puck, you don’t pressure them, they make plays. And that’s what I think certainly counted, and the Sharks skated off with a 4-3 win. has been happening to us.”

Some things didn’t change. Gibson had to deal with 49 shots on goal, Defending in that manner as opposed to being able to stand opponents with the Sharks getting all five of them in the 2:12 of extra time that was up at their blueline is what Manson says is a “big, big, big difference.” played. The NHL’s busiest goalie has faced 40 or more in five of his 10 Teams have been able to carry the puck through the neutral zone and starts. At the rate his workload is going, Gibson will face nearly 2,300 into their end with possession. Shots are easier to create. Good ones, shots if he makes 60 starts – and that’s if he can hold up over that especially. Even low percentage ones that could make it tough to defend timeframe. Consider that Toronto’s Frederik Andersen faced a league- if a second or third forward is driving to the net at the same time. high 2,211 last season over 66 contests. Carlyle believes they took a step toward finding an identity. That’s a Some things did. After watching San Jose continually waltz into their nebulous term but in the past, you knew what the Ducks were. They zone unchecked with a two- or three-pronged attack as if it had a free weren’t the most skilled group but more often than not, you knew you day pass, the Ducks finally made it void and went about putting up a would be in for a grinding workout. This team over the first few weeks roadblock to the Sharks’ obstacle-free entrances. Challenges were being was far too easy to play against. made at the blueline. Retreating surely wasn’t working so they stopped doing that. It took video coordinator Joe Piscotty spotting Meier entering the Anaheim zone a step too early and it took a goal shortly after that to snap The result was a swing in the action that started in the latter minutes of the Ducks into a higher gear. Goals do tend to do that. The removal of the second period and then a third that was their best 20 minutes of play one and the addition of one on their side of the scoreboard was welcome in a long time. The Ducks made it count, getting two goals to forge a tie medicine. that got them a point. It was the first since a 4-1 triumph over the New York Islanders on Oct. 17. “It’s amazing,” Carlyle said. “That’s the human mind. Athletes are no different. Once they feel good about themselves and they can feel good “We executed,” said Getzlaf, who called out his team after a dreary loss that something’s about to happen, it’s that combination of skill and in Dallas. “We passed the puck a lot better. And we probably won a few internal fortitude that’s going to say, ‘This is going to happen and we’re more one-on-one battles, which causes you to have the puck. When going to make a change.’ Those are the kind of things that we’re looking you’re chasing the puck in your zone for 35, 40 seconds, you don’t really for. We saw parts of that tonight.” have the energy to execute after that. I thought we exited it a little bit better. Building the foundation to a solid structure can involve delays and the Ducks have had many. Some have been beyond their control but more “Obviously we need to keep improving. But it’s a starting point.” have been of their own doing. All they can do is move forward with the project because if they don’t, that structure will always be under They weren’t dominating by any means. They were far from perfect. But construction. they were playing inspired hockey and that part has been in short supply. Worse yet, it’ll be abandoned and remain that way. Mind you, the Ducks were catching San Jose on an odd trip into Anaheim on the way home after flying cross country following a game in Carolina “We have to take every positive we can,” Getzlaf said. “We battled back on Friday. But all teams have their schedule quirks and Anaheim will and got a point in this game against a good hockey club. That’s a positive have its own. The key is taking advantage of those. in itself. We got to look at why it happened, why we were able to battle back and that’s what you take into the next game.” How different was the third period? The Ducks had a 13-10 shot advantage. This is significant because it snapped an 18-period streak Surveying the Ice where they didn’t have one. Just once over those 18 periods were they even with their opponent. The shot disparity remains obscene as they’ve – Pontus Aberg isn’t ready to feel comfortable. Not when he has only Notes played six games for the Ducks. Not when he was put on waivers by them after just one game. Not when they sent him to the minors after – Silfverberg got back into the lineup after a four-game absence caused claiming him off the waiver wire from Edmonton, which tried to do the by a fractured fingertip suffered Oct. 14 in St. Louis when he was struck same. by a puck shot by Blues forward .

His first two-goal effort in the NHL figures to get him a little longer stay. The winger was the Ducks’ best forward when he got injured. He said he Aberg, 25, had just five goals in 73 regular-season games. His last score couldn’t put his on his hand in the first couple of days after being came March 24 for the Oilers against Los Angeles. struck but got to the point of being able to test it, having two fingers taped together and using a splint for added protection. “That’s a confidence booster for sure,” Aberg said. “It’s been a while since I scored. I proved it in the American League. Getting a good “I know it’s going to be sore,” Silfverberg said. “It’s just a matter of how opportunity here with guys injured, I get to play with top two line players. sore. It can’t impact my play. I want to be able to go in the corners and I’ve been feeling pretty good since I got called up. I just haven’t got the not be afraid or not drop my stick.” points and obviously did today. It was, for sure, good for me.” – Hampus Lindholm played a game-high 30:08, marking the most ice With Nick Ritchie and Max Comtois both sidelined and unavailable, time he has had in a game since logging 30:44 in an overtime contest Aberg took full advantage of the chance to play up in the lineup. Carlyle against the Kings on Nov. 7, 2017. put him on the top line with Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell and the left wing The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 delivered goals that proved clutch.

Aberg fit a rising wrist shot into a small opening above the right shoulder of Sharks goalie Martin Jones that pulled the Ducks within one in the latter stages of the second. The follow-up score was sublime.

Unquestionably, the Ducks’ prettiest goal of the early season started with him and ended with him. Aberg poked the puck away from San Jose forward Kevin Labanc and off the wall to himself. Now in the Sharks’ zone, the Swede sized up fellow countryman Joakim Ryan. Aberg got the defenseman to turn his back to him with a toe-drag and then pulled the puck back to his right against the crossed-up Ryan before snapping a quick shot over Jones to get Anaheim tied.

“I felt like he tried to angle me so I tried to get the inside on him,” Aberg said. “He turned his back. I don’t know. I just tried to pull it back and it worked out today. Every defenseman is going to play that differently. Today, it worked out well. I’m happy for that.”

Aberg first made an NHL name for himself in the 2017 playoffs for Nashville against the Ducks. He had a goal in a Game 5 win at Honda Center and chipped in two assists in a clinching Game 6 in Nashville that sent the Predators to their first Cup Final.

The Ducks took a flier on the winger, who’s inconsistency led Nashville to trade him to Edmonton in February.

“He’s been a skilled player,” Carlyle said. “Everybody knows his skill set is one as far as the goal-scoring side of it. There are other areas in the rink and we’d like him to continue work on that. He’s showed tonight a big couple of goals for our hockey club and got us a point.”

Said Aberg: “It’s day-by-day for me. … I’m just trying to go to work every day and do my best. Go from there.”

– There were wholesale changes made by the time the Ducks took the ice. A new third pairing was brought in as Jacob Larsson and Andy Welinski were promoted from the AHL’s , with Marcus Pettersson going down.

Pettersson’s season-long struggles came to a head in Dallas where he had the deadly combination of being dominated physically and committed turnovers on attempts to break the puck out of his zone. Part-timer Andrej Sustr was also assigned to the Gulls after clearing waivers.

Carlyle also threw his forward lines into a blender. Not only did Aberg get moved up but Adam Henrique, playing left wing for the first this season, got put with Isac Lundestrom and Jakob Silfverberg. Joseph Blandisi drew in for just the second time and finished the game with Sam Steel and Kiefer Sherwood.

The continuous bout with injuries and their lack of success has required Carlyle to find other means to shake his club out of its slump. Larsson played 11:42 in his first NHL game since 2016, while Welinski logged a team-low 9:32 but did pick up an assist on Aberg’s first goal.

“What you try to do is you try to stimulate your group,” Carlyle said. “And you try to stimulate them in different ways. That’s our responsibility as a staff and as an organization to find solutions. We know we’re challenged in certain situations. But the bottom line is everybody’s challenged at certain times of the year.

“Nobody feels sorry for your situation. Just move on. Bring your best day- in-day-out. Be positive about what’s going on. Find a way. Find a way to be a difference maker.” 1112635 Arizona Coyotes But Tocchet knows more than anyone that the NHL season is a long and unforgiving one. A team playing five — even 10 — competitive games is not necessarily indicative of season-long performance.

Coyotes have earned the right to feel optimistic about this season Still, in this division and with the way the Coyotes have played, there’s at least room for some healthy optimism.

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 6:14 p.m. MT Oct. 29, 2018 “I don't want us to be overconfident,” Tocchet said. “We've climbed back in it. We had a tough start. I like that we're digging deep but this is a fickle league. I believe in karma so we've got to stick with it.”

A lowly 1-4-0 start and a severe issue with finding the back of the net had Tuesday’s game Coyotes fans fearing that they were in store for yet another one-month season where the team is eliminated by Nov. 1. Senators at Coyotes

But a consistently tough defense, a string of high-scoring games, and a When: 7 p.m. group of underwhelming intra-division talent have those same fans now Where: Gila River Arena. wondering if the Coyotes are destined for their first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season. TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7).

After Saturday’s 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Coyotes are Outlook:The Arizona Coyotes (5-5-0) continue their five-game 5-5-0 and have now won four of their past five games and have scored homestand with a tilt against the Ottawa Senators (4-4-2) on Tuesday in 22 goals over that span as opposed to just four goals in their first five Glendale. … The Senators are wrapping up a three-game road trip in games. which they’ve already lost to the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights by scores of 6-3 and 4-3, respectively; they are 1-2-1 on Entering play Monday, the Coyotes are just four points out of first place in the road this season. … The Senators have lost three straight overall a wide-open Pacific Division and don’t play another road game until Nov. after starting the season 4-2-1. … This is the second of two meetings 8. Other than the San Jose Sharks, there doesn’t seem to be a team in between the teams this season with the Coyotes scheduled to travel to the division who has a lock on a playoff spot. Ottawa on Jan. 22; the Coyotes were 2-0-0 against the Senators last This is a season where the Coyotes could conceivably decide their own season. … The Senators are led in scoring by defenseman Thomas fate. They have three consecutive home games beginning Tuesday with Chabot (three goals, 10 assists) as well as forwards Matt Duchene (four a 7 p.m. tilt against the Ottawa Senators, and they will wrap up a five- goals, seven assists) and Chris Tierney (two goals, eight assists). … game homestand with games against the (Friday) Ottawa is led in goal by starter Craig Anderson, who has compiled a 4-3- and Philadelphia Flyers (Nov. 5). 0 record to go along with a 3.54 goals allowed average this season.

The Coyotes could put themselves in an enviable position with a Projected Coyotes lineup successful finish to their current homestand, which is something Coyotes Panik—Galchenyuk—Keller fans are not used to hearing after the first calendar month of the season. Perlini—Stepan—Fischer If the Coyotes pick up a win on Tuesday, they will finish with their best October record since 2013. They will also be over .500 more than 10 Grabner—Richardson—Hinostroza games into a season since March of that season. Crouse—Cousins—Archibald There’s a lot to be excited about with this Coyotes team, but head coach Rick Tocchet played the role of the great equalizer after Saturday’s rout Ekman-Larsson—Demers of the Lightning. Goligoski—Hjalmarsson

“We’re not ordering any rings around here,” Tocchet said. Connauton—Oesterle

The comments by the Coyotes’ second-year coach are a sobering if not Raanta concise way to put the early season into perspective. The Coyotes like to evaluate themselves in five-game segments, and by that evaluation, it’s Kuemper already been a roller-coaster season. Potential scratches: Dylan Strome and Ilya Lyubushkin But despite the disparity between the Coyotes’ records in their two Injury update: Christian Dvorak (torn pectoral) is out indefinitely after separate five-game segments, their play has actually been remarkably surgery. consistent. They’ve generally controlled the majority of play in each of their 10 games this season, even if they came out on the wrong end of Projected Senators lineup the score. Boedker—Duchene—White The Coyotes’ scoring struggles in the first few games of the season were well-documented, but it was only a matter of time before their obscene Dzingel—Tierney—Stone 1.6 percent shooting percentage would balance out. And in the past five Formenton—Pyatt—Ryan games, it has. Paajarvi—McCormick—Rodewald “Well, we’re scoring goals,” said Coyotes winger Michael Grabner when asked to describe the difference between the team’s first five games and Chabot—DeMelo the past five. “I think in the beginning, we still had not too many bad efforts. A lot of the games we actually played really good, structured Lajoie—Ceci hockey and kept the other teams to low shots and low goals. Wideman—Jaros “We just weren’t scoring, but now the puck is going in for a lot of guys Anderson and it makes it a lot easier and it’s easier to be confident out there with the puck.” Condon

The Coyotes are getting better shots on net and more high-percentage Potential scratches: Mark Borowiecki and Christian Wolanin. scoring chances than they were previously, even if their total shots per game have ticked down slightly. Still, they entered play Monday ranked Injury update: Clarke MacArthur (undisclosed), Brady Tkachuk (leg), Ben fourth in the Western Conference with 34 shots per game. Harpur (undisclosed) and Zach Smith (facial fracture) are not expected to suit up on Tuesday. … Marian Gaborik (back) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau Along with their stingy defense, the Coyotes have managed a plus-62 (torn achilles) were injured in training camp and are out indefinitely. shot differential through the first 10 games of the season. The last time the Coyotes had a shot ratio that high was on March 25, 2013. Arizona Republic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112636 Arizona Coyotes Stepping back from special teams, the Coyotes have enjoyed good defense and goaltending. Entering Tuesday, Arizona was allowing an average of just 28.2 shots against per game, the fourth-best average in For improved Coyotes, penalty kill and defense have been critical the NHL. They’ve allowed 20 goals, tied with New Jersey for the fewest in the league, but on a per-game average, that’s the best mark in hockey.

Arizona Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper have been BY MATT LAYMAN important to the team’s success, registering a .921 and .957 save percentage, respectively. Kuemper’s save percentage is tied with

Winnipeg’s Laurent Brossoit for the best in league among netminders GLENDALE, Ariz. — As the Coyotes have seen their record improve who have played three or more games. from 1-4 to 5-5, the team’s goal-scoring has picked up, too. That’s not a The Coyotes’ defense was working even before the team’s goal coincidence. production picked up, but it’s been crucial that it’s remained steady while But quietly, while goal-scoring has been the external focus of the the offense has gone from three goals in the first five games to 22 goals Coyotes’ successes (and failures), the defense and penalty kill have in the last five games. quietly hummed along, holding teams to few goals, low shot totals and That just has to continue as the team tries to extend what is currently a stymied power plays. three-game winning streak when it hosts the Ottawa Senators on It’s getting harder to not notice it. Tuesday.

Entering play on Monday, the Arizona Coyotes had an 89.3 penalty kill “I like guys having fun and feeling good about themselves, but saying percentage, the second-best rate in the league behind only the Tampa that, we can’t take anything for granted,” Tocchet said. “We’re .500. Bay Lightning (who, ironically, had the best record in the league until they We’re 5-5. We’re there, but we’re still .500, and I think that more than lost to the Coyotes). ever you’ve got to stay with the system and make sure you do your proper things on and off the ice, more than ever.” “There’s a philosophy that we have,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “[Assistant coach] Scotty Allen’s done a nice job of putting these guys through Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.30.2018 mental reps, whether it’s video or talking about the personnel we’re playing on the other team. And then it’s just a belief. We’re getting guys blocking shots, guys are putting pressure on the puck-carriers. Obviously your goalie has to be your best PK and we have, we’re getting great goaltending there and that’s why that’s another factor on our PK.”

Philosophy and strategy aside, it helps that the Coyotes added a prolific penalty-killer this offseason in Michael Grabner, who signed a three-year, $10.05 million deal, per Spotrac.

He and center Brad Richardson have formed an important tandem on the PK, leading in part to Grabner’s two (!) shorthanded goals against the Lightning on Saturday.

So, anyone else out there want a power play? pic..com/ASJlAijGFP

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) October 28, 2018

“I think he’s got one of the better sticks you’ll see in the league,” Richardson said of Grabner. “He’s good at kind of baiting guys in and putting a puck where he wants them to and he can intercept it and knock pucks down. But we’ve just been reading off each other well. We know what we’re doing and then if there’s a chance there, we’re trying to go. He’s got exceptional speed so you want to try to use that if you can.”

Grabner, who scored six shorthanded goals in 2010-11 with the Islanders, is tied for seventh among active players with 17 shorthanded goals for his career, according to Quanthockey, six behind the active leader, Boston’s Brad Marchand.

The efforts of Grabner and others are why Arizona has a plus-two goal differential on PKs this season, and lead the league in shorthanded goals with five.

“We have chemistry, like reading off each other,” Grabner said of Richardson. “That makes it easy of shutting down plays, being more aggressive and kind of like making it hard on them to make plays.”

“They know when to go into pressure,” Tocchet said. “When one guy’s pressuring a guy, the other guy is reading the other guy’s route really well. I think that’s big. Richie knows if Grabs is going to pressure, where he should be. If he’s not going to pressure, Richie will maybe do a different route. I think that’s just chemistry and that’s just talking about it.

“You can have two good penalty killers, but if they’re on a different page, there could be trouble out there.”

One of the three PK goals Arizona has allowed this year came on Saturday against the Lightning, who got a lucky bounce, to say the least. As Tampa Bay was moving the puck in the Coyotes’ zone, it deflected into the air and popped up over goalie Antti Raanta’s head and into the net.

Without that lucky bounce, the Coyotes’ PK percentage would be 92.9 percent, not 89.3 percent. 1112637 Arizona Coyotes sifting through video footage of his own game, looking for the right moves and talking about how to ensure he makes those more often.

“It’s not so much looking at what I’ve done wrong,” he explained. “I like ‘Inch by inch’: Lawson Crouse’s steady development toward becoming using video to look at the right things to do, look at how they turned out an NHL mainstay and how they fit in so I can make sure to keep incorporating them in my game moving forward.”

By Cat Silverman Oct 29, 2018 It’s not the answer of a kid looking to carve out a role as a bottom-six grinder, but instead the kind of answer you’d expect from a young player hoping to continue developing that elusive “200-foot game” to bring both skill and power to a lineup full of smaller, fast bodies. At 6-feet-4 and 220 pounds, 21-year-old Lawson Crouse is hard to miss out on the ice. The effort hasn’t gone unnoticed.

For a player of his size, he’s got decent speed. You won’t mistake him for Crouse is still being shuffled up and down the Coyotes lineup a bit, someone primed to beat Connor McDavid in a race, but he has more of playing some with top-six go-getters such as Keller and then getting reps an edge than the prototypical power forward. Decent around the net and with the defensive forwards days later. Head coach Rick Tocchet as willing to make an offensive push as he is to thrive in his own team’s reiterated what the left winger said about his efforts using video, though, zone, Crouse caught the attention of scouts ahead of the 2015 draft for and seemed happy that there’s been improvement. being the kind of player who seemed capable of doing it all. In a league ushering out the last generation of enforcers, he was a perfect candidate “I’ve liked Crouser’s game since the first game. He’s gotten an inch better to become part of the next breed of power forwards. every game ,” Tocchet said, following the power forward’s first two goals of the season. “It’s funny, when you do video with (Crouse and fellow It was that blend of size, talent, and physical presence that had the power forward Christian Fischer) and you’re practicing with them and jumping to select him 11th overall three summers ago. they take reps, they apply it in the games.” Unable to be pushed around but capable of contributing to their offense, Crouse checked multiple boxes for a team desperate to finish off their Crouse is saddled with both a blessing and a curse in Fischer, who fills a rebuild and move full steam ahead. similar — but more effective offensively — power forward role for the promising club. Fischer meets the team’s needs in terms of top-six power Now, of course, he’s playing 2,500 miles away in Glendale, Arizona. The forward talent, taking some of the pressure off of Crouse to possibly be Coyotes managed to snag him as a part of the package needed to saddled with bigger expectations than he can fulfill; at the same time, absorb the remaining years on ’s contract. Fresh off of a Crouse runs the risk of being overshadowed by the fellow 2015 draft season that saw him put up 62 points in just 49 OHL games for the selection. , Crouse was a promising project for Arizona, who had just drafted the shifty but undersized Clayton Keller. That’s where there’s still a massive asterisk next to any talk of him having improved from the jump this year. His first year in Arizona, it appeared that Crouse was set to do exactly what Arizona hoped, putting up rookie numbers consistent with the He’s put up two goals in 10 games already, putting him on pace to more possibility of developing into a successful middle six power forward. than triple his career high. And one of those, sure enough, was shorthanded, scored on an empty net but while playing at 6-on-5 against He recorded just five goals and 12 points in 72 regular season NHL the Vancouver Canucks. Add in that he’s sitting on a 56.7 Corsi For games, but his production showcased all of the areas in which he thrived. percentage at even strength, a whopping 4.6 percent above the team One of his five goals was delivered shorthanded, and two were game- average, and it certainly looks like Crouse’s time in Tucson did him good. winners. To boot, he boasted just five recorded giveaways, and managed to stay afloat on the shot differential front despite starting just more than Still, the team’s fifth-youngest roster player lacks a single assist, and he 63 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone. hasn’t impressed enough to get substantial ice time yet. With only two players, depth forward Josh Archibald and call-up Mario Kempe, Then, the team entered an unprecedented free-fall to start their 2017-18 averaging less time than Crouse, it’s clear that the coveted role as a two- campaign, and Crouse’s confidence, production, and NHL shot for the way power forward mainstay is still a little out of grasp. year all fell with it. The numbers speak for themselves, and Tocchet spelled it out as well; In his first year eligible for AHL action, Crouse was given just seven there’s still work to be done. games with the big club before getting reassigned to the to give him a chance to properly develop. Although he’d “Crouser for me has come a long way,” the coach said, “but he can’t had one game with four recorded shots on goal and was staying afloat stop. He’s got to be careful. He can’t get complacent in this league.” possession-wise — at least, in relation to his teammates — the entire It’s hard to picture Crouse getting too complacent. In juniors, he loved to roster was careening downward, and keeping a young player score — and the amount of time he described spending on his shot underperforming on the scoresheet in Glendale was unlikely to do release timing in the AHL provides further evidence. He’s delivering more anything to help his game. hits than almost anyone else on the team, staying away from any calls Upon making the NHL roster to start this season, Crouse looked back on from NHL’s Player Safety but sticking up for his teammates when he isn’t that time in Tucson as a period meant to help him develop, though, rather driving to the net. He’s been taking shots at double the rate he did last than as a punishment. Joined by fellow first-rounder Dylan Strome, he year with only two more minutes of ice time per game, too. amassed an impressive campaign for the Roadrunners, putting up 15 As far as works in progress go, this one still has plenty of work still left to goals and 32 points to help the team to a playoff berth. put in. But inch by inch, game by game, the team is getting closer to “I worked on my confidence,” he explained. “All situations — reading the having another big power forward to rely on. ice, knowing when to hold on to the puck and getting more confident in As they hit .500 through 10 games for the first time in three years, it my shots, my passing, all of it.” seems like perfect timing.

“There wasn’t an area of my game that I didn’t try to work on. It wasn’t The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 necessarily anything specific, just getting the confidence to play my game at the highest level.”

Once he’s stepped away from the rink, Crouse isn’t the kind of person you’d expect to have racked up four fights in his first year of NHL hockey. With skates on, he’s earned the nickname “The Sheriff” — but off the ice, he’s almost quiet.

He explained that his time in Tucson was all about learning to trust his instincts, eliminating that potential to second-guess things. Even this year, he’s spent significant time with the coaching staff up in the Valley 1112638 Stempniak monitors the league and wonders where he might fit, but his agent, Pat Morris, does all the prodding. The Bruins, their young scoring wingers producing inconsistently, haven’t ruled out signing him.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy appreciates Red Sox Steve Pearce’s story “We’re still hopeful that our secondary scoring will pick up,” Cassidy said. line “ Ryan Donato’s turned the corner a little bit recently, had a goal called back and hit a couple of posts, so that bodes well for him.”

By Matt Porter But not necessarily for Stempniak, still dreaming of one final moment in the NHL’s spotlight.

“Most guys, you get one or two chances, that’s it,” he said. “I’ve found a When discussing all the Red Sox’ championship contributors, Bruce way to fit in wherever I’ve been. That’s something I take a lot of pride in. Cassidy seemed happiest for Steve Pearce. Hopefully, something breaks soon. For me, it’s the same mentality since day one: Work hard, try to be the best player on the ice in practice, and Cassidy, who followed the Sox closely during the postseason, didn’t be ready.” know much about the journeyman before Boston acquired him for spare parts. He and the rest of will forever know him as World Blue line report Series MVP. Another day, another defenseman down. “It’s a great story,” the Bruins coach said at his press conference at the team’s practice facility. “I love it. I’m sure he’s a very good major league The Bruins, their blueline one of the NHL’s most ailing, were without Matt player, but to get the MVP, usually you’re thinking of a big-name player.” Grzelcyk during Monday’s practice. Cassidy said the Charlestown native suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Montreal, played Down the hall in the Bruins’ dressing room, Lee Stempniak took no through it, and did not feel better Sunday when the team was off. special joy in seeing the Sox win. He’s a Yankees fan, raised in Buffalo and influenced by his father and grandfather. “He’s doubtful for tomorrow,” Cassidy said. “We’ll have to see how he is.”

It is, however, easy for him to appreciate Pearce. On the bright side, Torey Krug reported no issues after competing in a full practice. He expects to make his season debut at Carolina. If The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Grzelcyk is out, Krug would reassume his spot on the No. 1 power play and as the second-pair lefty behind Zdeno Chara. The club recalled He’s hoping to write a similar story. Jeremy Lauzon from Providence as insurance, a day after sending him Stempniak, also 35, is skating in Brighton and waiting for his next shot. back down. After scoring six points in four preseason games on a tryout, he was not Cassidy had no update on Charlie McAvoy, other than to say he will not offered a contract. But per an informal agreement with general manager play Tuesday. McAvoy, out since Oct. 18 at Edmonton with an upper Don Sweeney, Stempniak works out at the club facility and practices as a body injury, did not skate Monday. fill-in, the only one there not under contract. Such a role is not reserved for everyone. “I don’t have much further news on him,” Cassidy said. The club continues to be shy about discussing their second-year blueliner’s Lee Stempniak (18) scored in the Bruins’ 3-2 preseason OT loss to the condition. Red Wings at TD Garden in September. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is unlikely to suit up for the Bruins Tuesday “Be there, get your work in, but don’t get in the way of the line rushes,” night at Carolina. Stempniak said. Ice shavings And don’t sulk, even as the Bruins look elsewhere for help. Needing an extra forward Monday, the team opted to call up Colby Cave from AHL David Backes, also missing in action since Edmonton, practiced in full, Providence rather than sign Stempniak to a short-money deal. contact and all, on Monday. He will not play in Carolina but could return Saturday at Nashville. The veteran forward, who has a history of The wait continues. concussions, took a shoulder to the head at Edmonton and has mostly “I still believe I can play in the NHL, not only make a team but contribute been off skates since . . . Cassidy will ride the hot hand of Jaroslav Halak and play an important role,” said Stempniak, who has 469 points in 909 at Carolina but use three practice days this week to determine who will games over 13 seasons. He most recently played for Carolina, where he start at Nashville. Among goalies with more than three starts, Halak has spent the last two seasons, and where the Bruins will spend Tuesday the best goals against average (1.43), and only Colorado’s Semyon night. Varlamov (.950) has a better save percentage than his .945.

He has made decent coin — more than $20 million in salary, according to Boston Globe LOADED: 10.30.2018 CapFriendly — but has done it out of a suitcase. Stempniak has played for 10 NHL franchises, two shy of his former Blues teammate Mike Sillinger’s NHL record. He’s even more nomadic than Pearce, who played for six MLB teams over 12 years before Boston added him and cash for a minor leaguer.

Stempniak’s first stint in Boston — 19 games in the spring of 2016 — followed a trade with New Jersey, a club he joined that fall after a successful camp tryout. He has ties to St. Louis, which drafted him (fifth round, 148th overall) in 2003 and got some of his best years (130 points over 233 games). He has suited up for Calgary, Toronto, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers, and Winnipeg.

He has always preferred Boston. Other than one summer in St. Louis, he has lived in the area since graduating from Dartmouth in 2005. He works out at with other pros in the summer. His wife and three young children live in the South End. At this point, he is not interested in heading overseas.

But he feels the clock ticking.

“I’ve done everything I can do, I guess,” said Stempniak, who believes injuries the first half of last year, which limited him to 37 games, contributed to his lack of offers. “I had one of my best preseasons. I put my best foot forward. What’s going to come next, I don’t know.” 1112639 Boston Bruins Butera said MGM believes expanded sports betting will eventually be available in 25 to 30 states. The 24 US-based NHL teams play in 18 different states, with seven more in . The league is moving NHL partners with MGM for sports betting toward adding a 32nd team, in Seattle and what would be its 19th state (Washington).

Boston Globe LOADED: 10.30.2018 By Denis Gorman

NEW YORK — The NHL announced a multiyear agreement Monday to provide MGM Resorts International with data for use in betting, the second major US professional sports league to strike a deal with the casino giant since the Supreme Court opened the way to expanded gambling last spring.

Las Vegas-based MGM is the league’s first official sports betting partner, just as it is with the NBA and WNBA. That deal was reached in July.

As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data that could eventually include puck and player tracking information once that goes through a testing phase. Access to that data will allow MGM to provide customized game details along with betting opportunities for U.S. customers where gambling is legally available.

The NHL is not getting a cut of gambling profits, but other terms were not disclosed.

‘‘The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our league,’’ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. ‘‘Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do.’’

The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.

MGM and other casino operators are moving aggressively to be able to capitalize on the US sports betting market, which is expanding after the Supreme Court ruled in May that states could take sports bets if they wanted. MGM has made a series of significant moves, including the multiyear deal with the NBA and WNBA.

Earlier this year, bookmaker William Hill reached agreements that allow odds and other promotional efforts at the home arenas of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the .

‘‘We couldn’t be more excited to enter into this historic partnership with the NHL,’’ MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said.

NHL executive vice president and chief revenue officers Keith Wachtel said being able to provide enhanced data and analytics to MGM will allow ‘‘some creative and unique things that don’t really exist in the sport right now.’’

‘‘The more data and analytics that a gaming operator can have, the better it will be in enabling them to set odds,’’ Wachtel told The Associated Press. ‘‘Whether or not they’re using the data for actual purposes of creating prop bets and things like that certainly is something (that’s possible). But more importantly, they’re going to use it to be able to set odds and proper odds that they’re going to be able to create.’’

Some leagues, including the Major League and the NBA, had called for an ‘‘integrity fee’’ — essentially, states would give leagues a cut of the money wagered on their games to pay for expanded monitoring of suspicious betting and to protect their intellectual property. The effort has been largely unsuccessful thus far.

‘‘We have no concerns about the integrity of our game, of our players, our officials,’’ Wachtel said. ‘‘We've never had an issue. Secondly, the integrity of the sports betting landscape is just as important to the bookmakers, which is why the NHL does not have a discussion and we don’t talk about this notion of integrity fees.’’

Scott Butera, MGM Resorts’ president of interactive gaming and a former Arena Football League commissioner, outlined how the puck and playing tracking data will help bettors.

‘‘If I know one player is faster than the other, if I know one expends less energy than the other, if I know one has a faster slap shot than the other, it gives me information that I can bet,’’ he said. ‘‘If I'm betting on who will score the most goals, I have that tool. Ultimately when enough data is collected on that, we'll be able to actually bet on that data itself. So you could have a bet on which player’s going to have the highest average slap shot throughout the game.’’ 1112640 Boston Bruins want to send him back in there until he’s 100 percent so that will be a mutual decision between the medical staff and the player.”

Cave gets call Bruins notebook: Torey Krug appears ready for game action The B’s had a full complement of forwards but, after media availability, center Colby Cave was recalled on an emergency basis from Providence Steve Conroy Tuesday, October 30, 2018 so there could a player who has been battling an unknown injury who could be iffy for Carolina.

Not involved in the preseason tryouts for the open third-line center spot, There are still some moving pieces involved in the equation, but it Cave has been the P-Bruins best forward, with 5-5-10 totals in eight appears that defenseman Torey Krug will be making his 2018-19 season games. debut tonight at Carolina. And as the Bruins prepared to leave for the airport for their one-city trip to Raleigh, it looked like they did not have an Halak in net option but to play Krug. Cassidy said Jaroslav Halak will play in Carolina and he hasn’t made a Matt Grzelcyk did not practice on Monday and is “doubtful” for the decision for Saturday in Nashville. Tuukka Rask let in a bad goal on Hurricanes, precipitating the emergency recall of Jeremy Lauzon to give Saturday night against Montreal and hasn’t been at the top of his game. them the requisite six healthy defenseman. Boston Herald LOADED: 10.30.2018 And while Krug believes it will take some time before he’s his old self again, the sparkplug D-man said he’ll be ready to go if called.

“I’ve played one game since last May, so it’s been a long time,” Krug after the B’s 45-minute practice at Warrior Arena. “I’m interested to get back into a routine and try to remember what I’ve done to prepare for games. I’m excited to be part of the group again. That’s the biggest part. You come to the rink when the guys are on a road trip and you’re watching them compete and play and all you want to do is help them out. Everyone’s working toward a common goal and you want to be a part of it. It would be nice, if I do get in, to be a part of that.”

Krug has been sidelined with an unspecified ankle injury. He said the stops and starts that are required of the player in this game are not completely natural for him just yet.

“That’s probably the last thing that’s going to come for me,” said Krug. “It’s not really hesitation but it’s probably my body telling me there’s something going on. It’s getting in and out of them as quick as I can. It’s something that will come back a little bit more over time. It’s something that I focus on when I do hit the ice. I’m still working on it.”

Krug expects to have a bit of a battle on his hands until he gets a certain of games under his belt.

“I don’t feel 100 percent. I feel about as good as I can for the circumstances that are dictated,” said Krug.

“I’m going to feel this way probably for a little bit now and it’s up to myself and the medical staff to make sure I continue to feel comfortable enough to play. You just want to get out there and feel as good as you possibly can.”

The only way you can get into game shape is to play games, he said.

“There’s nothing that compares to playing in games. You can practice all day long, you can train as hard as you want, but there’s literally nothing in this workout that can prepare you for the physicality of playing in the NHL night in and night out, so I’m excited to get back in there and feel that part of it out,” he said. “I think the coaching staff will do a good job of putting me in situations I can handle, especially early on.”

One hundred percent or not, Krug should be able to bolster the secondary scoring and take a little bit of the weight off the top line.

McAvoy in limbo

Charlie McAvoy, who has not played since Oct. 18 in Edmonton, did not skate yesterday. He’s listed as having an upper body injury and is believed to have concussion-like symptoms, but the team hasn’t had much information to offer on his status.

“He skated the other day, so I’m not sure if this was planned or a setback. But if he doesn’t skate (Tuesday in Boston) then clearly it’s a setback because usually they only keep you out for a day or two,” coach Bruce Cassidy said.

David Backes, who hasn’t played in a game since taking hit during that game in Edmonton, participated fully in practice, including contact, but will be held out for the Carolina game.

“Saturday (in Nashville) would be the next target date for him,” said Cassidy. “He’ll get a good three practices in before then so that should help him get back up to speed. With David we want to be sure. We don’ 1112641 Boston Bruins

Bruins marvel at "amazing run" for Red Sox to World Series title

By Joe Haggerty October 29, 2018 6:48 PM

BRIGHTON – It remains to be seen how it’s all going to play out for the Boston Bruins with more than 70 games remaining on their regular season schedule.

But the Black and Gold collectively enjoyed watching the Red Sox wrap up their World Series victory on Sunday night, and have also heeded the challenge that occurs whenever when one of their fellow Boston teams wins a championship. It was the same for the other three organizations when the B’s hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2011, and it’s the same now for a Bruins team that’s seen a whole lot of Boston sports championships over the last 20 years.

“What a year for them. It’s an amazing run that they had. I’m happy for everybody, but also for the city and for all the fans,” said Patrice Bergeron, who has been around for almost the entire run as the City of Champions after first arriving on the Boston scene in 2003. “It definitely brings a lot of great energy and a great atmosphere for the city, but I think also for us as players it pushes us to do the same thing…and to duplicate that. It’s only positive, really.”

For Stevens family, more than a World Series title

Likewise, Zdeno Chara has witnessed plenty of titles himself since coming to Boston in 2006 and has become a bona fide Red Sox fan in his 10-plus years playing for the Bruins. So Chara similarly embraced another Boston sports title, the 11th championship and fourth for the Red Sox since the year 2000, and took it as a challenge that it’s time for the Bruins to kick in another one with the Sox and the doing so much of the heavy lifting.

“It’s super exciting and I’m really happy for them. I want to congratulate them. I’m sure for a lot of the players it’s winning it for the first time, and I’m sure it’s very emotional and memorable,” said Chara. “It’s a great, great accomplishment and it’s unbelievable that we have another championship in this city. For sure it’s a motivation.

“You see how well they do, and for sure it’s pushing us to be better. And that’s great. It’s one of those things where the city has been so spoiled in a way with the four major sports doing so well. But at the same time I think it’s time for us probably to push the numbers up [even more].”

With that in mind, the Bruins are off to a solid 6-3-2 start after pushing into the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. They’re pretty far away from being a legit Stanley Cup contender at this very moment in time, but maybe, just maybe the sight of watching the Sox celebrate at Dodger Stadium will be one of the motivating factors that sets the Black and Gold on a run of their own.

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Grzelcyk doubtful for Bruins Tuesday in Carolina with lower-body injury

By Joe Haggerty October 29, 2018 2:47 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – The Bruins will get one defenseman back Tuesday night in Carolina, but it looks like they’ll be down another one after Saturday night’s loss. Matt Grzelcyk was missing from practice Monday at Warrior Ice Arena with a lower-body injury suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Canadiens and is doubtful for the Hurricanes game.

“He got a lower-body injury against Montreal and he played through it. He did not feel great today and he couldn’t practice. He’s doubtful for tomorrow [vs. Carolina], but we’ll have to see how he does,” said Cassidy. “On the flip side, Torey Krug practiced fully. I’d expect him to go in. If Grzelcyk recovers well enough to play [on Tuesday] then we’d have to put him in for Lauzon or [Steve] Kampfer.”

With Grzelcyk in doubt, the Bruins have re-recalled Jeremy Lauzon on an emergency basis to potentially play for a third consecutive game vs. Carolina. The Bruins are also expecting Torey Krug (left foot) to be able to make his regular season debut against the Hurricanes on Tuesday night as well, and if all goes according to plan then he’d slide into the lineup for Grzelcyk.

David Backes returned to the practice ice on Monday after missing the last four games with a suspected concussion suffered in Edmonton, but was also ruled out for Tuesday night’s game vs. the Hurricanes. Charlie McAvoy had skated with Backes prior to Saturday morning’s skate, but wasn’t on the ice today prior to Monday practice. It’s unclear whether it was a scheduled day off for McAvoy, or the second-year D-man had a setback in his return from an “upper body injury” also suspected to be a concussion.

Cassidy confirmed that it will be Jaroslav Halak as the starting goaltender for Tuesday night in Carolina with the team undecided on a goaltender for Saturday vs. the Nashville Predators.

With the Bruins injury update list mounting on a daily basis, here are the projected line combos and D-pairings based on the Monday practice:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

DeBrusk-Krejci-Heinen

Donato-Nordstrom-Bjork

Wagner-Kuraly-Acciari

Chara-Carlo

Krug-Moore

Kampfer-Lauzon

Halak

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Ryan Donato starting to find his game with Bruins

By Joe Haggerty October 29, 2018 12:57 PM

BOSTON – One positive from Saturday night’s feel-bad shutout loss to the Montreal Canadiens was the play of rookie winger Ryan Donato.

It looked like the game was about to turn Boston’s way when Donato broke free and scored on with a surgical snipe that showcased his ability to rocket the puck and the expectation he’s going to be able to score in the NHL. Unfortunately for the Bs, the goal was called back because the play was offsides when Donato received the pass from Anders Bjork. Boston didn’t really get anything close to a sniff offensively against Price after that.

“It’s tough. I think a lot of players go through this and my thought is not really about myself or about being snake bitten, I know I can score and I know I can do things offensively,” said Donato, who has just one goal this season. It came in Boston’s first win against Buffalo almost a month ago. “My thought is just contributing offensively and hoping the team can get on the board. Obviously, it’s hard to have that one [goal] called back, it would have helped me personally and the team, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

It was good to see Donato on the ice with fellow skilled players such as Bjork rather than the fourth line that he’s been relegated to the past few games and some of those chances showed in the way he sparked against the Habs. Donato finished with two shots on goal and four shots overall in 13:45 of ice time while looking like he was building back some of his offensive confidence, something he admitted after the Saturday loss to the B’s arch-rivals.

“I just think I had more opportunities to do it,” said Donato. “I think In the past it’s just - sometimes it’s hard to get offense opportunities but I think tonight I’ve had the puck follow me a little bit and it’s different than the way its gone and hope it continues to follow me and I’ll keep shooting them.

“[There] can be games where you don’t feel like you have your legs but you’re getting the puck in the slot, and there are games where you feel like you’re flying and you feel like your best and it just doesn’t happen. I think that’s what happened [on Saturday] a little bit.”

The bad news is obviously that the Bruins lost the game and that Donato’s goal ended up coming off the board in a real turning point Saturday. Still, the good news is that Donato seems to be finding something in his game, and the Bruins could desperately use his confidence and goal-scoring abilities now.

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Sabres Notebook: Evan Rodrigues back after son's birth; Jake McCabe's status uncertain

Mike Harrington | Published Mon, Oct 29, 2018

When the Sabres finished practice Monday in HarborCenter, coach Phil Housley chose which player was heading into the center circle to lead the final stretching sequence.

"Papa," Housley called, as players laughed and tapped their sticks.

Evan Rodrigues took instruction as his coach asked. Rodrigues was back at practice Monday after missing Saturday's game in Columbus for what the team had termed personal reasons.

The news was good: His wife, Christina, gave birth to their first child Sunday.

Rodrigues flew to Columbus with the team Friday night but returned Saturday morning as his wife went into labor. Their son's name is Grayson Michael, and he weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

"It was just: Get home, spend time with my wife and go," Rodrigues said. "We knew it was very close."

The baby was born on time, but Rodrigues said it was a little nerve- wracking being out West for 10 days on the team's recent road trip.

"Signs were pointing to him not coming that early," Rodrigues said. "Once I got back from that trip, everything went smoothly. We just kind of took it day by day and here he is."

Rodrigues is likely to return to his regular spot with Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo for Tuesday's game against Calgary in KeyBank Center. Tage Thompson took his place Saturday and posted his first Buffalo point, an assist on Okposo's goal that opened the scoring in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets. Mittelstadt's first goal of the season early in the third period forged the OT.

Asked what sport his new son is going to trend toward, Rodrigues said, "I feel like there's going to be a push towards hockey. But hey, whatever he wants to be. If he wants to be a golfer, I'll go down to Florida and follow him."

Defenseman Jake McCabe missed practice Monday with an upper-body injury suffered Saturday. McCabe played only a little more than three minutes of the second period before leaving, but he gutted out more than seven minutes of the third period against the Blue Jackets.

Housley said his status will be determined around Tuesday's morning skate. Rasmus Dahlin skated in McCabe's place alongside Rasmus Ristolainen on Monday. Dahlin and Ristolainen have yet to play together this season in a game.

The Flames come here Tuesday on the second half of a back-to-back after playing Monday night in Toronto. Calgary is on a brutal stretch of the schedule, with the game against the Sabres being its sixth in nine nights. Overall, the Flames will play eight games in 13 nights before finally getting a three-day break next week.

Calgary suffered the worst loss in its history Thursday night in the Saddledome with a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flames played much better at home Saturday, suffering a 4-3 overtime loss to Stanley Cup champion Washington.

After coming East for the quick back to back, the Flames have to head immediately home to face Colorado on Thursday and Chicago on Saturday.

Struggling starter Mike Smith got the call in goal for the Flames Monday, and he entered the matchup the Leafs sporting a 3.91 goals-against average and .869 save percentage. The Sabres are thus likely to see backup David Rittich, who is 2-1, 2.37/.933 in five games.

Buffalo News LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112645 Buffalo Sabres "Pommer is just a true pro," said coach Phil Housley. "He comes to the rink, he's focused, he's prepared. Just the way he approaches everything that he does, wheather it's a practice or a game, he says a lot of things As he approaches 1,000 games, Pominville still a big contributor for where guys really respect what he has to say. He's represented this Sabres organization as a class act."

Pominville was drafted at No. 55 overall in 2001 and the only players from that draft with more career points are the top two picks, Dallas' Mike Harrington | Published Mon, Oct 29, 2018 Jason Spezza and Los Angeles' Ilya Kovalchuk.

Pominville has five goals and nine points in 11 games this season and has ascended to a top-line wing role after playing a key spot on the Welcome to a big week for Jason Pominville. team's fourth line with Evan Rodrigues and Zemgus Girgensons. The Buffalo Sabres have four games in the next six days, starting with Housley wondered about breaking up the line because it was creating Tuesday night's visit to KeyBank Center by the Calgary Flames. And time in the offensive zone but remembered some chemistry Pominville Pominville will hit a major milestone when he plays his 1,000th career had at the start of last season with Jack Eichel, so he reunited Pominville NHL game Thursday night in Ottawa. with Eichel and added Jeff Skinner to what's become an elite top line. At 35, the winger is the elder statesmen of the Sabres and one of the The Sabres are a building franchise trying to crack the playoffs for the most respected players in franchise history. It's a long way from October, first time since 2011. Pominville fondly remembers the days of 2006 and 2005, when the 22-year-old was on waivers so the Sabres could get him 2007, when the city was abuzz for weeks during the postseason runs. back to Rochester. He'd love to get one more chance. Just imagine if Pominville had been claimed and gone somewhere else. "My first two years, we're there back to back and you're like, 'Wow, this is No Population. No captaincy. No "scary good" overtime goal to go down cool. We're going to be there a lot,' " he said. "Then you realize there's a in Sabres lore. business side of it. ... You need to have your good pieces. I think this "I was disappointed but I kind of figured I wasn't getting taken," team is getting there and it should be nice." Pominville said Monday when asked to reflect on those days. "There's Pominville said his wife is quietly planning a gathering of family and not a lot of guys at training camp that get taken. Most teams know that friends for the Montreal native as he plays in Game 1,000 Thursday they think they have what it takes. There's not a lot of injuries. Their night. teams are built and they have the rosters from the summer. "It will be a nice week for sure. Time goes by fast," he said. "I still "I knew I could play. I just had to get that opportunity. I think I was just remember my first callup in Washington, playing my first game [in 2004]. ready to play when I got the chance. Sometimes you play and you're You dream your whole life of having a chance to play one day. Being probably not ready and forced into position. But when I arrived, I was able to stick around and play that many games is definitely ready to play." overwhelming. A lot of good memories, ups and downs, good stories, Sure was. Pominville had 19 goals in 18 games at Rochester before was able to meet some great people and meet some great friends along getting the call to the NHL for good. It's been quite a career. He just went the way." over 700 NHL points and is a seven-time 20-goal scorer in the league, Buffalo News LOADED: 10.30.2018 with six of those seasons coming in Buffalo. His next point will make him just the 10th Sabres player with 500.

And, of course, there's The Goal. Not many players have one goal their career is immediately associated with. Pominville certainly does.

It came in overtime in Game 5 of the 2006 Eastern Conference semifinals in Ottawa. The Sabres were leading the series, three games to one, when coach Lindy Ruff sent out fellow ruffians Pominville and Derek Roy to kill a Jay McKee penalty in overtime.

"I'm a rookie. Roysie is a rookie. And Lindy trusts both of us to go out there in the D zone on the PK," Pominville said. "We're able to get the puck, I put my head up and I see a forward and a 'D'. .. When you're killing penalties, most times you don't go for it -- especially in the playoffs in overtime. I don't know why I went for it."

Perhaps, it was suggested, he was being an overzealous rookie.

"Exactly. Probably, now that you think about it," he said with a laugh.

It was the right call. Pominville went for it when he saw Daniel Alfredsson back, curled past the Ottawa forward and stuffed the puck around goaltender Ray Emery. It was the first series-clinching short-handed goal in NHL history.

"I kind of went blank after that until I saw Jay McKee hopping out of the penalty box and the whole team jumping together," Pominville said. "It was pretty cool. You're just going out there and making a hockey play, a hockey read that you see. Now with a step back, you realize how big a goal it was for the team and the organization."

Pominville was also quick to credit play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret for helping the goal stand the test of time with his cries of "Now do you believe? Now do you believe? These guys are good. Scary good."

"Every time I have a chance to see it, I still get chills hearing RJ's call," he said. "It was a pretty special moment."

Pominville will become the 326th player in NHL history to hit 1,000 games. Tuesday's game will be No. 672 with the Sabres and he played 327 with Minnesota from 2013-17 before being reacquired by Buffalo in July, 2017. 1112646 Buffalo Sabres with coach Phil Housley allowing the players to do what they need to get it right.

“We had a really good meeting in Los Angeles where we talked about a The Sabres keep talking about accountability. But what exactly does that lot of things and it was open and (Housley) challenged us and we just mean to them? had a open dialogue,” Okposo said. “That’s the kind of thing you need on a team, you need openness, you need constructive criticism, you need guys pulling for each other. Everybody’s happy when people do well. By Joe Yerdon Oct 29, 2018 That’s what it’s like to be on a team and I think that’s what’s been missing here for a long time and we’re starting to get it back. But it’s a long

process and it’s a long season; you can’t get too high, you can’t get too There’s a change in the air around the Buffalo Sabres these days. low. Obviously there’s a good feeling in the room right now, but the second that you take it for granted that’s when you get beat and we’re It may be in part to getting off to their best start since 2011-2012, when not going to do that.” they started 6-5-0. Now 6-4-1, with three straight games in which they rallied to win or send it to overtime, that kind of excitement is making A funny thing happened in Los Angeles. The Sabres rolled the Kings 5-1 people pay attention. Part of the recipe for early success comes from the and followed that the next day rallying back from down 2-0 to beat players making sure everyone is doing their part. Anaheim 4-2 to end the five-game road trip with a 3-2-0 record. Upon returning home, they overcame the Montreal Canadiens in a 4-3 win in “Accountability” is almost a buzzword in the hockey world. Everyone from which they came back from down a goal three times. GMs to coaches to players talk about needing it in order to have a good team and to win games, so when you hear it being mentioned when there On Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo got out to a 2-1 aren’t results to back it up, it almost seems like a myth. It’s an element lead, but got snowed under by the Jackets’ attack and were outshot 16-4 that’s in the ether but isn’t quantifiable. For the Sabres, being and headed to the third down 4-2. Goals from Jason Pominville and accountable is their new reality. Casey Mittelstadt (his first of the season) helped send the game to overtime where Artemi Panarin ended hopes of yet another comeback In talking with Sabres defensemen about how their offensive abilities are win. helping change the way the team attacks play, they all mentioned accountability in a way that made it a central focus of what the entire The resilience Buffalo has shown early is something that hasn’t been team is doing. seen in years and is a product of not allowing the new standards to slip. But they know the next step to take is to play a complete game more “We’re more comfortable as a group holding each other accountable,” often than not. defenseman Zach Bogosian said. “I think everyone knows what being accountable is and means, but as a group we’re probably a little more “(Coming back three straight times) says that when they faced adversity comfortable holding each other accountable. In the same sense, you they looked it right in the eye and they’ve come back hard,” Housley said. have to hold yourself accountable too before you can hold anyone else “But on the other hand we can’t keep putting ourselves in this position. accountable. But I think we’re just at a point as a group we’ve probably One of these days it’s going to bite us in our you-know-what and we can’t gotten more comfortable in that sense of things.” do that. We’ve got to learn from it and we’ve got to clean up that area of our game.” Being accountable in the NHL means knowing when you’ve made mistakes and doing your part to make sure they don’t happen again The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 whether that’s over the course of a full season or during a single game or period. Players that are new to Buffalo within the past season or two and had experience of what it was like on playoff teams know what accountability means and how important it is.

“Guys are making the right plays at the right times,” defenseman Marco Scandella said. “I feel like everyone is doing their job, doing their part, and when you do that you win a lot of hockey games. We’re starting to figure that out now and we’re getting a taste of it so we’ve just got to stay hungry.”

The Sabres haven’t had it easy and a lot of that was their own doing on the ice. Correcting a prolonged period of mistakes or making amends on a brain fart during a game goes a long a way towards having sustained success. For a team that’s still young and is made up of young stars and future stars, it’s a lot of learning on the fly.

“We have made a concerted effort to, one, be more accountable to yourself and, two, hold other guys accountable,” right wing Kyle Okposo said. “I think that when you have the majority of the group pulling in the right direction, then people that aren’t, they stand out. They don’t want that, so you’re held accountable just by that, just by standing out in a poor way. Too many times we had the group that was pulling in probably not a great direction. I think the guys that were doing the right things, they stood out a little bit and now it seems to have shifted.”

Peer pressure, in this case, works out well because while the leadership group includes Jack Eichel as captain with Okposo and Bogosian as alternate captains, there’s enough room for everyone to say what they feel is needed.

“I don’t know how many instances there’s been so far this year, but I think the guys are comfortable with each other in the room,” Eichel said. “I think guys are comfortable enough to say something if something needs to be said. I think that’s pretty important.”

Although it’s early in the season, the Sabres have had moments already to have an open forum to discuss their feelings. It’s not a closed-door meeting where words are more shouted than spoken, but more of a tow- hall type of situation or, at the worst, a Festivus-like airing of grievances 1112647 Calgary Flames COMMITMENT TO DEFENCE

Despite going two periods without a goal from either side, the Flames were out-shooting the Leafs 24-15 after two periods. Questionable officiating not enough to stop Flames in Toronto Sean Monahan, scoreless in eight previous games, finally broke the dam at 5:39 of the third period on a rebound past Frederik Andersen.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia Less than one minute later, Lindholm capitalized on a blueline giveaway by Mitch Marner while Michael Frolik eventually potted an empty netter with six seconds remaining. Bill Peters was, understandably, fuming. Right after Lindholm’s team-leading eighth marker, Smith made a Not over the Calgary Flames’ 3-1 win over the Auston Matthews-less sprawling save on Zach Hyman who was parked on his doorstep which Toronto Maple Leafs at , of course. We’ll get to details seemed to give them more confidence. on the victory later. It was the second time Smith had denied Hyman on the doorstep, kicking But the issue at hand was the fact the head coach had seen the chain of out his left skate on the Leafs centre in the middle frame to keep the events with 1:21 remaining in the third period differently than the National team in it. Hockey League on-ice officials did. Smith, arguably, did that most of the game — gave the Flames a chance. With Frederik Andersen on the bench and a full-court press by the Leafs, That definitely wasn’t the case on Thursday against the Penguins which the entire building had thought that Morgan Reilly scored the game-tying saw him allow six goals on 21 shots (not that goaltending was their only goal on Mike Smith. Instead, the puck hit the outside of the mesh — imperfection that game). clearly no goal and the play was live. They also dictated the pace at puck drop, out-shooting the Leafs 12-4 in As such, Calgary retrieved the puck and were able to create a two-on-0, the first period and led them in shot attempts (20-10). When the Leafs did only to have the whistle blown signalling that the play was dead. push back in the latter half of the second period, Smith was there. Meanwhile, the entire building and the gathered Leafs on the ice were celebrating what they thought was a goal. In fact, there were little to no signs of shaky defensive play which has plagued their game of late and especially last week during a two-game “They were getting hot there,” Peters said, sarcastically in his post-game road trip through New York and Montreal. media scrum referring to the officials. “They had a lot of momentum going, the refs.” “We’re committed,” Giordano said. “We’re coming in and playing low to our plays and stopping in our own zone and getting available for each That wasn’t the only call that Peters wasn’t happy with. other. As ‘D’ men, I thought we’ve made more plays because of it and had those little plays to the middle and clean breakouts . . . our last two With Matthew Tkachuk already in the box for holding and 5:54 remaining games have been the way we want to play, especially defensively. And on the clock — the Flames were clinging to a 2-0 lead at that point — as you saw, when you play well defensively, goals come.” Mark Giordano was whistled for interference, putting the visitors on the wrong end of a five-on-three situation. Monday’s win built on a 3-2 shootout loss to the visiting Washington Capitals, a game that also showed signs of being more cohesive in their Despite penalty-killers TJ Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Elias Lindholm own zone. trying to do what they could, brought the Leafs within one goal with 3:53 remaining (and just as Tkachuk had stepped out of the “We’re taking some steps,” Peters said. “We’re learning how to play for box). each other. We’re learning how to manage the puck. Taking some of the risk out of the game. “I’m not sure about the five-on-three call, I’m not sure about the whistle, and if they would have called the icing that didn’t cross the red-line (at “If we can continue to do that, we’ll have a good team when it’s all said the game’s end), that would have made it a trifecta,” Peters said. “It’ll be and done.” an interesting explanation to our general manager from the league. Then we’ll enlighten the rest of the world on what really happened.” GETTING BACK AT IT

Giordano, for one, thought the Leafs had scored. The Flames have little time to celebrate the victory as they head to play the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday in the second-half of a back-to-back. “I was facing the puck and it went right by me and I thought their guy got a stick on it and thought they scored,” said the Flames captain. “I was “You know what? We need a good practice day,” said Peters who added kind of upset after because we would have had an empty-netter and won that he likely will start David Rittich in net but he’s not 100 per cent. the game. It was a well-played game but definitely a good finish, that’s for “We’re going to go to Buffalo and we’re going to play, then we’ll take a sure.” day off and we’re going to practice. We need to practice. It’s going in the right direction but there is a lot of work left to be done.” Especially given the self-inflicted pain they’ve caused themselves over the last few games. MATTHEWS OUT

Only a few days ago, Peters was talking about how the Flames had hit The is better when the stars are playing in it. rock bottom after Thursday’s 9-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Meaning that the NHL took a hit when the official word came out on home ice. Because, no matter what point in the season, no matter what Monday that Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews would be out for the league you’re playing in, it can’t get any worse than that. next four weeks with a shoulder issue.

While they still have some digging to do, Monday’s victory was another Smith acknowledged this, first and foremost. sign of progress in improving their attention to their play in the defensive zone. They improved to 6-4-0, managed to capitalize when it mattered But . . . most, and received timely goaltending from Smith. “I mean, I’m not ultra disappointed he’s not in the lineup, that’s for sure,” He stood tall most notably on a blocker chuck during that third period the netminder had said as the Flames prepared to face the Maple Leafs penalty kill with John Tavares on his front doorstep and Tkachuk off the at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. “It’s unfortunate for their team but I ice. He continued to shut the door on the five-on-three. guess w’ere catching them at a good time.”

“Listen, we played a great game,” Giordano said. “We (defend) a five-on- That being said, the Leafs have a decent arsenal without Matthews. three and that’s a deadly powerplay over there. They’re going to make you pay. But I thought we moved the puck really well all night and had a “It’s not like that if he’s out of the lineup, their lineup goes to crap,” Smith lot of opportunities.” said with a chuckle.

Flames centre Elias Lindholm leans into a shot during the third period. Truth be told, the Matthews news was big across the league but Leafs THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette head coach explained how the 21-year-old centre needs to focus on his mental health as he deals with the frustrations of an injury.

“Your mental health is the most important thing in anything you do in any walk of life,” Babcock said. “When things don’t go the way you want, if they affect you mentally, how are you going to handle it? Be around the group. Train real hard. Be better when you were when you come back. Be fitter . . . he can do everything so be in the best shape you can and be around the guys as much as you can.”

GOALIE EQUIPMENT CHANGES CREATING ISSUES

The new goaltending equipment regulations have been the subject of conversation early this 2018-19 NHL campaign.

There have been a reduction in the size of chest protectors, pads and pants, the thought-process being to eliminate unnecessary padding. Chest protectors are more form-fitting along with the padding on the arms. But instead, the narrow padding is causing goaltenders to feel vulnerable in certain areas.

Smith said that many goalies are struggling with the right feel, a work in progress that everyone is still trying to get used to.

“To be honest, a month in the season, you’re still finding ways not to get pegged,” Smith said. “Having the fear of getting hurt is something you don’t want as a goalie. There have been some issues with that . . . it’s something we’ll keep tinkering with until there’s a comfort level there.”

He compares it to a bulletproof vest.

“If you get shot, there’s still a bruise under there,” he said. “But it does the job, obviously it stops the bullet. If you get hit with the puck, it’s the same kind of idea. If it’s you get struck with a puck, you’re still taking that impact. what the NHL has done . . . they’ve been very vocal with trying to help us and open with trying to adjust so there’s no fear in guys.”

AROUND THE GLASS

The Flames have eight players from the area who were in their home province on Monday: D Mark Giordano (Toronto), D Dalton Prout (Kingsville), D TJ Brodie (Chatham), RW James Neal (Whitby), C Sean Monahan (Brampton), G Mike Smith (Kingston), C Mark Jankowski (Hamilton) and LW Sam Bennett (Holland Landing). Then, of course, there’s LW Matthew Tkachuk who played in the OHL for London and D Rasmus Andersson who played for Barrie . . . Heading into Monday’s game, RW Michael Frolik needed one assist to hit 200, RW James Neal was only two points away from 500, and RW/C Elias Lindholm was two points away from 198.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112648 Calgary Flames Prout and Peluso talked openly about their role – and the accompanying requirements – without sighing or eye-rolling, without snide comments or sarcasm.

The glory-free days and solitary life of healthy scratches That, according to Flames assistant Ryan Huska, is critical – the ability to bring an upbeat mindset to the rink.

By Scott Cruickshank Oct 29, 2018 “Because if you don’t, it wears on you,” Huska said. “All of a sudden, you go from being a really good guy to a bad person. The emotions get the best of you at times, (to the point) where you start becoming negative and you start pulling guys in with you. If you have the right attitude, it Having shed their gear, showered and tugged on their suits, players were makes it a lot nicer for everyone to be around you.” leaving the arena in clusters, thinking about that night’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Added Prout: “If you’re not positive, it only works to your demise. You always want the team to do well because you want to come back into a Or, more likely, contemplating lunch options. winning culture. You want to support everyone and be positive. But that’s Calgary Flames staffers, meanwhile, were lingering in the quiet corridor the challenge of our work, just like anyone who has challenges in their of HP Pavilion, trading banalities with travelling reporters. day-to-day life.”

Another morning skate in the books. For the most part, players buck up, making no claims of maltreatment. They accept that their days are generally glory-free. Well. Not quite. Occasionally, though, a veteran – to his shock – will find himself on the Because, in a bit of a twist, the on-ice session had been somehow outside. (The dressing-room white board, where written are the game’s ongoing. line combinations, often conveys the bad news.)

Suddenly, stomping down the hallway, making the long march from the And he may be steaming mad. gate to the dressing room, was Matthew Lombardi, sweating and swearing, waving his arms and shouting. “Sometimes they haven’t had time to process it – so they may (view the additional work) a little differently,” Huska said. “They just haven’t been Not only was Lombardi serving as a healthy scratch that day a dozen able to internalize it yet – they come to the rink, they find out they’re not seasons ago – an indignity for a regular (even one trying to find his legs playing, they’re not happy about it. after being cleared from injury) – he had been plumb forgotten by everyone, left to skate by his lonesome well past the allotted time. “Older guys all come to the rink expecting to play. When you see your name’s not on the board, then all of a sudden there’s, ‘What? What’s Hence the sky-high level of irritation. going on here?'”

It’s well-established that extra work is part of the gig. If you’re not Youngsters, too, may be rattled by game-time exclusions. After years as dressing for the game, then you’re on the hook for bonus drills in the the go-to guy, through rep hockey and junior, you’re finally in the NHL – morning. No questions asked. and, suddenly, this wrinkle. You’re told that you’re sitting out. Wait, what?

But never is that supposed to be an unsupervised and open-ended Being deemed a healthy scratch can test a player’s maturity. arrangement, which is what made understandable Lombardi’s outrage. “Maybe you take it more personally,” Prout said. “You’re worried about However, like it or not, it happens to be one of the non-negotiable what people think. It’s all part of growing up. You’re scratched as a kid demands that extra players endure. For someone like Dalton Prout, a and you feel like, oh geez, you’re letting your parents down. Your healthy scratch in all but one contest so far this season, prolonged buddies that came to the game to watch you, you feel like you’re letting morning skates become a built-in part of his routine. them down. But you understand (eventually) there’s a lot of things that go into a hockey game. It’s the tip of an iceberg. It’s just part of the job. Just like off-ice workouts during first periods. “I’ve seen players get scratched. Whether they pout or piss and moan or Just like staying away from the regulars on game day. feel sorry for themselves or have a negative aura about them, it’s going For the extras, it’s a team-first – and potentially ego-diminishing – to bring anyone down. You don’t need that. That’s part of your existence. Even if most people don’t realize the extent of the obligations. responsibility when you’re out of the lineup – (to bring the) same work ethic, same positivity. Because by building everyone else up, you’re “There’s not a big weight on who knows the work you’re putting in,” Prout going to help yourself.” said during the second intermission of a home game the other night. “That’s our job. The Calgary Flames put me on salary to be ready and to Home teams, on game day, skate at 10:30 a.m. – and everyone do whatever’s asked. So if I come to the rink and I’m not in the lineup? practices for 30 minutes. Then the regulars flee, which leaves the ice for Well, my job is to get ready. Use the assistant coaches’ help. Use my the extra players for an additional 15 minutes. But typically no more. strength coach’s help. Use all the resources they put in place for you to “Home ice is nice,” Prout chuckled. “You know you’re going to get saved get ready for the next game. That little extra (work)? It feeds your own by the Zamboni.” confidence. You’re not looking for any validation from any external sources.” Because, with few exceptions, visiting squads hit the ice at 11:30 sharp. Their window is 60 minutes. Meaning, on the road, after the primetime Internally, diligence is recognized. players exit, healthy scratches endure 30 extra minutes. “Everyone knows,” said Prout. “You can’t hide. You can’t fool a In other words, there had been good reason that morning for Lombardi’s teammate. It’s your responsibility.” lament – even if it drew a collective shrug from the Flames coaches on Anthony Peluso, scratched seven times before being assigned to AHL the premises. Stockton last week, insists that sweating behind the scenes is nothing But in the old days? Lombardi would have been begging for the whip- heroic. After all, no one is around to applaud their summertime workouts, crackers to forget about him. either. Healthy scratches, once upon a time, paid a steep price. Simply put – the “Maybe it’s appreciated if, down the line, there’s a stretch where you get morning skate was not considered the setting for skills development. into 20 or 30 games in a row,” Peluso said. “You can reflect back and say, ‘You know what? That’s the work that I put in when I wasn’t playing “When I (was not playing), you skated until you had nothing left, right?” early on in the season.’ A little self-recognition on how hard you work. Flames assistant coach Martin Gelinas said, who broke in with the 1989- Those are the things that, as professional athletes, we look for, right? 90 . “You’d be at the blueline and there’d be no puck Every day we’re looking to improve. You want to stay at the top of your and you’d go back and forth.” game? You’re got to put in the work.” Ryan van Asten chuckles when asked about that – the emptying of the extras’ tanks every game-day morning. “That’s a really old-school approach,” the Flames’ strength and “I don’t know if you feel sorry for them,” Huska says, “because they still conditioning coach said. “It’s really easy to make someone tired. It’s are in the best league in the world. And it’s pretty awesome to come to probably the easiest thing to do – make someone fatigued on the ice. the rink every day. It’s just us making sure we’re supporting them and Just make them go as hard as they can for as long as they can.” we’re positive with them – that what they’re doing matters. That’s the biggest thing. If you can create that feeling where, yeah, it still does Which, of course, is what did happen – untold unfortunates skating matter, then they will typically work hard when you’re on the ice.” endless miles on countless occasions. Huska is hardly heartless. He skated (and skated and skated) down this “You would get in better shape, but are you going to fizzle out after exact path. As a rookie with the 1995-96 IHL Indianapolis Ice, he dressed Christmas?” Prout said. “If you get buried that often, I think you can’t for 28 games. recover. The human body can do only so much. That’s where the hiring of strength coaches and studying – the evolution of the sport – comes in. “And I was healthy-scratched for the rest of them – a lot of over-and- Working hard, but also smarter.” backs and lines,” Huska said. “It’s tough for guys to go through it. But if you still come to the rink with a good attitude – ready and willing to work And considering that morning skates used to commence at 10 a.m. – half to try to make yourself better – when your chance comes, you’ll be ready an hour earlier – there had been even more time to wring out the healthy to jump all over it.” scratches. Preparation goes beyond the game-morning mandates. “There was no rhyme or reason why you were doing it,” Gelinas said. “Now, there is.” Because there is an off-ice component – every time. But since there remains a chance that an extra will suit up that night – if one of regulars, Because van Asten – along with his laptop-toting and study-parsing say, has an injury flare-up or a family emergency – trips to the weight- brethren around the NHL – makes sure that on-ice toil is productive. Not room take place later in the day. During the actual game, in fact. punitive. Van Asten dictates to Calgary’s assistants which type of energy systems should be targeted and what the ideal work-rest ratios are. Hockey tradition dictates that scratches keep their distance, so they arrive while their teammates are on the ice warming up and then trudge But the coaches are still responsible for devising the drills. into the workout room. By the time the horn sounds at the end of the first “Ryan gives us parametres for what he wants,” Huska said. “(Thursday) period, they’re finished. They monitor the rest of the game on a back- was quick bursts – sets of them, very quick, five seconds of work. We try room TV or from the press box. to make them suited to what they have to do and see in a game. Away from home, evening workouts can become even more of an ordeal. “It’s not just about skating up and down anymore. Ultimately it’s to put Not only the exercising itself, but simply getting to the destination. them in a position where they feel good about themselves and they can Because you don’t bus with the regulars, you’re on your own. have success when they come back in.” “I’m telling you, some of the rinks when you’re trying to Uber in with three By the way, if 15 minutes of extra skating doesn’t sound like much, you guys and luggage, it’s not a glamourous part of the NHL,” Prout said, haven’t watched the wheezing. Just because it’s backed by highfalutin smiling. “I’m circling arenas. I’m getting dropped off a block away science does not mean it’s pleasant. because (of game-time traffic). But I think I’ve sat out in enough arenas that I know the short routes and the security entrances. Then you get in Gelinas comes armed with a stopwatch and a whistle, with plans and there and try to get in a workout.” pylons. Mercy, he leaves in the coach’s room. In addition to the demands, the role is challenging – for obvious reasons. Still puffing one morning, Peluso is asked how he feels about his taskmaster. It’s hard to share in victories when you haven’t contributed on the ice. And it stings to know that you couldn’t help your team during a losing “Some days, you could say you hate him,” he said, grinning. “But as effort. much as you might curse at them under your breath, in the end you know that those are the guys in your corner.” Sure, compensation is top-end – $800,000 U.S. this season for Prout – but no one wants to be considered a spare part. Gelinas gets it. “You’re never happy,” Prout said, buttoning up his dress-shirt cuffs while “I’m sure they don’t like me,” he said. “I’m sure they look at me in the his teammates stepped onto the Saddledome ice for a third period. morning and think, ‘What’s coming today?'” “You’re a hockey player. You want to play the game. But when you can’t do anything about the situation you’re in, you’ve just got to go day-by- There’s little griping, little stalling, from the worker bees, but it’s not only day. Coaches want to see emotion. They want to see players engaged. workout philosophies that have changed over the years. They want to see people that care and want to be here. Different players “The generation we have now is different,” Gelinas said. “I had some show that in different ways. guys in the past – like six years ago – and they didn’t like it. They were “It’s tough. Because when you’re out of the lineup for an extended period kind of old school. They just felt they didn’t need it.” of time, you miss all the small, intricate things and details that go into a Even if today’s healthy scratches are driven by businesslike outlooks, game day. Looking at (pre-scouting video) before the game. You miss they admit to harbouring moments of resentment. the game-day routines … the meetings. You’re not warming up at night and going on the ice, you’re going for workouts. Like when they spy teammates gliding off the ice at 11 a.m. – or sidling over to the players’ box for chuckles and chatter over bottles of Gatorade “When you’re out, it’s not about going back with a vengeance and being – all the while knowing the roughest part of their morning is about to take emotional and getting it all back at once. You’ve got to build your game place. back up from scratch.”

“That’s when it sets in,” Prout said. “A lot of times when you’ve been The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 scratched for five, 10, 15, 20 games and you’re on the road, you just haven’t been a part of it. You haven’t seen your teammates. You don’t eat with your teammates – your meals are at different times. You’re on the ice with them (for most of practice, but later) when you get undressed, you’re getting undressed with two guys. You’re not getting undressed with the team. It’s not fun, but it’s part of the job.”

“Sometimes you’re on the road and you have nothing but two guys and a backup goalie on the ice. You look up at the empty stands and you’ve got 40 minutes of work to put in … after you landed at 2 (a.m.) the night before. You’ve just got to put your head down and get through it.”

Assistant coaches are there to make sure it happens. They have their marching orders. Sympathy doesn’t enter into the equation. 1112649 Chicago Blackhawks

Zach Sanford had a heart-breaking decision: See his dying...

Jeremy Rutherford

After the St. Louis Blues’ 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars in a preseason game on Sept. 18, Cindy Sanford could tell how thrilled her son was to finally be back on the ice. Zach Sanford, who had been traded to the Blues by the Washington Capitals as a rookie, sat out his first full season with the Blues after suffering a dislocated shoulder on the first day of the team’s 2017-18 training camp. He recovered with time left in the season, but after being assigned to the to get in game shape, a bruised lung sidelined him again and he never rejoined the parent club. In his first game in a Blues uniform since May 2, 2017, Sanford had an assist and two hits in 15:34 of ice time in the loss to the Stars. He sounded happy on the phone when his mom hung up with him, and she had that on her mind when she awoke around midnight to news that her ex-husband and Zach’s dad, Michael, had suffered a heart attack. “We didn’t... Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112650 Chicago Blackhawks

What happens when you remove a goal horn, loud music and...

Craig Custance

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The first thing that stands out is the lighting. It’s not like it was pitch black in USA Hockey Arena on Sunday afternoon, just a bit muted. Kind of like everything was during this game. The ice itself was well lit. It had to be, for the players and the action. But the lights wrapped around the outside of the rink were off. So were the lights on the two biggest suites at center ice, designated as quiet rooms for any kids who might need them. Sunday was a bit of an experiment for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. It was their first Sensory Friendly Day, an idea imported by under-17 coach Seth Appert, who hosted games like these while he was the head coach at RPI. In partnership with the Autism Alliance of Michigan, the NTDP went to great lengths in order to make this game as comfortable as possible for kids with special needs. Lights were dimmed. There was no loud music or video replay. There was an expanded selection... Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112651 Chicago Blackhawks

This teenager wins Halloween with his Blackhawks-themed costume | Chicago Sun-Times

Sun-Times Staff email

Most sports fanatics aren’t too thrilled to sit on the bench, but one teen says that’s where all the action is. Luke Fanella got an early start to his Halloween with a new homemade costume: the Blackhawks bench, ABC 7 first reported. Fanella is featured as a player in the getup, seated between Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who are also on “the bench.” He’s wearing a full hockey uniform with screaming fans (his family) cheering behind the glass — also included in the Halloween costume. The 14-year-old told ABC 7 he was inspired by the camaraderie that takes place between players on the Blackhawks bench and that his wish was to “be that kid that got to sit on the bench during their warmups and give them all knuckles and high-fives.” Fanella will get to live out that dream and share a dose of Halloween spirit while celebrating the holiday in Naperville. His costume was specially made by his Uncle Jim DelGenio who has made the teen’s Blackhawks-themed costume in the past, ABC 7 reports. Last Halloween, Fanella gained national attention when he dressed as the hockey team’s ice-resurfacing machine. The Blackhawks even invited him to ride the real Zamboni during a game. Fanella has a muscle disorder that requires use of a wheelchair. His uncle just incorporates the wheelchair into the costumes. Fanella told ABC 7 he’s happy to go all out for Halloween — a time when his disability isn’t a focus and he can just be “a regular kid out there for candy.” We just spoke with Luke's family… he's coming to our game this weekend! Can't wait to see him take our Zamboni out for a spin. https://t.co/egxwS9dXkj — Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 1, 2017 Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112652 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju shuts down star, opens eyes

Tom Musick

Coach Joel Quenneville almost never is quick to praise a young player, particularly a young defenseman. At best, a player who lacks experience might get the following endorsement: “I didn’t mind him.” Other common critiques by Quenneville include, “He was just OK,” which means something less than OK, and, “He was ordinary,” which is about as bad as it gets. So it was striking when Quenneville spoke glowingly about 19-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju this week. “I liked him a lot,” Quenneville said after the Blackhawks’ 2-1 overtime loss Sunday to the Oilers. “He had a great start [to the season], and I liked him over the last three or four games. He’s done well. “He’s out there against top guys. He’s got a tremendous gap; he’s got quickness; he recovers well. He’s going to get better with his stick. He makes a lot of direct plays. He’ll get better in that area, recognize options offensively. But getting exposed to [those] type of assignments at this stage of his career is pretty flattering, but he’s handled it extremely well.” In other words, Quenneville really doesn’t mind him. Has he spoken like this about any other young blue-liner? This type of praise typically is reserved for proven veterans, not a baby-faced Finn. But Jokiharju has earned the off-ice compliments because of his on-ice accomplishments. Quenneville leaned heavily on Jokiharju and defense partner Duncan Keith to handle the Oilers’ potent top line, which featured superstar Connor McDavid at center along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto on the wings. It’s a risk for any defender to take on McDavid, who the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby recently said was an “easy pick” for the NHL’s best player. But the risk was even greater for Jokiharju, who entered the showdown with all of 11 games of NHL experience. As he has done all season, Jokiharju proved to be up to the task. He and Keith subdued the Oilers’ potent top line throughout regulation, although McDavid eventually broke through in the three-on-three overtime while Jokiharju watched from the bench. “He’s been great,” defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “I thought he was exceptional, the way he played. The way he’s able to skate and move, as a young defenseman, he makes a lot of smart plays. He’s good with the puck, confident with the puck, and he can shoot it.” Expect more top assignments on the way for Jokiharju and Keith. It looks as if the pairing will stick for quite some time — something Keith, 35, is eager to embrace. “I was actually thinking about that before the game Sunday, thinking I’ve bounced around with a few different partners,” Keith said. “It’s a good feeling to know that he’s as young as he is and as good as he is. It definitely bodes well for the team and myself as a partner with him.” Keith has provided guidance for Jokiharju throughout the season. But the rookie has helped the older guy, too. “He allows me to play my game, for one thing,” Keith said. “For 19 years old, he’s pretty poised. He’s a great skater, he’s good with the puck, makes smart plays, good defensively. Defense isn’t an easy position to break into, and he’s doing it like a veteran.” Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112653 Chicago Blackhawks

Why Jokiharju could be the answer for Blackhawks struggling power play

John Dietz

Twelve games into his professional career, Henri Jokiharju is doing it all for the Blackhawks. The young defenseman is thwarting dangerous forwards like Connor McDavid, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Getzlaf and Artemi Panarin. He's tied for the team lead with 7 assists. He leads the team in hits (20), is fourth in shots on goal (36), owns the best Corsi-For number at 56.6 and he's averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time. "Defense isn't an easy position to break into," Duncan Keith said, "and he's doing it like a veteran." So what more can this 19-year-old wunderkind do to help out? Simple: Put him on the top power-play unit. Immediately. The Hawks are an abysmal 5-for-41 (12.2 percent) on the man advantage, ranking 28th in the league. They had eight minutes of power-play time in a 2-1 OT loss to Edmonton Sunday and managed just 2 shots on goal. Two shots. In eight minutes. Jokiharju, who took a team-high 6 shots on goal, was out there for just 76 seconds and has seen 1:43 of power-play time the last five games. Last month, in talking to Zach Werenski about what it was like to break into the league as a 19-year-old, the Blue Jackets' defenseman told me: "I was pretty fortunate with the opportunity that the coaching staff gave me -- being on the power play, penalty killing, being on the first 'D' pair with Seth Jones. I think that's almost the best way to do it. … They just threw everything at me and I felt like I could handle it." Werenski racked up 11 goals and 36 assists as a rookie in 2016-17, with nearly half of those points (4G, 17A) coming on the power play. It's time to unleash Jokiharju in exactly the same way. Pair him with Keith on the top unit, move Brent Seabrook down to play with Erik Gustafsson on the second, and bench Dominik Kahun. Shoot the puck In addition to adding Jokiharju to the power play, it's high time the Hawks stop being so cute and looking for the perfect shot. "You want it to be a shooting power play," analyst Steve Konroyd said Sunday on NBCSCH. "So one or two passes and then the puck's got to get to the net; bodies got to get to the net. Everything funnels to the net." The Hawks have taken only 55 shots in 67.5 minutes of man-advantage time this season, an average 0.8 shots per minute. That number has got to be higher. Battle harder The Hawks produced next to nothing on a key third-period power-play opportunity against the Oilers because players lost puck battles right after a faceoff. "Those were our pucks and then it got disorganized both times when we had opportunities to start with possession," coach Joel Quenneville lamented. The power play is often about attitude and right now the Hawks don't play with nearly enough urgency. They're allowing the penalty killers to dictate play instead of the other way around. Put pressure on the goalie with a persistent net-front presence. Force the action. Move the puck more often and with purpose. Be relentless and attack. "We just need to be working together and come out as a group of five," said Artem Anisimov. "We need to win the puck battles in the zone. Drop the puck, go on top, create shots, create the lanes. "Shoot it, grab the rebound, do it again. Everything's going to open up off that." Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112654 Chicago Blackhawks

How sports betting partnership with MGM Resorts could impact NHL and teams like Blackhawks

By Charlie Roumeliotis October 29, 2018

In May, the Supreme Court lifted the 25-year ban on sports betting outside of Nevada and now we're seeing a groundbreaking movement across all major sports. After being against the idea of it in the past, the NHL announced on Monday that it has agreed to a multi-year relationship with MGM Resorts International, making them the league's first official sports betting partner. “The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our League,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. ”As a leading global gaming operator and entertainment company, MGM Resorts is the perfect partner for us to begin our transformative entry into this space. Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do.” The deal is going to include access to real-time player tracking data, which is on track to start at the beginning of the 2019-20 season. This could help strengthen the clarity of analytics while also providing opportunities for prop bets, such as how much ice Patrick Kane covers over the course of a game or the top speed Connor McDavid can reach. The other key takeaway is that the NHL doesn't have any plans to change how they handle their injury reports and what they are obligated to disclose. The Blackhawks are one of several teams to take that initiative upon themselves, but that doesn't mean others necessarily have to follow suit going forward. "I don't know about that," Bettman said. "Our players tend to play hurt and I'm not sure we have any interest in changing our reports. We're comfortable with the way things are because it's important for the well- being of our players. We don't want them targeted when they're playing injured, and obviously we don't want them playing too injured." It's too early to project what impact sports betting in the NHL will have on the league both financially and popularity wise, but it obviously has the potential to be a huge new source of revenue. And it could lead to significant salary cap increases on an annual basis, which is great news for larger market teams like the Blackhawks who are seemingly up against it every year. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112655 Chicago Blackhawks

Connor McDavid not surprised by former linemate Alex DeBrincat's emergence in NHL

By Charlie Roumeliotis October 29, 2018

When Connor McDavid came to Chicago in February of 2017, Alex DeBrincat was just a prospect, a highly-touted one at that. But nobody really knew what to expect from a 5-foot-7, 165-pound winger and how his game would translate to the NHL at that size. Heck, the Blackhawks weren't even sure if he was going to make the team out of training camp in his rookie season. And then all DeBrincat did was lead the team with 28 goals. This season, he's already got eight goals and 14 points through 12 games and has done it while matching up against the opponents' top lines. McDavid, who spent one season as DeBrincat's teammate with the Erie Otters from 2014-15, didn't have any doubts about DeBrincat's transition then and isn't surprised now to see his former OHL linemate succeed so quickly at the highest level. "He hasn't surprised me one bit," McDavid told NBC Sports Chicago. "I think people like to count him out just because of his size, but he's got such a big heart. He competes like anybody I've ever seen in my life. He's definitely one of those self-made players that you just kind of admire. I can't imagine what it would be like to play in the NHL at his size and his weight, but obviously he does an amazing job at it." Critics expected DeBrincat's offensive production to drop when McDavid left for the NHL, where he would go on to win consecutive Art Ross Trophies as a 19- and 20-year-old in 2017 and 2018. But it didn't. In fact, DeBrincat's numbers got better. After putting up 51 goals while playing on a line with McDavid, DeBrincat matched that the following year without him then registered 65 goals and 127 points in his third year. What's even more impressive is how easy he's made it look in the NHL, too. "I think it's just his compete level," McDavid said. "It's blue collar, it's grind, you use your skill when you can and he's got both of those." His compete level was evident when he recently instigated a scrap with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson, who's 6-3, 217 pounds. That's an eight-inch difference height wise and 52 pounds on the scale. It showed a side of DeBrincat Chicago hadn't seen before, but one current and former teammates like McDavid knew has always been there. Couple that with a very offensively-skilled player and it makes for a special package. DeBrincat is on pace for 55 goals this season, which seems unsustainable considering Alex Ovechkin won the Rocket Richard Trophy last season with 49 goals. But could he be a 40-goal scorer in the NHL? "He plays with some very gifted players and he's gifted himself," McDavid said. "I think we'll start with him scoring 30 and then I would think 40's not too far down the road." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112656 Chicago Blackhawks produced his first two points of the season this past weekend. He had a goal in a loss to Rensselaer on Friday and an assist in a loss on Saturday. He has a goal and an assist in four games this season. The Blackhawks prospect review: Adam Boqvist suffers injury scare Blackhawks are hopeful Foo progresses like his brother Spencer, who was undrafted and earned an NHL contract with his play at Union. Spencer is now in the Calgary Flames’ system. By Scott Powers Oct 29, 2018 Chad Krys, Boston (NCAA), defenseman Krys, a 2016 second-round pick, made his season debut for Boston Friday. He had missed the Terriers’ first three games due to an injury. Having suffered two previous concussions, Blackhawks top defenseman The 20-year-old Krys and the Blackhawks are hopeful he’ll take that next prospect Adam Boqvist will always have to be concerned about step in his development this season. He was solid, but not spectacular, experiencing another. his first two years at Boston. Krys talked about his expectations for this season at development camp. That was the fear when Boqvist suffered an apparent head injury Friday when he was knocked into the glass playing for the of Phillip Kurashev, Quebec (QMJHL), center the OHL. He was kept out of Saturday’s game as a precautionary measure. Kurashev, a 2018 fourth-round pick, is on a tear for the Remparts. The 19-year-old center had one goal and five assists in three games last But a source close to the situation said Boqvist was examined and week. For the season, he’s up to five goals and 15 assists in 16 games. showed no concussion symptoms. He’s tied for fifth in assists and 12th in points in the QMJHL. “He should be fine, was a minor thing,” the source said. “He had a cold Ivan Nalimov, Kunlun (KHL), goalie before, so we think that’s the issue more than anything. The doctors have not seen any concussion symptoms. We’re sure it’s something with his Nalimov, a 2014 sixth-round pick, is close to returning from a broken cold.” hand, a source said. The 24-year-old Nalimov hasn’t played since Oct. 3. He has 122 saves on 133 shots for a .917 save percentage in four Boqvist scored his first OHL goal during Friday’s game and now has one games this season. goal and 10 assists in 11 games this season. Niklas Nordgren, HIFK (), winger Evan Barratt, Penn State (NCAA), center Nordgren, a 2018 third-round pick, has had no trouble adjusting to Barratt, a 2017 third-round pick, extended his points streak to four games ’s top league. The 18-year-old Nordgren was promoted earlier this with an assist on Friday. He has one goal and six assists during the month, and he’s excelled with four goals and two assists in six games. steak. He has seven points in five games for the season. The 19-year-old He had his best game yet on Saturday with a goal and two assists. He’s Barratt is likely projected as a bottom-6 center. The Blackhawks have to on a four-game point streak. He’s a small winger at 5-foot-9, but the like what they’ve seen so far from him at Penn State. He had 18 points in Blackhawks love his offensive upside, which is why they traded up to 32 games last season as a freshman and is off to a strong start this draft him in June. season at plus-6. Freddy Olofsson, Omaha (NCAA), center/winger Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville (QMJHL), defenseman Olofsson, a 2014 fourth-round pick, is another prospect averaging a point In case you missed the news last week, Beaudin, a 2018 first-round pick, a game. He has seven points in his first six games as a senior at Omaha. fractured his wrist during Drummondville’s win over Gatineau Oct. 19. He The 22-year-old Olofsson produced a goal for Omaha in a loss to Arizona saw a specialist for the fracture, which occurred on the lunate bone with State on Saturday. He has one goal and six assists this season. He had a simple minute crack, a source said. He began rehab on Thursday with six goals and 14 assists in 33 games last season as a junior. Drummondville’s medical staff and will meet with the specialist again in two weeks. He is able to skate during that time, but he cannot do any Jake Ryczek, Halifax (QMJHL), defenseman work with his hands. Beaudin has one goal and eight assists in nine games this season. He has three primary assists and one secondary Ryczek, a 2016 seventh-round pick, has picked it up after a slow start for assist in 5-on-5 play and has been on the ice for 11 goals for and four the Mooseheads this season. The 20-year-old defenseman has one goal against. and four assists in his last four games. For the season, he has two goals and seven assists in 16 games. Ryczek began last season at Providence Collin Delia, Rockford (AHL), goalie College before leaving to join Halifax. He produced seven goals and 20 assists in 33 games last season. Delia, a free-agent signing, isn’t just going to hand the IceHogs’ No. 1 goalie spot to Anton Forsberg. Since Forsberg’s arrival to Rockford, Delia Max Shalunov, CSKA (KHL), center/winter made 29 saves on 31 shots in one game and 36 saves on 37 shots in the next game. Delia has a .925 save percentage through six games this Shalunov, a 2011 fourth-round pick, continued his goal surge by scoring season. for CSKA on Friday. He has goals in four of his past six games. For the season, the 25-year-old Shalunov has seven goals and two assists in 20 Victor Ejdsell, Rockford (AHL), center/winger games. He has six goals in his last 10 games. Ejdsell, a trade acquisition, has bounced back after being a healthy Dylan Sikura, Rockford (AHL), winger scratch recently. Since the scratch, he’s scored three goals in three games. He had two goals in his first game back and added a second one Sikura, a sixth-round pick in 2014, is tied for a team-leading seven points on Saturday. He has three goals and two assists in eight games this through nine games. The 23-year-old winger has two goals and five season. assists. He leads the IceHogs with 30 shots on goal and has been on the ice for four goals for and three against in 5-on-5 play. Anton Forsberg, Rockford (AHL), goalie Tyler Sikura, Rockford (AHL), center Forsberg, a trade acquisition, made his season debut on Saturday. He stopped 25-of-27 shots in a 2-1 loss for the IceHogs. He and Delia split Sikura, a free-agent signing, keeps on scoring goals for the IceHogs. the IceHogs’ starts over the weekend. After scoring 23 goals in 74 games last season, the 26-year-old center leads the team with four goals this season. He has 4-3-7 through the first MacKenzie Entwistle, Hamilton (OHL), winger nine games. Entwistle, a trade acquisition, had his eight-game points streak snapped MacKenzie Entwistle has been among the Blackhawks’ top offensive on Sunday. The 19-year-old Entwistle had seven goals and five assists prospects this season. (Scott Powers/The Athletic) during the streak. For the season, he has eight goals and five assists in 14 games. Prospect statistics Parker Foo is a sophomore at Union College. (Scott Powers/The Athletic) Forwards Parker Foo, Union (NCAA), winger Andrei Altybarmakyan (KHL) – 0 goals, 0 assists in 3 games Foo, a 2017 fifth-round pick, had a quiet freshman season at Union with Evan Barratt (NCAA) – 1 goal, 6 assists in 5 games just one goal and five assists in 33 games. He missed development Radovan Bondra (ECHL) – 0 goals, 0 assists in 2 games camp this summer with an injury and sat out Union’s first couple games this season with a cold. The 20-year-old Foo is now back in action and Liam Coughlin (NCAA) – 0 goals, 3 assists in 4 games John Dahlstrom (Allsvenskan) – 3 goals, 1 assist in 12 games Anton Forsberg (AHL) – 25 saves on 27 shots, .926 save percentage in 1 game Victor Ejdsell (AHL) — 3 goals, 2 assists in 8 games Alexis Gravel (QMJHL) – 398 saves on 428 shots, .911 save percentage McKenzie Entwistle (OHL) — 8 goals, 5 assists in 14 games in 13 games Parker Foo (NCAA) – 1 goal, 1 assist in 4 games Kevin Lankinen (AHL) – 33 saves on 40 shots, .825 save percentage in 2 Mathias From (Allsvenskan) — 2 goals, 2 assists in 9 games games Mikael Hakkarainen (USHL) – 3 goals, 5 assists in 5 games Ivan Nalimov (KHL) – 122 saves on 133 shots, .917 save percentage in 4 games Matthew Highmore (AHL) – 3 goals, 4 assists in 8 games The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 Matheson Iacopelli (AHL) — 1 goal, 1 assist in 7 games Artur Kayumov (KHL) – 2 goals, 4 assists in 20 games Graham Knott (AHL) — 1 goal, 1 assist in 9 games Phillip Kurashev (QMJHL) — 5 goals, 15 assists in 16 games Anthony Louis (AHL) — 3 goals, 2 assists in 9 games Jacob Nilsson (AHL) — 0 goals, 2 assists in 9 games Nathan Noel (AHL) — 0 goals, 1 assist in 8 games Niklas Nordgren (Liiga) — 4 goals, 2 assists in 6 games Freddy Olofsson (NCAA) – 1 goal, 6 assists in 6 games Jack Ramsey (NCAA) – 0 goals, 0 assists in 3 games Jordan Schroeder (AHL) — 3 goals, 2 assists in 7 games Dylan Sikura (AHL) — 2 goals, 5 assists in 9 games Tyler Sikura (AHL) — 4 goals, 3 assists in 9 games Josiah Slavin (USHL) — 2 goals, 6 assists in 10 games Tim Soderlund (SHL) – 2 goals, 0 assists in 13 games Beau Starrett (NCAA) — 0 goals, 0 assists in 2 games Max Shalunov (KHL) – 7 goals, 2 assists in 20 games Jake Wise (NCAA) – 0 goals, 0 assists in 4 games Chad Krys is back playing for Boston. (Scott Powers/The Athletic) Defensemen Nicolas Beaudin (QMJHL) — 1 goal, 8 assists in 9 games Adam Boqvist (OHL) — 1 goal, 10 assists in 11 games Andrew Campbell (AHL) — 1 goal, 0 assists in 7 games Lucas Carlsson (AHL) — 1 goal, 1 assist in 9 games Carl Dahlstrom (AHL) — 0 goals, 5 assists in 9 games Josh Ess (NCAA) – 0 goals, 1 assist in 6 games Gustav Forsling (AHL) — 0 goals, 0 assists in 3 games Jakub Galvas (Czech) — 1 goal, 2 assists in 14 games Dennis Gilbert (AHL) – 0 goals, 1 assist in 4 games Blake Hillman (AHL) — 0 goals, 1 assist in 7 games Chad Krys (NCAA) – 0 goals, 0 assists in 1 game Roope Laavainen (Liiga) — 1 goal, 2 assists in 7 games Jake Massie (NCAA) – 0 goals, 2 assists in 4 games Ian Mitchell (NCAA) — 1 goal, 3 assists in 4 games Robin Norell (SHL) — 0 goals, 2 assists in 12 games Darren Raddysh (AHL) – 1 goal, 5 assists in 9 games Jake Ryczek (QMJHL) – 2 goals, 7 assists in 16 games Ryan Shea (NCAA) – 0 goals, 1 assist in 5 games Luc Snuggerud (AHL) — 0 goals, 1 assist in 3 games Joni Tuulola (AHL) — 0 goals, 1 assist in 6 games Goalies Collin Delia (AHL) – 196 saves on 212 shots, .925 save percentage in 6 games 1112657 Colorado Avalanche And close the video homage to Duchene with this 14-second tribute to the angst he habitually wore on his sleeve, when a player paid a $6 million salary by Colorado reluctantly reported to Avalanche training Baby, where did our love go? If Avs fans miss Matt Duchene, they will camp last year and declared: “I’m not taking any questions right now. I’m boo him in return to Denver. here to honor my contract. I’m here out of respect for the fans. I’m here for my teammates. I had a great summer of training and I’m in good physical condition. Thanks so much. I’ll see you in the next couple days. OK?” By MARK KISZLA Baby, baby, where did our love go?

We’ll see you Friday night at the Pepsi Center, Dutchy. OK? If you love Matt Duchene, you will boo him when his skates touch the ice in Denver. Let the good times roll … and the booing never end. While wearing an Avalanche sweater from 2009-17, Duchene scored 178 Denver Post: LOADED: 10.30.2018 goals and lost 348 regular-season games (not that we’re counting). The prodigal whiner returns Friday to the Pepsi Center for the first time since last November, when Dutchy got his wish and was traded to Ottawa. “I’m sure some of our fans love him, some of them don’t,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said Thursday. Duchene wanted out of Denver, baby. He broke up with us, remember? And everybody in an Avalanche sweater is better off for it. “I can’t speak for him. But for the guys in this dressing room, this team and this organization, I think we’ve taken some steps ahead,” Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog said. If Avalanche fans miss Dutchy, they will boo him. Carmelo Anthony, who worked his tail off to make the Nuggets a perennial playoff contender, is reviled in our dusty old cowtown more than eight years after he asked to be traded. That, in its own weird way, is a sign of respect for how much Melo meant to the franchise. Question is: Does anybody around here truly miss Duchene, who became the face of the franchise’s frustration during his stint in Denver? The team asked Duchene to be what he was never cut out to be: the tough-minded centerpiece of an Avalanche revival. And the organization was guilty at times for frowning on Dutchy merely because he wasn’t old- time hockey enough for its taste. So I asked Jean Martineau, the Avs’ crafty senior vice president of communications, if the team had any special plans to welcome back Duchene, perhaps with a tribute broadcast on the IMAX-sized video screens suspended high above the ice. “You will have to come to the game and find out,” Martineau coyly replied. Well, if the creative minds in charge of arena entertainment need inspiration for a video tribute to Dutchy, here are a few suggestions. Because I am nothing if not always willing to help. As the lights are darkened before the puck is dropped against Ottawa, I envision “Where Did Our Love Go?” by the Supremes playing over sound system. While Diana Ross croons “Ooh, don’t you want me? Don’t you want me no more?” a mash-up of Duchene’s highlights in Colorado begins to roll. There’s a video of Duchene scoring a game-winning goal against Vancouver that sent the Avs to the playoffs in 2010, accompanied by him boasting: “Our goal all season was to make the playoffs and silence all the critics who said we were going to be 14th or 15th in the West.” Please remind me. How many playoff series did the Avs win with Duchene? And perhaps there should be a clip included that features Duchene on stage singing “Friends in Low Places” from a Thomas Rhett concert in Colorado during 2014, because we sometimes suspected Matty Ice would rather be a big country music star than a Stanley Cup champion. The montage could move on to Duchene’s inclination to be a diva on skates, as he theatrically pumps both fists in celebration of his 30th goal of the 2016 season while getting demolished by St. Louis at the Pepsi Center. Back it with this brutally honest commentary on the goal from Patrick Roy at the time: “The thing I have a bit of a hard time (with) is the reaction of Dutchy after he scores. It’s a 4-0 goal. Big cheer. Are you kidding me? What is that?” Broncos Game Plan: How Denver matches against the Chiefs, injury Kiszla: The Broncos’ problem? It wasn’t Chad Kelly. It’s the nonsense John Elway has let go on too long. 1112658 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen earns NHL’s third star of the week honor

By JOE NGUYEN

Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen on Monday was named the NHL’s third star of the week after tallying three goals and four assists in four games. On the season, Rantanen has an NHL-leading 16 assists and 21 points, and has tallied five goals. His plus-minus of plus-14 is tied for the league lead with linemate Gabe Landeskog. Penguins center Sidney Crosby was named the NHL’s first star and Jets center Mark Scheifele is the second star. This is the second consecutive week an Avalanche has earned player of the week honors. Nathan MacKinnon was the league’s first star last week. Denver Post: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112659 Colorado Avalanche season but the 6-foot-5, 221-pound Nova Scotia native’s greatest value might come on the penalty kill. Eagles coach Greg Cronin has trusted Graves on the one-man advantage and he has played a part in why the Avalanche prospects update, vol. 1: Makar, Saigeon and Werner off to group possesses the AHL’s No. 6 unit, stopping opponents 85.7 percent strong starts of the time. Cale Makar, RD, University of Massachusetts (NCAA): Where to begin. Let’s start with how every time Makar does something, the discussion By Ryan S. Clark Oct 29, 2018 about his impending arrival to Denver only gets louder. Through six games, he has looked the part of a high first-round pick dominating the collegiate game. He has scored three goals but his eight assists and 11 points are the most on the Minutemen’s roster. Nationally speaking, Name any franchise and one will learn why prospects are important. For Makar has performed as one of the best players in college hockey a team that is bad, it represents the promise of turning the corner. If an regardless of position. He’s tied with Notre Dame’s Bobby Nardella for organization is somewhere in the middle, those up-and-coming talents most points by a defenseman. Makar, who turns 20 on Tuesday, has could make the difference in eventually reaching the next stage. Or if a UMass off to a 5-1-0 start. team is among the elite, there’s a belief the future crop might help maintain that success. Nicholas Meloche, RD, Colorado (AHL): Meloche is another offensive- minded option the Avalanche have tucked away for the future. The The Colorado Avalanche are not too far removed from being a bad team team’s second-rounder from 2015 had 17 points in 58 AHL games last trying to change its fortune. After last year’s playoff appearance and this season. He has picked up three points from seven contests to start this season’s strong start, it appears general manager Joe Sakic’s team is season. Meloche, who is receiving about 16 minutes of average ice time, trending in the direction of a team seeking the next level. has also received some time on the team’s power play, which is All told, the Avalanche have more than 40 prospects playing all over the converting 12.8 percent of the time. world. And here’s a look a few players worth keeping an eye on as Connor Timmins, RD, Colorado (NHL): No one knows for certain when October comes to an end. Timmins will return. The Avalanche’s primary concern is the 20-year-old Forwards can take the time needed to fully recover from concussion-like symptoms before determining the next course of action. Both the Avalanche and A.J. Greer, LW, Colorado (AHL): Look at what Greer’s doing and those Timmins’ agent agreed it would be a good idea for him to extend his who’ve followed him have seen this before. His first AHL season started rehab back home in Ontario while the team was on a four-game East with him scoring 11 points through his first 10 games. Move ahead to the Coast trip. Timmins returned last week to Denver and will continue his 2017-18 season when Greer opened with a six-game point streak. What recovery efforts. makes this year different? Greer came into this season with one three- point performance over his 98-game AHL career. This year, he already Goaltenders has two three-point games. He went pointless over the weekend but still Pavel Francouz, R, Colorado (AHL): How Francouz opened the season leads the Eagles with eight points. further amplified the interest surrounding the Avalanche’s goaltending Nick Henry, RW, Regina (WHL): One of two Major Junior prospects in future. The 28-year-old Olympian bolted out to a 3-0 start with a 1.33 the Avalanche’s system, Henry appears to be fully healthy compared to a goals-against average and a .958 save percentage. Francouz’s last two year ago. The Pats’ forward needed offseason shoulder surgery in June games were a bit shaky, due in some part to defensive breakdowns 2017 and came back with 29 points over 53 games last season. So far, leaving him in tough positions. He moved to 4-0 after allowing three goals his early performances are starting to resemble what Henry achieved on 25 shots in a win over the Ontario Reign. Francouz’s latest when he tallied 81 points in his draft year. He’s currently riding a five- performance was his most challenging to date. He lasted less than 29 game points streak with four goals and seven assists coming during that minutes after giving up five goals on 18 shots in a loss to the . stretch. Overall, he leads Regina with 20 points through 15 games. For the year, Francouz stands at 4-1 with a 2.68 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Martin Kaut, RW, Colorado (AHL): The team’s most recent first-round pick is using this year to both build strength and adapt to the North Petr Kvaca, L, HC Cenke Budejovice (Chance Liga, Czech Rep.): Kvaca American game. Kaut, who turned 19 earlier this month, opened the has played most of this season in the WSM Liga, which is the second- season with an assist in his first game. He went five games without a highest league in the Czech Republic. He’s 5-3 on the year but has point but scored his first AHL goal a little more than a week ago. managed to be among the league’s best goaltenders. He leads all netminders with a 1.67 GAA and is second in save percentage at .918. Cam Morrison, LW, Notre Dame (NCAA): Morrison and the Fighting Irish Kvaca was temporarily loaned to HC Verva Litvinov in the Extraliga, the are coming off a series where they lost consecutive games to defending nation’s top league. He stopped 32 of the 37 shots he faced in a 5-0 loss national champion Minnesota Duluth. The Avalanche’s second-round earlier this month. pick from 2016 has four points through six games. He’s gone without a point in his last three games but he is launching a high volume of shots Adam Werner, L, Färjestad BK (Sweden): Colorado’s fifth-rounder from with 18 attempts, the fourth-highest figure on Notre Dame’s roster. 2016 is serving in a backup role while playing in Sweden’s top league. Werner joined the Färjestad youth setup back in 2013 and has worked Logan O’Connor, RW, Colorado (AHL): O’Connor could make a case for his way into receiving chances here and there with the club. In four having the most interesting last six months of any prospect in the starts, Werner is 2-1-1 with a 1.80 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He Avalanche’s system. Set to be a senior at the University of Denver, he received the start in Färjestad’s Oct. 25 win and stopped 17 of the 19 signed with the Avs and was among the last players cut before the shots he faced. season opener. Billed as a speedy, two-way forward, O’Connor has also provided a bit of offense to his profile. He has six points in eight games The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 and only has one contest where he has not recorded a point. Sampo Ranta, LW, University of Minnesota (NCAA): Ranta opened the season with goals against UMD in consecutive games and picked up an assist over rival North Dakota in a loss over the weekend. Plus he picked up a point in each of the Gophers’ exhibition games against Trinity Western and the National Team Development Program. Brandon Saigeon, C, Hamilton (OHL): Exactly how good has Saigeon looked? The 20-year-old has recorded a point in all but one game this season for the Bulldogs. His strong start comes months after he was selected as an over-aged player by the Avalanche in the fifth round. Saigeon was at rookie camp and training camp before the team returned him to the OHL for another year of development. In total, he has amassed 25 points through 15 games this season while currently ranking fifth in points. Defensemen Ryan Graves, LD, Colorado (AHL): Graves, who is averaging about 20 minutes of ice time, recently grabbed his first goal of the season in the Eagles’ 6-5 win over the Iowa Wild last Friday. He has two points on the 1112660 Columbus Blue Jackets

Zach Werenski eases Seth Jones' return

Adam Jardy

As Zach Werenski labored through last season with a shoulder injury, it was Seth Jones who helped cover for some of his liabilities. Now Werenski is returning the favor. Jones, who has played in just three games because of a knee injury suffered in preseason, has been easing back into things as his defensive partner helps him get back up to speed. “I think Z has helped Jonesy on a couple occasions on the ice,” coach John Tortorella said Monday. “Jonesy’s still trying to find his game with some rust on him.” Jones was expected to miss four to six weeks. He returned to the lineup and full game action in exactly 28 days as the Jackets hosted Arizona one week ago. He scored his first goal of the season two days later against St. Louis and is plus-3 while averaging 25:13 in ice time per game, a figure slightly ahead of last year’s average. For that, he credits his offseason work as well as an intense rehab program while recovering from the knee injury. “I feel good,” he said. “My legs feel good. My lungs feel good. Some of the reads I’m making aren’t there all the time right now. I don’t think I’ve put a complete 60 minutes together so far, which is frustrating because I expect so much out of myself.” Werenski has two goals and six assists this season while averaging 24:10 per game and helping Jones get back to his old self. “It’s been good,” Jones said. “Z’s been very aggressive this year, which makes my life easy. I always know I can look to him and find him on the ice whenever I need to.” After playing an October schedule that featured a couple of long breaks, the Jackets will play 14 games in November and start feeling more of a rhythm to the season. Tortorella said he’s looking forward to players learning lessons on the ice rather than in practice or film sessions, and Jones said he’s ready for the grind that lies ahead. “I want to be on the ice as much as possible right now,” he said. “I’m not going to make excuses about how I was hurt and rust and everything. I just have to be better at the moment and I expect a whole lot more out of myself.” Pairings intact Both Scott Harrington and Dean Kukan have rotated alongside David Savard as the team’s third defensive pairing since Jones’ return, and Tortorella said Harrington will remain in that role with Kukan and Adam Clendening on the outside looking for playing time. Center Brandon Dubinsky, who suffered an oblique injury during practice and has missed the last eight games, skated for the full practice Monday on the main ice at Nationwide Arena. But asked if Dubinsky is full-go, Tortorella said, “No one’s told me that. He was out there but no one has given me the go-ahead.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112661 Dallas Stars -- Montgomery said defenseman Marc Methot (lower-body) and forward Brett Ritchie (upper-body) were "full go" after missing Sunday's game.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.30.2018 Mired in scoring slump, Stars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin could be split up in Montreal

By Matthew DeFranks

MONTREAL, Quebec -- With his biggest stars in a goal-scoring slump, Stars coach Jim Montgomery will likely split Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin up for Tuesday night's game in Montreal. During practice at the Bell Centre on Monday afternoon, Benn and Seguin skated on separate lines, and Montgomery said a change in the lineup could help the pair emerge from a scoring drought. Seguin has not scored in the last seven games. Benn has not scored in the last six. Since Seguin was traded to Dallas in 2013, the pair has never gone seven straight games without either scoring a goal. "We have a large enough sample size here that they're not getting enough done," Montgomery said. "So maybe splitting them up might rejuvenate them and also give some life to our team on a couple of lines." Seguin skated with Tyler Pitlick and Alexander Radulov on his wings. Benn was with Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark. Radulov has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury, and Montgomery is hopeful he can play Tuesday against his former team in Montreal. Radulov has not played since the third period of a loss in New Jersey on Oct. 16. "It's to be decided," Montgomery said. "It's the best it's been, so I'm hoping that he's going to be ready. I'm sure playing in Montreal will be nice for him, too." Benn, Seguin and Radulov combined to form one of the league's best lines early this season. In the first four games, each had at least eight points and helped fuel one of the NHL's best power plays. Radulov opened the season on a four-game goal streak. Seguin posted back-to-back four-point games. Benn and Seguin notched the first multi- goal games against Winnipeg, but Seguin has not scored on any of his last 40 shots on goal. Benn and Seguin have rarely played apart in their careers, and haven't done so since Feb. 27 in a win over the Flames. Previous head coach Ken Hitchcock also split the pair in parts of November and December of last season. Nothing new After watching the film of Sunday's 4-2 loss in Detroit, Montgomery said nothing stood out to him watching the game a second time that he didn't see a day prior. "Just a lack of effort," Montgomery said. "We didn't finish checks, and as a coach and our coaching staff, we're talking about 'How do we get better?' We were so bad in every area last night. Give Detroit credit, some of that was them. They put us into bad situations, but we didn't fight through anything. That was the disappointing part, was the effort." After the game Sunday, Montgomery said he was reconsidering the Stars' practice schedule to ensure they don't come out flat again in an afternoon game without a morning skate. The team had Friday off before practicing Saturday and not skating until the game Sunday. Montgomery said he would probably not give Friday off in the future, but he was pleased with Monday's session in Montreal. "I think if we would have practiced like we did today on Saturday, which I was not happy with our practice, we would have had a better chance at a positive outcome last night," Montgomery said. "But we did the right thing today. The thing I'm not happy about is we're not an everyday team right now. Sometimes we practice well, sometimes we don't. That's probably why we haven't been able to win three games in a row yet." Other small notes -- Defenseman Connor Carrick did not practice on Monday afternoon, one day after suffering an apparent leg injury in Detroit. He exited the loss to the Red Wings during the first period after a scramble in front of the net, but returned for the second period. "It's a maintenance day, but he's pretty sore so I would think he's doubtful for tomorrow night," Montgomery said. 1112662 Dallas Stars that separates him from a normal junior hockey player," Wellwood said. "If he can continue that progress, he's going to be a good player."

Learning work ethic How Stars prospect Ty Dellandrea is holding up as the 18-year-old captain on a winless OHL team Dellandrea has taken more of that progress into his own hands this season, staying at the rink nearly all day. In the OHL, players typically arrive at the rink at 9 a.m. before leaving around 10 and returning at 1:30 Matthew DeFranks for practice in the afternoon. Dellandrea previously used that time in between to nap, to watch TV, to relax.

Now, he doesn't leave the facility. On Mondays, he'll hit the weights FLINT, Mich. -- For more than four minutes Saturday night -- as the sting heavily following a three-game weekend, and then get an extra session of yet another loss lingered, and the gulf between the and in on the ice. On Thursdays, he'll prepare for the weekend's games with the rest of the widened -- Ty Dellandrea found recovery and stretching techniques. himself entrenched in a bidding war. "The one thing I've been telling myself is the team is what it is right now, Dellandrea is the Stars' first-round pick from last year, a two-way center and we're going through some hard times, very hard times. I've still got to taken with the No. 13 selection who signed an entry-level contract with work and get better on a daily basis," Dellandrea said. "I've been putting the team in September. On Saturday night, following his Flint team's 6-5 in some really long days and long hours here and trying to improve." overtime loss to Sarnia, Dellandrea was the postgame centerpiece during an auction for game-worn jerseys. The Firebirds wore special pink- He likens it to a 9-to-5 job, and recalls his preseason camp with the accented jerseys for their "Pink Out The Rink" night, and the auction Stars. Dellandrea played in the preseason opener in Dallas, centering a proceeds benefited breast cancer research. young fourth line with Nick Caamano and Jason Robertson. He played 9:42 and then signed his three-year, entry-level deal after the game. Dellandrea is Flint's 18-year-old captain and one of just three NHL draft picks on the roster. He registered three assists during the loss, tying a After he signed, he passed by Stars captain Jamie Benn power-cleaning career high, and was named first star of the game. So the bidding began in the weight room. The notion that NHLers were naturally gifted and at $500. It hit a lull around $800, before two bidders drove the price into didn't work hard was squashed. To get there, Dellandrea would need a the thousands. As Dellandrea stood next to the cowboy-hat wearing similar work ethic. auctioneer, it landed at $2,100, the highest in memory for the event. "Everybody can work hard, but everybody doesn't know you have a But the points and the dollars can't erase the simple fact that Dellandrea whole other level of hard work that you can reach," Dellandrea said. is the best player on a bad side, a lottery pick toiling on an 0-13-1-0 Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.30.2018 team. "It's been really hard," Dellandrea said. "Honestly, it's been really hard." Dellandrea is a naturally positive person, someone who impressed teams around the NHL during his predraft interviews. He's someone who smiles through the struggles, who exudes optimism despite going more than seven months between OHL victories. Flint is the only winless team in the OHL. Its only point came in Saturday's overtime loss, meaning it is still 12 points behind ninth-place Windsor in the 10-team Western Conference. The Firebirds' power play is just 3 for 46, and they've been outscored by nearly four goals per game. "I tell these kids that hockey's full of disappointments," said Firebirds coach Eric Wellwood, who was named Flint's coach Oct. 18. "It's just how you handle it. You're going to through adversity throughout your entire career. If you can deal with it now that you're a youngster, it's just going to elevate your mental capacity to handle adversity. Although the boys and a player like him don't know that this is good for them, in the long run, it is." A versatile player The team leans heavily on Dellandrea. He averages nearly 23 faceoffs per game and plays on the top power-play and penalty-kill units. He leads the team with 12 points, eight assists and 49 shots on goal. His four goals are third on the team. On Saturday night, his three assists came at different strengths: short- handed, 5 on 5 and on the power play. But evaluators say that Dellandrea's game is a 200-foot one, consisting of vision and shooting in the offensive zone and responsibility in the defensive zone. Wellwood described him as a reliable player, and one who sticks out from the glut of OHL prospects putting up points. "He's a good penalty killer," Wellwood said. "He's a good power-play guy. He does all the little things right. He's one of those guys that I'm not sure if he'll be a prolific scorer. I hope he does develop into that. He has the potential to, but even if he doesn't, he's still going to be a solid player." For Dellandrea, improvement in the defensive zone came as a necessity when he arrived in the OHL. In minor hockey, he could largely do what he wanted. But when he came to Flint as a 16-year-old, Dellandrea realized he couldn't be a liability defensively against better competition. Now, his defensive game is something in which he takes pride. ("One of my favorite things to do in a game is shutting down a top line," he said.) Wellwood compared Dellandrea to Adam Henrique, a one-time 30-goal scorer currently playing in Anaheim. "He doesn't wow you with too much, but at the same time, if you're watching the game and paying attention, he does all those little things 1112663 Dallas Stars “I found that so interesting,” Shore said. “And so here we are, teammates today. Funny how that works.”

If he could, Spezza would still be using a wooden Sher-Wood stick to this From murals to video games: Jason Spezza was childhood hero for day. many current teammates “Sher-Wood came to me and they said they wouldn’t make wood sticks anymore for me and we tried to acquire the machines to like, keeping By Sean Shapiro Oct 28, 2018 making the sticks,” Spezza said. “And they weren’t interested and I basically got forced into it or else I’d still be using wood. I don’t think I ever would have switched.” Jason Dickinson was 11 or 12 years old when his parents finished Because of Spezza’s connection to Daniel Alfredsson, he became well working on their basement in Georgetown, Ontario. known in Sweden, particularly when the Senators were a consistent threat to reach the Stanley Cup final and eventually did so in 2007. As part of the renovation Dickinson’s uncle, who is an artist, was going to paint a mural on one of the walls. It was going to be hockey-centric and “We were a good line, we were always in the mix and played lots of Dickinson was asked what he wanted included. games on TV because we were a good team,” Spezza said. “Yeah, we formed one of the best lines in the league for a few years and then me While he was from the Toronto area, Dickinson was actually more of an and Alfie for a longer period of time … sure, it gave me a little more Ottawa Senators fan. It’s something he didn’t brag about, but when had recognition over there.” his choice of which team to watch, he wanted to see more of the star player on Ottawa’s roster. Janmark remembers watching that 2007 Stanley Cup final, in which Ottawa eventually fell to the Anaheim Ducks. Janmark, like many kids in “I wanted the mural on my wall and I wanted it to have a Senators logo. Sweden, often picked the Senators when playing video games because And the one name I requested was Jason Spezza,” Dickinson said earlier of the connection to Alfredsson. this month. “That’s kind of funny. I haven’t told him yet. I have a picture of it somewhere. I’ve got to show it to him eventually.” “He was the guy you knew from the video games and he was big in Sweden,” Janmark said. “I think I started playing (video games) in 03 or After sharing this story with a media member, and realizing it would be something like that and I was always using Ottawa and Spezza.” broadcast to the world, Dickinson told Spezza about the existence of the mural the very next day. “Yeah, yeah, I was on the cover (of a game),” Spezza said. “I got the game framed in my house, guys come over and laugh when they see it “Well, I think it’s cool because it just shows that it’s a big circle of life, I … but yeah, I was on the cover of a game. I can’t remember if it was guess, the hockey world,” Spezza said when asked about the mural. (NHL) 2k8 or 2k7.” “Like, I was the same way. I idolized guys and had pictures all over my walls of guys so when you get a chance to play with the younger guys. It (Watch the trailer for a special appearance from a Stars goaltender!) does give you a sense of accomplishment because it means you’ve been doing it for a while.” “Yeah, 2k8,” Spezza said. “I was a big video game guy, like most young guys. When you’re young and a professional athlete, you don’t have a Sixteen years, to be exact. And Tuesday, Spezza will become the 326th whole lot to do. So yeah, I was big — I feel like the new generation plays player in NHL history to play in 1,000 regular season games when the the hockey games a lot more. I didn’t play hockey as much.” Stars play the Montreal Canadiens. “We played FIFA,” Spezza added. “I was at like the start of Grand Theft “It’s quite an accomplishment,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. “Anytime Auto when that came out. I was Madden and FIFA mostly. I find now that any player reaches 1,000 games you’ve got to think back to all the work young guys play the hockey game a lot more … FIFA was a big deal (in they put into getting there. Sacrifices made, not only him but his family. Ottawa). You had to put your hours in to make sure you were good.” It’s a special moment for him when you can reach 1000 games played.” Another Swedish connection helped forge John Klingberg’s relationship “I feel like he’s been in the league forever,” Mattias Janmark said. ” It’s with Spezza when they both joined the Stars during the 2014-15 season. gonna be a big night for him.” In Ottawa, Spezza was teammates with Erik Karlsson, the modern Spezza, who turned 35 this summer, was a hockey hero for more than a standard for NHL defensemen. He moved the puck well, was an handful of his current teammates. offensive force, and helped apply the old cliché — the best defense is a good offense — to NHL defensemen. “I grew up in Toronto and I watched Hockey Night In Canada, Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators all the time,” Tyler Seguin said. “I’ll never forget him. I “He had played with Karlsson with Ottawa and he was one of the first think the first time I saw him play I was 13 or 14, maybe even younger. guys that ever really thought I could be like that,” Klingberg said. “That He was always such an exciting player. Especially him and Alfie (Daniel was huge for me to have a guy who’s played in the league like he has Alfredson) together, and (Dany) Heatley. So I was a fan first, so I got to who thinks you can be one of the top defenders in the league, like what learn his leadership qualities and became one of my favorite teammates (Karlsson) does, that meant a lot to me.” and will be a friend of mine for life. So it’s cool how the world has come around.” Spezza is a hockey fanatic who loves to talk shop. He and Klingberg started to grow a friendship in the stick room at the Stars practice facility “Lot of highlight reel goals, lot of nice plays setting up his teammates,” as the two players would work on their tools. Benn said. “Alfie and Heatley. He was an elite player in this league and I think that was so exciting for me when I found out he was coming here. “It was an understanding. Obviously, we talked about it. Different To learn from him in not only hockey but in growth of being a professional scenarios in the game. Just small things,” Klingberg said. “Like when or in a leadership role.” you’re a rookie coming over here, just the first couple games, you are really nervous. He was just talking like small stuff. Chatting when we “I’m from Toronto right, so I saw all the Leaf games and obviously a lot of were making the sticks together. He was just like really nice and open those games are against the Ottawa Senators, so I remember watching and took care of me. And I think that’s something that he does for a lot of him a lot,” Devin Shore said. “He was one of my favorite players growing guys.” up, which is kind of weird now that we play on the same team.” “He’s a hockey nerd. You can say it,” Seguin said. “He loves the game. Shore has two vivid memories of watching Spezza play — the But he’s statistically smart with the game, he’s a guy that I talk to about memorable toe drag for an overtime goal against the Montreal Canadiens faceoffs every game. He’ll bounce things off me and I’ll bounce things off in 2005 and the 2012 play in Winnipeg where Spezza danced through a him. It’s just been a great working relationship. Obviously just learning maze of Jets and banked the puck off Kyle Turris’ skate for a goal. from his as a leader. Even just off the ice as a husband and a father. He’s dedicated to everything in his life and does with a lot of passion. “Those are the two that I remember watching most,” Shore said. “What a He’s definitely a guy to look up to.” player, those were amazing.” Seguin’s comment about Spezza’s family life is meaningful. Reaching Shore was also drawn to watching Spezza play because of his 1,000 games isn’t an individual achievement. equipment. Spezza was one of the final players still using a wooden stick in the NHL, something he finally was forced to scrap in 2010, with what “Yeah, like I don’t get anywhere near this with the success I’ve had Shore called a “super-low lie” on his blade that he hadn’t seen anyone without my wife (Jennifer). She’s the rock of the family. She does a lot of use before. work behind the scenes,” Spezza said. “I’m not exactly the best guy to deal with on days things don’t go well. She’s got a lot of patience and a great listener. We’ve got four girls at home, we’ve been able to build a family and when you build a family in this league, it’s difficult and she’s been there to support me through it so yeah, it’s huge. She won’t want to get recognized, she won’t want to get talked about. But it’s a big reason why I’m here.” The Stars will celebrate Spezza’s 1,000th game when the team returns from the six-game road trip. There will likely a be a gift from his teammates, and the Stars will present the customary silver stick — modeled after Spezza’s in-game model — and it’s a moment Spezza is happy his daughters will be able to be a part of. “I think it’s cool,” Spezza said. “I think it’s cool for them. They’ll remember me as a hockey player.” Unfortunately, they don’t have basements in Texas where the Spezza children could request a mural of their dad. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112664 Detroit Red Wings games that are in front of us and not worry about anything that’s happened prior because there is not one thing you can do about it.”

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.30.2018 Why Detroit Red Wings rookie Michael Rasmussen could land bigger role

Helene St. James, Oct. 29, 2018

The Detroit Red Wings have given themselves a shot of confidence, and one of their rookies has a shot at a bigger role.

The Wings head into Tuesday’s game at Columbus (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit-plus) buoyed by how well they played in earning their second victory of the season. They’ll be short one if not two regulars up front, as Frans Nielsen is out and Andreas Athanasiou is doubtful, both because of undisclosed injuries. Nielsen’s absence, means Michael Rasmussen will take shifts at his natural center position. Coach Jeff Blashill complimented Rasmussen for how he played in Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Dallas.

“He did lots of things that it takes to be successful against some real big bodies,” Blashill said Monday. “He was great down low. We need some centers and he’s somebody who’s done it, so that’s why I’ll put him at some shifts at center.”

The Columbus game will be Rasmussen’s 10th, which triggers his entry- level contract. He can still be sent back to juniors (he is not AHL eligible because he has a year left of junior eligibility) but it doesn’t sound like that’s a likely outcome.

“We told him as of today, you’re staying and you’re playing through those games. I think the biggest thing that we would focus on is we need to win, but we also need to make sure that we’re doing the best thing we can for Michael Rasmussen long-term. Our assessment as we stand here today is the best thing to do is to keep him here and keep playing.”

Part of Rasmussen’s adjustment is learning the speed of the pro game, and learning how to use his 6-foot-6 body against men, rather than the teenagers he played against in juniors. He’s still looking for his first goal, but he has had some nice chances. He has one assist.

“He needs to learn the little tricks of the trade to hold onto the puck,” Blashill said. “I think there’s tons of benefits to continuing to play and in the meantime, I like him lots as a player and I think he can help us win.”

The Wings haven’t won much but there’s budding confidence within the team that they’re better than their 2-7-2 start, especially with how well they performed Sunday.

“That was one of the best games we’ve played in a while, not just this season, but in a while,” Dylan Larkin said. “We got great goaltending. We did a good job against their top players and we stuck together, we didn’t get rattled, we didn’t fold, we didn’t take unnecessary penalties. We stuck together — that was the most important part. And it does feel good in today. We can build off that. “

The Wings scored twice in the first half of the third period to take a 3-1 lead, and kept attacking, playing a smart, puck-possession style. They only took one penalty all game. The Stars took the lead in the first period, but the Wings stayed structured — something that’s been an emphasis since the routs in Boston and Montreal.

“We can’t just let ourselves feel like it’s happening, that we are going to lose,” Larkin said. “We have to focus on the next shift and get the momentum back some way. We have been way better at that the past week and a half. What we had to clean up after the Winnipeg game was the unnecessary penalties and we did that and we won the game. We were able to keep momentum and build confidence 5-on-5.”

Larkin mentioned after the 4-3 overtime victory at Florida that previously, the Wings would be rattled when an opponent scores. That has happened even through losses against Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Winnipeg.

“We’ve kept our way about us in those games,” Blashill said. “When things have gone the wrong way, we’ve stayed in it. We’ve kept our chin up and just kept playing. It was something we talked lots about and to the credit of the players in the room, they’ve done a good job of that – understanding that games are long and let’s just worry about the shift that’s in front of us. Just like we need to continue to worry about the 1112665 Detroit Red Wings With neither is available, that would bring back Martin Frk and Luke Witkowski into the lineup.

“We’ve got options,” Blashill said. “We could go with 12 forwards and six Red Wings to let Michael Rasmussen develop in NHL defensemen and play Witter (Witkowski) up front, or go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. We’ll see.”

Ted Kulfan, Oct. 29, 2018 Different attitude

The victory Sunday relieved a lot of pressure from the Wings, who only won their second game. Detroit — Stay in the NHL, or return forward Michael Rasmussen to junior hockey? But the way they won, playing with a lot of poise and confidence in the third period, gives them hope going forward. The question was out there, and with Rasmussen approaching the magic 10-game mark Tuesday, the Red Wings had to decide. “That was one of the best games we’ve played in a while,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “We all stuck together, got great goaltending and did a good To no one’s surprise, Rasmussen will stay in the NHL. job against their top players.

Going beyond 10 games will burn a year off Rasmussen's entry-level “We stuck together and didn’t get rattled. We didn’t fold, didn’t take contract, but the organization feels that's not an issue considering how unnecessary penalties, and it does feel good in here today. much Rasmussen could develop in the NHL this season. “We can build off that.” “We told him as of today you’re staying and playing through those games,” said coach Jeff Blashill after Monday’s practice. “We want to In losses to Boston and Montreal two weekends ago, the Wings got make sure, from my perspective, we need to win, but we also need to flustered and rattled when falling behind, and the games got quickly out make sure that we’re developing and doing the best thing we can for of hand. Michael Rasmussen long term. That hasn’t, necessarily, been the case since then, be it in games the “Our assessment, as we stand here today, the best things is to keep him Wings have won or lost. and keep playing.” “When we’ve been scored upon, we’ve stayed in it and have kept our Rasmussen, 19, has one point (an assist) in nine games this season, chin up,” Blashill said. “We talked a lot about it and credit to the guys, while playing just under 13 minutes (12:39) a game. they’ve done a good job of it.

The Wings have scratched Rasmussen out of the lineup in two games, “(Sunday) we played a real efficient, smart, puck possession kind of but are seeing the steady development and progression that give them hockey and that’s how you salt away the clock.” confidence Rasmussen is developing into the power forward they Red Wings at Blue Jackets envision. Faceoff: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio “He was excellent last night (against Dallas), he took another step in the right direction,” Blashill said. “It’s a real hard league, and he did lots of TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit-plus/97.1 FM things that it takes to be successful against some big bodies. Outlook: The Blue Jackets (6-4-0, 12 points) have gotten off to a good “He was great down low.” start, despite injuries. ... LW Artemi Panarin is off to an outstanding start with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists), while G Sergei Bobrovsky (3.87 Rasmussen has played both center and wing, but may see more action GAA, .872 SVS) has struggled. at center Tuesday with injuries to Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou likely to keep both out of the lineup. Detroit News LOADED: 10.30.2018

“We need some center and he’s obviously done it,” Blashill said. “I’ve put him some shifts at center and I’ve liked him. He’s done a good job in down-low coverage.

“It’s just utilizing his flexibility.”

Rasmussen wasn’t focusing on anything more than playing in the next game.

The chance to play a little more at center, his natural position, was a positive thought.

“That’ll be good,” Rasmussen said. “I’ve played both, so they’re both pretty comfortable for me, but I like playing both positions, so I’ll enjoy if I play it.”

What Blashill wants to see from Rasmussen is learning how to use his 6- foot-5 body in ways that’ll keep the puck and control play for the Red Wings.

“Bumping guys off with his back side, win 1-on-1 battles, and hold on to the puck a little more whether it’s 5-on-5 or the power play,” Blashill said. “He’s always a good net-front presence guy, there are no issues there.”

Injuries up front

Blashill said Nielsen is out for the next two games, while with Athanasiou there remains a slight chance he could play Tuesday.

“Double-A is going on the trip, but I’d list him as doubtful,” Blashill said. “Still a slim chance (he’ll play), we’ll evaluate, but I would list him as doubtful.”

Both Nielsen and Athanasiou were hurt on collisions during Sunday’s victory, but finished the game. 1112666 Detroit Red Wings "He's always a pretty good net-front guy, never had any instances where I thought he got the puck and didn't skate. Those are all the things I'm looking at."

Red Wings believe NHL better for Michael Rasmussen's development Blashill said they might go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen (inserting Joe Hicketts or Luke Witkowski into the lineup) or use Witkowski up front. By Ansar Khan In practice, Dylan Larkin centered Anthony Mantha and Darren Helm, Jacob de la Rose centered Gustav and Thomas Vanek and centered Justin Abdelkader and Tyler Bertuzzi. Hicketts filled DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings believe it's better for Michael in at center between Rasmussen and Martin Frk. Rasmussen to stick around and continue learning the NHL game rather than return to juniors, even if it means playing fewer minutes, a less Danny DeKeyser (hand) practiced but won't play Tuesday. He hopes to prominent role and even sitting out occasionally. return Thursday or Saturday.

Rasmussen will play in the 10th game of his rookie season Tuesday at Michigan Live LOADED: 10.30.2018 Columbus (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit Plus). That expends a year off his entry-level contract, making him eligible for salary arbitration and free agency a year sooner and perhaps requiring the team to protect him in the next expansion draft, if it's in 2021.

But their top priority is developing the 6-6, 221-pound forward.

"We need to win, but we also need to make sure we're doing the best thing we can for Michael Rasmussen long-term and our assessment as we stand here today is that the best thing to do is keep him here and keep playing," coach Jeff Blashill said after practice Monday.

Rasmussen will play center, his natural position, on Tuesday, after logging most of his minutes at wing to help ease his transition to the pros.

That's because Frans Nielsen is out at least the next two games and Andreas Athanasiou (leg injury) is doubtful for Tuesday. Both were hurt in Sunday's 4-2 victory over Dallas.

Rasmussen, 19, can play for Canada at the World Junior Championship and can still be returned to Tri-City (WHL) at any point of the season. Because he's junior eligible, he can't be assigned to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

"As long as he's progressing and when he plays, it's not like he's playing eight minutes," Blashill said. "I think he needs to learn how to play at a higher pace. The pace, he can get away with it in junior, he can't get away with it here. He needs to learn the little tricks of the trade to hold onto the puck against bigger, stronger men. He's bigger and stronger than everybody in junior.

"And then off the ice he's got (strength coach) Mike Kadar to help him continue to build that body into an elite athlete's body as a young guy, so I think there's tons of benefits to continuing to play (in the NHL) and in the meantime I like him lots as a player and I think he can help us win."

Rasmussen, selected ninth overall in 2017, has struggled, with no goals, one assist and seven shots on goal in nine games. But Blashill has seen improvement.

"I thought Ras was excellent (Sunday)," Blashill said. "I thought Ras took another step in the right direction. I think it's a real hard league. I thought he did lots of things it takes to be successful against some real big bodies. I thought he was great down low.

"We need some centers and he's somebody who's done it. I've liked him when I've done that before in games. I think he's done a good job in his down-low coverage, so he'll play a little center, a little wing, but it's not to spark at all, just to utilize his flexibility."

Rasmussen said he the possibility of being sent back to junior wasn't weighing on him.

"I don't really look into that stuff too much, just try to help the team and keep getting better," he said. "Both (positions) are pretty comfortable for me. I think I'll enjoy (center) a little bit."

Blashill detailed instances of Rasmussen doing it right on Sunday.

"There were multiple plays where he was either the puck-recovery guy, so right off the faceoff on the power play, he tracked pucks down, we won pucks on the power play, he kept pucks alive with his body, where he's bumping guys off with his back side," Blashill said. "Those are the plays I look at and say it's a good step in the right direction. I thought he won tons of little one-on-one battles, so then I thought we hung onto the puck more, whether it was on the power play or five on five. 1112667 Detroit Red Wings Said Blashill: "I have tons of confidence in him. I thought the first couple of games, especially the second one in Boston, was totally not his fault."

Bernier liked the energy in the room afterward. Breaks finally go Red Wings' way during tough start to season "Sometimes you forget how good it feels to win," he said. "I think everyone is going to sleep well tonight."

By Ansar Khan Michigan Live LOADED: 10.30.2018

DETROIT - A fortuitous bounce off the glass enabled Tyler Bertuzzi to tap the puck into an open net and give the Detroit Red Wings a lead they would not relinquish.

It was a rare break for a team that has started 2-7-2 and was among several positives coach Jeff Blashill mentioned to his team following the 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena.

They won at home for the first time (1-3-1).

They scored more than three goals for just the second time.

Jonathan Bernier displayed no rust after a long hiatus, making 28 saves.

Struggling Anthony Mantha was rewarded for playing hard with just his second goal of the season.

They had their first two-goal lead of the season in the third period.

They were disciplined, taking just one penalty that resulted in only 51 seconds of shorthanded time.

"Some of the games we've played, we'd get scored on and our compete level would go down," Blashill said. "That's how we would end up getting three, four, five goals scored on us. Tonight, when they scored the first goal, we kept working hard and good things happened."

Bertuzzi snapped a 1-1 tie at 4:59 of the third period, chipping the puck into an open net vacated by Ben Bishop, who anticipated playing Niklas Kronwall's dump-in behind the net. Instead, it took an unexpected bounce off the glass into the slot area.

"Part of the lucky bounce is doing the right thing," Blashill said. "Ben Bishop plays the puck great. We talked about keeping the puck away from him and one of the things that's important is when the D-man goes to put it in, they got to get it up off the glass and Kronwall did that."

It's the kind of break Bertuzzi said has been going against his team.

"Kronner tried to rim it hard so I could catch in on that far side," Bertuzzi said. "Got a good bounce and I was there to tap it in."

Mantha had tied it at 4:44 of the second period, after having an apparent goal at 7:57 of the first period disallowed following a review because he kicked the puck into the net.

"I just had to keep my head into it and push forward from there," Mantha said. "I was having a pretty good game, a lot of O-zone time so I knew the chances were going to come."

Mantha and Thomas Vanek provided net presence on Jonathan Ericsson's goal at 9:20 of the third that put the Red Wings ahead 3-1. Mantha was bumped back up to the top line with Dylan Larkin and Darren Helm at the start of the game.

"The goal for Anthony is a big goal," Blashill said. "He's a guy who prides himself in being an offensive player and it's hard to have tons of confidence if you don't produce. I don't like them to think about production. I'd like them to think about their process and their play. Reality is, when you score and when you produce you gain confidence in yourself."

Radek Faksa gave the Stars some hope by scoring with 36.3 seconds remaining in regulation, but Justin Abdelkader dashed it, scoring into an empty-net goal with 23.9 seconds to play.

Jonathan Bernier leads Red Wings to first home victory

Bernier, who allowed eight goals in his previous start, Oct. 13 in Boston, made 28 saves.

"I've got to give credit to the guys. They played a real solid game, especially in the third," Bernier said. "We didn't sit back, we just kept pushing. We got that lucky goal, but I just thought sometimes you get rewarded if you do the right things, and we did." 1112668 Detroit Red Wings name that may not be familiar to some of today’s hockey fans, since he hasn’t been directly involved in the league in over 25 years. But there’s a decent case to be made that even all those years later, Ziegler is in the Down Goes Brown weekend power rankings: The Leafs and Jets collide conversation as the second most important behind-the-scenes figure in and nobody wins the league’s modern history, behind only Gary Bettman.

Ziegler was a somewhat surprising choice to become league president in 1977, an American lawyer replacing a legend in Clarence Campbell. He By Sean McIndoe Oct 29, 2018 inherited a league in which several teams were on the brink of financial failure; within a year the Cleveland Barons had folded, becoming the last

team in major North American pro sports to do so. The NHL was also in This week served up one of the early season’s first big showdowns, as the final stages of its battle with the rival WHA and Ziegler stickhandled the Maple Leafs and Jets hosted each other in a two-game miniseries for the complicated merger that saw four teams absorbed into the NHL. Canadian bragging rights. The two games came with a big spotlight on The 80s saw two franchise moves, the near-death of the Blues, the weird both sides of the border, as the teams faced off on national TV in the Pat Quinn situation, an emerging drug problem, several headline- U.S. on Wednesday before getting the prime Hockey Night in Canada grabbing acts of violence, the Alan Eagleson scandal and an influx of slot on Saturday. We weren’t sure whether we’d get any sort of decisive European players. There was, of course, the infamous disappearing act result, but we figured at least one team would come away from the week on Yellow Sunday that marked the low point of his tenure. But Ziegler feeling good about themselves. also oversaw the early 90s expansion to markets like San Jose, Ottawa Yeah, maybe not. and Tampa, and faced the only player strike in league history, a midseason walkout that briefly threatened to wipe out the 1992 playoffs. Let’s start with the Maple Leafs, who ended up taking both games in regulation. That’s a huge result for a young team that’s still trying to learn It was his handling of that strike that ultimately led him to being pushed how to close out good teams. They carried the play for much of the two out, opening the door that would eventually bring us the Gary Bettman games, weathered a dangerous Jets attack, largely shut down Patrik era. Ziegler’s reign was far from perfect and Bettman inherited a league Laine and blitzed the Jets for three quick goals on Saturday to steal two with more than a few fires burning. But given the challenges that were points. All in all, pretty much an ideal outcome. thrown at him over his 15 years on the job, Ziegler probably did about as good a job as we could have asked for. That’s a legacy worth Except, of course, that nobody’s talking about that today. Instead, the big remembering and recognizing. news is Auston Matthews, who left Saturday’s game early in the second period after absorbing a hit from Jacob Trouba. He’s out with an injured 5. Winnipeg Jets (7-4-1, +3) – Next up are back-to-back games against shoulder, which sounds a little too familiar given his history, and initial the Panthers, which of course are being held in Finland and only an idiot reports were simply that he wouldn’t play tonight. This morning, we found would think otherwise. out that the news was worse, and he’ll miss at least a month. 4. Toronto Maple Leafs (8-3-0, +7) – Let’s see how they look without Leafs PR Matthews before we drop them, but this is a team with three great centers and then not much else down the middle. Those third and fourth ✔ lines might be rough.

@LeafsPR 3. Pittsburgh Penguins (6-1-2, +15) – Oh right, I remember these guys.

Auston Matthews (shoulder) is expected to be out a minimum of four James Mirtle weeks and will be placed on injured reserve today. #LeafsForever ✔ 7:49 AM - Oct 29, 2018 @mirtle 2,376 The Penguins have just curb stomped Western Canada on this trip. 1,493 people are talking about this Might be one of most lopsided goal differentials on an Edmonton- Calgary-Vancouver run that there's been. Twitter Ads info and privacy 12:38 AM - Oct 28, 2018 Is that a reason to panic in Toronto? Well … maybe, yeah, it might be. The Leafs figure to be in a tough race for home ice in the Atlantic all 434 season long. Every point will count and missing their best player for weeks at a time will cost them. More importantly, at some point you 107 people are talking about this wonder if Leaf fans will have to cover their eyes every time Matthews Twitter Ads info and privacy takes a big hit to the shoulder. Our own Justin Bourne has some personal experience with shoulder issues and shared his thoughts here: 2. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-1, +5) – This was starting to look like the Toronto fans may not want to read them. week they moved into top spot. While I don’t have many hard and fast rules for this section, one of them is “you can’t be the best team in As for the Winnipeg side, we won’t read too much into the sweep, hockey when you just gave up a touchdown to the Arizona Coyotes.” especially since there was a mitigating factor on Saturday. While the Leafs were home and resting up, the Jets had to play in Detroit on 1. Nashville Predators (8-3-0, +10) – We’ll keep them at the top for the Friday, so maybe it wasn’t a shock to see them run out of gas in the late- fourth straight week despite Saturday’s loss to Edmonton, if only because going the next night. But we’re now a dozen games into the season and I’m worried they might send their new best friend Rusev over to piledrive it’s fair to say that the Jets have been just OK. They’ve won seven, lost me. But man that Central is looking like a juggernaut of a division right five and have been pretty even in terms of goal differential and now. possession. They haven’t been bad by any stretch. But they haven’t been great and going pointless against a fellow contender doesn’t help that You’ve got the Predators and the Jets, as we all expected. You’ve got the perception. Avalanche, who I still don’t completely trust but maybe should be pushing for a top five spot based on their start. The Blackhawks might be good So there probably aren’t a lot of smiles in either Winnipeg or Toronto right again. The Stars and Wild have at least had their moments. Even the now. The good news is that both teams remain in our top five. Let’s see Blues finally looked like a competent team on the weekend. who else is joining them … Meanwhile, the Pacific has like two teams that can figure out how to get Road to the Cup their skate guards off. Life in the Western Conference isn’t fair.

The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg Not ranked: Carolina Hurricanes – Yet. stands and fountain pool parties. Look, the Hurricanes’ case for the top five is far from ironclad. Their 6-4-1 Before we get to the rankings, it’s worth taking a moment to mention that record is fine, but they’re still sitting outside the top ten in the overall former NHL president John Ziegler passed away on Thursday. That’s a standings, so they can’t get in on that alone. They beat the Sharks, which was impressive, but lost to the Islanders, which was not. The goals over a dozen teams are already out. The Friedman Rule is a guideline, differential is just OK. And most importantly, this is still a team that had not a hard-and-fast commandment. 83 points and missed the playoffs by 14 last season, and while these are power rankings for this year, we’re still factoring in the larger body of The more interesting question is who makes the comeback? Some of work to weed out any early flukes. The five teams above are all good those teams are ones that absolutely expected to be in the postseason right now and have been for a while and there’s no obvious candidate to and falling short would presumably lead to some major changes. It’s one drop out. thing for the Red Wings or Rangers to miss in a season that everyone had penciled in as a rebuilding year. But the Blues? The Flyers? The So no, they’re not here … yet. I’m giving everyone some advance notice. Panthers? The Stanley Cup finalist Golden Knights? Get used to the idea of the Hurricanes as a top five team, because someday soon, I think they’re in. Maybe even next week. It feels just about impossible to imagine the 2019 playoffs opening up without at least a few of those teams. But as history has taught us, it may They’ve just been too good. The middling record doesn’t do them justice; not stay that way for long. Nov. 1 isn’t some sort of carved-in-stone death they’re leading the league in possession, and while that’s not everything, sentence for a team’s playoff hopes. But it’s at least a reminder that time it’s starts to be a pretty good indicator once we get a month into the is running out more quickly than you might think. season. And the Hurricanes aren’t just leading the pack – they’re running away, with only one a few teams really close. 5. Philadelphia Flyers (4-7-0, -15) – I don’t fully understand what’s happening with the Flyers, who I still think are a reasonably good team. One of those other teams is the San Jose Sharks, who the Hurricanes But we’ve reached that point in the season where results have to matter beat on Friday. It was only a shootout, which isn’t a real win. But after the at least as much as expectations, and the Flyers are getting rolled right Sharks dominated the first period, the Hurricanes took over the rest of now, having been outscored 13-2 in three straight losses. the way. It felt like one of those measuring stick games and Carolina passed with flying colors. They head out west this week, with matchups against the terrible Kings as well as John Gibson and 18 pylons wearing Ducks jersey. That should Sara Civ get them back on track, and off our list for the rest of the season. Unless they keep losing, in which case it might be time to worry in Philadelphia. ✔ 4. Ottawa Senators (4-4-2, -4) – The record remains decent, even as @SaraCivian their underlying numbers are mostly awful, they keep getting smoked by good lines, and they’ve relied on unsustainable shooting to make it all Yes, the Carolina Hurricanes are “fun,” but there’s so much more to this. work. It can’t really last like this – either their play will improve or their This is about some guys who have played 10 NHL games, some who record will crater. have played thousands, looking at each other and deciding to raise a standard. https://theathletic.com/617026/2018/10/27/of-course-the- Either way, this may have been the coolest moment of the weekend, as a carolina-hurricanes-are-fun-but-theres-so-much-more-to-this/ … returning Matt Duchene doesn’t waste much time putting an exclamation point on a nice tribute video from the Avalanche. 12:37 PM - Oct 27, 2018 3. Los Angeles Kings (3-7-1, -17) – Last week I put the Kings in the Of course the Carolina Hurricanes are ’fun,’ but... bottom five and braced for pushback from L.A. fans. I got it, but almost Down two goals after an awful first period, the Hurricanes decided that entirely from fans who thought I was being too generous. They went things were going to be different the rest of the night — and they were. pointless is six straight and lost Jonathan Quick to injury along the way. Who could lose to these guys? theathletic.com 2. New York Rangers (3-7-1, -11) – Oh, right. Blowing a 2-0 lead and 312 giving up the winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation 57 people are talking about this against a team that can’t beat anybody seems less than ideal.

Twitter Ads info and privacy 1. Detroit Red Wings (2-7-2, -17) – I’m trying to decide which has been the worst Wings story of the week – them having to rework their curly They’re doing all that and annoying . What’s not to love? fries promo because expecting anyone on the current roster to score a hat trick seemed too optimistic or Ben Bishop responding to yesterday’s So they’re in … eventually. Probably. There’s the small matter of three loss by dropping this quote: games this week, as they face the Bruins, Coyotes and Golden Knights. If they get swept, then we can all start doubting them again. But if they do Matthew DeFranks well, they’re going to be knocking on the door. Start mentally preparing yourself now for a world where the Carolina Hurricanes are considered ✔ one of the very best teams in the NHL. Because you’ve been warned – @MDeFranks that day is almost here. Ben Bishop: "It’s really unacceptable, to be honest. We come in here The bottom five against a team that’s been struggling and we go out and kind of just play Five stories from teams around the league where things aren’t going so to their level." well. 8:02 PM - Oct 28, 2018 We’re a few days away from one of my favorite dates on the NHL 44 calendar: Nov. 1, the day that we can invoke the Elliotte Friedman Rule and start officially eliminating teams from the playoff race. See Matthew DeFranks's other Tweets

That’s overstating the issue a bit, maybe. But ever since Friedman first Twitter Ads info and privacy made the observation five years ago, hockey fans have known that teams that are four or more points out by Nov. 1 very rarely make the Not ranked: Arizona Coyotes – After a rough start, the Coyotes have won playoffs. That sounds insane – four points is just two wins, and you have three straight and clawed their way back to .500. They’re sitting at 5-5-0, 70 or so games to make them up. But the numbers bear it out. As we which isn’t especially impressive, but is enough to keep them out of our keep saying around here, it gets late awfully early in today’s NHL. bottom five.

So who’s going to be in four-point danger zone this year? We can’t say This is news. for sure quite yet, but the list of suspects is a long one. We know the In fact, somewhat amazingly, it’s the first time since opening week of the Kings, Red Wings, Rangers, Blues and Panthers probably will be. The 2016-17 season that the Coyotes haven’t been included in this section. Senators, Flames, Ducks, Islanders, Flyers, Stars, Coyotes, Golden That’s over two years. In a league with as much parity as the NHL, that Knights and Devils all could be too, depending on how the next few should be just about impossible. But the Coyotes’ recent habit of getting nights go. out to season-killing slow starts has left them consistently looking up at Can at least one of those teams beat the odds and make it? Well, sure. the rest of the league. We’d better hope so, because it’s going to be a pretty boring season if Just not this week. The Coyotes are coming off one of the best weeks in recent franchise history, as they racked up those three straight wins by a combined score of 15-3. That kind of week will do wonders for the old goals differential.

Travis Yost

✔

@travisyost

The Coyotes have the best goal differential in the Pacific, ahead of teams like Winnipeg and Carolina, and tied with Tampa Bay.

Huh.

10:29 AM - Oct 28, 2018

56

See Travis Yost's other Tweets

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More importantly, the Coyotes are right back in the mix for a playoff spot in a weak division. But that comes at the expense of their usual spot in the rankings. It won’t be the same without them, but it’s like that classic old saying: If you love something, set it free. If it loses to the Senators tomorrow, you can put them right back in the bottom five next week and forget this ever happened.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112669 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 win over the Rangers

By CURTIS ZUPKE

What we learned from the Kings' 4-3 win over the Rangers

A stick salute to the fans. An Ilya Kovalchuk power-play goal. Dustin Brown crowding the net.

The first hadn’t been seen at Staples Center since Oct. 7. The latter two hadn’t been seen at all this season. It was a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers, and perhaps one that staved off big changes to the Kings.

But they earned two points for the first time since Oct. 11 with their resiliency, and the return of Brown.

Here’s what we learned:

Brown’s leadership cannot be overstated. If there was a tangible measurement of it, it occurred at a season-ticket holders’ event in August when Brown received a standing ovation.

His presence on the ice and the bench went a long way toward the Kings’ ending a six-game losing streak. Brown had a goal and was credited with seven hits in more than 22 minutes of ice time.

“Oh my goodness,” goalie Jack Campbell said. “What a leader. Even when he wasn’t playing, he was leading in the room. Just an outstanding player. Just to see him – there was a huge spark out there.”

Kovalchuk was noticeable in both good and bad ways. It only took 11 games, but Kovalchuk scored on the power play, a rocketed shot off a pass from to the upper left corner of the net on a too- many-men penalty by the Rangers.

It’s what the Kings have been waiting to see ever since Kovalchuk signed in the summer. But there were some warts, too.

New York got its first goal when Kovalchuk lost the puck at his feet in the first period. He had a turnover in the third period that led to a Rangers chance. “Unfortunately, I think he was the bearer of some bad bounces there,” coach John Stevens said. “But he didn’t let it get him off track … he just looked like he created a lot, and looked really confident with the puck, so I think when he starts to have success in the power-play situation, I think it’s going to give him a lot of confidence in the rest of his game.”

There isn’t any clarity on the goalie situation.Stevens said Jonathan Quick consulted trainers after Saturday’s practice before he was subsequently listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Stevens said it wasn’t one incident and “we were all a little surprised that he came up lame on that.”

The Kings don’t play again until Thursday, which would, in theory, give Quick time to recover. If not, it’s Jack Campbell’s net, unless they decide to give veteran Peter Budaj a start.

Campbell continues to keep the Kings in games, but he’s also prone to a bad goal. Quick has been a victim of play in front of him, Stevens said, but his numbers are also sagging. And now he’s hurt.

Where that leaves the Kings is unknown.

LA Times: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112670 Los Angeles Kings

Stevens: Kings forward Dustin Brown checks all boxes

By ROBERT MORALES

One player does not a hockey team make. But Dustin Brown does a lot for the Kings, and coach John Stevens laid out what Brown means to his team following Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers.

“If you had a check-list of boxes, I think you’d be hard-pressed to not find a box that he checks,” said Stevens, whose team next hosts Philadelphia on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. “He kills penalties, plays power-plays, provides leadership the way he plays, he provides leadership when he speaks.”

Brown did not play the first 10 games of the season because of a broken finger. The Kings went 2-7-1 during his absence and entered their game against the Rangers having lost six consecutive games.

With the Kings down 2-0, Brown scored a power-play goal in the second period that seemed to really pump up his teammates, as well as the crowd at Staples Center.

Veteran defenseman Alec Martinez scored the game-winning goal with under a minute to play in regulation. He was glad to see Brown back, and said that Brown is “a huge part of our program, huge part of our leadership.”

Stevens believes that kind of appreciation for Brown is team-wide.

“He’s very well respected by the older guys, he’s very well respected by the middle-aged guys and he’s very well respected by the young guys,” Stevens said. “So, I mean, there’s not a box he doesn’t check. I just thought he came back (Sunday) and was determined to make a difference.”

Since it was Brown’s first game of the season, it would have been understandable if he played fewer minutes than usual. Nope. He averaged 19:50 of time on ice in 2017-18, he played 22:17 on Sunday. Of the forwards, only Anze Kopitar at 24:08 played more.

Brown admitted he was a bit gassed, and was looking forward to Monday’s day off.

“It felt really good, but first game back and everyone’s 10 games in, so a little tired,” he said.

Stevens surprised at Quick’s injury

When the Kings (3-7-1, 7 points) went off the ice after practice Saturday, all seemed good with goalie Jonathan Quick. But it was back-up Jack Campbell who was in goal Sunday against the Rangers.

That’s because Quick had somehow sustained his second lower-body injury of the season. He played the first game of the season, then missed the next five games on injured reserve before coming back to play three consecutive games.

Campbell gave Quick a breather when he played this past Thursday at Minnesota. But again, Quick seemed fine Saturday, so Stevens admitted he was somewhat startled to learn Quick would be unavailable Sunday and is day-to-day.

“He had a great practice and I thought he was terrific,” Stevens said. “So we were all a little surprised that he came up lame after that.”

The Kings entered play Sunday with three power-play goals in 34 chances for an 8.8 percent clip, the worst in the league. They were 2 -for- 4 against the Rangers and are now 5-for-38. That still equates to only 13.2 percent, but they are now out of that cellar, with five other teams below them. … The Flyers will play Tuesday at Anaheim before their Thursday night game against the Kings. The Flyers are 4-7-0 (8 points) and have lost three consecutive games while being out-scored 13-2.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112671 Los Angeles Kings Even if Brown is no longer the captain – a controversial changing of the guard by the previous regime, in June of 2016 – it doesn’t change the fact he still has an important leadership role.

Dustin Brown’s successful return cools Kings’ temperature, for now “He’s resurrected himself,” said an NHL executive. “He’s gotten away from (former coach) Darryl (Sutter). From afar, it looks like that. Darryl has always had whipping boys. By Lisa Dillman Oct 29, 2018 “Things fall into place when you get your good players back.”

One thing Blake and Stevens did when they talked to Brown before last LOS ANGELES – It was only one game but if you ever needed an season was emphasize the positive. illustration of what Dustin Brown means to the Kings and how much things have changed from him over the past 14 months, Sunday was the Blake focused on what Brown could do, not what he couldn’t do. Stevens perfect example. told Brown he’d be playing with Kopitar again and that he’d be net-front on the power play, which would allow him to play to his strengths. The Kings were reeling after losing six consecutive games, their No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Quick was injured, again, and coach John Stevens According to figures supplied by the Elias Sports Bureau, Brown’s 14- has been facing questions about his job security. goal increase from 2016-17 to 2017-18 was tied for the third-largest among players who were at least 30 years old when the 2017-18 season Brown was back in the Kings’ lineup for the first time this season after began and who played at least 70 games in 2016-17. sustaining a broken finger in their final preseason game on Sept. 29. And it took less than 32 minutes of action against the New York Rangers to Kopitar, now 31, had a 23-goal increase, from 12 to 35. Alex Ovechkin of show he was a critical missing piece in what turned out to be a 4-3 win at the Washington Capitals went from 33 to 49, and Eric Staal of the Staples Center. Minnesota Wild jumped from 28 to 42.

This season, the Kings haven’t been very good on the power play – they Additionally, Brown’s points increase in 2017-18 was the second-largest were last in the NHL to score on the man advantage, starting the season among thirty-something players, behind Kopitar’s 40-point gain. 0-for-22. Brown, who led them with nine power play goals last season, “It just felt good to be part of a group again, felt really good,” Brown said. gives the Kings that abrasive net-front presence and there was “But first game back and everyone is 10 games in, so (I was) a little tired, essentially no one else who managed to do that in his absence. but I’ve been through it before. It is good we have a day off and get ready Brown’s power play goal at 11:23 of the second period against the to go again.” Rangers that put the score at 2-1 was important in getting a game, that The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 looked like it would be lost, back on track.

It wasn’t perfect versus the Rangers, requiring a comeback from two-goal deficit and great individual effort by defenseman Alec Martinez in the final minute.

But it was a start.

“Being back on the bench, I liked our energy,” Brown said. “…I can’t say how it was before but it seemed to be going in the right direction, just the energy and the emotion we need to be able to play with.”

For the Kings to salvage anything from this season, they need a lot of things to turn around. They need to get healthy. They need to play better defense. They need to find consistent scoring.

On Sunday, goaltender Jack Campbell, playing in place of an injured Quick, steadied himself after giving up a weak second goal. Free agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk finally scored his first power play goal since joining the Kings and finished with a three-point game, his best showing since returning from the KHL.

But it all started with Brown, who may also help his long-time center Anze Kopitar get his game going, too. Kopitar, uncharacteristically, had been held without an assist until Sunday.

While it’s always risky to read too much into one game, consider the climate if the Kings hadn’t won. Their losing streak would have hit seven games, ample time before the next game, on Thursday, for discontent to ferment. The pressure on general manager to hit the panic button would have increased exponentially.

Instead, the win gives the Kings some breathing room, two days of practice time and a chance for Brown to recover, and focus on their next opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

“If you had a check list of boxes, I think you’d be hard-pressed not to find a box that he checks,” Stevens said. “He kills penalties, plays power plays, provides leadership the way he plays and he provides leadership when he speaks.

“He’s very well respected by the old guys, he’s very well respected by the middle-aged guys and he’s very well respected by the young guys. “There’s not a box he doesn’t check. I just thought he came back and was determined to make a difference.”

Brown scored 28 goals last season and had a career-high 61 points in an unexpected bounce-back campaign at age 33. He had gone from an organizational afterthought and unprotected in the expansion draft to becoming what he was before, an important catalyst in what helped the Kings win Stanley Cup championships, in 2012 and 2014. 1112672 Los Angeles Kings – Spencer Watson – Watson tallied a pair of goals over the three games last week, in addition to a +1 rating. Watson now has 3 goals and 4 points from 5 games played with Manchester.

REIGN MONDAY NOTEBOOK – BUITENHUIS, NUMBERS, – Austin Strand – In the week after he tallied his first professional goal, MONARCHS, HOLIDAY PLAN Strand picked up an assist from the three games, which came in Saturday’s win over Maine. Strand now has two points (1-1-2) from five ECHL games this season. ZACH DOOLEY OCTOBER 29, 2018 – Stepan Falkovsky – Falkovsky scored on Wednesday for Manchester and now has three points (2-1-3) from seven games played. The hulking defenseman is +4 on the season, the top rating on the Monarchs. Happy Monday, Insiders! – Cole Kehler – Kehler made his professional debut on Wednesday and A lighter day as we begin the week but some odds & ends from the made 28 saves on 31 shots in a losing effort. Reign world from today. The Monarchs are back in action on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – The addition of Mike Amadio has shaken up the Ontario lineup a bit, at this week, all at home. least on Day 1 at this morning’s practice. Here’s how the Reign lined up – Holiday Plan Moulson – Amadio – Luff The Reign released their 2018 Holiday Plan earlier this afternoon, Eyssimont – Sutter – Rempal featuring tickets to five selected games. Any Holiday Plans purchased by Maillet – Mitchell – Herr November 22 will also include a sixth game, complimentary, a Reign supporters scarf and free parking at all six games. Etem – Rymsha – Morrison A Look Ahead Imana – Bauman – Devane Ontario is back on the ice this tomorrow and Wednesday for practice, *At first glance, that’s some serious forward depth. Not that the Reign before they take on Texas in a rematch of last season’s Calder Cup have had issues scoring goals……but this is the deepest they’ve been all Playoffs in Ontario on Thursday, the game that was re-scheduled from season, especially spread across four lines* it’s original date on Friday. After another practice date on Friday, the Reign are home again on Saturday to take on the San Diego Gulls on MacDermid – Clague Hockey Fights Cancer Night. More coming on the team’s HFC initiatives Reddekopp – Roy later this week.

Lintuniemi – Brickley LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.30.2018

Petersen

Buitenhuis

Buitenhuis? Buitenhuis!

The Reign have signed goaltender Evan Buitenhuis to a PTO to tandem with Cal Petersen. A goalie transaction was inevitable, with Peter Budaj recalled to the Kings over the weekend to replace the injured Jonathan Quick. Buitenhuis comes to Ontario from the ECHL’s , where he posted a 1-0-0 record, a 2.13 goals against average and a .933 save percentage from two games played. Buitenhuis made his professional debut on October 14 as he played 25 minutes in relief, stopping all nine shots he faced. The Burlington, ONT native made his first pro start three days ago, as he stopped 33 of the 36 shots he faced in a 4-3 Worcester win over the Reign’s ECHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.

Prior to joining the Railers for the 2018-19 season, Buitenhuis attended NHL training camp with the NY Islanders and AHL training camp with Bridgeport, before settling in with Worcester. Buitenhuis played three seasons of collegiate hockey with Hamilton College (Division 3), where he ranks second all-time in games played by a goaltender to none other than former Mighty Duck Guy Hebert (who, like my family, is from Troy, NY!).

With Hamilton, Buitenhuis won the 2017 Sid Watson Award as the NCAA Division 3 Player of the Year, as voted on by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Buitenhuis left Hamilton as the program’s all-time leader in both goals against average (1.67) and save percentage (.944) and led NCAA Division 3 in both categories during the 2017-18 season.

– The Amadio move has also shaken up the Reign’s roster logistically. Amadio will wear #19 with Ontario, the number he’s worn with the Reign over the past 3 seasons and forward Emerson Etem, who previously wore 19, will switch to 15.

– Buitenhuis will wear number 35. via Ontario Reign

Monarchs Watch

A look at the Los Angeles and Ontario players currently playing in the ECHL with the Manchester Monarchs. Manchester went 1-2-0 last week and, as noted HERE, has a heavy stretch of games in a period when the Reign are light (1 game in an 11 day stretch) 1112673 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: OCTOBER 29

JON ROSEN

GAME STORY

In an equinox of offense, the LA Kings fell into several familiar traps Sunday afternoon at Staples Center but banked on two power play goals and two rush goals to will out a much-needed win. As much as this team could use some juju – they’re in last place in the West and Jonathan Quick is hurt – they need actual points and picked two up at the outset of a home stand that they’ll have to take advantage of if they want to jump back into the pack early in the season. In a carbon copy of several recent first periods, they jumped out to a fast start and generated early scoring chances that Henrik Lundqvist denied before the Rangers opened the scoring with another grind-type goal that wasn’t vastly different from the style of goal scored on Campbell that opened the scoring in Minnesota. And then they started getting power play chances while trailing in the second period, and Dustin Brown and Ilya Kovalchuk went to work, and the first home team of the busy day held serve.

Noah Graham/NHLI

Five seconds after Jeff Carter won the faceoff resulting from Cody McLeod’s slashing penalty, Dustin Brown screened Henrik Lundqvist on an Ilya Kovalchuk slapshot from the outside of the right circle. Lundqvist made the save, but it was representative of what was to come and the beginning of a surge of power play momentum that brought Los Angeles level. Brown weathered a breath or two but surprisingly no real resistance prior to tapping in Kovalchuk’s rebound, and was right back in Lundqvist’s personal space when Kovalchuk hammered in a Drew Doughty offering from the tops of the circles. He shot wide on a breakaway and issued seven hits and ripped and reared out of the gates after a week in which he stood over his golf shot, waiting with excruciating patience for his LTIR stay to run out. Lest we get too caught up in narratives, it does appear the Kings have a stronger identity with Brown in the lineup, and while that’s a flighty and, frankly, obvious thing to say, it did appear as though they were able to get more bodies and pucks to the net consistently Sunday than in any other game this season. Brown contributes significantly on that front.

Noah Graham/NHLI

Those bodies and pucks to the net were evident in the first of the team’s two go-ahead goals. It was also a reward for playing fast as Jack Campbell headmanned the puck up to Ila Kovalchuk, who sprinted through the neutral zone before turning to Adrian Kempe and issuing the puck laterally across the zone. Both Lewis and Kovalchuk dragged their men towards the net right as Kempe shot the puck, providing the type of second chance that hadn’t necessarily readily been there while the team was in its one-goal-a-game funk. The Kings still had their rough spots – they fell behind by two goals in the first half of the game for the sixth time in their last seven games, and were facing a stiff Rangers push late in the third – and it’s concerning that they’re not going to have Jonathan Quick’s services during such an important home stand. But they won the net-front battle, won the special teams battle and scored a pair of rush goals as they’ve taken steps towards getting their team game in order. By winning those variables against a team with its own set of challenges early in the season, the Kings, even a little bit against the run of play at the time, benefited from an Alec Martinez snapper through Brendan Smith’s legs that caught Henrik Lundqvist reaching with under a minute left for an important home win.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112674 Minnesota Wild

Special-teams play stings Wild in loss to Canucks

By Sarah McLellan OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 12:54AM

The Wild flexed its prowess on the penalty kill during its five-game win streak, yielding just two goals despite being shorthanded 21 times. But being tested that much is dangerous. Add in a power play that’s sputtering, and the combination Monday was a 5-2 loss to the Canucks at Rogers Arena that snapped the team’s streak. “The top-six players are playing too much, and the bottom-six players aren’t playing enough,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “That’s all due to penalties. Either we’re going to change up the units. To me, the third and fourth lines are playing pretty good most nights. I think they deserve to play a little more.” Boudreau did make some in-game adjustments; he moved center Eric Staal to the Jordan Greenway- line and had center Charlie Coyle take Staal’s spot next to Jason Zucker and . But amid a string of more penalties, the Wild couldn’t claw its way back. Overall, it put the Canucks on the power play four times and Vancouver converted once. As for the Wild’s usual top-two lines, they racked up a total of 13 shots but no goals. “Our line’s gotta be a lot better, generate more offense,” winger Zach Parise said. “But with the penalties, you just feel you don’t get a lot of 5- on-5 ice. It makes it frustrating.” Despite the loss, there were a few bright spots that the Wild can try to build off when it finishes off the back-to-back Tuesday in Edmonton against the Oilers. Greenway looked revitalized after his two-game tune-up in the minors. He scored his first career regular-season goal and put three shots on net. Winger Mikael Granlund continues to be around the puck, as he notched his 10th point to extend his point streak to eight games. And although the power play capitalized just once in five tries, it was active – racking up 10 shots on net. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112675 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Vancouver game recap

OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 12:29AM SARAH McLELLAN

GAME RECAP STAR TRIBUNE’S THREE STARS 1. Elias Pettersson, Canucks: The rookie scored twice, including on a breakaway. 2. Jacob Markstrom, Canucks: Goaltender racked up 37 saves. 3. Jordan Greenway, Wild: Scored his first regular-season NHL goal. BY THE NUMBERS 1 Assist for Mikael Granlund, stretching the Wild winger’s point streak to eight games. 4 Penalty kills for Vancouver in five tries. 10 Canucks with at least a point. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112676 Minnesota Wild

Pettersson scores twice, leads Canucks past Wild 5-2

Associated Press OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 12:20AM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Rookie Elias Pettersson scored two goals and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 Monday night, snapping a two-game losing streak. Pettersson, whose second goal came on a breakaway in the third period, now has seven goals in seven games. He leads all NHL rookies in goals and points with 10. Markus Granlund and Jake Virtanen also scored for the Canucks, who ended the Wild's five-game winning streak. Ben Hutton scored into an empty net with 39.1 seconds remaining. Jordan Greenway scored his first NHL goal, and Ryan Sutter added a power-play score for the Wild. Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 37 shots. Devan Dubnyk, making his third consecutive start, stopped 26 shots for Minnesota. On his second goal, Pettersson blocked a shot at the blue line. Brock Boeser passed the loose puck to the streaking Pettersson, who beat Dubnyk high on the blocker side. The 19-year-old from Sundsvall, Sweden, gave Vancouver a 3-1 lead with a hard one-timer at 6:51 of the second. That goal came just 1:36 after Virtanen scored on a power play to break a 1-1 tie. Virtanen's goal came at 5:15 of the second. He took a long pass from defenseman Alex Biega and scored on a shot that sailed over the glove of a screened Dubnyk. Suter made it 3-2 at 14:37 after Vancouver's Loui Eriksson was called for tripping. His shot from the point appeared to deflect into the net off defenseman Troy Stecher. Mikael Granlund earned an assist on the play for his 10th point (five goals, five assists) in eight games. The Canucks opened the scoring at 7:17 of the first period. Bo Horvat sent a pass from behind the Wild net to an open Granlund, who scored his second goal of the season. It was the eighth time in the last nine games the Wild had given up the first goal. It took the Wild just 35 seconds to make it 1-1 on a good effort by Greenway. Markstrom stopped Jared Spurgeon's first shot, then got a pad on a second shot by Greenway. The rookie, who was recalled Sunday from a two-game stint in the AHL, got that rebound again and put a wrist shot past a sprawled Markstrom. NOTES: Canuck center Brandon Sutter left the game early in the second period favoring his right shoulder after falling awkwardly into the boards. . Horvat has four goals and two assists in his last seven games. . Canuck goaltender Anders Nilsson could miss up to three weeks after fracturing the finger on his blocker hand during Saturday morning's skate. Backup Richard Bachman has been recalled from the AHL . ... The Wild opened a seven-game, 14-day road trip, the longest in franchise history. UP NEXT Minnesota: At Edmonton on Tuesday. Vancouver: Home against Chicago on Wednesday. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112677 Minnesota Wild “You’re playing with fire a little bit, and we’ve been fortunate enough to mount a comeback,” winger Zach Parise said. “But eventually that’s going to catch up with you. Tonight it did.” Wild's five-game winning streak ends with a thud at Vancouver Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 1:05AM

VANCOUVER – Although five consecutive victories made it look like the Wild was thriving, issues were percolating. The team had a knack for giving up the first goal, struggled to convert on the power play and committed a rash of penalties. While the Wild was able to mask those red flags during its recent stint at home, where it won four of those five games, it wasn’t as successful once it left St. Paul, and those problems were exposed in Monday night’s 5-2 loss to the Canucks, a loss that nixed the winning streak at the outset of a franchise-record seven consecutive contests on the road. “We’ve found a way to manage,” Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said. “It finally just caught up with us.” Like it had during seven of the previous eight games, the Wild fell behind first. Only 7 minutes, 17 seconds after puck drop before an announced 16,546 at Rogers Arena, Canucks center Bo Horvat scooped up a clearing attempt by Dumba behind the Wild net and shuffled it out front to Markus Granlund — who wired the puck past Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk. JONATHAN HAYWARD • CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP Canucks defenseman Alex Biega fought for control of the puck with Wild center Charlie Coyle on Monday, during the first period of the first game of a seven-game road trip. “You can’t do that to a team that’s opportunistic as they are,” Dumba said. Only 35 seconds later, the Wild tied it on rookie Jordan Greenway’s first career regular-season goal. Greenway pounced on a loose puck in front, an encouraging return to the NHL after he was sent to the minor leagues for a pair of games to stoke his confidence. “It would have been a lot nicer to get a win with it,” Greenway said. The response was characteristic for the Wild, since the team was 5-1-1 in those games it surrendered the first goal. But special-teams play impeded its progress Monday. Not only did the Wild fail to convert on a double minor against Vancouver in the second, it negated the final 40 seconds with a penalty. On the ensuing Canucks power play, they capitalized — a wrist shot from winger Jake Virtanen deep in the slot at 5:15. It was only the second power-play goal against the Wild in the past five games, but the team was on the penalty kill 22 times in that span. Vancouver went 1-for-4 with the man advantage. “Nobody’s able to come back all the time if you start that slow,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. Soon after, Vancouver tacked on another goal when 19-year-old rookie Elias Pettersson zipped a one-timer from the right faceoff circle past Dubnyk at 6:51. Before the period ended, the Wild pulled within a goal on the power play. Ryan Suter’s point shot wove through traffic and behind Jacob Markstrom at 14:37. The Wild went 1-for-5 on the power play, and the lone goal was only the team’s second with the man-advantage in the past six games. With the primary assist on the play, Mikael Granlund extended his point streak to eight games. He has 10 points during the run, which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the NHL. As for Suter, the goal was the 200th point on the power play of his career — becoming the sixth active defenseman and 52nd all-time to achieve the milestone. More penalty trouble stalled the Wild’s momentum early in the third, and so did Pettersson’s second goal — a breakaway finish at 6:29. Ben Hutton added an empty-netter in the final minute. Dubnyk finished with 26 saves, while Markstrom had 37. 1112678 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Edmonton game preview

OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 12:27AM SARAH McLELLAN

8 p.m. at Edmonton • FSN, 100.3-FM Back-to-backs are no trouble so far Preview: This is the second stop on the Western Canada segment of the Wild’s run of seven consecutive road games. The team is 2-0 this season in the second half of a back-to-back. Edmonton, which is 2-1-1 at home this season, has won three in a row after sweeping back-to-back games over the weekend at Nashville and Chicago. Players to WATCH: Captain Connor McDavid has 17 points, tallying at least one in all but one of the Oilers’ games. He scored 53 seconds into overtime to beat the Blackhawks 2-1 Sunday. Center Leon Draisaitl has four goals in the past four games, and he assisted on McDavid’s OT winner. Winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ nine assists are tied with McDavid for the team lead. Numbers: The Wild went 1-2 vs. the Oilers last season, and outscored 7- 3 in the two losses. Eight of McDavid’s goals have come on the power play. Draisaitl is shooting 30 percent (six goals, 20 shots). Injuries: Wild F Matt Hendricks (lower body) is out. Oilers F Ty Rattie (upper body) and D Andrej Sekera (Achilles) are also out. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112679 Minnesota Wild

Scoring first key for Wild to extend win streak vs. Canucks

By Sarah McLellan OCTOBER 29, 2018 — 2:25PM

The bulk of the Wild’s success during its five-game win streak has come on home ice and with the team surrendering the first goal of the game. But in coach Bruce Boudreau’s mind, the latter will have to change to extend the run – and the former will, too, since the Wild begins a stretch of seven straight road games Monday in Vancouver against the Canucks. “It’s not a good formula to keep a winning streak going, that’s for sure,” Boudreau said of the team’s knack for falling behind before rallying. “I think we’re playing with fire. The way we’re going about it, we’ve been successful but they’re [mostly] at home. Sometimes you get the crowd behind you in the third period, and it’s a little easier. But I don’t think we’re going to get that. We have to play a much better game if we’re going to continue this.” Opponents have scored the first goal against the Wild in seven of the team’s last eight matchups; the Wild has struck first just three times this season. Still, it’s persevered to go 5-1-1 when giving up the first tally. But as the road team, building a lead will be key; same with other details, Boudreau mentioned, like cutting back on penalties and assembling a strong first period. “Anytime you’re on a long road trip,” Boudreau said. “you’d certainly like to be successful in the first one. It would set the tone.” Goalie Devan Dubnyk is slated to start against the Canucks, but that doesn’t mean backup Alex Stalock will appear Tuesday in Edmonton vs. the Oilers. “We haven’t made up our mind,” Boudreau said. “We’ll see how today goes.” Projected lineup: Jason Zucker-Eric Staal-Nino Niederreiter Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund Jordan Greenway-Charlie Coyle-Matt Read Marcus Foligno-Eric Fehr-Joel Eriksson Ek Ryan Suter- Matt Dumba Jonas Brodin-Jared Spurgeon Nick Seeler-Greg Pateryn Devan Dubnyk Key numbers: 1-2: The Wild’s road record. 398: Career goals for center Eric Staal. 17: Penalty kills by the Wild in its last 18 shorthanded situations. 2: Game-winning goals for defenseman Jonas Brodin in the last two games. 9: Points for winger Mikael Granlund during a seven-game point streak. About the Canucks: Vancouver has struggled in recent games, getting outscored 9-1 in its last two losses. Overall, the team is 6-6 – an encouraging start for a team that’s rebuilding. Another bright spot has been the emergence of rookie Elias Pettersson, who has five goals and eight points in six games. Burnsville native Brock Boeser has two goals and six points in 10 games. Between the pipes, goalie Jacob Markstrom is 3-3 with a .902 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average. Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112680 Minnesota Wild Exclusive company Boudreau snagged his 100th regular-season victory with the Wild on Saturday, becoming the fastest to reach the milestone in franchise Wild's Jordan Greenway gets crash course in confidence history at 174 games. Of Boudreau’s predecessors, Jacques Lemaire took 262 games to reach By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune OCTOBER 30, 2018 — 1:21AM 100 victories, while Mike Yeo required 206. Boudreau is also only the 16th coach in NHL history to record 100 victories with at least three teams. He won 201 games with the Capitals VANCOUVER – Snap more shots on net. Check. and 208 with the Ducks. Log meaty minutes in all situations. Done. Hendricks not on trip Rediscover his swagger. Mission accomplished. Veteran forward Matt Hendricks did not accompany the Wild to Canada. He missed the past four games because of a lower-body injury. Wild rookie Jordan Greenway fulfilled every one of the objectives he was assigned when getting diverted to the American Hockey League on Star Tribune LOADED: 10.30.2018 Friday for a two-game stint to ignite his offensive potential, but the tuneup will be hailed a success once he translates that effectiveness to the NHL — Greenway’s focus now that he is back with the Wild. “I’m just looking to keep that confidence going and build off it up here,” he said. As expected, the Wild recalled Greenway on Sunday after he excelled in the AHL. He rejoined the team for the start of the Western Canada section of its seven-game road swing Monday, then scored his first career regular-season NHL goal in the first period of what ended up a 5-2 loss to the Canucks. He scored a hat trick Saturday and put five shots on net in two games, more than halfway to the eight he registered in nine games with the Wild. Greenway had only one assist to show for that effort, and he accepted the stint in Iowa with the mind-set that he would become more aggressive when the puck’s on his stick — an approach he plans to keep. “It’ll help my game out a lot,” he said. The end of the week was a whirlwind, with Greenway playing three games in as many nights, but he appreciated it and gained perspective on what it means to make it to the NHL. “You go down there, and you see all the guys — that’s what they’re all fighting for down there,” he said. “So it humbles myself, and it just makes me work a little bit harder and focus on all the things the coaching staff’s telling me and everything I need to work on. It was definitely a humbling experience.” Rising to the challenge Trust didn’t develop overnight, but it was during coach Bruce Boudreau’s first season at the helm of the Wild that he realized defenseman Jonas Brodin could handle tough assignments. “We might have been playing somebody who had great skaters, and the skating didn’t bother him,” Boudreau said. “It didn’t matter who it was, he was able to catch them. When he’s playing really good, he’s got a great stick and it’s very hard to beat. Those are things you look at and when he’s on his game, it makes life pretty easy for you.” That was certainly the case Saturday in the 3-2 victory over the Avalanche, with Brodin racking up more ice time against Colorado’s first line than any other Wild player, according to Natural Stat Trick. Brodin played 10 minutes, 55 seconds against Gabriel Landeskog, 11:25 vs. Nathan MacKinnon and 11:37 opposite Mikko Rantanen. The trio combined for just two points. “It’s a good challenge to play against the best players in the league,” said Brodin, who also chipped in the game-winning goals Saturday and Thursday. “Of course I’m taking that.” Left to right Following a 0-for-14 skid, the Wild’s power play finally busted out of its funk Saturday on a one-timer from center Eric Staal. The catalyst? Replacing one left shot (Nino Niederreiter) on the all-lefty unit with a righthander (Charlie Coyle), a tweak Boudreau anticipated giving another look to start Monday night’s game against the Canucks. Even after Staal’s goal, just the fourth for the group, the Wild remained one of the least effective teams with the man advantage at 12.9 percent — 27th in the NHL. “Everything’s adjustable,” Boudreau said. “If it’s going well and it hadn’t been going well, then we’re just going to change it on the fly and put some other people in there.” 1112681 Minnesota Wild team. “That’s how we have to take our losses. If we sit and dwell on it and don’t learn anything from it then it’s no good. We get another chance at (on Tuesday) so hopefully we’re better for it.” After ‘playing with fire’ for weeks, Wild finally get burned in loss to Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.30.2018 Canucks

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: October 29, 2018 at 11:45 pm | UPDATED: October 30, 2018 at 12:21 am

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Despite the fact the Wild entered this week with a five-game winning streak in tow, even coach Bruce Boudreau admitted that his team has left something to be desired this season. Since the opening week of the season, the Wild have allowed the first goal in 8 of their last 9 games, a trend that’s forced them to consistently play from behind down the stretch. “It’s not a good formula to keep a winning streak going,” Boudreau said. “It’s like we’re playing with fire the way we’re going about it.” Well, the Wild finally got burned in a 5-2 loss to the Canucks on Monday night at Rogers Arena. That snapped a five-game winning streak for the Wild, as they couldn’t dig themselves out of a hole this time around. “You’re playing with fire a little bit,” Zach Parise said after the game using the same exact words Boudreau did about 10 hours earlier. “We have been fortunate enough to mount some comebacks. Eventually that’s going to catch up with us and tonight it did.” As the 63-year-old coach sagely noted before the game, most of the comebacks this season have come at home. “It helps when the crowd is behind us in the third period,” Boudreau said. “We don’t get that on the road, so we have to play a much better game if we want to continue to succeed.” Instead, it was much of the same for the Wild on this particular night with a handful of young players leading the way for the up-and-coming Canucks. Asked what he knew about the Canucks before the game, Boudreau quipped, “Not much.” “I know the Sedins aren’t here for the first time in a long time,” Boudreau added, noting how the longtime Canucks retired after last season. “We have seen Brock Boeser a lot since his first game so we know his talent. I’ve heard about the (Elias) Pettersson kid. We have seen him on video and stuff like that. We know he’s a skilled young forward. We know they work really hard so we anticipate a really tough game.” It was exactly that from the onset as Canucks winger Markus Granlund scored early into the first period, doing so with older brother Mikael Granlund watching from the opposing bench. “It wasn’t our best start by any means,” Charlie Coyle said. “We just have to do a better job of coming out and making things happen. We want to make sure we bring our game from the start. I don’t think we did that.” Luckily for the Wild, that lead wouldn’t last long, as Jordan Greenway pulled them even 35 seconds later with his first goal of the season. That came a couple of days after he returned from a brief stint in the minors that was designed to build his confidence. Still, the Wild continued their trend of falling behind in games, as Canucks winger Jake Virtanen scored early in the second period, and Pettersson lit the lamp a couple of minutes later to increase the lead. Ryan Suter cut into the deficit late in the frame with a wrist shot from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net. While that threatened to make things interesting down the stretch, Pettersson essentially put the game out of reach early in the third period, sending the Wild packing with bar down snipe on a breakaway. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the best way for the Wild to start a a franchise-record, seven-game road trip. “Anytime we’re on a long road trip we’d certainly like to be successful in the first game,” Boudreau preached in the hours leading up to the game. “It would be nice to set the tone.” Well, the Wild failed to do that on this particular night. They will get a shot at redemption against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. “We have found a way to managed and it kind of just caught up with us tonight,” Matt Dumba said, adding that it can be a learning lesson for the 1112682 Minnesota Wild “You go down (to the minors) and see all the guys and this is what they’re all fighting for this opportunity,” Greenway said. “It’s humbling. It makes me work a little bit harder and focus on all the things the coaching Look what the Wild’s Jordan Greenway found in Iowa: His confidence staff is telling me and everything I need to work on. It was definitely a humbling experience.”

“I could take the situation positively or negatively. I wanted to look at it By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: October 29, 2018 at 1:04 pm | from a positive respect and work on my game because in the long run it’s UPDATED: October 29, 2018 at 10:18 PM only going to help me and it’s only going to help the team. It’s been great, a development thing for myself, and now I’m back and I’m looking to help the team out again.” VANCOUVER, B.C. — Wild coach Bruce Boudreau could not have Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.30.2018 scripted it any better. After thinking long and hard last week about whether to send Jordan Greenway down to the minors, the veteran coach pulled the trigger and put the 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward on the Iowa Wild’s top line for a pair of games over the weekend. In a perfect world, he thought, the 21-year-old would would go down to Des Moines, play big minutes and return to his team feeling better about his game. What Greenway came back with was three goals. And a ton of confidence. After playing a supporting role in Iowa’s 6-5 overtime win over the Colorado Eagles on Friday, Greenway dominated the 6-1 victory over the Eagles on Saturday with a hat trick. “It definitely helped my confidence out a lot,” Greenway said. “I was just looking to do exactly what Bruce was saying and get some more puck touches and play in all situations and get some more shots on net. That’s what my focus was. It worked out for me.” Just like the coaching staff planned, right? “No I didn’t know any of that,” Boudreau said with a laugh. “In a perfect world we were hoping he could gain some confidence from shooting the puck and playing more minutes.” Perhaps the best thing to come out of the weekend was the fact that all three of Greenway’s goals were legit, providing a sneak peek at the type of player Greenway could be in the NHL. His first goal came from what he called a “soft spot” near the left circle. He settled in and took a pass from captain Cal O’Reilly before firing a blistering shot into the net.

Jordan Greenway, erryone  pic.twitter.com/IAR9dB1rsq

— Iowa Wild (@IAWild) October 28, 2018 His second goal came on a power play. He corralled a bouncing puck, rolled up to the top of the right circle and let it rip into the back of the net.

OKAY JORDAN@JGreenway12 pic.twitter.com/IIAOwZnv7b — Iowa Wild (@IAWild) October 28, 2018 His third goal was his easiest of the night. He took the initial shot on the rush, crashed the net and finished with a slam dunk on the doorstep.

HERE IT IS FRIENDS!!!! Congrats @JGreenway12!  pic.twitter.com/Q4yWEeUBS4 — Iowa Wild (@IAWild) October 28, 2018 “It was a backdoor tap-in,” Greenway said with a smile. “(O’Reilly) gave me a little gift. He probably could’ve scored himself. He let me have it.” Greenway returned to the big club for Sunday’s practice and scored a goal in Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. Maybe something clicked for Greenway after his performance performance, as he seemed to realize the impact he can have on a game if he shoots the puck. “It was definitely a focus for me going into the game, which I can’t say was my focus every day,” Greenway said. “It’s going to be going forward and it’s going to help my game out a lot.” “He looked pretty happy to be back,” Boudreau quipped after Sunday’s practice. “It was the first time I’ve seen him take more than one shot in a practice. We tell all our guys to shoot the puck. You don’t need to see the color of the goalie’s eyes to shoot.” Now the key for Greenway will be continuing to play with confidence moving forward. As much as he appreciated his two-game stint in the minors, he isn’t in a rush to get back. 1112683 Minnesota Wild The line’s advanced stats were downright ugly with Corsi-for percentages in the 40s and below. Niederreiter, who in years past drove possession, was on the ice for 17 shot attempts against and only seven for at 5-on-5. Russo: ‘Playing with fire,’ slow-starting Wild get burned this time in “I don’t think we capitalized enough in our D-zone and couldn’t create Vancouver some odd-man rushes of our own,” Zucker said. “We weren’t making plays on the wall to get the puck out.” By Michael Russo 1h ago Monday morning, Boudreau talked about how Dumba was starting to rid himself of the ups and downs defensively that we’ve seen in years past. Fast forward to Monday night, and Dumba was a minus-3, including the turnover that led to a defensive-zone scramble and Vancouver’s first goal VANCOUVER — Continuing a season-long trend, it wasn’t until about by Mikael Granlund’s brother, Markus. 7:45 p.m. Monday night when the Wild woke up from their first-period catnap and began to play well. Dumba was not helped by his partner on this night. That’s par for the course for most 7:08 puck drops this season. Ryan Suter played his worst game since the first couple games of the season. He scored a power-play goal to pull the Wild within 3-2, but he Only this time, the Wild finally paid for snoozing through the start of a fumbled pucks, got beat going back into the zone plenty, wasn’t as sharp hockey game and Bruce Boudreau’s hope now is that his stubbornly as he normally is defending and took a really bad penalty in the final slow-out-of-the-gate, veteran-laden team finally learns its lesson from a seconds of the second after he clumsily turned the puck over. 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Coyle was his typical frustrating self. He had his legs but left you wanting “You’re playing with fire,” Zach Parise said after the Wild’s five-game so much more. Coming off three quality games in a row, Coyle turned the winning streak was no more. “We’ve been fortunate enough to mount puck over leading to Pettersson’s first goal and hastily threw a puck out comebacks, but eventually that’s going to catch up to you. And tonight, it of the zone on a second-period power play that pretty much ruined 30 did.” seconds. It was one of six shots Coyle took on this night that missed the net. Make no mistake, justice actually prevailed with this defeat, although rookie Jordan Greenway entered the game with renewed confidence Joel Eriksson Ek had another nondescript game, and even though Suter from a brief stint in Iowa and scored his first career regular-season goal had a bad gap and Dubnyk should have stopped a shot on Vancouver’s to tie the score at 1-1 in the first period. first goal, it was Eriksson Ek’s play in the neutral zone that started the entire rush leading to Virtanen’s goal. But the moral of Monday’s story for the Wild is if you put yourself in the unenviable position of chasing just about every single game, you need The Parise-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund line also had a tough go. Koivu just about everything to go right in order to complete rallies. won 16 of 23 faceoffs and had five shots but swung and missed on one pick laying in front of the crease. Parise was shut out on shots, as was This fact was especially realized in the third period when the Wild, after Granlund, who was just off all game. killing consecutive penalties to start the period, began to pressure the Canucks shift after shift. “Our line’s got to be a lot better, generate some more offense,” Parise said. “But with the penalties, you don’t feel like you get a lot of 5-on-5 ice Jacob Markstrom was under siege and it looked like just a matter of time and it makes it frustrating.” before the Wild, who had rallied to win five of the seven previous occasions in which they faced an early deficit, would tie this one, too. The Wild took five penalties and now have been shorthanded 48 times in 11 games. That’s third-most in the NHL. And their God-awful power play But then, a momentum-halting TV timeout came. went 1-for-5 and twice failed in the third period. The Wild’s power play is On the ensuing faceoff — that the Wild actually won — stud teenage clicking 13.9 percent of the time, ranking 26th in the NHL. After the rookie Elias Pettersson, the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft, blocked game, Boudreau insinuated that the units may soon be overhauled. Matt Dumba’s shot and swung his own breakaway. He scooped up Brock But most of all, the Wild paid for another poorly-played first period to fall Boeser’s outlet pass and scored an oh-so-sweet breakaway goal under to 1-3 on the road and start their seven-game road trip off on a bad note. the crossbar over Devan Dubnyk’s blocker. “Listen, you keep doing that too often … that’s what I told them: ‘That’s It was a special goal, the second of the night by the special freshman. what’s going to happen,’” Boudreau said. “You’re not going to be able to “He’s going to be a good player … for a long time,” Boudreau said of do it. Nobody’s able to come back all the time if you’re going to start that Pettersson, who has seven goals and 10 points in seven games this slow.” season. After the game, the Wild flew to Edmonton for a Tuesday night date with Bad bounce, perhaps, but when you’re always climbing uphill, one the resurgent Edmonton Oilers, who have won three in a row. Connor mistake often derails things. McDavid ranks fifth in the NHL with 17 points and the Oilers had to love how much energy the Wild once again expended late trying desperately “You can’t do that to a team that’s opportunistic as they are,” Dumba to get back in a hockey game. said. This will be a tough game for the Wild after losing an hour to boot. They This was a game where there were just too many passengers for weren’t scheduled to land in the mountain time zone until 1:30 in the Minnesota. morning, meaning with the long drive from the airport to downtown Edmonton, it’ll be 2:15 or 2:30 in their beds. Birthday boy Eric Staal turned 34 Monday and played one of his worst games of the season. His most egregious act was negating a poorly- This is why Boudreau badly wanted to win the front end of this back-to- played four-minute power play with 40 seconds left by knocking the stick back. out of a defender’s hands. Four seconds into the power play after a short 4-on-4, Jake Virtanen gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead. “We’re looking forward to it,” Coyle said of trying to extend their record to 3-0 in the second of back-to-backs this season. “You lose in your league, But mostly, Staal just didn’t have his legs on this night, nor did linemates you want to get right back out there.” Jason Zucker, who has been way too invisible lately, and Nino Niederreiter, whose goalless drought dating to last March 24 reached 24 Greenway continues where he left off games. The one bright spot for the Wild is Greenway followed his Saturday night In the second period, Boudreau actually plopped Charlie Coyle onto the hat trick with Iowa with his first career regular-season goal in the first line with Zucker and Niederreiter and skated Staal with Greenway and period. He went to the net and buried Jared Spurgeon’s rebound. Matt Read. After having eight shots in his previous nine NHL games this season, The normal first line was reunited in the third. Greenway had three against the Canucks. “None of them were getting anything done,” Boudreau said of the Staal “Definite focus for me coming into the game,” Greenway said. “I really line. “They started to get their legs a little bit in the third period. But too want to get pucks to the net, go to the net, just like I did a couple days little too late. We’ve got to start on time.” ago in Iowa. Worked out for me. It’s been working out, so I’m going to keep doing it.” Spurgeon retrieved the milestone puck for the 21-year-old. “He went to the net and he shot the puck when he had the opportunity,” Boudreau said. Weird first-period officiating There were a pair of first-period officiating oddities from young ref Chris Schlenker. After calling a high-sticking penalty on Parise, Schlenker also saw Parise get high-sticked by Erik Gudbranson. However, the referees couldn’t identify the guilty party. It’s highly irregular, but veteran Chris Rooney called the video replay booth, which is usually utilized for goal reviews, to identify who high-sticked Parise. The result was a two-minute 4-on-4. Later, in the final seconds of the period, Schlenker, at center ice, called Gudbranson for hooking and dumping Staal on a breakaway at the buzzer. Would it be a penalty shot or power play to start the second? Neither. Instead of immediately making a decision, Schlenker skated right to Rooney for guidance. After a conference, Schlenker essentially picked up his flag and called nothing. Rooney, who had the better view, likely overruled Schlenker and told him his determination was Gudbranson lifted Staal’s stick rather than hooked him on the hands. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112684 Minnesota Wild “It’s all positive,” Greenway said. “For me, I just thought it was going to be a building thing for me. Now that I’m back, I’m just looking to keep that confidence going and just build off of it here. Getting shots on net down Wild, Jordan Greenway hope his triple shot of confidence will get him there and feeling the puck for myself was big. going “I could take this situation positively or negatively. For me, I want to look at it from a positive respect and just work on my game and in the long run it’s only going to help me. It’s only going to help the team. It’s all been By Michael Russo Oct 29, 2018 great, it’s been all a development thing for myself, and now I’m back looking to help the team out again.”

At 6-foot-6, the Wild also want him to use his size and physicality a lot VANCOUVER — In an effort to alleviate pressure from the outside more. He has shown flashes. In a game a few weeks ago against whenever a prized prospect is sent to the minors, the clichéd coachspeak Chicago, he fended off a Blackhawks defender behind the net with a from inside any organization is, “This will be good for the player.” power move and pivot before helping set up a late Jason Zucker goal. In Dallas recently, Boudreau credited his big man’s shift in the third period Get big minutes. Play in all situations. Touch the puck. Boost one’s for altering the momentum in a big comeback win by the Wild. confidence, then come back and be a better player. “It’s a confidence thing,” GM Paul Fenton told The Athletic on Saturday Often times, that’s just talk. night. “He started out, he was really good in preseason and it just seems But in the case of rookie Jordan Greenway, his planned two-game stint in — he did fine, but he didn’t do anything that was exceptional. When he Iowa went exactly how the Wild drew it up: Two victories, lots of ice time uses his size and speed and strength and the way he can hold people … and a hat trick? off, that’s when he’s going to be a very good player here.” OK, not even Greenway envisioned that. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 “I don’t know if I expected to get a hat trick, but it was good,” Greenway said, laughing, after his hectic schedule in recent days brought him to Vancouver on Sunday. “I played with (Luke Kunin and Kyle Rau) down there. Two great players, and they helped me out a lot. Overall it was a really good experience.” After playing three games in three nights Thursday with Minnesota and Friday and Saturday with Iowa, Greenway is expected to be back in Minnesota’s lineup Monday night when they play the Canucks in the first of a back-to-back trip to western Canada. The Wild visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Greenway, 21, did look like he had heavy eyes after Sunday’s practice. But during practice, his legs were lively and so were his hands as he skated on a line with Charlie Coyle and Matt Read. “He looked pretty happy to be back, I know that,” quipped coach Bruce Boudreau. “(He shot one) under the water bottle. First time I’ve seen him take more than one shot in a practice, so it’s great.” This was the reason the Wild sent him to Iowa in the first place. Most rookies are inconsistent. It takes time to assimilate and sometimes years to grow into the player they’ll eventually be in the NHL. And many rookies sometimes show a lack of assertiveness at times and defer to the veterans when it comes to letting shots rip. But the instructions for Greenway were simple: Go down to Iowa, play with the puck, get confidence with the puck and most of all … shoot that puck! Eight shots in nine games doesn’t cut it even if Greenway hasn’t been playing on the power play in Minnesota and is logging only 11 minutes, 22 seconds a game. “We tell all our guys, especially the young guys, shoot the puck,” Boudreau said. “You don’t need to see the color of the goalie’s eyes to shoot. In a perfect world, we were hoping he’d gain some confidence to shoot the puck and play more minutes. He was only getting between 10 and 11 minutes and we certainly want younger guys to get more minutes.” So Greenway’s focus down in Iowa was to shoot, which, he said surprisingly, “I can’t say is my focus every day. I think it’s going to be obviously now going forward, and I think it will help my game out a lot.” His first goal came after Greenway found a soft spot in the left faceoff circle and Cal O’Reilly found him. His second came on a power play when he just wheeled to the right circle, turned and shot. His third goal was a play he needs to do more of in the NHL. He took a shot. It was stopped, but there was a rebound, so he just drove to the net and buried a backdoor tap-in teed up for him by O’Reilly. For all of this to transfer to the NHL level, Greenway will need to be much more aggressive. He’ll need to move his legs better and find those soft spots that allowed him to score three times Saturday for Iowa. While he scored a goal for the Wild in the playoffs last year, he has no goals, two assists and 12 shots in 15 career regular-season games. 1112685 Montreal Canadiens skating on the second pairing with Mike Reilly, meaning Karl Alzner was the odd man out on the blue line.

“It happened in Buffalo (during Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the Sabres) Canadiens Notebook: An NHL paycheque hasn't changed Jesperi … just upper body and we got to take care of it,” Juulsen said about his Kotkaniemi injury. “It’s a long year. It was in the third period. It was just a weird thing that happened.” STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: October 29, 2018 Juulsen added that if Saturday’s game was a playoff contest he would have been in the lineup.

“For sure,” he said. “It’s just early in the year. There’s no point in risking Canadiens rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi played in his 10th NHL game something right now.” Saturday night in Boston, meaning the first year of his entry-level contract has officially kicked in. Juulsen, who has 0-1-1 totals in nine games and is a team-leading plus-9 while averaging 19:04 of ice time, was impressed by the performance of Kotkaniemi’s three-year, entry-level deal is worth US$2.775 million and his teammates in Boston. pays him $925,000 per season in the NHL, which averages out to $11,280 per game. That means the 18-year-old Finn has already earned “I thought we played a quick game,” the 21-year-old said. “That was what $112,800. we had to do going in there to rebound from the game in Buffalo. Buffalo wasn’t great for us. So I think the guys did a great job going out there and When asked after practice Monday in Brossard if he had received his first keeping it simple and playing fast. Boston just had a hard time handling it NHL paycheque, Kotkaniemi smiled and said: “I don’t know about that. I in their rink and I thought we played a great game.” don’t look at my bank account. I just buy food.” The lines As for whether he expects to spend the entire season with the Canadiens, Kotkaniemi said: “I’m just trying to keep smiling and doing my Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at Monday’s practice best.” with Joel Armia and Nikita Scherbak rotating on the third line and Charles Hudon and Andrew Shaw rotating on the fourth line: In his first 10 games, Kotkaniemi has 0-4-4 totals and is plus-3 while averaging 13:47 of ice time and winning 41.6 per cent of his faceoffs. Tatar – Danault – Gallagher It’s not all about Carey Drouin – Domi – Lehkonen Carey Price stopped all 33 shots he faced in Saturday night’s 3-0 win Byron – Kotkaniemi – Armia/Scherbak over the Bruins in Boston. It was Price’s first shutout since Nov. 25, 2017 Deslauriers – Peca – Hudon/Shaw when he made 36 saves in a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres in his first game back after missing more than three weeks with a lower-body injury. Benn – Petry Saturday’s win also moved Price into second spot on the Canadiens’ all- time win list for goalies with 290, one more than Patrick Roy and trailing Reilly – Juulsen only Jacques Plante, who is No. 1 with 314. Ouellet – Mete The Canadiens are off to an impressive 6-2-2 start heading into Tuesday Alzner night’s game at the Bell Centre against the Dallas Stars (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio) and Price has a 4-1-2 record with a 2.13 Coach Claude Julien speaks with players during #Habs practice in goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Brossard #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/CWxr8btyhH— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 29, 2018 “Our record is not because of Carey Price,” Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said when he met with the media after practice Monday. Reilly a pleasant surprise “Maybe in the past we did rely only on Carey, mostly on Carey to win games. But now we play better as a team in front of him. That makes his Mike Reilly has been one of the pleasant surprises for the job easier and that’s the way it should be. Canadiens this season after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild at last season’s NHL trade deadline in exchange for a fifth-round pick at the “He doesn’t have to be the guy every night,” Bergevin added. “As a team 2019 NHL Draft. we play better. He’s one of the best goalies in the league.” In the first 10 games this season, Reilly has 1-2-3 totals and is plus-5 blanchissage pour @CP0031 #habs pic.twitter.com/T9a88QSu2X— while averaging 22:13 of ice time. Only Jeff Petry has averaged more ice puck&bière tablette (@puck_biere) October 28, 2018 time with the Canadiens at 23:48. Fast start for Domi “I knew he was a good skater,” Bergevin said about Reilly. “I watched him play before the trade. I knew he was smooth with his skating, he was Max Domi leads the Canadiens in scoring with 5-6-11 totals after being evasive. But if you go back, the year we traded for Phillip Danault (in acquired from the Arizona Coyotes during the off-season in exchange for 2016) at the deadline, he came in here and the situation wasn’t very Alex Galchenyuk. good at the end of that season. We didn’t make the playoffs and it was a Domi, who has been playing centre between Jonathan Drouin and Artturi tough environment. And same thing with Mike. He came in last year, they Lehkonen, is on a six-game point streak during which he has 5-3-8 totals. were out of the playoffs, the environment was not easy. He came to Last season, Domi had 9-36-45 totals with the Coyotes and four of his camp and wanted to prove (himself) and I give him credit for what he’s goals were empty-netters. This season, all five of Domi’s goals have done so far.” been with the goalie in net, matching his total from last season. Hudon fighting for spot “He did play some centre last year in Phoenix,” Bergevin said about Charles Hudon got back in the lineup Saturday in Boston after being a Domi. “We watched him quite a bit. He has been good in that position. healthy scratch for the previous three games in favour of Nicolas We knew the player we’re getting but, obviously, everything’s been his Deslauriers. Hudon replaced Andrew Shaw against the Bruins and was way the first 10 games. To maintain that for 82 games, it’s a tough pointless in 10:34 of ice time. league. But a good start will give him confidence and the way he’s performing now you see a player who has confidence and his line’s “Every single game I have to improve myself,” said Hudon, who has 2-1- playing really well.” 3 totals in seven games and is minus-1 while averaging only 9:46 of ice time. Galchenyuk has 0-2-2 totals in three games with the Coyotes after suffering a lower-body injury during the pre-season. “I had a good talk with Claude (Julien) last week about why I wasn’t in the lineup,” Hudon added. “I was doing good things since pretty much the Max Domi leading team stretch at end of #Habs practice in Brossard start of (training) camp, but we’re a full team with a lot of players here. #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/N5GzQBl2qS— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) I’m just trying to do my job. I want to be in the lineup, for sure, and I want October 29, 2018 to do my job on the ice to stay in the lineup.” Juulsen back at practice Did Julien say anything specific to him? After missing Saturday’s game in Boston with an upper-body injury, “Not really,” Hudon said. “First, I have to stay positive even if I’m not in defenceman Noah Juulsen was back on the ice for practice Monday, the lineup sometimes. That’s the main goal in my life, too, to stay positive. I just have to do my thing. I was playing well. I know I didn’t have a lot of ice time, but I was trying to earn my ice time, too, bringing the puck to the net, being responsible in my D zone, too.” As for the Canadiens’ new fast-paced system this season, Hudon said: “I think it fits better for everyone in the dressing room. Since the start of the year, we’ve been playing differently from last year. We put some more fun into it, too. I think we all enjoy to come to the rink now. It’s a good way to be better as a team and we’re playing every single game the same way. We just need to keep doing that all season.” Weber and Schlemko skating Injured defencemen and David Schlemko both skated Monday in Brossard along with a member of the Canadiens’ training staff. Weber is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on June 19 to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, while Schlemko suffered a knee injury during a pre-season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 26. Weber is expected to return in mid-December, while Schlemko’s recovery period was expected to be about six weeks. Bergevin said Monday that the Canadiens won’t rush Weber’s return. “Whenever he’s ready, he’ll play,” Bergevin said. “Everything right now is the way it should be. Again, the doctor will make that final decision. But so far we’ve been able to play well without him and he’ll be a big addition when he’s back. The sooner the better but, again, we’re not going to rush him.” A little Shea Weber action. Pardon my amateur camera work pic.twitter.com/WBmG3LDOXF— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 29, 2018 What’s next? The Canadiens will be at home all week with three games at the Bell Centre, starting with Tuesday night’s matchup against the Dallas Stars (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). The Washington Capitals will be at the Bell Centre on Thursday (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio) and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (7 p.m., SN360, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio). Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112686 Montreal Canadiens

Dallas Stars at Canadiens: Five things you should know

PAT HICKEY, Updated: October 29, 2018

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Stars game Tuesday at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio): The matchup: The Canadiens are coming off an impressive 3-0 win over the Bruins Saturday night in Boston. It’s still early but Montreal, with a 6- 2-2 record, has been one of the major surprises in the NHL and the Canadiens have reached this point without losing back-to-back games. This is the second stop on a six-game road trip for Dallas, which has a 5- 5 record after losing 4-2 in Detroit Sunday. The loss left the Stars with an 0-3 record on the road. Domi continues to roll: Newcomer Max Domi scored his fifth goal of the season Saturday as he extended his consecutive-game points streak to six games. He has five goals and three assists in that streak and he leads the Canadiens in scoring with 11 points. Brendan Gallagher scored his team-leading sixth goal in Boston. The other Montreal goal was an empty-netter by defenceman Jordie Benn, whose first point of the season ended a 58-game goal drought. Defence leads the way: Before the season started, there were serious concerns about the Canadiens defence with Shea Weber on the injured reserve list to start the season and goaltender Carey Price coming off the worst season of his career. Those fears appear unfounded. The Canadiens have the fifth-best goals-against average in the league (2.47) and Price’s shutout against the Bruins gave Price a 4-1-2 record with a 2.13 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Radulov likely to return: If you were hoping to boo Alex Radulov when he plays against his former team, you might be in luck. Radulov has missed the past four games with an undisclosed injury, but he skated Monday and there’s a good chance he’ll be back. Radulov, who spurned the Canadiens’ offer two summers ago in favour of lower taxes and better football in Texas, scored four goals and added six assists in his first six games. Coach Monty comes home: Montreal native Jim Montgomery will be behind the Dallas bench as he returns to the Bell Centre for the first time since 2002, when he played for the Stars. Montgomery’s NHL career included a brief stop in Montreal in 1994 after he was traded for Guy Carbonneau. He was hired by the Stars after a successful run in the USHL and in the U.S. college ranks, where he won the 2017 NCAA title with Denver. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112687 Montreal Canadiens team would score another one. Now it’s not happening and I hope it doesn’t. It might happen a few times, but it was like a pattern and now that’s gone. Stu Cowan: Back in black — it’s early, but Habs GM likes what he sees “Players have pride. It’s almost the same team, but what they went through last year I think … to fall down is an accident, but not to get up it’s a choice. And they choose to get up and be better and that’s what STU COWAN, Updated: October 29, 2018 they’ve been doing so far.” Bergevin looked good in black Monday and after aging dramatically in front of our eyes last season, he again appears to be younger than his 53 Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin was dressed all in black when he met with years both in his fashion and physique. He also looks like he’s sleeping the media after practice Monday in Brossard. better. It would have been the perfect attire at the end of last season, when the “Without a doubt,” Bergevin said. “It’s hard because you go to bed at Canadiens finished 28th in the overall NHL standings and missed the night and you wonder what’s happening and how can you fix it. And playoffs for the second straight year. But after a surprising 6-2-2 start this sometimes you know how to fix it, but it’s impossible to do.” season, Monday could have been a good day for one of the dapper GM’s flashy suits. So far, the Canadiens’ off-season fixes are looking as good as the GM. “It’s 10 games … it’s such a small sample,” Bergevin said. “But what I’ve Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 seen so far, the effort’s there.” When asked why he decided to meet with the media on Monday, Bergevin smiled and said: “I miss you guys.” Not surprisingly, Bergevin was in a much better mood than he was last season when he met with the media after the Canadiens got off to a 2-6- 1 start and said the answer to their problems was in the locker room. It obviously wasn’t.— At the end of the season, Bergevin said a bad attitude was the biggest problem and he tried to fix it during the summer, trading away captain Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk — two players whose work ethic the GM obviously questioned. “Competition is not an option,” Bergevin said Monday without naming names. “There’s a recipe for success, OK,” the GM added. “It doesn’t mean you’ll have success, but if you don’t have that you have nothing. We have a team that competes and plays within a system and we play fast. And with that we’re having success. Now, the next 10 games we’ll go 6-2-and- whatever? I don’t know. But I expect the same effort, compete and hopefully we stay healthy and we have some success.” Andrew Shaw recently described the atmosphere in the locker room last season as “toxic” and Bergevin said Monday he knew there was a problem early in the season. “I mean early, early, early,” the GM said. “November, maybe. I can’t tell you exactly when, but early I realized something wasn’t right.” Stylin’ pic.twitter.com/9iZyJgn3p1— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 29, 2018 Bergevin repeated his belief Monday that NHL GMs build their teams in July and then “hope for the best,” adding it’s hard to make changes during the season. “There’s teams right now around the league that are struggling and there’s no change,” Bergevin said. Bergevin not only changed some players during the off-season, the Canadiens also changed their style of play, becoming quicker and much more aggressive both offensively and defensively. Head coach Claude Julien also hasn’t been afraid to make Karl Alzner and Shaw — two of Bergevin’s big free-agent signings — healthy scratches early in the season. It seems like the GM is learning from his mistakes. When asked if some of his prior decisions need to be re-evaluated, Bergevin said: “It’s already done.” “The league is getting younger and faster,” Bergevin added. “We keep saying it, but it’s really happening. Not too long ago, the L.A. Kings were winning the Stanley Cup on size. That seems not to be the case anymore. So you need to adjust, but I don’t see the speed going away. So it’s not only being fast, but it’s playing fast and right now we’re doing both. And the beauty of it is by (the players) executing the system, they’re getting results. So it makes them want to do it more.” Bergevin said the most pleasant surprise for him so far this season is the way the players have competed and showed up to play every night. “They don’t give up,” the GM said. “They’re hungry. They play fast. They’re having fun together and they’re enjoying coming to the rink every day and that’s a big difference for me … that’s what I see in them. “Again, it’s such a short sample, 10 games. But remember last year, even early in the year, we would score a goal and right away the other 1112688 Montreal Canadiens homage better than the Habs, but who cares? How about coming up with a contender?

Can the Habs be dragged kicking and screaming into the present? Well, What the Puck: Will Habs' autumn heat wave lead to cold, dead spring? like I said above, it’s early but give credit to the Habs’ bosses for actually adapting to the 2018 NHL with their approach this season because it’s paying off big-time. So maybe there is some hope. BRENDAN KELLY, Updated: October 29, 2018 Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018

Ok, it looks like our Montreal Canadiens are going to win the October Stanley Cup — again. I’m kidding around. There’s no denying this squad has done better than anyone expected. Absolutely nobody predicted there was any chance that the Habs would be 6-2-2 after their first ten games. And for anyone who was still doubting if this was the real thing, Saturday’s statement game against the archrival Boston Bruins settled that argument. A 3-0 win against the Bruins on their home ice? On a Saturday night? On Hockey Night in Canada? Wow. This team just keeps impressing. Though, just because I like to grumble, let’s admit that Tuukka Rask once again had his Habs psychosis in full bloom, letting in two goals on the Canadiens’ first five shots. All credit to the Habs for holding off the Bruins and the best line in the NHL for the rest of the game, but Rask wasn’t great on either of those goals and was downright terrible on Brendan Gallagher’s marker. Speaking of inspiring, what more can you say about Max Domi? He did it all on his goal. He came up with an incredible stretch/flip pass to linemate Artturi Lehkonen. And after Lehkonen once again flubbed a scoring chance, Domi came to the rescue, looked like he, too, was flubbing it and then ripped it over Rask’s shoulder from his knees. Wow, Part II. Domi has been the biggest surprise of this young season. He has five goals and 11 points to lead the Habs in scoring, and keep in mind that he scored only nine goals last season with the Arizona Coyotes, including four empty-netters. And Alex Galchenyuk has yet to score in Arizona, though he has only played three games. It’s early in the season and it is still far from clear that Montreal is a playoff team but if you’re a fan, then you have to be loving this month in Habs Nation. In an interview with the National Post, Canadian actor and quintessential Habs fan Jay Baruchel says he’s very impressed by this team. But like any true supporter of the most successful franchise in NHL history, Baruchel has mostly had to deal with a lot of pain and disappointment during the past quarter century of watching the Habs not win Stanley Cups. That’s part of the story he tells in his new memoir, Born Into It: A Fan’s Life, which is being published on Tuesday. Reading an advance copy of the book, I was struck by how the Ottawa-born, Montreal-raised actor, writer and director captures the essence of what it means to be emotionally attached to the Habs. And I just love how he riffs on two of the themes dear to me — the soul-destroying insanity of the P.K. Subban trade and the Shakespearean tragedy that is the 21st century Montreal Canadiens. Like thousands of Habs fans, the 2016 Subban-Shea Weber deal tested Baruchel’s faith. Writes Baruchel: “What the point? If P.K. can get traded, well then, so can Carey Price, and it’s that true, then why … devote hours and hours of my life to caring about and participating in something that doesn’t really seem to care if I do or don’t?” Only to conclude: “Because this is Montreal, and Montreal will break your heart.” Exactly. That’s Habs fandom in a line. We will have our hearts broken. That’s the definition of this miserable life of ours since the last Cup win in 1993. But the chapter on the elusive 25th Cup is even more on point. I don’t buy his argument that the salary cap is the problem, but Baruchel is so right when he says maybe the biggest handicap is the team’s nutty obsession with its past. Writes Baruchel: “Maybe we should pretend there was no Guy Lafleur, no Rocket Richard, no Jean Béliveau, no Patrick Roy, no Forum, no such thing as a dynasty. Maybe the only way for us to compete in the modern-era NHL is to act like we just got here.” Brilliant. The defining aspect of the past 25 years is the pregame video montage of long gone moments of Habs glory. No one does the video 1112689 Montreal Canadiens every day here. Toronto got the population and the buildings and the money, right? But you get the sense that they would want to tear it all down if it meant somebody could figure out how to make a smoked meat 20 Questions with Jay Baruchel: On running for office, Carlton the Bear, sandwich properly. But I think the two cities are profoundly jealous of one and what he would do if P.K. Subban ever went home another, still. 5. After winning two Cups in Nashville, P.K. Subban moves home to Toronto to end his career with the Leafs … By Sean Fitz-Gerald Oct 29, 2018 JB: Oh fuck. God. (laughs, puts his face in his hands, pushing his hat high above forehead) One of the most familiar faces in modern Canadian film — it is known in 6. … Does Jay Baruchel permit himself to wear a blue-and-white No. 76? the United States, too — was sitting 41 floors above Bay Street, in downtown Toronto, wearing a Montreal Canadiens cap and telling a story JB: Oh fuck. Oh my god. Oh my god. I’d buy the sweater, but I’d never about his father. wear it. I definitely would want it, but I would never wear it. Oh fuck. That’s horrifying. That’s like a 24 plotline. It’s scary because of how “He’d embarrass me,” the actor said with a smile. “He’d, like, show up on possible it is. the set drunk, and try to fight the producer.” 7. In the 1994 Quebec election, which fringe candidate made fun of the Jay Baruchel has become a writer, director and actor who has appeared Parti Québécois by saying its promise to form a good government was as in major movies and television productions on both sides of the border. ridiculous as saying “Toronto smoked meat and bagels are better than He appeared in Almost Famous and Million Dollar Baby, then Tropic Montreal’s?” Thunder and This is the End. He was also the star of The Trotsky, an under-appreciated Canadian-made comedy, and as well as Goon and its JB: (laughs) That sounds like my fucking psycho dad, who went on a sequel, which he also directed. crazy misadventure to start a political party with a bunch of his friends, and then did himself no favours by staple-gunning his posters to trees. The story he was telling was from his childhood, which was spent in Everyone else taped or bound their things to telephone poles. Dad just Montreal, with an interlude in the grittier corners of Oshawa, Ont. His took the staple gun and jammed it into trees. So all of the ads around the father, who died in 2004, loved his family, the Montreal Canadiens and neighbourhood had all this graffiti. Like, ‘thanks for killing trees, asshole.’ illicit substances. Those three items might not be listed in the correct (laughs]) order. 8. Serge Baruchel finished seventh of nine candidates, with 182 votes — “There was this one producer called Finkelstein,” Baruchel said. “And as a taxpayer, would you have voted for him? dad walked up to set and said: ‘Is that Finkel-fuck? Is that the guy?’” JB: (laughs) Ah, probably not. I remember, also, all of us being It was the set for a children’s show: “And then my fucking dad, who was staggered. Like, 182 ain’t shit: However, we don’t know 100 people. How this career hood from the street, would show up and it’d be a much were there 182 that thought him electable? If I didn’t share a surname different tone on the whole set.” with him, I would never vote for him. But if I was of voting age when he was running, I would definitely have voted for him. If his mother, Robyne, is the hero, Baruchel makes his father the antagonist in Born Into It: A Fan’s Life, (HarperCollins) a rumination on 9. Will you ever run for office? his own attachment to the Canadiens. And like the relationship with his father, his connection to the team has at times been layered, nuanced JB: Oh god. I sure hope not. Getting to have front row seats on what that and challenging. looks like, with my dad, I remember my mom telling me: ‘Dad can do this, because he’s good at lying. You could never do this because it would Baruchel (JB) sat down for 20 Questions with The Athletic in his force you to lie, and you’re not a liar.’ (smiles) It’s weird. It’s one of these publisher’s office, talking about the possibility of running for office, things where I try to be pretty conscious of what’s going on, and I’m a Carlton the Bear, and what he would do if P.K. Subban ever went home. patriot, and I really do give a shit about this place. However, I absolutely loathe the political class, as most people, I think, do. But the follow-up to 1. The Leafs win the Stanley Cup on June 6: What is Jay Baruchel doing that follow-up would be that I think any good politician should be on June 7? reluctant. And I don’t think there are enough of those. I hope not — but stranger things have happened. JB: (laughs) Oh god. Oh god. He is probably in one of two places. I’m either licking my wounds in my basement, just sort of dwelling on ‘how 10. Your write how your father was a rough-and-tumble criminal who so did we get here?’ How did the States elect Donald Trump? How is this badly wanted a hockey player: What was his reaction when you started possible? Or I’m somewhere on the other side of the world, where finding early success, with Popular Mechanics for Kids and Almost hockey doesn’t mean anything. Famous? Carlton the Bear does not have the full support of Jay Baruchel. Kelvin JB: He was my biggest fan, and my biggest booster. The credit I have to Kuo/USA TODAY Sports give to him is that, while I clearly wasn’t how he imagined his kid turning out — that I had a ‘thing,’ and was doing it, is really what he cared about. 2. You write that Carlton the Bear looks “like he’d be the first guy to get As a lifelong fighter and athlete, he had a very strong competitive streak. killed when a batch of new prisoners is dropped off at prison” — how do So for me, to be booking a gig, is for our family to be winning. My dad you think he’d fare in a Stanley Cup parade in Toronto? wanted us to do well at whatever. I have to give credit where credit is JB: (laughs) Oh god. He would do perfectly, because it would be the due. world’s most non-committal, inoffensive mascot, surrounded by the 11. What do you think he would have enjoyed most in the Goon films? world’s most non-committal, inoffensive sports fans. (laughs) I think he’d come out of that unscathed. In fact, that would justify his existence, JB: Oh, that’s cool. That’s a really neat question. I’d like to think he’d because lord knows nothing else has. enjoy some of the lines, the chirps. And he’d have liked the fighting. He’d have liked the fights a lot. 3. What happens to Youppi, the Canadiens mascot, and Gritty, the new Flyers mascot, when they get dropped off at prison? 12. You rebelled against your Canadiens fandom around the same time you rebelled against your father, in adolescence: How much of fandom is JB: Oh, jesus. Gritty tries to make a name for himself and gets stabbed in rooted in family, and how much is rooted in place? his kidneys by skinheads within half-an-hour of arriving. Youppi knows what he needs to do, but he’s always going to wait for somebody else to JB: I think a shitload of it. Whether you rebel against the team that you throw the first punch. But make no mistake: Youppi’s a lifer. He’s no fish. are raised to love, or you pick that team, it’s still because of your family. If He’s runnin’ shit. By year five or six, the guards are going to him to buy you grow up in a house full of hockey, and you start to have issues with drugs and stuff. your family, you’re going to fucking hate hockey and throw out the baby with the bath water. Or you’ll fucking hate that team, that you’re 4. This is the 40th anniversary season of the last time the Leafs and inundated by, and you’ll go find your own. Or, you will carry on the torch Canadiens met in the playoffs: Why do we still consider them rivals? that your dad passed onto you. But either way, the reference point, the JB: That’s a fucking very good question. We consider them rivals sounding board, is your family. because the cities consider themselves rivals. It’s down to a small-man 13. After spending five years of your youth in Oshawa, do you consider complex in Montreal and, I don’t know what you would call the Toronto yourself a Generals fan? one, but it’s of being bigger and richer and more successful — but still being jealous of Montreal. Cripplingly jealous. Which is something I feel JB: Definitely. I don’t really watch the ‘O’ as much as I should. I have it all. I have every junior game in Canada on my TV. I got to see Lindros play for them. And that’s ‘the’ Generals team. And I have very distinct memories of the Oshawa cops coming to our school to hand out Generals hockey cards … If I had a team in the OHL, it’d be the Generals or the . We shot all of the hockey for ‘Goon 2′ at the Barrie Colts’ arena, at the Barrie Molson Centre. That team gave us full access to everything, and so we all bought a bunch of gear. A lot of the ‘Goon’ boys, we have a connection to the Barrie Colts, as well. 14. Registration is flatlining, while and soccer are making inroads and is in the midst of a massive boom: Do you foresee a day when hockey loses its primacy in Canada? JB: Oh, it’s sadly almost inevitable. It’s almost inevitable because of how prohibitively expensive it is. And that, coupled with the data we get every year about what happens to people who get boarded or hit on the numbers or cheap-shotted, we know what that looks like. I’m engaged to be married. We’re going to have a kid, eventually … If the kid wants to play hockey, the kid will play hockey — a Canadian boy or girl. However, when I look at how much hockey equipment costs … versus how much a pair of cleats and a ball costs, and that kid can play forever and won’t run the risk, it makes sense. 15. What did Chris Nilan, the former Canadiens enforcer and your family hero, think of the title in the Goon movies? JB: I remember that he hated it, because he hates that word. And then I tried to explain to him that’s why we picked it. It was sort of repurposing a derogatory term, that you can use that word to write off somebody. But our movies, the whole point of them is to show you what that person is like, and how you write them off to your detriment. Because it’s a shitty word to describe somebody who risks everything for the other guys on their team. 16. Which has the best hockey fight scene outside of Goon: Youngblood, Slap Shot or Strange Brew? JB: Oh, good call. (laughs) It definitely isn’t Youngblood. I want to say Slap Shot, but Strange Brew has the fucking brainwashed Stormtrooper hockey players. So I have to go with them. 17. How have you reconciled your appreciation of fighting in hockey with all we are learning about the long-term dangers, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy? JB: It’s this thing where I know that I love it, and loved watching it. And me saying that is more borne out of me being raised with a fear of being a hypocrite. I can admit that I’ve loved watching fighting my whole life. That’s just me enjoying watching it. In addition to that, in the games I watched, it seemed to have a fucking pretty tangible effect on the game at hand. However, I’m not a hockey player, and I’m not a scientist. And if the people who are actually at risk, and the people that know better are saying it does this, how can I tell them they’re wrong? I can’t. That doesn’t mean I’m on the keep-fighting-in-the-game side of things, necessarily. I’m saying I enjoy it. It was intrinsically part of Canadian hockey, and Canada. 18. Should fighting still be an accepted part of the game? JB: (sighs) I think it shouldn’t be up to fans. And it shouldn’t be up to people like me, because I don’t risk anything. There are healthcare professionals, and lads who actually have to go out and fucking do it. They’re the ones. They should decide. I don’t know if this is anecdotal evidence, but it seems, whenever there’s a formal NHLPA players’ poll, most of the boys don’t seem to want to get rid of it, either. 19. Will you make another hockey-themed movie? JB: Oh, I would love to. I could only create things in hockey for the rest of my life, and I’d be psyched as hell. There’s a bunch of stories, some in the Goon universe, that we still want to tell. We really have this soft spot for Doug’s baby. We want to see her grow up and kind of be our Hayley Wickenheiser, and beat the piss out of a bunch of teenaged boys. 20. Complete the following sentence: “By the time I’m done …” JB: By the time I’m done, I hope are much more into Canada. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112690 Montreal Canadiens Evans didn’t want to go to college. His friends were going to play in the OHL, and at that time fewer Canadians were heading to the United States to continue their hockey careers. Though the decision turned out The long, winding road of Jake Evans from reluctant participant to the to be ideal for his development, not only from a hockey standpoint but cusp of the NHL also in regards to getting an education, a 15-year-old prioritizing his friends over a long-term goal is understandable.

But Evans visited the Notre Dame campus in Indiana and agreed to join By Marc Dumont Oct 29, 2018 the team once his OJHL playing days were over. The decision owed a lot to the state of the art facilities he found there.

“That’s what got me to go to Notre Dame,” explained Evans. “I didn’t Hockey careers start in all kinds of ways; they can be meticulously know much about college hockey, but they had a new rink, a new gym, planned, or happen by chance. and everything. It was unbelievable.” In the case of Jake Evans, everything began due to a scheduling conflict. Evans’ parents ended up renting a condominium near the rink so that Wayne could attend every game. Evans’ father, Wayne, was coaching his brother Matthew’s team for players aged 4 to 6. His mother, Marilyn, a physician, had to work on that Draft day disappointment fateful Saturday morning, meaning Jake was headed to the hockey rink, whether he liked it or not. By the time the 2014 NHL entry draft was set to take place, the projections regarding Evans were murky. Prior to the start of the season, “Jake didn’t want to play,” said Wayne. “He didn’t want to play with the NHL teams started to show interest in him, with some projecting his draft older players. I said you have no choice, mom isn’t home. You have to position to be in the second or third round. But as a result of a shoulder come and if you’re on the bench you have to wear a helmet.” injury that prevented him from playing his best hockey, his stock started to drop. With the first step behind him, Wayne told his son that he may as well put on all the equipment. It took 207 picks before Evans heard his name called. Jake agreed, but he had no intention to actually skate. Assistant coach In fact, by that point, it was his mother who relayed the message that he Ross Fletcher had other ideas, immediately placing Jake on the ice once had been drafted, seeing as Evans had decided to go for a walk to clear the buzzer went off. his mind and reassess his situation. He never actually heard the team call his name. That was the day Evans fell in love with hockey. “It was definitely a frustrating day,” said Evans. “I was hoping to go a little Fast start earlier. I was told somewhere around the fifth or sixth round. I was His talent was evident from the get-go, scoring 21 goals playing as a 4- following with my family at home, and by the time the seventh round year-old against players that were up to two years his senior. By the time came along I actually left the house. he was 6, the ‘Jake Evans rule’ was put into place. The rule dictated that “I thought it was over.” Evans was not allowed to score more than three goals per game. He would quickly score his three goals and spend the rest of the game trying It wasn’t over. to set up his friends. Despite being one of the last players picked that day, his rights now “You sort of knew he had the gift,” said Wayne. “So few people make it, belonged to an NHL team, the Montreal Canadiens. so we never had any expectations for Jake. But Jake kept on excelling at every level he went to, every year.” A chip on his shoulder By the time Evans reached the Ontario Junior Hockey League as a 15- Evans presented himself to Fighting Irish training camp in the fall of 2014 year-old, where he scored four points in his first game, interest among wanting to prove 29 teams wrong, but success did not come immediately. NCAA and OHL teams was growing. After a relatively tough start to his college career as a true 18-year-old freshman, he was promoted to the third line in his sophomore year. By He had an opportunity to be selected in the first round of the OHL priority the end the season he was on the first line. selection draft by the Saginaw Spirit, but playing major junior hockey was never in the cards. He was named alternate captain in his junior season, and finally captain as a senior. “They asked if Jake would come and I said absolutely not,” explained Wayne. “We had sent Jake to St. Michael’s Buzzers and spent a lot of That season was the culmination of everything Evans had worked money on his education. We didn’t want him to be living in somebody’s towards, resulting in numerous individual and team accolades, including basement.” being named to the First Team All-Big Ten, runner-up as defensive player of the year, and a Big Ten championship. However, the prior financial commitment, up to $25,000 per year, was not the only driving force behind the Evans’ decision to avoid the OHL. The team went on to the Frozen Four, where they ultimately lost 2-1 to Minnesota-Duluth in the final game, but not before some late-game “It’s also about maturity, said Wayne. “I didn’t think Jake could survive at heroics from the captain in both the semi-final and the final. 15 years old living in somebody’s basement. We didn’t think that was possible.” “The final year was great,” said Evans. “Aside from that last loss, we had a great year. The final year was probably our best team in history, so it Coincidentally, the Spirit used the pick originally destined for Evans on was an amazing time.” Canadiens prospect Jeremiah Addison. Both now play for the Laval Rocket, with Evans ahead of Addison on the depth chart. With his NCAA career coming to a close, many began wondering whether Evans would sign a deal with Montreal. Speculation started to Up to 12 OHL teams were interested in Evans’ services, including the mount as to the possibility of Evans going the free agent route, as was powerhouse London Knights, but the focus quickly turned to options his right four years after being drafted. south of the border. The Canadiens quickly tendered a contract offer. Evans did not hesitate North Dakota approached the Evans family to discuss the possibility of to sign with the team that drafted him. Jake joining the program. They identified that his playing a style would not only help their team, but eventually lead him to a professional career. “Jake is a pretty loyal guy,” said Wayne. “He said ‘Montreal chose me and unless there’s a better reason to go somewhere else, I’m going to “The way Jake plays is the way they play in the NHL,” the North Dakota stay here.'” recruiters explained to Wayne. That’s when things started to get serious. He was offered a full ride to the university at age 15. “No hesitation to sign with the Habs,” explained Evans. “You can’t just speak openly about it in the season, you have to focus on what you’re Wayne leveraged the offer from North Dakota into interest from various doing. But there was really no doubt with my family that we were going to schools, including Cornell, where Evans’ cousins had played. By the time sign here.” the list was complete, 13 schools had offered Evans a full scholarship to their program. The family narrowed it down to five schools and began to Rocky start plan visits. His college days fell just one win short of a fairytale ending, but the same But there was one problem. cannot be said about the start to his professional career. Ottawa Senators tryout Jonathan Aspirot caught Evans with a high hit or hitting the gym with younger players, should give him a leg up on his during the rookie tournament in Laval, which led to the Toronto native competition as he attempts to carve out a professional career. slamming his head on the ice, resulting in a concussion. Players can improve upon several aspects of their game, including Evans doesn’t remember the hit. He only remembers accepting the pass skating and shooting, but Evans’ natural intellect cannot be taught. just prior to it. Once his playing career is over, Evans will once again have the inside “I watched it. It wasn’t a bad hit,” said Evans. “His hands were high, but it track on his competition, due to his degree in management consulting. wasn’t dirty at all. It was just how I landed. I tried to get around him and had no balance, so I landed right on my head.” “It allows me to spend as much time as I want here,” said Evans about his time in Laval. “Hopefully, with my degree, I’ll be able to get a job His father, who happened to be in attendance, quickly rushed down to ice when hockey is done.” level, but not before being interrupted by a fan. While Evans was still lying motionless on the ice, the fan decided it would be the right time to With a degree from Notre Dame in his back pocket, and a history of ask his father whether Evans was on a tryout contract, or had already succeeding in most situations, Evans will have numerous opportunities signed a deal. once he’s done with hockey. But for now, his eyes are set on the ultimate prize: making the NHL. Welcome to the Montreal hockey market, Mr. Evans. “He’s a kid who can find his way,” said Wayne. “He’ll figure out a way to For the record, Wayne explained that his son had, in fact, signed a deal, make it.” before quickly heading down to check up on his son and dealing with a gut-wrenching situation no parent wants to experience. He’s already well on his way. “The tough part as a parent is you’re watching the trainers cut off his The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 skates with scissors,” said Wayne. “You’re watching them cut off a jersey with scissors, you watch them cut off the shoulder pads with scissors because they’re afraid to move him, because they thought he broke his neck.” Fortunately, Jake recovered quickly and the young centreman has learned a lesson from the incident. “You just have to know you’re playing against men now,” said Evans. “You have to realize there are stronger guys out there, but it’s not going to change how I play. It wasn’t a bad play either, it was just awkward and weird the way I landed. If you’re thinking about it, it’ll just mess with your head, so you have to forget about it.” The concussion was a rather brutal way for Evans to be introduced to his new hockey home, but that’s not the only thing that gave him trouble at first. The whole language thing was a bit of an issue. “I only had one tough time at a restaurant, by myself, when everyone was playing,” said Evans. “I don’t even know what I ordered. I just guessed something. It was so bad. Just a big bowl of food,” he said, laughing. With the mystery food order behind him, Evans has joined the Laval Rocket, scoring his first professional goal and impressing head coach Joël Bouchard. “I love how much he’s progressed,” said Bouchard. “I love that he wants to learn. He quickly figured it out. Sometimes it takes a long time for players to get it, but not Jake. He’s not perfect, he’s still a young player in development, but I am very happy with his progression. “I haven’t been easy on him, either. I have asked a lot from him. I really poured it on. I’m happy how he’s able to learn, to absorb information, and how to handle the pressure.” Following an intense practice, I noticed Bouchard speaking to his assistant coaches and vividly pointing toward Evans. Curiosity got the best of me, so I asked the coach why they were motioning toward the rookie. “We all looked at ourselves and said ‘this guy is already improving.’ He’s doing things he didn’t do before, stuff that will get him to the NHL,” Bouchard explained. “We talked about a few things in his game he had to improve upon, and I saw him immediately get it. In just three or four practices I saw progress on the issues I pointed out, stuff that will help him get to the next level. “The calibre of play is higher now, and he admitted that won’t allow him to do what he wants at all times, so there’ll be an acclimatization period. But he’s very smart with the puck. His decision making is great. He knows what play to make and when.” The next level Evans’ ability to handle the pressure shouldn’t come as a surprise. Some players immediately grab your attention due to their skill level, but Evans is not the fastest guy on the ice, nor does he have the best shot. No, it’s his intelligence that has guided him to this level and continues to be what sets him apart. That intelligence has allowed him to become a reliable, 200-foot, hard-working player, one that coaches love to rely upon in the most crucial situations. As a person avoids the limelight, he lets his actions speak for themselves. Once practice is over he’ll often spend extra time on the ice. Those habits, which he developed in college by staying late after practice 1112691 Nashville Predators

Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen says he's 'probably not' going to return to KHL

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 4:12 p.m. CT Oct. 29, 2018 | Updated 4:18 p.m. CT Oct. 29, 2018

To leave or not to leave, that is the question for Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen. The answer for the 19-year-old appears to be to stay with the AHL's instead of returning to his former KHL team, . A clause in Tolvanen's contract with the Predators allows him to go back to the KHL after 10 games with the Admirals, who are 8-1-1 and played their 10th game Saturday. "Probably not going to do it," Tolvanen told the Tennessean via phone on Monday morning. "So much closer to Nashville here." Tolvanen didn't have to study American geography to know that the road from Milwaukee to Nashville — a 560-plus mile drive, or a little more than an hour on an airplane — was a much more direct path to the NHL than returning to Finland, some 4,300 miles away. Tolvanen was assigned to the Admirals during training camp in part because he's still adjusting to smaller North American rinks. He told Finnish media last week he likely would stay with the Admirals, for whom he has a goal and six assists in 10 games. Should Tolvanen elect to leave for the KHL, he would have to play the remainder of that season in Russia before he could return to the Predators' organization. But that does not seem like a likely option. "After every game, I feel more comfortable playing on the smaller rink," Tolvanen said. "I am getting used to the coaching staff. It's getting easier all the time." Staying patient Tolvanen, who played three games with the Predators last season, figures he has plenty of time. He is signed through the end of the 2020- 21 season in a deal that could be worth almost $9.5 million if he reaches all his incentives. He played his first NHL game two days after inking his entry-level contract with the Predators. The 30th overall pick in the 2017 draft recently rented an apartment in Milwaukee and said he hasn't allowed his mind to be occupied by his dreams of returning to the NHL — at least right this second. "It's easy," he said. "I try not to think about it too much. Just try to enjoy every day." Predators coach Peter Laviolette said in late September that Tolvanen is a "big part of our future" and encouraged him to stick with the AHL, where he could adjust to the game and further hone his skills. "No player is thrilled about (being sent down)," Laviolette said in September. "They have aspirations and dreams of playing in the NHL. Every player has gone through it in their career, where they’ve gone down. This is a path that serves to be best for young players. "For him to be out of the lineup or on a fourth line here just doesn’t make any sense. This is the best way to get him acclimated." Tolvanen, for the time being, agrees. Tennessean LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112692 Nashville Predators

Predators goalie Pekka Rinne 'feeling great,' inching close to return from injured reserve

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean Published 2:29 p.m. CT Oct. 29, 2018

Pekka Rinne is ready to hear what the doctors and coaches order. The Predators goalie practiced Monday for the second time since he was placed on injured reserve Oct. 20 and said he felt "really good." The 35-year-old reigning Vezina Trophy winner was eligible to return Saturday from his undisclosed injury but wasn't activated, something Rinne expects to happen sooner rather than later. He also quickly upgraded his "really good" status. "I'm feeling great," Rinne said Monday. "I'll leave that up to the doctors and coaches." Rinne said he "felt something off" a couple of minutes after colliding with teammate Kevin Fiala during the third period of the Predators' 5-3 win against the Flames on Oct. 19. Rinne said he didn't immediately feel the impact of the encounter, which occurred on Sam Bennett's tying goal early in the third. Rinne remained in the game for another 2 minutes, 43 seconds. "If felt like I could possibly finish the game," Rinne said. "But at the same time I felt like it might not be too beneficial for myself. "It was nothing serious, so that's the main thing. ... I decided I have to get off. It was the right call." But Rinne didn't excuse himself before making sure Saros was ready to go. The two had a brief conversation at the Predators bench before Saros entered the game in his stead. The score was tied 3-3. It was the third period. Saros wasn't going to get any warmup time. "So I asked Juuse, 'Are you sure you want to go in?'" Rinne said. "He said, 'Of course.'" "He's been carrying the load, doing a fantastic job." Saros has started four straight games after having never started two in a row in the NHL. He's 2-2 with a .910 save percentage, stopping all 31 shots he faced against the Oilers the day Rinne was put on injured reserve. The goalies outnumbered the nets 3-2 Monday morning during practice at Bridgestone Arena, with Rinne and Saros occupying most of their time there as Troy Grosenick mostly watched. Grosenick could very well be on his way back to Milwaukee soon to rejoin the Admirals, which would most likely mean Rinne is activated. "I don't have to hurry back," Rinne said. "(Saros) is carrying this team. ... I feel really good when there's bumps and bruises (that I) can take time to heal." The Predators begin what figures to be a challenging three-game stretch: Tuesday against Vegas before facing the Lightning on the road Thursday and the Bruins at home Saturday. Tennessean LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112693 New Jersey Devils

Devils activate Cory Schneider; Marcus Johansson practices | What it means

Posted October 29, 2018 at 12:57 PM By Chris Ryan

Cory Schneider is ready for his NHL return. The Devils recalled the goalie from Binghamton in the AHL, where he played three games last week on a conditioning stint. Goalie Eddie Lack, who has backed up Keith Kinkaid in all eight NHL games this season, was sent to Binghamton on his own conditioning assignment. The means Schneider will travel with the team to Tampa and dress in some capacity for Tuesday's game against the Lightning. Schneider will not start Tuesday's game, but he will play at some point over the course of the team's upcoming seven-game road trip. Several injured Devils also returned to practice on Monday at Prudential Center in Newark prior to the team's trip to Tampa. Marcus Johansson, who missed Friday's practice and Saturday's 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers due to illness, returned to the ice. Forward Drew Stafford and defenseman Ben Lovejoy, who are both on injured reserve, both returned to the ice with teammates for the first time since their respective injuries. Stafford suffered an upper body injury in the Devils' 5-2 loss to the Flyers on Oct. 20, while Lovejoy exited the Devils' 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 28 with a lower body injury. Jesper Bratt did not practice on Monday. He is still skating on his own while recovering from a broken jaw. However, Bratt will travel with the team to participate in some optional skates and join team meetings before he is cleared for full contact. Devils coach John Hynes said Bratt is in a two-week window where he should be cleared to play. Star Ledger LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112694 New Jersey Devils Ben Lovejoy (lower-body) and Jesper Bratt (broken jaw) will make the trip with the team. Lovejoy is skating with the team and Bratt is skating on his own, but Hynes wants him in regular meetings in anticipation for a return. Cory Schneider returns in time for NJ Devils' seven-game road trip Drew Stafford (upper-body) and Steven Santini (broken jaw) will remain in Newark. North Jersey Record Published 3:26 p.m. ET Oct. 29, 2018 | Updated Bergen Record LOADED: 10.30.2018 4:55 p.m. ET Oct. 29, 2018

NEWARK -- Cory Schneider was able to pack his bags for a trip to a location other than Binghamton on Monday morning. The Devils’ goalie will join the team for the start of its seven-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Tampa, marking his official return from offseason hip surgery. We know Schneider will play at some point throughout the course of the marathon trip, but what we don’t know is when he’ll make his first start between the pipes since Game 5 of the first round last spring. Keith Kinkaid is one of the hottest goalies in the league right now. His 2.12 GAA is ranked 12th in the league and his .925 save percentage is 16th. “He’s going to play, but right now what I think is important is that we take it day-by-day with the goalies,” Devils coach John Hynes said at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House before the team departed for Tampa on Monday. “Keith is going to go [Tuesday] and then we’ve got Wednesday into Thursday to see where he is. But we do have a back-to- back coming up and we’ve got a lot of games coming up.” The back-to-back Hynes is referring to comes next week when the Devils travel to Pittsburgh and Ottawa, but there are still three more games before that, and Hynes said he’s not looking past the Lightning just yet. Schneider understands that he may have to be eased in, and he’s not upset by that. He’s watched Kinkaid play and understands the Devils may want to ride the hot hand until he’s back at full-strength. And Schneider said he’s still not quite at 100 percent. Schneider is hoping to give the Devils two formidable options in net during an exceptionally busy month. “Hopefully I’m going to come in and play well and earn the right to play more and we can have two reliable options in net,” Schneider said. “We have 15 games this month, and December is pretty busy, so it only gets harder from here on out. When you look around the league, a lot of teams have two good goalies.” Schneider made three rehab starts in the American Hockey League, going 1-1-0 and allowing eight goals against in 180 minutes (2.67 GAA) and made 70 saves for a .897 save percentage. He was admittedly fatigued after his first start, saying he felt like he had been “hit by a truck.” Numbers aside, the most encouraging aspect of his rehab stint with the Binghamton Devils was the way he was able to play freely without hesitation or pain. While Schneider had been able to practice in much the same regard, he needed to test the hip in a live game, and he needed to test his vision tracking the puck. After three games of seeing live pucks, he feels he’s more than capable of getting back on track in the NHL. The rehab starts served the same purpose as preseason starts would in any other season. “You can do all of the technical stuff in the world (in practice) until you apply it to a game,” Schneider said. “Your timing, your rhythm, moving in and out of the net, reading the rush. That takes timing and that takes some repetitions. Usually you can work those out in preseason but for me, I did that in Binghamton.” Schneider’s return will also serve as an emotional boost of sorts for the Devils. “He is an awesome goalie, he’s an awesome human being and a huge part of this room,” defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. “He’s a guy you root for and a guy you want to play hard in front of.” It’s been six long months, but Schneider is primed for a return. He just might have to wait a few extra days before he finally makes it. “Cory for sure will get in,” Hynes said. “I just can’t guarantee when that will be.” Training room transactions Goalie Eddie Lack was sent to Binghamton on a conditioning loan. He’ll still count on the Devils’ active roster. 1112695 New York Islanders

Isles' Luca Sbisa recalls tribute to Las Vegas shooting victims ahead of game in Pittsburgh

By Andrew Gross Updated October 30, 2018 1:54 AM

PITTSBURGH — Luca Sbisa keeps a patch he received from the Las Vegas police either in his dressing room stall or, sometimes, in his hockey bag. It’s a show of the respect the Islanders defenseman has for first responders and a reminder that tragedy can occur anywhere and at any time. The Islanders will conclude a three-game road trip on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins’ first home game since Saturday’s anti- Semitic mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue that left 11 dead and four police officers among the injured. For Sbisa, it’s an awful reminder of his first home game last season with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, days after a gunman killed 58 and injured more than 700 at an outdoor music festival. “We were very involved with the first responders, the police officers, the firemen,” Sbisa told Newsday. “I have the utmost respect for these people. They don’t think twice. They just go in there and do their job. That night, we were there to play hockey and you think you’re a big hero playing hockey. But it puts everything in perspective. The men standing next to us on the blue line, those are the real heroes.” Instead of celebrating their first home game, the Golden Knights held an emotional pre-game ceremony during which defenseman Deryk Engelland, a Las Vegas resident, gave a heartfelt “Vegas Strong” speech that was followed by a moment of silence that lasted 58 seconds — one second for each of the victims. “It was a hard night but probably the most special night I’ve had in hockey, and I’m saying that with playing in the Stanley Cup Final,” Sbisa said. “The emotions that night that were involved, you can’t really describe it. The whole city was hurting. The whole city was crying. As players, we’re there with them. It was crazy how united the whole building felt. Even players from the other team [the Coyotes] that had no connection. Everyone in that arena just came together and was there for the same cause.” That certainly will be the atmosphere on Tuesday night as Pittsburgh continues to mourn the shooting in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The Penguins canceled plans to celebrate Halloween and instead will accept donations to benefit the victims and their families and hold a blood drive outside the arena. A moment of silence will be held before faceoff, and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation announced that it is donating $25,000 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and $25,000 to benefit the four injured police officers. “It doesn’t matter where those shootings happen because it’s always terrible to hear that news, especially Pittsburgh,” Islanders right wing Tom Kuhnhackl, who spent the past three seasons with the Penguins, told Newsday. “It’s close to near where we used to stay when we first got called up, we stayed at a hotel there. “The emotions are going to be incredible,” Kuhnhackl said. “Pittsburgh, they always stick together, all the pro teams there, the Steelers, the Pirates, the Penguins. And the city as a unit, they always stick together and I’m sure they’re going to be even stronger after what happened.” He said he planned to speak to some of his former Penguins teammates on Monday and offer whatever help he can. Islanders coach Barry Trotz said the “classy” Penguins organization will strike the right emotional tone for the somber event. “I feel like it happens too much,” Sbisa said. “You hear about it, you see it, but you think it never happens where you live. When it did happen, you realize it could happen to anyone at any given time. It brings up memories. Bad memories.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112696 New York Rangers

Rangers desperate to find a way to eliminate mental mistakes

By Larry Brooks October 29, 2018 | 7:49PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Rangers practiced changes Monday in Los Angeles before flying here for Tuesday’s match against the Sharks. Of course they did, in the aftermath of picking up a too-many-men penalty for the third straight game and fifth time in 11 games overall. This one was damaging, coming as it did midway through the second period when Tony DeAngelo jumped too early, fewer than two minutes after a Kings’ power-play goal had brought LA to within 2-1. The Kings quickly capitalized on the mental blunder to score another power-play goal en route to a 4-3 victory. “They’ve all been on defense changes except for the first one in the opener when a couple of guys jumped on to make it seven-on-five after we pulled the goalie,” said David Quinn, the coach who on Sunday was visibly angry talking about the mounting gaffes. “It’s been addressed. It can’t happen.” Marc Staal said while there is no difference in changing, per se, from the last coach to this one, the defensemen coming onto the ice have different assignments based on the breakout. “The assignment is different when you come on if they’re setting up behind the net as opposed to swinging through the zone,” No. 18 said. “That’s what we were working on in the dump-in drills. We were clarifying that. “But that’s obviously no excuse for the penalties. You have to know who your man is. You have to make sure you have the correct number of players on the ice. That’s the same as it always has been.” Pavel Buchnevich, benched for large swaths of Sunday’s third period after a handful of uninvolved shifts, skated on a practice fourth line with Filip Chytil and either Cody McLeod or Vinni Lettieri. This benching came fewer than three weeks after a third-period benching on Oct. 13 that was followed by a healthy scratch on Oct. 16. “Sometimes it takes a little longer,” Quinn said. “Nobody has lost faith in him. There’s a growth process. Pavel has a lot of talent. We just have to get it out of him.” Vladislav Namestnikov, one of the team’s most engaged forwards the last week or so, has been promoted to the first line. No. 90, who scored Sunday’s first goal on a right wing power rush to the net, will play on the left with Mika Zibanejad in the middle and Mats Zuccarello on the right. “His play certainly merits it,” Quinn said. “He’s been playing with pace and with an edge to his game. He’s been a productive player in this league. He deserves the opportunity.” , meanwhile, will skate with Brett Howden and Jesper Fast while the Chris Kreider-Kevin Hayes-Ryan Spooner remains intact. For the moment. Adam McQuaid, who missed Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury he sustained in the first period of Thursday’s defeat in Chicago, did not skate. He is officially day-to-day but he won’t play Tuesday. Quinn said he intends to start Alex Georgiev in nets either Tuesday against the Sharks or Thursday in Anaheim against the Ducks. New York Post LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112697 New York Rangers Andersson is in Hartford primarily because short-time veterans are blocking him, that situation must be resolved quickly.

Similarly, Tony DeAngelo earned more ice time off his effort Sunday. It’s time for Rangers to speed up this season’s fire sale Unless there are mitigating circumstances, it is difficult to fathom a hockey reason for keeping DeAngelo in street clothes in order to accommodate veterans. The Rangers need to know. By Larry Brooks October 29, 2018 | 4:33PM The calendar is a liar. It may be early 2018-19, but for the Rangers, it is 2019-20. The sooner the staff embraces that, the faster the future will arrive. LOS ANGELES — These are dangerous days for the Rangers, who in living down to everyone’s lowest expectations of them face a critical time New York Post LOADED: 10.30.2018 of reckoning halfway through this challenging four-game trip that moves from here to San Jose on Tuesday and then back down to Anaheim on Thursday. Simply, only 11 games in but a soberingly accurate 3-7-1 depiction of their play despite a handful of good tries, the time is coming for management and the coaching staff to define what they want this season to become. No matter which road they choose to travel, it is going to be painful. For a second straight year, there is going to be upheaval. There is inherent trust in David Quinn, the coach who was lured to Broadway from Comm Ave. in order to develop young players and create a workmanlike attitude. The results thus far have seemed to frustrate Quinn to no end. Interruptions/corrections during practices have increased. The coach, after heaping a bit too much praise on his team for staying close in losing performances, quickly turned to lambasting the club after its defeats in Chicago and here to the Kings. Optimism that this collection of mixed parts — some young, some much older, some part of the future plan and others merely seat-warmers — could hang in on at least the periphery of the playoff picture until at least mid-winter has given way to reality. The Rangers have lost contact with the group, already six points back. Truth is, they seem destined to compete with the Red Wings for the league’s worst overall record and the best odds at landing projected game-changing franchise center Jack Hughes of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. The team’s immediate plight might be discouraging, but it could also be liberating. It should refocus attention on the season’s mission statement, which, in so many words, is that 2019-20 (and 2020-21) rates higher priority than 2018-19. Quinn must not lose sight of that and neither must general manager Jeff Gorton. But as the big-picture crystalizes, there is the risk of things going completely off the rails if the veterans who know they are on the way out by the Feb. 25 deadline even unconsciously spin off on their own individual programs. We are not calling out anybody here or questioning anyone’s professionalism rather than merely thinking about the human element of things. If this evolves the way it could, and probably will, given this team’s lack of high-end skill and speed, the chances are that it will become increasingly difficult for Quinn to get complete investment in the program from players who have little chance to be here past the Feb. 25 trade deadline. Building for whose future, pending free agents Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid, might wonder? I’ve talked before about management’s need to declare on a future core. Now I am declaring that it would be in everyone’s best interests for the Rangers to seek to make trades earlier rather than later once they have declared internally on extending/not extending their pending free agents. Once the Blueshirts know they are not signing Hayes — and chances are that decision has largely been made — they should be aggressive in shopping him when the pool of interested parties might be deeper than at the deadline and clubs are willing to make player-for-player hockey exchanges rather than enter into pure lend-lease operations. The same holds true for Zuccarello, popular a figure as he might be. If management knows he is not going to be here Feb. 26, there is probably little reason for him to be here Nov. 26. Quinn has to teach, he has to demand accountability and he has to keep things together in a room where some guys are walking through the door under the “enter” sign, some are staring at “exit” and a batch don’t know whether they are coming or going. Again, there is no confusion as to why the Rangers chose Quinn. If he believes Filip Chytil — making less and less of an impression as the frustration level at being unable to score mounts — is best off both in the middle and being kept away from top-six matches, then so be it, have No. 72 center the fourth line. But if Chytil is centering the fourth line only because the top three spots are filled, then Quinn should move Hayes to the wing, even if that might compromise the team on a short-term basis. Same scenario as it applies to Lias Andersson. If management believes he will thrive by playing for an extended period in the AHL, fine. But if 1112698 New York Rangers

Rangers working on fixing mistakes on the fly

By Colin Stephenson Updated October 30, 2018 1:59 AM

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — A day after yet another too-many-men-on-the- ice penalty helped wipe away a two-goal lead and send the Rangers to a crushing 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, David Quinn went back to basics. He spent a portion of his hour-long practice working on rehearsing line changes. “It’s the same problem,’’ Quinn said before the Rangers hustled to board their charter flight to San Jose for Tuesday’s game against the Sharks. “It’s all been the defensemen — other than the first time, when we had a guy go out to make it 7-on-5 when we had the goalie pulled. Which was a unique situation I’ve never seen before. But the last four have all been ‘D’ changes, and you know, it’s been addressed and it can’t happen. Cannot happen.’’ The Rangers led 2-0 midway through the second period before Cody McLeod was penalized for slashing and the Kings scored to cut the deficit to 2-1. One minute, 18 seconds later, the Rangers were called for too many men on the ice, the second game in a row and sixth time in 11 games they had been penalized for the infraction. Ilya Kovalchuk scored on the ensuing power play to tie the score at 2, and the Kings went on to snap a six-game losing streak. Halfway through the four-game trip, the Rangers (3-7-1) are 0-2, which includes an awful showing in a 4-1 loss in Chicago last Thursday. The trip ends Thursday in Anaheim. As he continues to search for a winning formula, Quinn again tinkered with his forward line combinations at practice, this time elevating Vladislav Namestnikov to the top line at left wing with center Mika Zibanejad and right wing Mats Zuccarello. Namestnikov scored the Rangers’ first goal Sunday and assisted on a goal by Tony DeAngelo that gave the Rangers that 2-0 lead. “His play certainly has warranted it,’’ Quinn said of Namestnikov’s moving up to the No. 1 line. “I think he’s had a good three-week stretch here. He continues to earn his ice time, and not just because he got the goal [Sunday], but I think he’s been a guy that’s played with pace, and had an edge to his game, and he’s been a productive player in this league. And he’s earned the opportunity.’’ “Whenever you play with Mika or Zuc, it’s nice,’’ Namestnikov said. “And we’ll try to find quick chemistry and do some good things out there.’’ Notes & quotes: Quinn said defenseman Adam McQuaid is day-to-day with a lower-body injury but likely won’t play Tuesday. That means DeAngelo will be in the lineup against San Jose. Quinn said he wasn’t sure whether the Rangers would call up a spare defenseman from AHL Hartford . . . Quinn said he plans on getting a start for backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev on the road trip but hadn’t decided if it will be Tuesday or Thursday. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112699 New York Rangers If DeAngelo couldn’t keep up with Skjei on the first pair, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising. If that’s the case, the Rangers still have two options that Skjei’s played with in Shattenkirk and Smith. Goldman: How should the Rangers best optimize their defensive pairs? Shattenkirk’s play deteriorated as he lost strength in his leg as a result of a torn meniscus, and the pair rendered ineffective over time. Now that Shattenkirk’s healthy and working on getting back to speed, a bump up to By Shayna Goldman Oct 29, 2018 the first pair could help both Skjei and Shattenkirk take their games up a notch.

If not Shattenkirk, then maybe it’s time to reunite the Skjei-Smith pairing With eight rotating defensemen, the New York Rangers have yet to find that dazzled in the 2017 playoffs. That was the Smith that earned a four the right balance in pairs. As much as they’ve made some improvements year extension with the Rangers and the Skjei that earned a promotion to in their own zone with head coach David Quinn’s systems and tactics – the second pair. ones that focus on protecting the middle of the ice more than years past – if the personnel isn’t put in the best position to succeed, there’s only so Then last season happened. Skjei struggled in a chaotic system, in that much this defense can do. expanded role, while Smith came into the season out of shape. That chemistry they once had wasn’t shining through and Smith’s time in the The Rangers have a fairly low ceiling as it is with the personnel they lineup was ticking. have. But with each defenseman playing closer to it, there’s some potential. To get that, there has to be balance on the blue line with more This season though, Skjei already looks to be strides ahead of last year’s optimal pairs. regression, while Smith looks more like the defenseman the Rangers acquired. With both working their way back up, it may be time to see if Through 11 games, the Rangers haven’t had that. On the one hand, it’s they can spark the defense again with their two-way play. If they click just 11 games and 75 percent of the coaching staff wasn’t familiar with again, they likely could be trusted in more crucial situations or together these players before the season. Striking that balance takes time, on the penalty kill. The only issue with shifting Smith to the right is that’s especially when it’s not the only change that has to be made to improve one less slot for a right-handed defender unless they can shift left. But the defense. while the Rangers are mixing and matching pairs, it’s worth a chance if it can help transform a struggling first pair. On the other hand, there have been some glaring issues that have clearly impeded the Rangers’ chances each night, and those need to be Break up Staal-Pionk remedied sooner rather than later. Plus, Quinn has put an emphasis on defense throughout his coaching career; in his last NHL stint, that was Stop trying to make Staal-Pionk happen! It’s never going to happen! his focus with the Colorado Avalanche. The assistant who is responsible for the defense, Lindy Ruff, is the only one that has experience with this Besides Skjei-McQuaid, the other mainstay pair so far has been Staal blue line. with Pionk. But 11 games of the season have been enough to show that this pair isn’t a fit. The Rangers have four left-handed defenders at the NHL level in Brady Skjei, Marc Staal, Brendan Smith, and offseason acquisition Fredrick After the Rangers announced their rebuild last year, Staal and Pionk Claesson. Both Claesson and Smith, though, can shift to the right when formed a pair and were leaned on in pivotal defensive situations. Pionk’s asked and have already proved that this season. Along with two lefties a more offensive defenseman that didn’t have NHL experience at that that can play the right, the Rangers have four natural righties in Kevin point, while Staal’s play has been on the decline after being decimated Shattenkirk, Adam McQuaid, Neal Pionk, and Tony DeAngelo. by injuries over the years. Neither were cut out for the role and their underlying numbers showed it. In more than 322 5-on-5 minutes, the Skjei, Shattenkirk, Smith, and Staal seem like the only locks for the Rangers conceded about 68 percent of the shot share and were lineup, which leaves Claesson, McQuaid, Pionk and DeAngelo to vie for expected to allow that percentage of the goals share. those last two spots. If the coaches mix and match these pairs too often, defenders won’t have the chance to acclimate to their partners or When Pionk’s been in the lineup, he’s mostly been back on Staal’s right. develop chemistry. On the other hand, pairs that are clearly struggling Their results have been even worse to start this season at 58 minutes shouldn’t be left together to flail. before Sunday, with those concession shares hovering closer to 77 percent. So how do the Rangers optimize their defense? It’s time to break up this pair and see what Pionk can do away from Staal Strengthen the first pair and find a more fitting partner for Staal. With this roster, the left side of the first pair is as strong as it’s going to Define roles for Staal and McQuaid get with Skjei. He’s become the Rangers’ number one defenseman since trading Ryan McDonagh and is averaging the most ice time of his career If this season really is about rebuilding the focus has to be on their by primarily playing at even strength and on the penalty kill, but rarely on younger defensemen. Teams value leadership and experience, and this the power play. Also reminiscent of McDonagh, Skjei is playing on an rebuilding team likely will in the locker room as the season drags on, but imbalanced first pair. how much of a veteran presence do they need on the blue line each game? Before the Rangers took on the Kings Sunday, just three pairs surpassed the 50-minute mark at 5-on-5. Leading the way is Skjei, with McQuaid on With both Staal and McQuaid in, one of Pionk and DeAngelo is almost his right, in just under 90 minutes. With that pair on the ice, the Rangers assuredly blocked. It’s possible either play their way out of the lineup, but have taken less than 42 percent of the shot attempts and are expected to until they do, they need the time to prove what they are. Staal (31) and concede about 55 percent of the goals share (both of which are below McQuaid (32) have both had long NHL careers to show exactly what they average relative to the team). Without McQuaid on his right, the Rangers are, and at this point in their careers, they unfortunately aren’t even that had taken almost 52 percent of the shot share with Skjei on the ice, anymore. showing how his play has been better away from his most frequent Staal has more of a guaranteed place in the lineup than McQuaid, partner. because of what he’s meant to the team over the years. Staal has battled So who would be a better fit? He’s already spent some time with Neal through injuries to be a workhorse for the Rangers, and those injuries Pionk, who was better with Skjei than apart from him, but he didn’t have taken their toll. If he’s still going to be a mainstay, there are some exactly boost Skjei’s play. He may need to refine his game on the second necessary adjustments. or third pair before moving up to the first. Moving forward, he should continue to receive bottom-four minutes (his Instead, it’ll be interesting to see if the Rangers keep DeAngelo on Skjei’s all situation average ice time is currently fifth on the defense). The right after he joined the lineup on Sunday. The pair had a solid game situations he’s used in also have to be a consideration; he shouldn’t be together, and could see more time this week as a result. It wouldn’t be exposed to as many defensive situations, and instead should be more the first time they played together either, as they saw some time together sheltered. The Rangers could also consider lightening his workload by last year after DeAngelo replaced an injured Shattenkirk in the lineup as not using him in back-to-backs to keep him as fresh as possible. well as their history with Team USA at the World Junior Championship. In But who to pair him with? Away from Pionk, his Corsi for is almost 58 those 60 5-on-5 minutes last year, the Rangers were a better team on percent, which is more than a 25 percent improvement from when they’re both sides of the ice as Skjei’s two-way game was complemented by paired together. Two defensemen, albeit in small samples, have lifted his DeAngelo’s offensive abilities. That was cut short though, by an injury play this season – Smith (43 minutes) and Shattenkirk (21 minutes). that ended DeAngelo’s season. Maybe it’s worth exploring these results – a positive shot share and expected goals share – to see if either are sustainable. As for McQuaid, even though the Rangers invested draft picks in him this offseason, his play may not have been strong enough for a place in the lineup. It seemed like a misguided trade then, and even worse now that he’s blocked the paths of younger defenders. For the most part, the Rangers are a worse team with him on the ice, which isn’t entirely surprising considering how he’s played these last few seasons in Boston. As much as he’s a positive presence in the locker room with his leadership and experience, he certainly doesn’t belong on the first pair, if at all in this group of six. Instead, he should be the sixth or seventh defenseman. Figure out what they have in Pionk and DeAngelo Until Sunday, it’s been Pionk or DeAngelo, but never both. An injury forced the Rangers’ hand, but it has to be questioned why it’s been just one or the other behind Shattenkirk on the right. If the Rangers are committed to their rebuild, shouldn’t they be figuring out what they have in both the 23-year-old right-handed defenders? There’s only so much time to get a look at them before prospects like Libor Hajek, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, and Nils Lundkvist, among others, are ready to join the team. In Pionk, the Rangers have an undrafted defenseman that impressed in a tough role last year, and has managed to put up points both this and last year (although it’s worth noting that all but one of his points have been scored on the power play). In DeAngelo, they have a defenseman with a high ceiling that can’t seem to get out of his own way and put it together. Plus, there are off ice and disciplinary issues to consider. The fact is though, that the Rangers were fully aware of all of that when they acquired him – they just haven’t taken the time to see what he can do on the ice. While DeAngelo’s on ice results have flaws, it’s poor asset management by the Rangers each night he sits in the press box until his play proves that he isn’t worth a roster spot. DeAngelo has to put the effort in to show that he can reach his ceiling and stay disciplines. He should thrive in Quinn’s system; he can play a fast-paced, puck possession game, and has bite, which his coach values. With more time, the Rangers can finally figure out whether he has a future in New York – or in the NHL at all. Maybe that’s on Skjei’s right if they can build on Sunday and last season. Maybe it’s in as sheltered of a role as possible with Staal, with time on the second power play unit. Pionk needs a chance on a new pair. He’s played over 70 minutes with Staal and almost 60 with Skjei. The next highest amount he’s spent at 5- on-5 with another defender is eight minutes with Smith. It’s time to start matching him other with other defensemen to see what he can do – and maybe one of those defenders is Smith. Maybe with Smith, a more mobile defenseman than Staal that’s shown how he can still suppress shots against, would make for a better pair with Pionk in mixed deployment. But the Rangers owe it to themselves to learn what they have in both defensemen past their scoring, and figure out why there’s such a disconnect between their point production and underlying numbers. With Claesson out, they have their best opportunity yet to explore what they have in both at the same time. Where Claesson fits when he returns And speaking of Claesson… It’s in a very small sample, but the Rangers took just under 56 percent of the shot share with Claesson on the ice at 5-on-5, which is far above the team average at more than plus-12 percent. They were also expected to score almost 60 percent of the goals when considering the quality of the shots taken for and against (plus-26 (!) relative). Whether he can continue that is the question, but at the very least he should have the chance to prove it when he’s healthy. While he played well with both Smith and Shattenkirk so far, it’s worth finding out if he can boost a partner that needs it. As he showed in Ottawa with Erik Karlsson, he not only can keep up with an offensive defenseman, but he can complement them. So maybe, particularly if Smith shifts to the right and Claesson plays on his natural side, he can help balance out a pair with either DeAngelo or Pionk. Offensive defensemen don’t need a defensive defenseman in order to succeed, but both have shown that they could use a stabilizing partner that Claesson could be. Until then, there’s six slots for seven defenders. Hopefully before that eighth returns, the coaches learn more about their blue line and ways to optimize it. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112700 NHL “The more data and analytics that a gaming operator can have, the better it will be in enabling them to set odds,” Wachtel told The Associated Press. “Whether or not they’re using the data for actual purposes of NHL partners with MGM to share data for sports betting creating prop bets and things like that certainly is something (that’s possible). But more importantly, they’re going to use it to be able to set odds and proper odds that they’re going to be able to create.” Originally published October 29, 2018 at 8:18 am Updated October 29, In an email to The Associated Press, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill 2018 at 1:48 PM Daly said MGM “will access (NHL data) through our third party vendor, SportRadar. That may or may not change in the future.” SportRadar also By Denis Gorman provides NBA data. The Associated Press Some leagues, including and the NBA, had called for an “integrity fee” — essentially, states would give leagues a cut of the

money wagered on their games to pay for expanded monitoring of NEW YORK — The NHL announced a multiyear agreement Monday to suspicious betting and to protect intellectual property. The effort has provide MGM Resorts International with data for use in betting, the been largely unsuccessful thus far. second major U.S. professional sports league to strike a deal with the “We have no concerns about the integrity of our game, of our players, our casino giant since the Supreme Court opened the way for expanded officials,” Wachtel said. “We’ve never had an issue. Secondly, the gambling last spring. integrity of the sports betting landscape is just as important to the Las Vegas-based MGM is the league’s first official sports betting partner, bookmakers, which is why the NHL does not have a discussion and we just as it is with the NBA and WNBA. That deal was reached in July. don’t talk about this notion of integrity fees.” As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data Bettman dismissed concerns that NHL players could be persuaded to that could eventually include puck and player tracking information once gamble on or even throw games. that goes through a testing phase. Access to that data will allow MGM to “We monitor all of the games,” said Bettman. “Through third party provide customized game details along with betting opportunities for U.S. resources. We watch what goes on, whether or not betting lines shift and customers where gambling is legally available. the like … It hasn’t been an issue and we don’t anticipate it being an The data will not be exclusive to MGM. The NHL is not getting a cut of issue.” gambling profits, but other terms were not disclosed. Scott Butera, MGM Resorts’ president of interactive gaming and a former The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan Arena Football League commissioner, outlined how the puck and playing engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our tracking data will help bettors. league,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Fan engagement, “If I know one player is faster than the other, if I know one expends less technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our energy than the other, if I know one has a faster slap shot than the other, progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do.” it gives me information that I can bet,” he said. “If I’m betting on who will MGM and other casino operators are moving aggressively to capitalize score the most goals, I have that tool. Ultimately when enough data is on the U.S. sports betting market, which is expanding after the Supreme collected on that, we’ll be able to actually bet on that data itself. So you Court ruled in May that states could take sports bets if they wanted. could have a bet on which player’s going to have the highest average MGM has made a series of significant moves, including the multiyear slap shot throughout the game.” deal with the NBA and WNBA. Butera said MGM believes expanded sports betting will eventually be Bettman and MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said the available in 25 to 30 states. The 24 U.S.-based NHL teams play in 18 NHL’s agreement differs from that with the NBA. different states, with seven more in Canada, which does not allow single game betting. The league is moving toward adding a 32nd team, in “I’m led to believe by Jim that our deal is more encompassing and Seattle in what would be its 19th state (Washington). includes basic sponsorship that we have together,” Bettman said. Bettman said the seven Canadian teams “have been working with the The deal will include promotions during the league’s marquee events, lotteries who control gambling on a provincial basis.” including the Stanley Cup playoffs, the All-Star game and the Winter Classic. “I think that will continue,” he said. “I know there have been a lot of discussions about going to single game betting as opposed to parlay, “We couldn’t be more excited to enter into this historic partnership with which is what currently exists. And as the law evolves, you will see our the NHL,” Murren said. evolution in dealing with it.” Bettman said player tracking will be implemented next season. Seattle Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 “That’s been the plan,” he said. “While we’ve tested it in some forms at the World Cup, that was 16 games in two weeks at one arena. Having to scale this for 1,271 regular season games in 31 arenas is a little bit harder.” There are no plans to change the way teams report player injuries, which are often described only in generic terms like upper-body or lower-body. “Our players tend to play hurt,” Bettman said. “I’m not sure we have any interest in changing our reports. We’re comfortable with the way things are because it’s important to the well-being of our players. We don’t want them targeted when they’re playing injured.” Bettman said the league and the NHL Players’ Association will split the “fixed revenue” generated by the partnership with MGM, as the collective bargaining agreement calls for. Bettman cited a report commissioned by the American Gaming Association that estimated expanded sports betting could increase league revenue by more than $200 million. Bettman also said the deal with MGM would not preclude teams from striking deals with individual sports books. Earlier this year, bookmaker William Hill struck deals to do promotional work and post odds at the home arenas of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the New Jersey Devils. NHL executive vice president and chief revenue officer Keith Wachtel said being able to provide enhanced data and analytics to MGM will allow “some creative and unique things that don’t really exist in the sport right now.” 1112701 NHL “Our feeling is we’d like to continue to take a long-term development look,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told reporters. “We’re not going to let that (the 10-game mark) necessarily dictate a 100 percent what we do.” NHL teams must make call on prospects that can impact local junior Two years ago, some NHL returnees helped swing the balance of power hockey season in the entire WHL. The Thunderbirds were slogging along at a .500 pace when they had winger Ryan Gropp surprisingly returned to them by the New York Rangers – and as a 20-year-old at that – just weeks before the By Geoff Baker New York Islanders returned center Mathew Barzal. The T-birds took off from there, demolished all comers in the playoffs and won their first-ever WHL championship. These days, Barzal is coming off Nearly four weeks into the National Hockey League season, it’s the time a Rookie of the Year campaign for the Islanders, while Gropp is in his general managers make key decisions on keeping prized young second year with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford after a strong prospects or returning them to their junior hockey teams. debut for them last season. This so-called “slide rule’’ impacts our state’s four major junior hockey There are no such instant championship panaceas awaiting local squads programs — including the local Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett this season. The Thunderbirds had plenty of supporting title pieces Silvertips – within the (WHL) and broader already in place before Barzal and Gropp were returned and had made (CHL) system. Effectively, an NHL team can the league final the prior year. play a CHL-eligible player for up to nine games and return him to his prior junior team without using up a year on his salary-cap-friendly entry-level The defending U.S. Division and conference champion Silvertips, beaten contract. in the WHL final last season, don’t have any teenagers that must be returned. The Silvertips, who have a strong chance of repeating as The rule was enacted 40 years ago when the NHL bumped its minimum division winners, do have three 20-year-olds who technically could still be draft-eligible age from 20 down to 18. To keep from decimating junior sent back — most notably, goaltending phenom Carter Hart of the rosters of top teenage talent, the slide-rule allows for CHL teams to have Philadelphia Flyers. their 18- and 19-year-old draftees returned fairly early on in the season if they aren’t quite NHL ready. But Hart is now with Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate. Forward Garrett Pilon is with the Washington Capitals’ AHL team while defenseman Ondrej Vala NHL teams can still keep them 10 or more games and return them to was sent to the ECHL by the Dallas Stars. They would all have to be junior as well. But that costs one of the three years on a player’s entry- severely overmatched playing with those clubs for Everett to get another level deal – where salaries max out at $925,000 — so keeping them a sniff. few games beyond the limit usually isn’t worthwhile. So, it remains to be seen whether the Americans can count on any Things are different with 20-year-old players, who can either be sent Rasmussen help this year. And whether the return of Anderson-Dolan to back to junior or to the minor professional American Hockey League the Chiefs can again help tilt the results in what’s been a competitive (AHL) or ECHL. NHL teams typically prefer their prospects seasoned local junior season thus far. with other pros as opposed to going back and dominating their junior leagues again, but exceptions still do happen. Seattle Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 Anyhow, this is ultimately the final step in whether top young teenage picks can make a direct NHL jump. And when they don’t, it can be very rewarding to the junior teams that get those players back. The U.S. Division of the WHL – featuring the Washington teams and Portland Winterhawks – appears up for grabs thus far, and the and Tri-City Americans could be solid slide-rule beneficiaries. The Chiefs last week had center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, 19, returned by the Los Angeles Kings after he’d notched one assist in five NHL games. Anderson-Dolan was immediately named a Chiefs co-captain and sets an already-competitive Spokane team up nicely. Kings coach John Stevens seemed to suggest to reporters the front office sent Anderson-Dolan back because the team’s slumping start to the season wasn’t conducive to developing a player already showing signs he was NHL ready. “I always felt that young players need a reference point of success,” Stevens said. “If you keep moving a guy up before he’s had an opportunity to have success in the situations that, I think, his skill set allows — then you’re doing him a disservice.” Regardless, the demotion is great news for the Chiefs, who had been working to overcome the loss of four key offensive players – most- notably top Edmonton Oilers prospect Kailer Yamamoto – so getting back a guy who had 79 goals the past two seasons certainly helps. As for Yamamoto, the Spokane native drafted 22nd overall by the Oilers in 2017, he scored his first NHL goal last week and has now been moved to that team’s top scoring line alongside Connor McDavid. The Oilers last year kept Yamamoto for nine games and then returned him to the Chiefs, where he scored 21 goals and added 43 assists in just 40 games. This year, Yamamoto, who had appeared in nine NHL contests as of Saturday, could again be sent down – only it would likely be to the Oilers’ AHL farm club in Bakersfield, Calif., instead of the Chiefs because he turned 20 in September. The Tri-City squad is now eyeing what’s going on with Detroit Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen, 19, who as of Sunday had one assist in nine contests for a team losing just as much as the Kings. Reports out of Detroit last week were that Rasmussen, who had 31 goals and 28 assists for the Americans last season, would be auditioned beyond 10 games and have a year of his entry-level deal burned before the Red Wings ultimately make a decision. 1112702 Ottawa Senators

Senators’ Mark Borowiecki hit with three-game suspension

Ken Warren

GLENDALE, Arizona — For the second time in less than a week, Ottawa Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki has been suspended by the NHL. Borowiecki’s open-ice hit on Cody Eakin of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday landed him a three-game suspension. The ruling came down after Borowiecki had a phone hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety on Monday. He will miss Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes and is not eligible to return until Sunday’s match against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will also forfeit his three-game salary of $43,902 to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. It’s been anything but fun in the sun for Borowiecki. The Senators’ three- game road trip began with Borowiecki serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Boston’s Urho Vaakanainen. On Sunday, after the first-period hit, the Golden Knights’ Jon Merrill fought Borowiecki. Borowiecki received separate five-minute majors for the fight and for a head hit, along with a game misconduct. Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant didn’t believe Borowiecki was head-hunting. “It was definitely the right call, but I don’t think there was any intent to hurt (Eakin). Borowiecki is a hard-nosed guy and the hit caught (Eakin) in the head,” Gallant said. Before the past week’s bans, Borowiecki had been suspended only once before, receiving two games for a hit on Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings in December 2016. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112703 Ottawa Senators Forget about 11 forwards. The Senators pretty much played with 10 against Vegas. Max McCormick played only 5:37 on Sunday.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 Warrenspiece: Condon expected to play, Harpur making progress and Duchene playing with confidence

Ken Warren

GLENDALE, Arizona – After Craig Anderson’s stellar performance Sunday, the net pressure could shift to the long forgotten back-up on Tuesday. It’s expected that Mike Condon will be in goal against the Arizona Coyotes, making his first start since way back on October 8, when he allowed five goals on 29 shots in the Senators 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. “It’s probably going to feel like the first game of the season all over again, but there’s nothing I can really do about it,” said Condon, who enjoyed a day off with his teammates Monday. While he has also been in the position of running the table in goal – he set a franchise record with 27 consecutive appearances during the 2016- 17 season – there’s little question he is now Anderson’s understudy. STAYING MENTALLY STRONG: “It’s a roller coaster, you never know what the role is going to be (when the season starts),” Condon said. “I think this role is a lot more difficult than playing consistently because it’s a lot more watching. It’s only natural to think more, but when you think, you get in trouble, so I’ve got to shut my brain off and just try to put in the work.” Condon says it’s difficult to simulate game situations in practice, because players tend to have more time to shoot during workouts. “The more you play (games), the more comfortable you become and the more predictable the game becomes and the more your skills get honed,” he said. “Practice is dangerous because guys have a lot more time to shoot and if you’re coming out and challenging more, you’re not really playing game situations. It’s two completely different animals, but at the same time, it’s all you have.” HARPUR MAKING PROGRESS: While the Senators are preparing for the Coyotes Tuesday, there’s plenty of injury work being done on the home front. Ben Harpur, who returned to Ottawa at the start of the trip while dealing with his ailing back, is recovering well, according to general manager Pierre Dorion. “He has had two good days in Ottawa,” Dorion said Monday. “Hopefully, he’s on the ice (Tuesday) or Wednesday. It’s nothing serious and we want to get him back in our lineup as quickly as possible. When he was playing, we saw some great things”…After having surgery on his face Sunday, Zack Smith is not permitted to take part in any physical activity for at least a week. When he does return, it’s expected he’ll wear a full face shield. THE BIG LINE DANCE: Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel both scored against Vegas and all signs point to them staying together on a unit with Mark Stone against the Coyotes. “I thought we had some good looks,” said Duchene. “I think it’s something that can work going forward. It’s going to get better because (Stone) and I have barely played together before. We’ll keep building.” Duchene, who has four goals and five assists in his past six games, says he’s feeling more confident around the net. “Goals are contagious,” he said. “Early in the season, I was hitting some goal posts and stuff. It just turns on a dime sometimes.” Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) passes by Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson (41) during the second period in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP THE NUMBERS GAME: Not only did Vegas set a franchise record with 53 shots against the Senators Sunday, it also marked the most rubber Anderson has seen in one game since joining the Senators. The last time Anderson faced that many shots in a game was more than a decade ago. On March 2, 2008, while playing for the Florida Panthers, he posted a 53-save, 1-0 shutout victory over the New York Islanders… Max Lajoie played 23:13 against Vegas and is averaging 21:13 per game, third among NHL rookies, behind Detroit’s Dennis Cholowski and Miro Heiskanen of Dallas… 1112704 Ottawa Senators Antti Raanta Darcy Kuemper GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators at Arizona Coyotes Sick Bay: Nick Merkley, Christian Dvorak, Jakob Chychrun The Big Match-Up: Oliver Ekman-Larsson versus Thomas Chabot. Ken Warren Both Ekman-Larsson and Chabot serve as offensive catalysts on the blueline, both on the power play and in even strength situations. Ekman- Larsson is leading the Coyotes with an average of 23:27 of ice time per Senators at Arizona Coyotes, 10 p.m., Oct. 30. Gila River Arena. TV: game, while Chabot checks in at 22:06. TSN5. Radio: Radio: TSN-1200-FM, Unique 94,5-FM Chabot, who had two assists in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Vegas, is Five Keys To The Game: tied for third in scoring among NHL defencemen. 1: Addressing the penalties: The Senators are spending far too much Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 time in the penalty box, a problem because they’ve allowed at least one power play goal in five consecutive games. R: Responding to the goaltending change: With Mike Condon expected to make only his second start of the season, it could take him some time to find his groove in goal, meaning it’s paramount the Senators limit the early opportunities. I: Involving the entire lineup: Part of the reason the Senators have faded in recent games has been the fact Senators coach Guy Boucher has used a short bench, meaning top players are overtaxed as the game progresses. Z: Zone time: In the opening two games of the road trip, the Senators have been hemmed inside their own blue line far too long. Vegas had 97 shot attempts on Sunday (53 shots, 15 missed shots and 29 Senators blocks). O: Offence from the defence: Thomas Chabot continues to shine offensively, having picked up at least a point in nine of the Senators first 10 games. He’s a big reason why the power play continues to roll. Special Teams Senators: PP 25.8 (9th) PK 69.4 (29th) Coyotes: PP 10.3 (31st), PK 89.3 (2nd) Senators Gameday Lines Ryan Dzingel-Matt Duchene-Mark Stone Bobby Ryan-Chris Tierney-Mikkel Boedker Alex Formenton-Colin White-Magnus Paajarvi Max McCormick-Tom Pyatt Defence Thomas Chabot-Dylan DeMelo Max Lajoie-Cody Ceci Chris Wideman-Christian Jaros Christian Wolanin Goalies Craig Anderson Mike Condon Sick Bay Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Zack Smith, Brady Tkachuk, Ben Harpur, Marian Gaborik Coyotes Gameday Lines Clayton Keller-Alex Galchenyuk-Richard Panik Brendan Perlini-Derek Stepan-Christian Fischer Michael Grabner-Brad Richardson-Vince Hinostroza Lawson Crouse-Nick Cousins-Josh Archibald Defence Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Jason Demers Kevin Connauton-Jordan Oesterle Alex Goligoski-Niklas Hjalmarsson Goalies 1112705 Ottawa Senators After a slow start, Duchene is now on a roll, with four goals and five assists in his past six games.

The Senators are also facing crunch time on the question of whether to Dorion happy with young Senators progress, keen to nail down Duchene keep 19-year-old Alex Formenton or to return him to London of the OHL. Formenton has played seven games. If he plays fewer than 10 games, Ken Warren his three-year entry level contract will slide to next year. He played only 9:46 on Sunday and has yet to register a point. GLENDALE, Arizona – As the banged up Ottawa Senators try to skate “With younger players, you want to make sure he’s able to contribute, but around their lengthy injury list, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre at the same time, you want to see their progression and make sure you Dorion is excited by what he has seen in the first four weeks of the do the right thing for them, whether it’s in the short, medium or long season. term.” There have been ugly nights, to be sure, where the young squad has At this point, anyway, it would seem make more sense for Formenton to been overwhelmed. return to junior, where he can re-discover his scoring touch. At the same time, though, there have been promising signs — some Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 baby steps, along with some surprising leaps — that do suggest brighter days lie ahead. After goaltender Craig Anderson stole the Senators a point by making 49 saves in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Senators hit the 10-game mark with a 4-4-2 record —a better mark than might have been originally expected for the rebuilding squad. A win against the Arizona Coyotes here Tuesday would allow the Senators to finish the three-game road trip with a .500 record and to return home with a winning record for the season. “So far, we’re happy in the direction we’re going in,” Dorion said Monday. “When you start a rebuild, it’s going to be process. There are going to be some tougher games, or more difficult games, and there are going to be some good moments. You evolve as a team and you see progress and that’s what we’re happy about.” They’ve been entertaining. Scoring goals is not a problem. The Senators have scored at least three goals in nine of their 10 contests and rank sixth in the NHL in goals per game. The power play has also been solid, ranking ninth overall in the NHL. Thomas Chabot, the 21-year-old defenceman whose confidence is clearly growing, has three goals and 10 assists, only one point of shy of Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and Washington’s John Carlsson for the league lead among defencemen. Defensively, though, the 39 goals allowed are tied for the second worst in the NHL, and that’s with Anderson being sharp on most nights. He has faced an average of 38.7 shots per game, including 53 on Sunday —a franchise record for the Golden Knights. As expected, opponents have exploited the Senators woefully inexperienced blue line and coach Guy Boucher has tried to put Band- Aids over the leaks by using seven defencemen as often as possible. For all that, the Senators have shown an ability to bounce back after rough periods and awful games. “What has impressed us most is the work ethic, whether it’s in practice or in games,” said Dorion. “The work ethic is off the charts. The commitment to playing the right way is also there. And when we’re talking about work ethic, we’re also seeing a total buy-in from the group.” Injuries have hit the heart of the lineup. The absence of centres Zack Smith (he had surgery Sunday to repair three fractures to the zygomatic bone in his face) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Achilles tear on the opening day of training camp) has created a deep hole in the middle, forcing endless shuffling of the forward lines. At least rookie winger Brady Tkachuk has taken a step towards returning. He skated Monday for the first time since suffering a torn ligament in his leg Oct. 15. While much of the positive talk around the Senators is about the growth of their young players, Dorion continues to work towards signing Matt Duchene to a long-term extension. Keeping Duchene is a necessity, considering how much the Senators gave up to acquire him in last November’s trade that sent Kyle Turris to Nashville and a slew of draft picks and prospects to Colorado. “We’re just going to let things stand still (publicly),” Dorion said of negotiations. “Hopefully, our next discussion on Matt Duchene is when we can hopefully announce a contract.” 1112706 Ottawa Senators be situated in the downtown core, there is no appetite for a publicly- subsidized rink.

Jim Watson was recently re-elected as mayor for a third term and he has With public money unlikely, Eugene Melnyk exploring other avenues to been unwavering in his refusal to use public money to help build the finance new arena Senators a new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. In an interview with the CBC last year, Watson explained that it was the By Graeme Nichols Oct 29, 2018 city’s responsibility “to build roads and sewers, parkland and maintain that. We’re not interested in subsidizing an arena.”

The Senators have never really made it clear how they intend on footing Apparently, Eugene Melnyk is exploring every avenue to finance the the bill for a new arena at LeBreton, only a confidence that they can get it prospective LeBreton Flats redevelopment and a potential new arena for done. the Senators. Bear with us through some legal stuff for a moment. MELNYK: “WE ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF FUNDING OUR PORTION In a report written by iPolitics’ Anna Desmarais, Eugene Melnyk’s Capital OF WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH AND I THINK THAT AS A Sports Holdings Inc. – the parent company that owns the Ottawa TEAM EFFORT HERE THAT EVERYTHING IS REQUIRED CAN GET Senators — has “signed John McKenna of Hansell McLaughlin Advisory DONE.” to gather support for a pilot Immigration Investor Nominee Program in Ontario.” — JON WILLING (@JONATHANWILLING) AUGUST 10, 2018 Ontario Immigration describes the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Other provinces like Prince Edward Island and Quebec have “programs (OINP) as: in place for any migrants who can guarantee they would invest in the province,” but these programs are designed to encourage migrants to “An economic immigration program designed to help Ontario meet its relocate and operate their businesses within these respective provinces. labour market and economic development priorities. The program allows Ontario to nominate, for permanent residence, individuals who have the In regards to Melnyk and his ownership of the Senators, he has never skills and experience to contribute to Ontario’s economy, and assists demonstrated an interest in partnering with anyone to relieve himself of employers in recruiting and retaining foreign workers.” his ownership burdens. The wrinkle is that Capital Sports Holdings Inc. has lobbied since June of Assuming he is still not interested in selling a minority stake in the team, 2017 for an OINP pilot project that is “focused on investment in health the suspicion would be that he has found foreign investors who simply and innovation that allows passive foreign investors to secure permanent want to pay for Canadian citizenship and all the rights and privileges that residency status through significant investment of capital.” come with it. As an alternative, Capital Sports Holding Inc. is also lobbying to “lift the By chasing international investment, Melnyk can kill two birds with one restriction on passive investors in provincial immigrant nominations by stone. amending section 87 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Not only would he avoid the inevitable public backlash that would stem Regulations.” from any attempt to access public money, but such prospective Under these regulations, foreign nationals cannot be included in the investments would not cost Melnyk a thing. nomination process based exclusively on the provision of capital or an It’s hard to imagine any level of government being comfortable with the immigration-based investment scheme. idea of selling citizenship, especially since other interested parties have What does all that mean for the Senators and a new downtown arena? expressed a willingness and ability to finance the entirety of a LeBreton Flats project on their own. Although it is not mentioned anywhere explicitly, the assumption is this lobbying is an effort to find new ways to finance the prospective LeBreton As the NCC and RendezVous LeBreton Group continue to work towards Flats redevelopment. hammering out a formal agreement on the site’s development, we are all just going to have to wait a little longer to see how it’s going to be It is worth noting however that a significant highlight of Melnyk’s preferred financed. RendezVous LeBreton Group proposal was the creation of an Abilities Centre Ottawa – a “multi-use sports facility promoting healthy living, The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 rehabilitation and recreation.” This is not the first time the Senators’ parent company has lobbied the government for their own benefit. From August 2005 through February 2006, Nicolas Ruszkowski – who incidentally happens to be the Senators’ new chief operating officer — lobbied a number of federal departments to vaguely lend “support for Canadian athletes.” As the owner of a franchise that deals with Canadian dollar revenues and taxes while faced with the competitive disadvantages that come from existing in a smaller market, it is pretty easy to understand why Melnyk would be looking for whatever creative mechanisms he can use. In other Canadian cities like Edmonton and Calgary, the allocation of public money to fund an arena has proven to be a contentious issue. The City of Edmonton agreed to pay more than half the cost of the Rogers Place project’s $614-million final tab – which Calgary Flames ownership has tried to leverage as provincial precedence for extracting subsidies. The Flames and Gary Bettman even attempted to influence the city’s 2017 election by encouraging fans to oust Naheed Nenshi because the mayor has consistently rebuffed the Flames’ attempts to procure public money. In 2017, Melnyk capitalized on Belleville’s desperate desire to see high- level hockey return to their area by reaching an agreement with the city that saw Belleville guarantee loans of approximately $8.5 million to fund the acquisition and relocation of the Binghamton Senators. To further entice Melnyk to transition the Senators’ AHL affiliate to Belleville, the organization was offered the perk of playing its first three seasons at the renovated Yardman Arena rent-free. Melnyk has capitalized on some opportunistic circumstances, but in Ottawa, no matter how badly fans want to see the Senators’ next home 1112707 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers hope new-look power play will help snap skid; Nic Aube-Kubel to make NHL debut by Sam Carchidi

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Flyers hope a change in their power-play units and the addition of a player making his NHL debut, right winger Nic Aube-Kubel, will help them end a three-game losing streak Tuesday in Anaheim. Jake Voracek and will move from the first to the second power-play unit, and Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny will be promoted from the second to the top unit. The Flyers' power play is in a 1-for-20 funk over the last seven games, and overall they are tied for 23rd in the 31-team league, converting on 15 percent of their chances. "We've gone through a stretch here where we haven't had the results, and it's just a way to look at two new units that have some different looks that are fresh for our players and also aren't pre-scouted quite as much as our first unit has been," coach Dave Hakstol said after a high-paced practice Monday at the Honda Center. "Hopefully it's a way to open up a little bit of space and some new opportunities." The first unit will have Sean Couturier, , Patrick, Konecny, and , while the second unit will be composed of Simmonds, Voracek, , Travis Sanheim, and Ivan Provorov. Voracek said he was little surprised by the changes, "but right now, nothing is going right, so it can't hurt." "It gives teams something they're not used to seeing," Konecny said. "I think both units are pretty balanced now with Jake and Simmy on the other unit." Aube-Kubel will be the right winger on the fourth line, which will probably be centered by Jori Lehtera and have Scott Laughton at left wing. Laughton had been on the third line. Aube-Kubel and winger Tyrell Goulbourne were recalled Monday from the AHL's Phantoms. "I've been waiting my whole life for that moment," Aube-Kubel said of making his NHL debut. "I called my parents and my family and friends and told them. I'm super-excited for [Tuesday]." Hakstol did not rule out also playing the feisty Goulbourne on the fourth line Tuesday. He said neither of the two call-ups will be used on the penalty kill Tuesday if they play. The 22-year-old Aube-Kubel, had three goals and four assists in eight games with Lehigh Valley this season after a solid year (18 goals, 28 assists, and a team-best plus-24 rating) for the Phantoms in 2017-18. In another change, winger Dale Weise will be promoted to the third line. "Offensively, he's been one of our guys who's been on pucks and really worked in the offensive zone to come up with pucks and give us a chance," Hakstol said. The Flyers (4-7) and Ducks (5-5-2) are going in the wrong direction. Anaheim has lost five straight, while the Flyers have dropped four of their last five. The Flyers will be trying to take advantage of an Anaheim team that is allowing an NHL-high 39.1 shots per game. The Ducks are also generating the fewest shots per game (24.5). Breakaways The Flyers, Columbus, and Arizona are the only NHL teams that have not had a fighting major this season. That could soon change when Goulbourne is in the lineup. …. Brian Elliott, who is 2-5 with a 3.39 goals- against average and .886 save percentage, is expected to get the start Tuesday. … Anaheim goalie John Gibson has a .938 save percentage.. … The Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf has two goals and two assists over his last two games.. … The Flyers' penalty kill has dropped to last in the NHL (67.5 percent success rate).. … Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle is one win shy of tying Roger Neilson (460 victories) for 30th in NHL history. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112708 Philadelphia Flyers

NHL strikes deal with casino operator to share data for sports betting by Assoicated Press,

NEW YORK — The NHL is following the NBA's lead by partnering with MGM Resorts International and providing the company with data for use in sports betting. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the agreement Monday. The Las Vegas-based casino giant is the league's first official sports betting partner. As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data that could eventually include puck and player tracking information. MGM executive Scott Butera and NHL chief revenue officer Keith Wachtel tell The Associated Press the aim is to provide unique gambling opportunities, including free games to those in states where sports gambling isn't yet legal. The NHL is not getting a cut of gambling profits. Other terms were not disclosed. The Flyers declined to comment on the agreement. MGM and other casino operators are moving aggressively to be able to capitalize on the U.S. sports betting market, which is expanding after a Supreme Court ruling in May. MGM has made a series of significant moves, including a multiyear deal announced in July with the NBA and WNBA — the first major U.S. sports leagues to strike an arrangement with a gambling company. does not have sports betting yet, though licenses were granted to Parx and Hollywood in early October. Parx will operate sports betting at its racetrack in Bensalem and at its satellite location at 7th & Packer, near the sports complex. Sources have said they are hoping to begin by December. New Jersey and Delaware have had sports betting since June. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112709 Philadelphia Flyers because I took so much pride in it. But I knew I could produce offensively and be a solid two-way player. Glad I got the opportunity to show it.

Voracek and Simmonds had 49 points apiece that season, 22 more than They call Flyers center Sean Couturier ‘Godfather,’ and he’s his dad’s you, and got more attention that season, when you were 19. They were boss | Marcus Hayes more established, but Jake was only 22 and Simmonds just 23. As the three new guys, did you form a special bond? by Marcus Hayes Oh yeah. We're close on and off the ice. We're very similar. We're close enough that Jake named me godfather of his son (Jake Jr., 23 months). We like being around the guys, and we'd do anything for the team. To hear him speak, you'd never guess that Sean Couturier is a son of the Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.30.2018 desert (he's really not). To watch him play his first seven seasons, you'd never know "Coots," as his Flyers teammates call him, could be an offensive force. To witness his ferocity as a long-haired, physical centerman, you'd probably not figure him to be a cat guy, but he has two (and a dog). He landed with the Flyers in 2011, the eighth overall selection in the National Hockey League draft made with a pick they acquired in an offseason trade with Columbus that also made Jake Voracek a Flyer. At 6-foot-3, with a big frame that has filled out to 211 pounds now that he's 25, Couturier made the team just months after he was drafted and was immediately so solid defensively that he was tasked with muzzling Pittsburgh Penguins star Yvgeni Malkin in the playoffs that year, even as he continued his slow recovery from mononucleosis. Now an alternate captain, he has ascended to the Flyers' first line and — with all respect due Claude Giroux and Voracek — Couturier is their most indispensable player. Marcus Hayes chatted with Couturier last week about all of this, and about being his dad's boss … and being The Godfather. You were born in Phoenix, where your dad, Sylvain, was in the midst of a career spent mostly in the minors, but you moved to New Brunswick (Canada) as a young boy and grew up in a little city called Bathurst, where your father is still the general manager of the local junior team, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. You were part of a group that bought the club in 2013, and the arena sits on Sean Couturier Avenue. Is it weird to be your dad's boss? More importantly: Is he on the hot seat? He's not on the hot-seat this year. They won the [the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) championship] last year, so he's safe for a little while. It's a great honor to have the street named after me. I'm proud of where I'm from. I try to be a role model for kids and people from Bathurst. My fiancee is from Drummondville, where I played junior hockey and still train. I get back to Bathurst to visit my parents once or twice a summer. I'll go during their training camp, which is just before this training camp. Get some good practices in. Then come here afterward. You've had your share of injuries over the years, but you came into the league especially well-equipped to deal with hindrances. What were you dealing with your last year in juniors (2010-11), when you won the league QMJHL MVP award? Did it linger into your rookie year with the Flyers, which ended with you making your name against Malkin, the NHL MVP that year? I had mono that summer (2010). I'm not going to lie. It was pretty hard for a year or two. I could play and stuff, but I never felt I was 100 percent energy-wise. I always felt a little fatigued. I was always sleeping. Taking two- or three-hour naps every day. Trying to get through it. The first year was really tough. Then, when I got here, there was a lot of stress, a lot of expectations. The Malkin matchup gained you a reputation as an elite defensive player. You were a Selke Trophy nomination last season (the Kings' Anzi Kopitar won), the first Flyer since Mike Richards was nominated in 2009. You scored 31 goals last season and were a plus-34. Do you mind the reputation? Is winning the Selke like being the mediocre quarterback who throws the fewest interceptions? I think the criteria has changed over the years. It's not just a defensive- forward prize any more. It's more like you've got to be solid defensively, and you've got to put up numbers, too. You've got to be all-around. The best two-way forward would better describe it. So, did you set out the be the lock-down guy? I had no choice, really. My first year here we were pretty stacked at forward. [Jaromir] Jagr signed that summer. Simmer [Wayne Simmonds] and Jake [came] in big trades. The only way I could play was to take that defensive shut-down role. I embraced it as much as I could,and had a lot of success with it. In juniors, I learned how to be a good two-way forward. You want to be out there when you're leading, 2-1, or you're down a goal. You want to be out there for that big face-off. I think people saw me as only that afterward, that I could only be that defensive guy 1112710 Philadelphia Flyers Fine, then make a big trade. Perhaps it's time to break up the Giroux- Voracek-Simmonds core. Good luck. Giroux is signed through the 2021- 22 season, with an average annual salary-cap hit of $8.275 million, and Fire Dave Hakstol? Make a big trade? Reality says the Flyers’ best has a no-movement clause in his contract. Voracek is signed through the solution is simpler. | Mike Sielski 2023-24 season, with an annual cap hit of $8.25 million. He doesn't have a no-movement clause, but at that price, for that duration, he might as well have one. by Mike Sielski If you want to argue that Paul Holmgren and Hextall erred in signing both players to such long, costly contracts – or that Hextall should have found a better short-term solution at goaltender – you'll get no disagreement here. But what's done is done. As for Simmonds, because his contract So the Flyers are in a bad way, 4-7-0 this season, giving up goals by the expires after this season and his $3.975 million cap number is so truckload and failing to score enough themselves, and whenever the reasonable, the Flyers might yet be able to trade him at the Feb. 25 Flyers are in a bad way, the same speculation and assertions always deadline, provided the demand for him increases. The only way to know arise: Something should be done, and something will be done. that is to wait, which, painful as it might be, is the best and only option for The first suggested solution is practically a reflex by now: Fire the coach. the Flyers right now. In this case, fire Dave Hakstol. If you doubt the existence and strength of Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.30.2018 that sentiment, you must have missed the "FIRE HAKSTOL" chants Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center, during the Flyers' humiliating 6-1 loss to the Islanders. From there, the focus usually shifts to the players. And general manager Ron Hextall did tweak the roster this weekend, putting Corbin Knight on injured reserve, sending Mikhail Vorobyev down to the American Hockey League, and calling up Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tyrell Goulbourne. Replacing two rookies with two different rookies wouldn't qualify as the major changes that the Flyers once might have made in such situations. But then, the Flyers have rarely, if ever, adopted and maintained the approach that they have with Hextall and Hakstol. Under Ed Snider's ownership, the Flyers could always be counted on to act quickly and decisively to "fix" any problems. And if those remedies didn't work – and a 43-year championship drought suggests they didn't always – well, at least the Flyers were "trying." So for the sake of argument and tradition, let's apply the same principles and solutions to this Flyers team that the franchise's fans and followers have come to expect. First, let's say the Flyers fire Hakstol. Is it reasonable to think that this team, as it's constructed now, will improve so dramatically with a new coach that it will become a Stanley Cup contender? Since 2013, when Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, and Wayne Simmonds became the team's top three forwards and leadership core, the Flyers have alternated between missing and making the playoffs and have yet to win a postseason series. Over that time, they have had three head coaches: Peter Laviolette, Craig Berube, and Hakstol. If anything, that recent history suggests that the coach hasn't been and isn't the primary problem. If the Flyers were to fire Hakstol, they would do so on a dubious assumption: that a team with the worst goaltending situation in the NHL, a group of generally green (yet talented) defensemen, and – in – a top-six forward who has been injured since the season's second game will morph into something other than what it has been for six years: a middling, mediocre club. Ah, comes the likely counterargument, but the younger players, those whom Hakstol has been charged with developing, might actually develop at a faster rate. Perhaps they would. It's possible. But there are a couple of counterpoints to consider. One, the notion that Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Ivan Provorov have not improved under Hakstol is false. It just is. Gostisbehere was fourth among all NHL defensemen in scoring last season. Couturier set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Konecny went from 11 goals in his rookie season to 24 in his second. Provorov has been the team's best all-around defenseman for two years. None of them is playing well through 11 games this season, but that's hardly a large enough sample size to conclude that their maturation will stagnate forever unless Hakstol is replaced. Two, the notion that Hextall and Hakstol have been at this grow-from- within thing for too long already is, to put it mildly, ridiculous. From 2004 through 2012, the Flyers were spectacularly awful at finding and developing young talent. Over those nine drafts, they selected just three prospects who could reasonably be called impact players for them: Giroux, Couturier, and Gostisbehere. The list of misses and mistakes is long and diverse. Van Riemsdyk was traded for . Steve Downie was a first-round selection. The three picks from the 2008, 2009, and 2010 drafts who played the most games for the Flyers were Zac Rinaldo, Eric Wellwood, and Tye McGinn. This is Hextall's fifth season as GM and Hakstol's fourth as coach. They have miles to go yet in replenishing a farm system that was all but barren for nearly a decade. Despite those playoff appearances in 2016 and 2018, the Flyers have been rebuilding, and they still are rebuilding, and the irony of those two postseason berths is that they might actually have been a detriment, because they created a false sense of just how far along the organization was in a necessary, difficult process. 1112711 Philadelphia Flyers

Tyrell Goulbourne, Nicolas Aube-Kubel can give Flyers a fighting chance

By John Boruk October 29, 2018 10:25 PM

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Right now, the Flyers have the appearance of a worn-down barbecue grill that refuses to ignite. And Dave Hakstol is halfway through his set of matches. Which is precisely why now’s the time to throw some lighter fluid on the situation. Tyrell Goulbourne and Nicolas Aube-Kubel aren’t expected to stoke the fire under their teammates’ feet, but the optimism is they can provide a spark to a downhearted squad, now 4-7-0 following Saturday’s unemotional loss to the Islanders. Goulbourne and Aube-Kubel have an edge to their game; whether they brought that to the West Coast from Lehigh Valley remains to be seen. “It can be a spark and that spark can come from anywhere,” Hakstol said Monday. “It could be one of those two guys that provides that spark. I know they’ll be excited. They’ll bring some fresh energy and that’ll be a positive for us.” With that, Hakstol appeared to be leaning to playing both rookies against the Ducks Tuesday. Last season, Goulbourne was called up at exactly the midway point with the Flyers in the process of completing their midseason turnaround. In Goulbourne’s first NHL shift, he annihilated Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo with an open-ice collision that led to Scott Laughton scoring the game’s first goal. That one hit set the tone as the Flyers ripped off the first four goals on their way to a convincing 6-3 win over St. Louis, and from there, the Flyers proceeded to win seven of their next eight games. “I think that’s the reason I’m here is because of the way I play,” Goulbourne said. “I’m not up here for any other reason but to provide energy.” Goulbourne played sparringly over his nine-game stint and was returned to the Phantoms several weeks later, but the timing of his arrival undoubtedly created a short-term impact. Hakstol was hoping his challenge last Friday to “sack up” would kindle a few flames within his players, but it amounted to throwing another charcoal briquette on the pile. The team responded with its most lackluster effort of the season, a 6-1 loss to the Islanders. Right now, the Flyers need a punch to the gut, or better yet, someone who can deliver a hard right. Strange as it may seem, but here we are 11 games into the season, the Flyers don’t have a single fight to their fight card. By no means is that the reason behind their uninspiring start with just four wins, but fighting still has its occasional place in the game — a sign of raw emotion and unbridled passion, placing the team over individual concerns while stepping outside of that comfort zone to provide a much-needed boost up and down the bench. Even as fighting has been nearly eliminated from the NHL over the past five years, the Flyers have been good for at least two fisticuffs through the first month of the regular season. It seems rather odd that the only fight since the start of training camp came when Goulbourne went toe to toe with Islanders heavyweight Ross Johnston in a meaningless preseason game. It seems even more bizarre that the Flyers are just one of three teams in the league that haven’t dropped the gloves along with the Blue Jackets and Coyotes. A fact not lost on Columbus coach John Tortorella, who believes the league as a whole has gotten soft, telling the media last week: “It's like a big hug-fest sometimes. There's no hate, and I miss that. It frustrates the s--- out of me, quite honestly.” The Flyers need some of that hatred in their game. Tyrell Goulbourne and Nicolas Aube-Kubel have an opportunity to turn up the heat on a team that’s been lukewarm at best. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112712 Philadelphia Flyers • Ohio State’s Tanner Laczynski saw his nine-game point streak end Friday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 Future Flyers Report: German Rubtsov 'biggest surprise' with Phantoms

By Tom Dougherty October 29, 2018 9:16 AM

If there’s anything we learned last week, it’s this: It’s still important to keep tabs on the Flyers’ farm system because the NHL product isn’t what we believed it to be (see weekly observations). Before this week begins, it’s time for our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects playing in the AHL, overseas and at the junior and college levels. • German Rubtsov sometimes slips through the cracks when we talk about Flyers prospects. The 2016 first-round pick didn’t blow the lids off of his junior experience and combine that with the team drafting Nolan Patrick and Morgan Frost in 2017, Rubtsov took a bit of a backseat. Rubtsov, though, has been a pleasant surprise for the Phantoms as he begins his North American professional career. He has four goals and six points in his first nine games, including a two-point effort last Wednesday against Hartford. Lehigh Valley head coach Scott Gordon recently sung high praise of Rubtsov, telling the Courier-Post’s Dave Isaac: He’s been probably the biggest surprise. I had only seen him in development camp and training camp. … I didn’t see the things that I’m seeing right now, which is his skill level, his shot, his passing, his vision, his strength. The one thing that I had concerns about coming into the season is his skating as far as his pace of play and in a very short amount of time, he’s elevated that. • Another Phantom of note is Philippe Myers, who soon may find his way up with the Flyers. Myers had a three-point game in Lehigh Valley’s 5-2 win Saturday night. Gordon also spoke of Myers to Isaac: I know that he might’ve tailed off during training camp, but I think with Phil, when I watch him play so far this year, what’s probably gonna change dramatically is once he starts to simplify his game by not having to feel like he has to do everything himself as far as with the puck and starts using the guys that are on the ice, I just think he’s gonna go to the forefront. It will be so dramatic how dominating he is. • We missed our first Jay O’Brien vs. matchup this past weekend as O’Brien remains out with an upper-body injury he suffered Oct. 19. No. 6 Providence didn’t need O’Brien, though, as the Friars shut out Boston University, 6-0, Friday. Farabee has one goal in four games this season. O’Brien is pointless in four. • Wyatt Kalynuk is quickly becoming a staple of this report, and for good reason. The Wisconsin defenseman continued to produce last week, extending his point streak to five games. Kalynuk had a two-assist game Friday night against Michigan Tech and then tallied a power-play goal Saturday. He has four goals this season and leads Wisconsin with nine points. Quick hits • Frost saw his point streak reach six games with points in all three games last week — two points Thursday, three on Friday and one on Sunday. Frost is second in the OHL with 30 points. • Isaac Ratcliffe’s goal streak reached three games with a goal Friday and Sunday. He has six points on his current three-game point streak and 11 goals and 19 points in 14 games. • Matthew Strome’s six-game point streak ended Sunday. Strome compiled four goals and 12 points during the streak. He has 19 points in 15 games this season. • Alex Lyon made his second start of the season Sunday evening for the Phantoms, allowing three goals on 34 shots. He has a respectable .924 save percentage in two games. • A strong outing from Carter Hart on Saturday night in the Phantoms' win over Binghamton. Hart allowed just two goals on 31 shots in his fifth pro start. • Wyatte Wylie picked up a goal and two assists in four games last week. The Everett defenseman has 10 assists and 13 points in 15 games. 1112713 Philadelphia Flyers lines a little bit again and on the power play. I think we need to find some chemistry for our team.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 10.30.2018 With confidence down, Flyers trying to stay loose and find spark

Dave Isaac NHL writer Published 5:59 PM EDT Oct 29, 2018

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Nicolas Aube-Kubel couldn’t wait for the interview to be over. It wasn’t that he was upset with the questions. He knew that Tuesday will mark his NHL debut and couldn’t wait to call his family. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound winger the Flyers selected in the second round of the 2014 draft hasn’t gotten much sleep since he was recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Sunday afternoon. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for that moment,” he said. The Flyers, having lost three straight games and haven’t made much progress even within their team game, are desperate. For anything to turn the tide. “They didn’t tell me that but I kind of assumed it,” Aube-Kubel said. “I watch most of the games of the Flyers even if I’m on the Phantoms. I know they need that spark. They called up two very good guys for that, me and (Tyrell) Goulbourne.” Goulbourne played nine games with the Flyers last year. He got stuck in Toronto on his way to Philadelphia during a winter storm and didn’t arrive on time. There were no travel restrictions this time to sunny California and he had a travel buddy. “I know I’m not coming up here to play on the power play,” Goulbourne said. “I’ve had the same role my whole life. It’s something that I’ve worked at and I take pride in. It’s no different whether I’m in the AHL or up here. I’m gonna play my game and bring what I bring.” Last year he made an impact on his first shift. He knocked a St. Louis Blue off the puck and Scott Laughton got to the disc and scored. The Flyers will take a repeat performance from either of them. “I know they’ll be excited,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “They’ll bring some fresh energy.” Both skated on the fourth line in Monday’s practice with Laughton and Jori Lehterä. It appears as though Aube-Kubel will play against the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday and perhaps Goulbourne goes against the Los Angeles Kings Thursday. The joy of a player making his NHL debut might bring some life to a Flyers locker room that hasn’t had much of it recently. Especially off the ice they’re trying to keep each other loose while things aren’t going well. Few players perform better when they’re tense. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys in here that keep things light,” Dale Weise said. “I’m one of those guys where I like to joke around with guys. I’m pretty good at reading people. I can tell when a guy is having a tough time and when sometimes you’ve got to pat a guy on the back and tell him to let it go or just anything you can to pump guys up. I think we’re doing a good job right now of building each other up and being good teammates. When you get on a streak like this obviously guys lose a little bit of confidence. “As a team we need to be a spark. I don’t think it’s gonna be one big hit that’s gonna turn us around. It’s not gonna be a fight. It’s not gonna be one individual play. I think we need to put complete efforts from everybody. We have some superstars on our team that need to be our superstars and we have other guys that need to pull their weight. It’s got to be a spark from everybody. That’s the way we won games last year.” When the Flyers dropped 10 straight losses last season, they improved certain areas of their game before the results started going their way. That kept fingers from being pointed at one another, something Weise said he had seen on teams he had been a part of in the past. So far, it’s not happening to the Flyers. “We haven’t lost 10 in a row yet so I don’t think it’s gotten that bad,” Weise said, “but I think one thing I looked at last year when we were playing last year and lost 10 games I thought we were playing well and we needed a bounce here or there and we did turn it around. Right now I wouldn’t say we’re playing that well so we need to find a way to play a good game and some consistency in our lineup. You see we jumbled the 1112714 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Dominik Simon takes turn on team's top line

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, 5:12 p.m. Updated 12 hours ago

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan reminded everyone Monday afternoon that he always writes his line combinations in pencil, not pen. If that’s the case, there are lots of eraser marks around the right-wing spot on the team’s top line. Dominik Simon was the latest player to line up alongside center Sidney Crosby and left wing Jake Guentzel in practice Monday in Cranberry. Simon moved into the spot in the middle of Saturday night’s 5-0 victory over Vancouver. He threaded a pass through traffic to set Crosby up for a second-period goal. “They’re three really good offensive players,” Sullivan said. “They have great instincts. They’re good down low in traffic. They have a great give- and-go game. Dominik’s a guy that is really strong on the puck. He passes the puck extremely well, and he’s another guy that’s real good in traffic, can play that give-and-go game. We’ve used that combination in the past and they’ve had success.” Guentzel, Crosby and Simon played together in the playoffs last season. This season, Daniel Sprong, Patric Hornqvist, Bryan Rust and Derick Brassard have all taken their turns on the top line with Crosby and Guentzel. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112715 Pittsburgh Penguins

For Penguins' Sidney Crosby, scoring surge was 'just a matter of time'

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, 4:57 p.m. Updated 10 hours ago

When the Penguins set out for Western Canada about a week and a half ago, there was a zero next to Sidney Crosby’s name in the goal column. By the time he returned to town Sunday night, Crosby was the hottest scorer in the league. He recorded three consecutive multiple-point games, scored five goals, including an overtime backhander in Edmonton that will live on in perpetuity on highlight reels, and was named the NHL’s first star of the week. Maybe he needed a few games to knock off the offseason rust. Maybe the rising tide of improved play from the team as a whole lifted Crosby’s ship as well. Maybe it was something in the water in Banff, the Alberta resort town where the Penguins stopped for a couple of days before facing Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver last week. Whatever the reason, the slump is snapped, and the Penguins are on a four-game winning streak heading into a home game with the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Onward and upward, right? Not so fast. There’s a funny little detail worth remembering about the way Crosby started his season with a six-game slump followed by a three- game surge: The captain is probably the only person associated with the Penguins who felt like he was in a slump in the first place. For a player with standards as high as Crosby, 13 shots on goal over six games with none of them finding the back of the net felt like some kind of disturbance in the force, whether it was classified as a “slump” or not. “I don’t like to use that word, but I had some good looks,” Crosby said. “It’s better to have the looks and not score than not have them at all, but it’s just one of those things where I had some good opportunities and they didn’t go in. You just try to trust that you keep getting those, and they’ll go in. Glad to see they did.” Some of Crosby’s teammates shook their head at the idea that their captain had started the season in a slump. Those six games where he didn’t have a goal? He had five assists. His shot-attempt stats were the best on the team. When he was on the ice, the Penguins scored 10 goals and gave up five. Winger Jake Guentzel said he wouldn’t mind having some slumps like that. “I would do that in a heartbeat,” Guentzel said. “You know it’s just a matter of time before they were going to keep coming for him. A player like that, you know he’s going to break through at some point. It’s good to see him do it.” Mike Sullivan said the coaches tried to give Crosby some helpful hints during the season-opening, six-game drought, reminding him that good things usually happen when he holds onto the puck below the faceoff dots, but they never thought he was playing poorly. “The thing about Sid is, he contributes to helping our team win whether he’s on the scoresheet or he isn’t,” Sullivan said. “That’s what I’ve really grown to appreciate about his game. He really has a 200-foot game. He helps our team in so many ways. “I think we all grow to expect him to end up on the scoresheet because he’s been so productive over the years. I don’t consider it a slump. I thought it was a matter of time.” Tribune Review LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112716 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins rally around wounded city after Squirrel Hill shooting

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, 2:51 p.m. Updated 12 hours ago

When teammate Matt Murray handed Casey DeSmith a warrior’s helmet, the token the Pittsburgh Penguins give to the internal team MVP of each victory Saturday night in Vancouver, there was only one thing on the mind of the 27-year-old goalie who had just made 29 saves to lead his team to a 5-0 win. “This one is for Pittsburgh, boys,” DeSmith said. The victims, family, friends and members of the community affected by Saturday’s shooting in Squirrel Hill had been at the forefront of DeSmith’s thoughts all day. He said he couldn’t go into detail, but his fiancee works in government and was involved in the response to the shooting, so he felt a tangential personal connection to the goings on. “Throughout the course of the day, I was thinking about it,” DeSmith said. “I think sports is one of those things that is obviously not important, but it can help lift spirits. “To get a win like that, late night after everything had happened, the city was going through such a hard time. I thought it was appropriate to just say that one was for the city that one was for everybody back home in Pittsburgh who was going through a tough time. That was what we could do from really far away.” DeSmith’s sentiments were echoed around the locker room Monday, as the team practiced at home for the first time since returning from a Canadian road trip Sunday night. Captain Sidney Crosby, for instance, has spent nearly half his life representing the city of Pittsburgh via the logo he wears on his chest. He said he’d like to do whatever he can to alleviate his second home’s suffering, even if it’s only to a small degree. “Try to play for the city as we always do, but especially in times like this,” Crosby said. “It’s a terrible thing that happened. We’re thinking about everyone involved. Hopefully we can do all we can to support and help them right now.” The team scheduled a blood drive at PPG Paints Arena on Monday and will take up a collection for victims and their families at Tuesday night’s home game. The club’s charity arm, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, made $25,000 donations to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and to the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety to establish a fund to benefit the four Pittsburgh police officers injured Saturday. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112717 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Kris Letang leaves practice early with 'nagging' injury

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, 2:12 p.m. Updated 14 hours ago

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang left Monday’s practice early with a nagging lower-body injury suffered during Saturday night’s game in Vancouver, coach Mike Sullivan said. Sullivan said the move was precautionary. He said he had yet to talk to trainers about the extent of the injury and wouldn’t rule Letang in or out for Tuesday night’s home game with the New York Islanders. “We’ll take each day as it comes,” Sullivan said. Letang was apparently injured on a knee-on-knee hit delivered by Vancouver’s Tim Schaller early in Saturday’s game. He went to the locker room for medical treatment, but returned to the ice after missing only a couple of shifts. Letang has been perhaps the team’s most valuable player through nine games. Bouncing back from a subpar season by his standards, he has four goals, 11 points and a plus-8 rating so far this year. “He’s such a unique player,” teammate Jamie Oleksiak said. “He can play in any situation. He does play in every situation. It’s crazy to see how he can be killing a penalty one minute and he’s quarterbacking the point on the power play the next minute. “He’s so good both ends of the ice, night in and night out too. He’s a huge part of the team. He always shows up. It’s really special to see and to play with a guy like that. Just to be on the ice with him, you try to take away as much as you can.” Tribune Review LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112718 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Sidney Crosby named NHL's first star of the week

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, 12:21 p.m. Updated 17 hours ago

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been named the NHL’s No. 1 star of the week. Crosby recorded three consecutive multiple-point games as the team went on a 3-0-0 swing through Western Canada. Crosby compiled five goals and seven points on the trip, including a highlight-reel overtime winner last Tuesday in Edmonton. For the season, Crosby has five goals and 12 points in nine games. Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele was the second star. He recorded four goals and seven points in four games. Colorado winger Mikko Rantanen was the third star. He had three goals and seven points in four games and leads the league in scoring with 21 points for the season. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112719 Pittsburgh Penguins Of his game when he’s at his best, Murray said that “I don’t think it’s something you can put into words. … It’s more of a feel than anything.”

So how does Murray feel? Feel free to exhale: It looks like Matt Murray will be fine “I felt good out there today,” Murray said. “That’s all that matters.”

Yes, yes it is — stopping the next puck and giving his team a chance. Jason Mackey Not providing those asking him questions with lurid quotes or supplying opposing teams with bulletin-board material. After allowing 11 goals on 65 shots through the first two games of the The Penguins need Murray to be the guy he was during their back-to- season, Matt Murray blanked the high-octane Toronto Maple Leafs on back Cup runs, to play big and remain calm, to not worry about having to Oct. 18 — a team that had been averaging 4.7 goals per game. be this or that. A week later, Murray coughed up just one goal to the Calgary Flames, Like Rutherford said, to get back to how it was when he was a rookie. who had scored 30 times in their previous eight games (3.75 average), and he was better than the score would indicate in a 6-5 overtime win at “There wasn’t a whole lot to think about,” Rutherford said. “He was just Edmonton 48 hours prior. happy to be here.” It’s the Murray Penguins fans have come to know and love, the one Murray is happy to be here now, although fans and media alike have who’s developed a reputation as a playoff performer. It’s also a 180- questioned whether Murray was maybe a little peeved that Casey degree turn from how Murray looked at the beginning of the season — DeSmith received the start Oct. 16 against Vancouver. out of sorts, scrambly, like he was trying to win the Vezina Trophy in one night. With Murray back from a concussion and the Penguins coming off a 4-3 shootout loss in Montreal, it looked like it was Murray’s turn. But when While Murray has certainly found a groove, don’t expect the netminder to coach Mike Sullivan went another direction, Murray seemingly used it as start riffing on why things have gone so well as of late. a springboard for this current run. “I’m just trying to stop the puck,” Murray was saying Monday after Murray, though, said assuming that would be incorrect. practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. “Just trying to get better every day.” “Oh, the one a while ago?” Murray said. “That’s out of my control. That’s not my decision. Whenever I get in there, I just try to play the best I can If those answers sound familiar, they should. It’s the sort of stuff Murray and just try to stop the puck. I don’t worry about things like that. I can’t usually says in the postseason. When he’s busy — most times — control that.” actually stopping the next shot … and, in two of three years, winning the Stanley Cup. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 That Murray was thinking about a little more than stopping the next shot is perfectly understandable. The 24-year-old lost his dad in January, the Penguins came up short in the playoffs, and Murray beat himself up pretty good over a so-so year, saying he felt like he let everyone down. Off the ice, Murray bought a lake house, got a few tattoos and professed a desire to involve himself more in the local community. All of it is exactly what you’d want from your franchise netminder — the tattoos commemorate both Cups, his dad and a Teddy Roosevelt speech, and who doesn’t want their players coming up with their own philanthropic ideas? — but it forced Murray to press some. In the eyes of his general manager, anyway. “When you have the kind of success he had, at such an early point in his career, sometimes that pressure mounts,” Jim Rutherford said two weeks ago. “You start to think a little bit too much. That’s what I see right now.” Go to section Asked whether he might’ve been putting a little too much pressure on himself, Murray batted away the idea the same way he’s turned aside 117 of 123 shots (.951 save percentage) the past three games, 92 of 96 (.958) during five-on-five play. “I don’t think so, no,” Murray said. “I just play every game the same way, try to stop the puck. That’s all I can do.” Only Murray wasn’t doing that earlier this season. Point to the glove hand all you want, but Murray looked like a different goaltender altogether, a struggling one. Economy of movement is one of the things that makes Murray elite. He’s big and knows how to play big. He’s also incredibly smart — a top-three quote on the team, easy — and relies on his instincts to read plays and ensure he’s in proper position. Think back to the Penguins’ 5-1 loss to Montreal on Oct. 6. Third period. Charles Hudon beat Murray with a wraparound goal. It nearly took Murray until the final buzzer to react. Pressing obviously doesn’t equal failure to find the puck, but Murray’s movement, awareness and confidence couldn’t possibly look more different now. He’s challenging shots. He’s moving laterally. He’s finding his posts. Murray just has little interest in talking about it. “Just try to get a little bit better every day,” Murray said. “One shot at a time and try to compete.” 1112720 Pittsburgh Penguins them to continue to focus on the task at hand, realizing what’s happening around them may be too big to fully comprehend.

“We all feel for the victims of the tragedy in Squirrel Hill,” Sullivan said. Kris Letang's status up in the air for Tuesday's game “And certainly I know that our players will try to play as hard as they can and put an inspired effort forward. I thought that’s what they did in Vancouver. Jason Mackey “We’re going to continue to have to focus on the game, but we also understand that we’re just playing a game. A tragedy that occurs like that in our community is at another level from a perspective standpoint.” The Penguins could be without their best defenseman for Tuesday’s game against the New York Islanders due to a nagging, lower-body injury Brassard not skating sustained Saturday in Vancouver. Sullivan said nothing has changed with Derick Brassard’s status. He Back at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for practice Monday, Kris missed Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury and has not been Letang left the ice part of the way through for “precautionary reasons,” skating. coach Mike Sullivan said. At practice Monday, Sullivan used Dominik Simon at right wing with “He started practice [Monday],” Sullivan said. “He left the ice for Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The fourth line was Derek Grant between precautionary reasons. He’s dealing with a lower-body, nagging injury Bryan Rust and Daniel Sprong. that he got in the last game. We took him off for precautionary reasons.” Guentzel back With Letang out, Juuso Riikola worked next to Brian Dumoulin and quarterbacked the top power play. Guentzel didn’t finish Saturday’s game because an inadvertent high stick from Simon cut his lip. Sullivan had not yet talked to the Penguins training staff when he met with the media Monday but said the team would take a day-by-day Guentzel received “six or seven” stitches and was sporting a fat lip, one approach in determining Letang’s status. teammates have been telling Guentzel makes it look like he’s using smokeless tobacco. “I haven’t spoken to the trainers at this point,” Sullivan said, “so we’ll take each day as it comes.” “We were making fun of him,” Simon said. “He looks like he’s chewing.” Vancouver forward Tim Schaller delivered a knee-to-knee hit on Letang Both Guentzel and Simon laughed it off, chalking it up to an accident. in the corner, the impact drilling Letang’s left knee. He left the ice for a “Can’t do anything about it,” Guentzel said. few minutes but returned and finished the game. At least it’s not painful — not anymore, anyway. Letang has been one of the Penguins’ best players thus far, if not the best. After struggling through last season, his first since serious neck “My lip just feels big and fat,” Guentzel said. surgery, Letang has reclaimed his spot among the NHL’s top defenseman. Looks it, too. In nine games, Letang has four goals and 11 points while averaging Post Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 25:33, fifth-most in the league. A year after finishing minus-9, Letang is a plus-8 this season, including plus-5 last Thursday in Calgary. Slump or not? Sidney Crosby went six games without a goal — his longest ever to start a season — before pumping in five over the past three games, earning the NHL’s First Star of the Week. Does that qualify as a slump? Eh … probably not. “I don’t like to use that word, but I had some good looks,” Crosby said. “It’s better to have the looks and not score than not have them at all.” One interesting note about those half-dozen games: Crosby helped the Penguins punch up a five-on-five shot share of 63 percent or better four times. Scoring chances came at a 56-percent clip (42-33) when Crosby was on the ice five-on-five. “I don’t think he was in a slump,” Sullivan said. “The thing with Sid is, he contributes to helping our team win whether he’s on the scoresheet or he isn’t. I think that’s what I’ve really grown to appreciate about his game. He really has a 200-foot game. “I don’t think Sid was playing poorly because he didn’t score. He just didn’t score.” For the city The Penguins arrived Sunday evening after 12 days away, returning to a city in mourning due to the Squirrel Hill mass shooting 36 hours earlier. Sullivan said his team “played hard in Vancouver with heavy hearts,” and several players echoed those sentiments — taking on the emotions of their adopted home. “We have keep that in the back of our mind, to play for the city as we always do but especially in times like this,” Crosby said. “It’s a terrible thing that happened. We’re thinking about everyone involved. Hopefully we can do all we can to support and help them right now.” “It’s sad. It’s terrible,” Matt Murray added. “From what I’ve seen of Pittsburgh, since I’ve been here, it’s a really strong and positive city. I’m sure everyone will rally and stick together.” Sullivan — a Boston native who has adopted Pittsburgh as much as any of his players — loved how the Penguins played in Vancouver and wants 1112721 Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby named NHL's First Star of the Week

Jason Mackey Oct 29, 2018 4:23 PM

Sidney Crosby was named the NHL's First Star of the Week Monday morning after tying for the league lead in goals (five) and points (seven) in wins at Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The highlight, of course, was the overtime goal Crosby scored to beat the Oilers, one of the best of his career and his 14th overtime tally. Crosby had two goals Saturday against the Canucks, too, the 82nd multi- goal effort of his career. Crosby and the Penguins recently completed a 4-0 road trip through Canada, during which they scored 23 goals. They're now in first place in the Metropolitan Division at 6-1-2 while averaging an NHL-best 4.44 goals per game. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112722 Pittsburgh Penguins Mr. Rooney said the studies weren’t specifically related to the RAD funding issue but born out of frustration with what the teams perceived as a story that wasn’t being told — that the investments that the public has Just how much do sports teams contribute to Pittsburgh's economy? made in the stadiums are paying big dividends. “We felt that if we could come together maybe the story would be told in a different way than it has been so far,” he said. Mark Belko Mr. Morehouse said the teams brought nearly 4 million people, counting concerts, to the city in 2017 to eat at restaurants, to stay at hotels, and to partake in other activities. Pittsburgh’s three major professional sports teams have banded together to prove their worth in a city whose fans are passionate about wins and “You can’t just talk about Pittsburgh’s revitalization and then say these losses but sometimes just as fervent in their opposition to taxpayer greedy sports bastards over here. I mean, if you’re going to tell the support for “billionaire owners” and their high-priced venues. positive story about what’s happening in Pittsburgh, we’re part of it and we shouldn’t be the ones having to say it,” he said. Tired of taking it on the chin in debates over whether taxpayers should help pay for improvements to , PNC Park, and PPG Paints In the court of public opinion, the franchises could face a tough selling Arena, the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins are making their case for the job. value they bring to the region. Some Pittsburghers are still seething over Plan B — nearly two decades They even have come up with their own stat line — $6 billion, $50 million, after it was crafted — which involved the use of $13.4 million a year in and $41 million. RAD funding to build the two North Shore venues. Voters had soundly rejected a plan to increase the sales tax to finance them and other The figures respectively represent direct and indirect spending the teams projects in 12 counties. have produced over the last five years; the amount of city, county and state taxes they generate annually; and the value of the advertising the And it’s not hard to find economists who question the value sports teams city receives each year thanks to their presence. truly bring. Economics is just one part of their argument. Allen Sanderson, a University of Chicago sports economist, maintained 90 percent of numbers generated by teams and tourism bureaus to show The value resonates in the twirl of Terrible Towels, chants of “Let’s Go their value are “probably exaggeration.” Pens,” and in the raising of the Jolly Roger. It’s in a rich sports heritage that includes the likes of Franco, Mean Joe, The Great One, Pops, Le “Once one of these teams pays someone to do an economic impact Magnifique, and Sid. study, I can tell you pretty much what they’ll say. You just paid someone for their answer,” he said. “Sports feels good, but as far as flat out The teams, they argue, are as ingrained in the city’s fabric as Primanti economic return, it’s not very high.” sandwiches and Pittsburghese. Michael Leeds, professor of economics at Temple University, said sports And they help make Pittsburgh big league, with a higher profile than teams do add value. But it’s not as much as teams want people to cities like Austin, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; Omaha, Neb.; and Tulsa, Okla., believe. all of which have larger populations — but no pro sports teams. “The rule of thumb is that a baseball team is worth what a decent-sized “Steel is the foundation. Technology, energy and eds and meds are the department store is worth. Football and hockey are worth progressively future, but the heart and soul of this city has been sports,” said David less,” he said. “Would you be willing to spend millions of dollars to keep Morehouse, the Penguins CEO. Macy’s?” Dusk falls as fans watch a playoff game between the Penguins and Alexa Miller/Post-Gazette Washington Capitals outside PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday, May 3, 2017, in Uptown. (Stephanie Strasburg/Post-Gazette) Intangible attraction “I think people around the country are somewhat jealous of us. We have Frank Coonelly, the Pirates president, doubts Pittsburgh would be one of great fans who not only show up in Pittsburgh but around the country,” 20 finalists for Amazon’s second headquarters if it did not have pro added Steelers president Art Rooney II. “Pittsburgh has always been sports teams. Only one finalist for the online retailer’s new location — known as a great sports town and that has become part of the image of Austin — is without at least one pro sports team in its region. the city.” “There’s a lot of great things that make Pittsburgh so special. But one of The unusual offensive comes as the Allegheny Regional Asset District the cornerstones that distinguishes Pittsburgh from other cities that also gets ready to vote on a 2019 budget that earmarks $800,000 in county have some special attributes are our professional sports teams and the sales tax revenue to create a fund to help make improvements to Heinz facilities in which they play,” he said. Field, PNC Park, PPG Paints Arena, and the David L. Convention Center. Former PNC chairman Jim Rohr said the presence of the teams was a big part of the bank’s decision to invest heavily in Pittsburgh, where in It’s an issue that is likely to grow in importance as the three sports recent years it has built its new $400 million headquarters and Three venues age and require more maintenance. Heinz Field and PNC Park PNC Plaza with its office space, condominiums, and the Fairmont Hotel. opened in 2001 and PPG Paints in 2010. “Without the sports teams, without the Cultural District, Downtown would The Steelers and the Pirates have sparred with the Sports & Exhibition have been a much less attractive place to invest in and a much less Authority, the owner of all three sports venues, over who is responsible attractive place for employees to be in,” he said. for certain repairs and improvements. PNC Bank also has played a role in the teams’ fortunes, paying $30 Taking a look at their stats million over 20 years for the naming rights to the Pirates’ ballpark. To help make their case, the three teams have come up with their own Mr. Rohr and David Holmberg, president and CEO of Highmark Health, version of money ball. said pro sports are important in recruiting employees. They commissioned accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to produce The franchises give Highmark, owner of the Allegheny Health Network, an economic impact study that measures their value on several fronts, which provides team physicians and medical staff to the Pirates, “another including direct and indirect spending, tax revenue and jobs. tool to attract the best and brightest,” Mr. Holmberg said. The teams also hired Santa Monica-based GumGum Sports to measure “To be able to sit at a Pirates game and being able to look across at the how much the city would spend in advertising to generate the value city and have a conversation with them is a fabulous home court achieved through those picturesque shots of the Downtown skyline and advantage,” he said. the inclines during broadcasts and in social media mentions. The verdict? Nearly $41.5 million a year. Highmark holds the naming rights to gates at PPG Paints Arena and PNC Park. Without the sports teams, Mr. Holmberg said, it “changes the “Steel is the foundation. Technology, energy and eds and meds are class of cities we compete with” for talent. the future, but the heart and soul of this city has been sports.” “Once one of these teams pays someone to do an economic impact — David Morehouse, Penguins CEO study, I can tell you pretty much what they’ll say. … Sports feels good, but as far as flat out economic return, it’s not very high.” — Allen Sanderson, a University of Chicago sports economist When the Penguins were fighting for a new arena a dozen years ago, a move to Kansas City made more sense — the deal was better and the Analyzing the analysis city had a larger population, Mr. Morehouse said. Because its name is part of the park, PNC got an estimated $13 million It was the intangibles that broke in Pittsburgh’s favor. worth of advertising the night the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Pittsburgh, Mr. Rohr said. Highmark also “You didn’t just look at the raw economic data and the population consistently sees a favorable return on investment from its sponsorships, numbers. You looked at Pittsburgh as a special place for sports teams. Mr. Holmberg said. They’re part of who we are and we’re part of who they are.” If that’s the case, it would be out of the norm, according to one study. The new Wrigley Field? Mr. Leeds of Temple co-authored a study for the Journal of Sports The $800,000 being proposed to pay for improvements to the publicly- Economics that found that naming rights offer no economic value — at owned sports venues and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center next least in the form of abnormal returns — to the firms that buy them. year would be in addition to $13.4 million annually going to pay off debt on the two North Shore stadiums. “We found, basically, that they might as well put the money in the bank,” he said. Neither counts the millions of dollars in upfront public contributions used to help pay for the $273.5 million PNC Park and the $263 million Heinz The study reviewed more than 50 deals, including those involving PNC Field. and the $57 million over 20 years the H.J. Heinz Co. paid for the naming rights to the Steelers stadium. PPG Paints Arena was financed largely through local and state gambling revenues, including $7.5 million a year from a state economic Only about three showed a positive return, Mr. Leeds said. The vast development fund. majority had no discernible impact on the company’s fortunes. Fans who attend Steelers and Pirates games pay ticket surcharges to The GumGum analysis found the three teams generate 513.3 million in help pay for improvements to the venues. “combined impressions” a year, whether through TV broadcasts, social media, or print publications. While much has been made of the public investment, the teams estimate they have paid their share as well — nearly $320 million toward To get that kind of “postcard” exposure — whether it’s shots of the city construction and more than $50 million in improvements over the last five skyline, the bridges, or other local landmarks — through paid advertising years. would cost nearly $41.5 million. Pirates fans cheer during the National League wild card game Oct. 1, The PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis, meanwhile, estimated the 2013, at PNC Park<./span> (Julia Rendleman/Post-Gazette) Pirates, Penguins and Steelers generated $6 billion in direct and indirect spending between 2012 and 2016. Mr. Coonelly contended the longer the venues are maintained in a first- class manner, the greater the return to taxpayers. On top of that, the teams calculate that they pay more than $50 million a year in city, county and state taxes, and that another $25 million is With proper maintenance, he believes PNC Park “can be one of those generated as a result of activities surrounding sporting events and rare iconic ballparks in Major League Baseball” on par with Fenway Park concerts. in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago. Taxes include those on players, coaches and performers; parking and He sees PNC Park lasting well beyond the 30-year life of the lease. With amusement taxes; earned income taxes; sales taxes; the county alcohol new sports venues costing $1 billion or more these days, it’s better to tax; ticket surcharges; and real estate taxes generated mainly by keep up what you have than start over, Mr. Coonelly said. development between Heinz Field and PNC Park. Mr. Rooney expects talks to start within the next five years about In addition, the franchises are responsible, directly or indirectly, for extending the Steelers’ Heinz Field lease, which expires in 2031. another 10,100 jobs annually — producing $3.2 billion in wages from 2012 through 2016, by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ count. “I think it’s fair to say we would prefer to stay in Heinz Field. It’s been a good venue for us and it’s worked well,” he said. According to the teams, there is $1.2 billion in actual or planned private investment between Heinz Field and PNC Park on the North Shore, now Fairness and passion filled with offices, bars, restaurants, hotels and a concert venue, and at To Mr. Sanderson of the University of Chicago, the public financing of the former Civic Arena site, where a proposed $500 million mixed-use stadiums and improvements raises an issue of fairness. development has stalled since U.S. Steel scrapped plans to build a new headquarters there in 2015. “Most of the fans whose fannies are in the seats are much richer than the taxpayers as a whole in Pittsburgh so you’ve got a reverse Robin Hood Mr. Coonelly said the numbers show the investment that taxpayers made effect — let’s take from poor people and give to rich people,” he said. in the sports venues is paying off. The teams, on the other hand, believe there is a bond with fans much Fans cheer on the Steelers before a game against the Bengals at Heinz stronger than those seen in many other pro sports cities. Field on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette) For the Pirates that passion has cut both ways. They often have been Economists such as Mr. Sanderson and Mr. Leeds have long argued that skewered for selling off players or making unpopular trades, including if the pro teams weren’t around the same money would just be spent — one that sent Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco. or dispersed — on other forms of entertainment or maybe a day at the mall. Attendance was down last season, in part because of fan frustration with the front office. Mr. Coonelly insisted that he doesn’t mind the criticism — “That is simply taking money out of one pocket and putting it in another,” in fact he would be concerned if it weren’t that way. Mr. Leeds said. “The fact not only did we hear from the fans but we heard from them in a According to the teams, the PricewaterhouseCoopers study took such very passionate voice is a reflection of the fact that this is a great sports factors into account. town that loves its professional sports teams and loves their Pirates,” he Even if that were not the case, it misses the point, Mr. Morehouse said. argued. For Mr. Coonelly, that came through loud and clear in 2013 during the “Yeah, they’re dispersed in Tulsa and El Paso and Fresno, and they’re National League wild card game when Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny dispersed in other places that no one’s ever heard of that are twice as big Cueto, bombarded by chants of Cueeee-to! Cueeee-to! Cueeee-to! at a as Pittsburgh,” he said. packed PNC Park, dropped the ball before serving up a home run to Russell Martin. The teams, he asserted, give the Steel City a cachet that many other cities don’t have. “People here from the outside to a person said that was the greatest crowd they ever witnessed because there was a guttural loud sound from “I believe strongly having these three sports teams has significant hours before the game, the first pitch, to hours after the game was over. economic impact that allows us to punch over our weight as a city in That never stopped.” competition with other cities and brings intangible benefits that separate us from larger cities, similar cities this size, cities that have sports teams Post Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 and, most definitely, cities that don’t have sports teams,” he said. 1112723 Pittsburgh Penguins “We have CCM. We have Bauer. We have Warrior. We have sizes from medium to XXL, just in case,” Heinze said. “You never know.”

He said he made one unexpected omission during the most recent trip. Penguins equipment manager Dana Heinze makes sure road trip is perfect behind the scenes, too “I ran out of steel for [Juuso] Riikola,” he lamented. “He goes through so many [skate blades]. I thought we had enough packed. But we didn’t. So we called back to Pittsburgh and had them shipped to Vancouver. He Oct 29, 2018 10:00 AM didn’t miss a beat. I’ll take that. That was my fault.” Matt Vensel: When the Penguins touch down at their destination, an equipment staffer from the home team will be waiting at the airport. They back up their equipment truck to the plane so it can be unloaded. Trunks and extra gear are in the back of the plane. Player bags are up front. VANCOUVER, British Columbia – You probably know the feeling. “That way, when we get there, their bags come off first,” he said. You’re in the air, 10,000 feet above and hundreds of miles away from home, and it gnaws at your stomach. Did I forget something? At the arena, Heinze and his staff start grabbing stuff, typically with the help of another team employee. They plop equipment bags in front of the Maybe it’s your laptop, toothbrush or phone charger. Or, in the case of players’ respective locker stalls and hang up their jerseys and gear. the fictional McAllisters, your plucky, prepubescent son, Kevin. Someone lines up the sticks, a tricky task given the potential domino effect. Somebody else sets up the coaches’ locker room. Dana Heinze, Penguins head equipment manager, has been there. “It usually takes an hour tops,” Heinze said. “Sometimes 40 minutes.” “Even after we do the checklist and we all checked off on it,” he said Saturday, “sometimes I’ll be sitting on the plane and I’ll be like, ‘Man, are But all that lifting and pushing and pacing works up a good sweat. the jerseys on here?’ Knock on wood, we’ve never done that.” “That’s my workout,” he laughs, “because I don’t go to the gym.” Forgetting a quirky goalie’s pads? Well, he can laugh about it now. The home team is obligated by the NHL to provide some items for their Before he joined the Penguins, Heinze in 1999-2000 worked for the visitors. Heinze said that list is about five pages long and includes things Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. The Vipers, on a like hockey tape, towels, toiletries, water and sports drinks. multicity road trip, flew from Chicago to Kansas City. Unpacking their gear at the arena in K.C., Heinze and his two fellow equipment staffers And every arena has a workshop connected to the visitors’ locker room looked at each other and said, “Hey, where’s Tim’s pads?” that’s filled with saws, torches, spray paint, glue sticks, etc. The Penguins bring two of their skate-sharpening machines, though. Tim would be , the opinionated journeyman who went on in his 30s to win a Stanley Cup and two Vezinas in Boston. “That’s sort of a more personal thing for us,” Heinze explained. They scrambled to call the arena back in Chicago and sent a security He said it’s like a fraternity of equipment gurus around the NHL. guard into their locker room to see if the pads were still there. For example, when the Penguins spent two days in Banff, a Calgary “Sure enough, they were. They FedExed them with morning delivery and Flames staffer stayed with them and assisted them there at the small luckily we got the box like 10 minutes before the team came in for community rink. After the win in Toronto, Heinze posted on Twitter a morning skate,” Heinze said, who later told Thomas about what had photo of him with a friend who works for the Maple Leafs. happened. “He kind of laughed. But it wouldn’t have been funny if they didn’t show up. That would have been a nightmare.” “Having that working relationship with all these other teams really helps. I respect that the fans have these rivalries, like the Flyers or the Capitals. Go to section But behind the scenes, we help each other out,” Heinze said. “Now … it wasn’t always like that way back in the day.” These days, even though the Penguins lug three tons of equipment, accessories and gear-related tools and machinery, stuffed into about 100 Early on game days, Heinze arrives at the arena to hang up a bunch of bins, trunks and equipment bags, every time they hit the road, things black-and-gold posters to make the locker room feel like home. He also typically go a lot smoother for Heinze and his team. — and this is big — gets the coffee going. In their three-foot-tall tape trunk, he stashes some Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts. After all, Heinze has now done hundreds of these trips in his 13 years with the Penguins. And he has an experienced staff of assistants in Paul “I know that the coaches [are particular],” Heinze said. “So I always have DeFazio, Danny Kroll and Jon Taglianetti, the son of Peter. that with us so I can brew it as soon as we get to that city.” Surprisingly, he said that from their standpoint, there isn’t much of a Heinze’s team grinds throughout the day, sharpening steel, cutting down difference between a quick flight to Philadelphia and their now-complete sticks, maybe taping a stick or two between shifts. Then, after the Canadian odyssey, with four games in a dozen days of travel. Penguins hit the showers and meander to the bus, they hang up their gear in the locker room and plug in the fans, no different than a typical When their schedule is released, Heinze and the Penguins will note hockey mom or dad does in their basement or garage. longer trips, such as their California trip in January. But their planning and packing process does not drastically change. A couple of days Sunday, Heinze and his staff were back at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena before a road trip, they head into their “equipment vault” at PPG Paints early in the morning to pack those equipment bags, load up the Canucks Arena, where they store different trunks and bags that are already pre- equipment truck then head over to the airport to meet the team. packed. OK, they need this, this, this and this. The Penguins were 4-0 on their road trip and the equipment team was “We’re organized to the point where we know what to expect, know we close to perfect, too, other than maybe Riikola’s skate blades. need,” Heinze said. “It’s not like we’re scrambling around trying to take everything and the kitchen sink. We’re smart about it.” Standing outside the Penguins locker room before Saturday’s game, Heinze was relieved the trip was over without major incident. For a longer trip, they will bring more apparel — “shirts, socks, things like that.” They also will bring a third bag of sticks for the players. “It’s been seamless. But it’s just a lot of time to be away from home. That’s the tough part,” he said. “I understand that it’s part of the job. It But in terms of the other equipment, that is pretty much standard. just seems these trips just keep getting longer and longer. For each trip, the Penguins bring a bin filled with a backup pair of skates “It is what it is. But I think we’re pretty organized and on top of it.” for each guy. They also require that every player travel with at least two pairs of gloves in case, for example, the palm of a glove gets shredded. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.30.2018 That happened to Kris Letang at a recent home game. Some players don’t like to wear wet gloves because their grip gets slippery, so they want that third pair. “Sid is a three-pair guy,” Heinze said of Crosby, who puts on dry gloves before every period. For the rest of a skater’s protective gear — helmet, shoulder pads, shin protector sets, etc. — they only pack one. They bring an extra bag of backup gear, with various sizes, manufacturers and styles. 1112724 Pittsburgh Penguins Johnson acknowledged that joining a new system is never simple. Still, the ability to transition into the Penguins’ up-tempo style hasn’t been a significant problem. Jack Johnson deeply appreciative of Mike Sullivan’s public support “I’ve enjoyed every minute dealing with this team so far,” he said. “Everyone in the organization has been so great. It’s been an adjustment, sure. But I think the coaches and my teammates have done a great job of By Josh Yohe Oct 29, 2018 making it as easy as possible for me. There are still definitely a lot of things I want to improve on. But I feel like I’m getting more comfortable every day.” VANCOUVER — Mike Sullivan always seems to showcase a unique The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 understanding of his team’s pulse. He’s also very well aware of outside perceptions. The head coach knows that Jack Johnson’s five-year contract was met with considerable skepticism from members of the fan base and the analytic community. He also heard plenty of negativity following last Tuesday’s 6-5 victory in Edmonton because Johnson was on the ice for all five goals against. Two nights later, following a 9-1 blowout of the Flames in Calgary, Sullivan was asked an innocent question about Johnson scoring his first goal of the season. Sullivan turned his answer into a rather powerful defense of Johnson. The defenseman noticed. “I think it means a lot to any player when a coach and organization have your back like that,” Johnson said. “I know it means a lot to me.” There is little question that Sullivan felt the desire to defend Johnson following the win in Calgary. Most coaches would have answered such a question with a cliche-filled, unmemorable response. This, however, wasn’t the case. Sullivan decided to answer the question in this fashion: “It’s a good boost of confidence for Jack. He’s quietly played a sound game for us, and I don’t think he always gets some of the credit that he deserves. For example, in Edmonton, I know that there was talk that he was on the ice for five goals against. Well, the reality is when you break down the involvement of those goals, he wasn’t … he had no responsibility on any of those goals against. He just happened to be on the ice for them. “We try to look at the game a whole lot closer than just, ‘Hey, a guy is on the ice for when a goal is scored,’ because a lot can happen in a team game. What I will say is I think Jack has quietly adjusted to the style of play that we’re trying to play here in Pittsburgh. We believe he’s a solid defenseman. The fact that he scores tonight hopefully will give him a big boost of confidence.” Sullivan is usually thoughtful but relatively by-the-book in his dealings with the media. On occasion, he’ll use a one-word answer to make a point — usually in regards to a question about officiating — but rarely does he alter the narrative of a question to make a point. On this occasion, he did. Johnson was well aware. The defenseman once had a wonderful relationship with John Tortorella in Columbus during most of his time in Ohio. However, their relationship became strained late last season when Johnson was made a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. A war of words escalated in July after Johnson signed with the Penguins, as Jim Rutherford made a not-so-subtle reference to Johnson’s being a healthy scratch and how bogus he believed Tortorella’s decision was. Tortorella naturally fired back. One thing is clear throughout the murky story: The Penguins have gone out of their way to have Johnson’s back from July 1 on. “Everyone’s been great here,” Johnson said. He’s played well in two games since the frustrating outing in Edmonton. The analytics aren’t particularly good for Johnson, though the sample size is only nine games: “Nobody likes being on the ice for that many goals against,” he said. “We all care in here, we care a lot. I think it goes both ways, too. I’m sure it means a lot to coaches when players have their backs. It means just as much to us when a coach has our back. Yeah, it was nice.” Johnson has enjoyed his brief time with Sullivan. “I think he’s an awesome coach,” he said. “I’d say he’s tough, but he’s fair. He’s tough in the right ways. I like that he’s so approachable. If you need to talk about hockey, or about anything, he’s always there. So far it’s been a great experience. I think he does a great job.” 1112725 San Jose Sharks

Successful road trip sets Sharks up nicely for four-game homestand

By Chelena Goldman October 29, 2018 10:35 AM

Through the first 11 games the Sharks’ 2018-19 campaign, they’ve only spent three tilts on home ice. All the travel hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk either. On the most recent three-game road trip, they traveled to Nashville, then all the way to the east coast to Carolina, then back to California. “I don’t know if anyone’s had a tougher schedule to start than us,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told the media after the team’s 4-3 overtime win in Anaheim, which finally concluded the hectic road schedule. Now, the Sharks gearing up for a four straight games at the Tank with a mix of competition awaiting them. Despite not playing in San Jose very much, their success on the recent roadie sets them up pretty well to put a few notches in the win column while they’re at home. Right out of the gate San Jose has a rematch against the New York Rangers, a team that beat the Sharks a couple weeks ago behind a vintage performance from netminder Henrik Lundqvist. After continuing to grind against a dominant John Gibson on Sunday, who gave Anaheim a chance to win on Sunday, the Sharks are even more prepared to go up against a strong opposing goalie. It doesn’t hurt that the Sharks special teams came alive on the recent roadie, contributing in all three tilts away from San Jose. The Sharks can capitalize on that in the up-coming homestand with the first three teams they face – New York, Columbus, and Philadelphia – all ranking in the lower echelon in the penalty kill department. (That could potentially set them up by the time they face the Minnesota Wild who possess the sixth best kill in the league.) It isn’t just the special teams that have gelled particularly well on the Sharks’ recent travels. Chemistry is clearly coming together on both the offensive and defensive front. “We’re finding our way, we’re finding our identity as a team,” DeBoer commented after the win over the Ducks. “We know what our good games look like, what’s working for us.” Knowing what works can really pay dividends as the Sharks prepare for this upcoming four-game homestand. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112726 San Jose Sharks

Timo Meier powers Sharks' red-hot second line in win over Ducks

By Chelena Goldman October 28, 2018 9:14 PM

Before the Sharks went on their recent three-game road trip, I asked Timo Meier why he and his current linemates, Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, were playing so well together. “I think we put all of our strengths on the ice together,” the Swiss winger said. “Those are two guys who can make a really nice play.” In a 4-3 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, those words evolved into on-ice production more than in any other game. And that wasn’t just because Meier scored the game-winning goal in overtime. (Avenging the second-period goal that was overturned for being offsides, no less.) The way this line sets each other up to score is a feat all on its own. Like on the first goal of the game, when Hertl maneuvered the puck away from Anaheim defenseman Jacob Larsson and fed it to Brent Burns, whose rebound Couture deposited in the back of the net The best set-up of all, of course, came on Meier’s second-period goal. While Couture passed across the ice to Meier, Hertl charged ahead and split the defense to post up in front of the Ducks’ net in order to punch in a potential rebound. What resulted was the Sharks' third marker on the evening. When Meier was asked about how the line played in a post-game interview, he complimented the two veterans he plays with. “Those are two tremendous players,” he said. “So, for me I’m just trying to create some space for them go down low, get them some pucks. “I think we’re just mostly having fun out there. We’re working hard in all three zones.” As the Sharks head back to the Bay Area for the longest homestand of their young season, Meier and company will look to help propel them to more wins like the one on Sunday. “We’re helping each other and that makes us help the team,” Meier summarized. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112727 San Jose Sharks recovery, but I believe it’s fair to wonder if Thornton is taking longer than originally expected.

While the Sharks have made due without Thornton, this week might be a What we’ve learned: Sharks battle through brutal early schedule, good time to get him back into the lineup, as one forward in particular is Thornton ‘getting closer’ struggling. Kevin Labanc has just two assists in the last seven games — both By Kevin Kurz Oct 29, 2018 coming on the power play — and against the Ducks, he was demoted from the Joe Pavelski-Evander Kane line to the fourth line, swapping spots with Melker Karlsson. There were far too many instances on the road trip where Labanc was either losing battles along the wall, turning As the Sharks prepare to finally enjoy a run of games in friendly the puck over, or getting caught out of position. Perhaps he could use a surroundings, let’s take a step back and assess what we’ve learned night off in the press box to reset his mind a bit after he was one of the about the Sharks over the past few weeks (or, more specifically, since Sharks’ best players in the first week. the last time we did one of these on Oct. 14). The Sharks’ power play is now sitting at a respectable 14th in the NHL, The Sharks are tied with the Islanders and Panthers for fewest home with nine goals in 39 opportunities. But more importantly, they may have games in the league, but it’s the nature of their schedule that has been finally found a strategy to implement with both Karlsson and Brent Burns more noteworthy. on the ice together. Out of the 11 games the Sharks have played so far this season, they’ve Burns generated some key goals on the trip, blasting home a one-timer changed time zones before five of them, or nearly half. That includes all from the top of the left circle in Nashville to complete the 5-4 comeback three games of their recent road trip, when they went to Nashville (CST), win, and in Carolina, his shot from the same spot resulted in a Timo Carolina (EST) and Anaheim (PST). Their previous road trip saw the Meier rebound goal. Against the Ducks, Burns had a few more good Sharks go from Los Angeles to New York, where they played four games looks, including one in which Tomas Hertl had a great chance to deposit against the Metropolitan Division before returning for a brief two-game the rebound. homestand. Karlsson, the better playmaker, has been serving as the quarterback of Less than four weeks into the season, the Sharks have already the power play more often than Burns, the better shooter. Makes sense, crisscrossed the nation twice. The fact that they are coming home at 6-3- right? 2, in first place in the Pacific Division — albeit a pretty weak division so far — is an impressive achievement. The penalty kill has also been solid, allowing six goals this season in 41 times shorthanded (85.4 percent, eighth in the league), while also scoring “I don’t know if anyone’s had a tougher schedule to start than us,” coach four shorthanded goals, second only to Arizona’s five. Pete DeBoer said after the 4-3 overtime win in Anaheim on Sunday night. “We’re finding our way and our identity as a team. We know what our The Sharks are 14 for 14 on the penalty kill over their last five games. good games look like, what’s working for us, which usually happens about 10 games in. I like where we’re at. We’ve got to stay healthy, DeBoer changed up his defense pairs for the third period of the Nashville obviously.” game, helping to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win in what was the Sharks’ best victory of the season. He stuck with those new pairs for the game in DeBoer mentioned before the trip that the team has instituted a Carolina, but it didn’t go very well. Karlsson and Brenden Dillon, in philosophy where if they are two or more time zones away from the particular, looked out of sync. location of their next game, they spend the night rather than fly postgame. But they went against that for the Ducks game, opting to fly Against the Ducks, the pairs were all over the place. Karlsson was back from Raleigh to Southern California on Friday night. They practiced on with Dillon for most of the game, but also took some shifts with Burns and Saturday afternoon at Honda Center, and skipped holding a morning Marc-Edouard Vlasic. As for Vlasic, he spent more than 15 minutes at skate on Sunday due to the earlier start time. even strength with Justin Braun, but played 2:46 with Karlsson and 2:40 with Burns (stats courtesy of Natural Hat Trick). “I think that was the right call,” Erik Karlsson said. “We woke up (in Anaheim) at 9 a.m. on Saturday and got a full day to recover. No one felt DeBoer said that game situations and zone starts will dictate how he great, but that’s the way it is sometimes when you’re on the road, and utilizes his six defensemen. you have to deal with it, same as every team in the league.” “We obviously want to get Burnzie and Karlsson out in the (offensive) Still, the Sharks have appeared to fade late in some of their road games. zone, and not necessarily have to chase a matchup for (Vlasic and Perhaps that’s natural with all of the travel, but they blew third-period Braun) at the expense of that,” he said. “I think we have that ability to leads in losses to the Rangers and Devils, and were outclassed by the move guys around.” Hurricanes in the second and third periods on Friday. Against the Ducks The company line on Karlsson is still “he’s adjusting,” and the example of they saw a 3-1 lead evaporate, giving their rivals a point in the standings P.K. Subban lends credence to that rather than closing them out in regulation. Predators coach Peter Laviolette knows about trying to incorporate a Karlsson mentioned that as something they’ll need to improve upon premier offensive-minded defenseman into his lineup, after P.K. Subban during the next little while, but DeBoer felt that Sunday’s blown lead was acquired from Montreal in the 2016 offseason in exchange for Shea against the Ducks was much easier to stomach than the game in Weber. Carolina when the Sharks were outshot 33-12 after the first period. “For P.K. is was probably a little of both — him coming in here and “I liked our 60 minutes,” DeBoer said. “Unlike Carolina where we started looking to play his game, and our guys trying to figure out how all that to panic a little with the puck and kind of fed into what they were doing, I works,” Laviolette said last Tuesday morning, before his team’s meeting thought we did a much better job tonight.” with the Sharks. Joe Thornton’s timetable to return is still uncertain Using the first 11 games as a sample size, the stats suggest that it wasn’t Despite joining the Sharks for their road trip, and proclaiming last Sunday quite so seamless for Subban, who had two goals and four assists in his that he’d like to play before the three-game stretch was over, Joe first 11 games while the Predators went just 3-5-3. Thornton has now missed the last nine games with an infection to his Laviolette said: “Just speaking from my own experiences because I don’t surgically repaired right knee. know other people’s business, but my own experience, when somebody DeBoer said before Sunday’s game that the big center is “getting closer,” comes to a team and they have a significant role or had a significant role but he still has a catheter in his arm to dispense antibiotics, and can’t and they’re going to take on a significant role, in talking to those players play until that is removed. in hindsight, there’s a little bit of a change that goes on for them that takes a little bit of time.” “The antibiotics have to do their work and Joe’s got to get the test to a point where he can play,” DeBoer said. “And, he’s got a PICC line in, and It ended up working out pretty well for the Predators, who won the you can’t play with that, so that’s got to come out.” Western Conference that season before losing to the Penguins in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Still, if Thornton doesn’t play on Tuesday against the Rangers, it will have been three weeks since general manager Doug Wilson told reporters The fourth line is still a work in progress between periods of the game in Philadelphia, “he’s on antibiotics now, Dylan Gambrell got a shot to skate in the middle of the fourth line against and we feel it should go very quickly.” I’ll leave it up to you to decide Carolina in favor of Rourke Chartier, and DeBoer said he thought the 22- whether a guy who misses three weeks qualifies as a very quick year-old did a “good job.” Gambrell finished without any shot attempts in less than eight minutes of ice time, going 3 for 6 in the faceoff circle. “I just wanted to get him into a game, change it up, some fresh legs,” said the coach. ”He played with some energy and he’s going to be a good player. He’s still learning how to contribute at this level.” Chartier returned to score his first NHL goal against the Ducks, swiping in a rebound past John Gibson and giving the Sharks a 2-1 lead at the time. For a player that has dealt with serious concussion issues in recent years, including last season with the AHL Barracuda, it was an uplifting moment. “There was points last year, if you would have told me (I) would have been 10 games into the NHL season (and this was) happening, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” Chartier said on Sunday night. “It definitely feels great to be healthy again and playing hockey.” Still, Chartier’s goal came in the middle of a line change, as Hertl and Meier were out on the ice with him at the time. The Sharks haven’t gotten a whole lot of production from any of their regular fourth liners — Melker Karlsson, Barclay Goodrow and Marcus Sorensen are all still looking for their first even-strength points of the season. While it’s true that the fourth line isn’t hurting the Sharks, for a team that fancies itself a Stanley Cup contender, they’re going to need more from those some of those guys moving forward. If they’re all sitting on zero even strength points in a week, perhaps it will be time to give some other players a chance. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112728 St Louis Blues STEEN MISSES PRACTICE Veteran forward Alexander Steen, who has four goals and three assists this season, did not practice Monday because of what Yeo called Fabbri ready, Kyrou sent to San Antonio tightness in his neck. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.30.2018 Jim Thomas

Robby Fabbri’s ready. Jordan Kyrou’s gone. Gone to San Antonio, that is. With Fabbri, Nikita Soshnikov and Carl Gunnarsson all returning Monday from conditioning assignments in San Antonio, the Blues needed to clear roster spots for their return to the active roster. They opened one such spot Monday afternoon by sending Kyrou to the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate. In nine games with the Blues, Kyrou had one assist and was minus-3, averaging 10 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time. The closest he came to scoring was Oct. 17 in Montreal when he clanged a wrist shot off the post from 15 feet late in the second period. He was a healthy scratch Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks, giving way in the lineup to the team’s other top prospect, Robert Thomas. Kyrou flashed his superior speed on a few occasions, but with a couple of exceptions that bordered on the spectacular, he didn’t make a lot happen in his limited playing time. At age 20, he’s eligible to play in the AHL and can come back and forth from St. Louis to San Antonio if desired without having to clear waivers. That differentiates him from Thomas, 19, who’s too young by rule to play minor league hockey. It’s either the NHL or back to junior hockey for Thomas. Meanwhile, Fabbri returned from a three-game stint with the Rampage, tallying one goal and one assist, and being none the worse for wear after playing three games in five days. “It was good to get some games in,” Fabbri said after participating in Monday’s Blues practice. “It’s been awhile, but it was good to get my legs under me and get in some game-like situations.” Fabbri is attempting to come back from two left knee operations that occurred in an 8½-month period. Since the start of camp, his knee has caused no problems. It was a variety of soft-tissue issues — perhaps a result of overcompensating from the past knee issues — that set him back during training camp and the preseason. After that condensed burst of game action in San Antonio, he experienced no soreness whatsoever. “Yeah, I played a lot down there, about 19 minutes a game,” Fabbri said. “I felt good after the games, which was nice to get through, and get that out of the back of my head — that I can play a game without feeling sore after. And it felt good again today at practice.” So he’s ready for an NHL game? “Yeah, I think I’m ready now, and it’s up to the coaches,” Fabbri said. Coach Mike Yeo said Fabbri “definitely” was an option to play Thursday against Vegas. GUNNARSSON, SOSHNIKOV Soshnikov played in five games during his conditioning assignment in San Antonio, scoring one goal (with no assists). He was minus-4. He missed all of camp and the preseason recovering from a concussion he suffered while training over the summer. (A puck struck him in the ear.) Gunnarsson appeared in just two conditioning games in San Antonio, recording no goals or assists. Before the San Antonio assignment, Gunnarsson had skated regularly with the Blues during camp — although not in contact situations — as he completed his rehab from knee and hip operations last spring. Like Fabbri, Yeo said both could be available Thursday against the Golden Knights. “If they’re cleared to play down there (in San Antonio), then they’re cleared to play up here,” Yeo said. Then, he backtracked a bit. “I shouldn’t say that because obviously we gotta get through the week and see how they respond to practice and all that kinda stuff,” he said. “But obviously, they’re getting close. Let’s put it that way.” 1112729 St Louis Blues Particularly if Allen’s injury is short-term, the Blues are more likely to stick with Johnson, the veteran signed to a one-year free-agent deal July 1 after spending last season with Buffalo. Yeo said Johnson has his full Husso's back (again), but Johnson in line to start for injured Allen confidence. “Yeah, absolutely. That’s why we brought him here,” Yeo said. “He’s a guy that’s got experience and I know that he’s hungry for that Jim Thomas opportunity.” Johnson has appeared in three of the Blues’ 10 games this season, twice off the bench. Last Thursday against Columbus, he played the final 31 With the Rampage off Saturday, Ville Husso saw the Jake Allen injury the minutes 2 seconds. allowing three goals after Yeo pulled Allen in a 7-4 same way many Blues fans did — watching on television. loss. He played the final 21:01 Saturday against Chicago following Allen’s injury, allowing no goals and facing only five shots. “I saw right away that something happened,” Husso said. “And then our AHL head coach (Drew Bannister) texted me.” Johnson’s lone start was Oct. 14 at home against Anaheim in the second game of a back-to-back. He stopped 28 of 31 shots in a 3-2 loss to the The original plan was for Husso to start Sunday afternoon for San Ducks. Antonio against the visiting Chicago Wolves. But plans change. Jordan Binnington got the start; Husso got a plane ticket to St. Louis. The way the early-season schedule was laid out, Johnson didn’t figure to get many opportunities — until Allen’s injury, that is. Husso packed light. “Just a little bag,” he said. “No, not at all,” Johnson said. “That’s the thing. There’s a lot of games And what if he’s here for a while? spread out there, it favored Jakey getting in a lot more games. ... The “Then I might need to go buy some new stuff,” he replied, evoking schedule didn’t have a lot of back-to-backs.” laughter from reporters. But since playing his first NHL regular-season game in 2009 as a Husso, the top goalie prospect in the Blues’ system, has been down this member of the New York Rangers, Johnson has learned to expect the road before. Several times, in fact. Last season he was recalled five unexpected. times from San Antonio and sent down five times. “Absolutely,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of different situations over my By now he’s learned to keep his head down and not ask too many career. Things in this game happen fast and things change fast. So you questions. So when he was asked Monday if the organization had given always have to be ready for anything.” him any idea how long he’d be around this time, Husso’s answer wasn’t Johnson, who has played in 176 NHL regular-season games with 154 surprising. starts, said he put in the time training over the summer. “They didn’t say anything, actually,” he said. “I just focus every day in “Obviously, I want to play,” he said. “It’s why we all play the game ... to practice and go like day-to-day.” play it. So I’m looking forward to getting in there and helping the team try Husso is expected to back up Chad Johnson while Allen is sidelined, but to get two points.” after Monday’s practice at the IceZone in Hazelwood, coach Mike Yeo St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.30.2018 was not overly definitive on Allen’s status. “I don’t have much of an update,” Yeo said. “Obviously he’s not on the ice today. I think he is feeling better. He got on the bike there this morning. We’ll just see how he’s doing tomorrow.” When asked if he was ruling out Allen for Thursday’s game with the Vegas Golden Knights, Yeo replied: “I don’t even know for right now.” But it’s doubtful Allen plays Thursday after being helped off the ice following his collision with teammate Zach Sanford in the Blues’ 7-3 victory Saturday over the Chicago Blackhawks. “Obviously with Jake out we needed a goalie here,” Yeo said. “(Husso) had a really good training camp, so it’s good that he’s got a chance to come up and get this experience.” Despite all that experience going back and forth from San Antonio to St. Louis, Husso has yet to play in an NHL regular-season game. He either dressed and was a backup, or was a healthy scratch during all those recalls last year. “Yeah, hopefully I will get some game time now,” Husso said. “I just need to be ready when the time comes. At the same time, I just need to enjoy.” Husso certainly enjoyed the preseason, playing two full games and stopping 39 of 42 shots overall in a 3-2 victory over Minnesota and a 5-1 triumph over Columbus. So far this season in San Antonio, his numbers have not been as good for a Rampage team that has struggled to a 2-8 start. Husso’s record is 1-6 with a 3.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .887. “Couple bad goals, but otherwise, there was a lot of good things in my game,” Husso said. “I feel like I have gone forward from last year, too. So it’s just part of the game. Like sometimes, the team is not winning and goalies don’t get good numbers. But I feel comfortable right now.” Yeo actually watched one of those starts — in Winnipeg — during the Blues’ recent three-game trip in Canada. Prior to a Monday night game against the Jets, the Blues had an off day Oct. 21 in Winnipeg while San Antonio played the Manitoba Moose there. “I think it was four or five (goals allowed) in Winnipeg,” Yeo said. “And don’t really feel that he gave up a bad goal. ... So I didn’t leave that game feeling that he was bad, but probably not at the same level that we saw him in training camp.” And Yeo was very happy with what he saw from Husso in camp. 1112730 St Louis Blues Assuming they get through the next couple of days of practice OK, Yeo said all three should be available for the Vegas game Thursday.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.30.2018 Updated: Blues recall goalie Husso from San Antonio, send down Kyrou

Jim Thomas

J.B. Forbes The San Antonio shuffle was busy Monday for the Blues. Goalie Ville Husso, defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and forwards Robby Fabbri and Nikita Soshnikov all have been recalled from the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate. Gunnarsson, Fabbri and Soshnikov have been recalled from conditioning assignments as they complete their recovery/rehab from various injuries. Later Monday, the Blues announced one of the corresponding moves needed to free up roster spots for the pending return of Gunnarsson, Fabbri and Soshnikov. Namely, highly touted prospect Jordan Kyrou has been assigned to San Antonio. Kyrou, 20, appeared in the Blues' first nine regular-season games, averaging 10 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time and recording one assist (against Calgary). He was minus-3 overall. Kyrou began the season on the second line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn, also saw duty on a couple versions of the third line centered by Tyler Bozak, and even played one game with Ryan O'Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. But in recent games he had worked on the fourth line and was a healthy scratch for Saturday's 7-3 victory over Chicago. Husso replaces Jake Allen, who left late in the second period of Saturday's 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks with an apparent concussion following a net-front collision with teammate Zach Sanford. Husso is expected to back up Chad Johnson while Allen is sidelined, but after Monday's practice at the IceZone in Hazelwood coach Mike Yeo was not overly definitive on Allen's status. "I don't have much of an update," Yeo said. "Obviously he's not on the ice today. I think he is feeling better. He got on the bike there this morning. We'll just see how he's doing tomorrow." When asked if he was ruling out Allen for Thursday's game with the Vegas Golden Knights, Yeo replied: "I don't even know for right now." But it seems doubtful that Allen plays Thursday after being helped off the ice following Saturday's collision. "Obviously with Jake out we needed a goalie here," Yeo said. "(Husso) had a really good training camp, so it's good that he's got a chance to come up and get this experience." Like the Rampage team as a whole, Husso has struggled in San Antonio. He was 1-6 with a 3.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .887 this season. He did not play in Sunday's 3-2 victory over the San Antonio Rampage _ Jordan Binnington saw duty in that game. But if Allen misses a game or more, the likely starter is Chad Johnson, who has Yeo's full confidence. "Yeah, absolutely," Yeo said. "That's why we brought him here. He's a guy that's got experience and I know that he's hungry for that opportunity." Soshnikov, who had been sidelined with a concussion suffered during summer training, appeared in five games for San Antonio with one goal. Fabbri, coming back from a second knee surgery, had a goal and an assist in three games. Gunnarsson, who underwent knee and hip surgeries last spring, appeared in two games with no goals or assists for the Rampage. "I think sometimes those guys go down and obviously they want to make sure they get called up, so that's in their mind," Yeo said. "I don't want to say that they're not fully invested, but obviously they're down there with the intention of playing just those games, and they've got kind of a half- mind on being up here. "So I think that there was some good (for those players in San Antonio), and some that probably wasn't quite as good as what they will be. But otherwise everything else seems to be coming along. The timing's good. The conditioning's good, all that kind of stuff." 1112731 Tampa Bay Lightning

What are the Lightning players’ best Halloween costumes?

By Diana Nearhos Published: October 29, 2018

BRANDON — Whether you plan for a month or throw a costume together last minute, there's something fun about Halloween. Hockey is no different. Most teams, in the NHL and minor leagues, host parties and fans watch #hockeyhalloween to see their favorite players' costumes. The Lightning schedule doesn't have an opportunity for a party this year (the team doesn't even have consecutive days off at home from Oct.16 through Dec. 11), but they typically host one. "Being in a group of guys, so closely-knit all year, to have a party or a night when you can be creative and show a different side of yourself, it's pretty neat," defenseman Braydon Coburn said. "Over the years that I've played, there's always some guys that surprise you with their creativity." Right wing Ryan Callahan added that it's nice to have a specific occasion that includes the players' wives and girlfriends. Most of the team's bonding is done on the road and other player-only situations. So why does hockey seem to embrace Halloween more than other sports? No one was really sure, but scheduling has something to do with it. Baseball is the obvious one; that season is over by Halloween. In football, the NFL sticks to stricter practice schedules and Halloween falls near the trade deadline, which is always an odd time in any sport. The NBA seems to have an opportunity to fall similarly to hockey, and some teams have parties, but it hasn't quite caught on the same way. Ottawa had its party earlier in the month, where center Matt Duchene and wife Ashley announced her pregnancy. He posted a photo to Instagram of their matching skeleton costumes, hers with a small skeleton over her baby bump. What are some other Lightning players' favorite costumes? RW Ryan Callahan: "Two or three years ago, I was a gargoyle. I had wings that worked; they opened up almost 10 feet wide and you could flap them. I had a full mask with the makeup, it was impressive. My wife did a lot of online shopping for that one." D Braydon Coburn: "When I was in Philadelphia, my wife decided I was going to be a fish and she was going to be a mermaid. She went to this Broadway costume shop and this fish was a giant mascot-sized costume, it was like 10 feet tall. She got me this 4-foot long straw so I could have a drink. It was one of my favorite but not my proudest moment. After that, we made a 'no headwear' rule." G Louis Domingue: "My mom was good. She was a teacher, and every year she would win a contest. It's not like a pre-set costume. She would create them from scratch." C Anthony Cirelli: "Last year, I went as Mario from Mario and Luigi, the video game. That was probably the best one I had. I had a big stomach. It was an air balloon as my stomach, so it kind of made me look a little bit bigger." C Yanni Gourde: "Two years ago, me and my wife had the worst costume. We were Sriracha and soy sauce. It was so lazy. My wife had red pants and I had black pants. We had lids that kind of simulated the lids of those bottles. That was our worst. I can't recall our best." C Tyler Johnson: "Last year was really cool. I got to go to Howl-O- Scream at Busch Gardens and they made this whole custom clown costume for me. We were there for a couple of hours getting done up. It was cool to see the process." Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112732 Toronto Maple Leafs “You just want to be out there so bad,” he said. “Watching the game is probably the worst part. [Not] being around your teammates, being a part of something I think that’s kind of the hardest thing.” Flames dominate large stretches, beat listless Maple Leafs 3-1 Babcock said maintaining your mental health is the most important thing any individual can do, including injured hockey players. ROBERT MACLEOD “We talked a little about it [Monday morning],” Babcock said. “Be around the group, do what you do, train real hard, be better when you come back PUBLISHED OCTOBER 29, 2018 than were.” UPDATED OCTOBER 29, 2018 As a result of Matthews absence, Babcock was forced to shuffle his forward lines. He moved Kadri up from the third line to centre the top unit between Patrick Marleau and Marner. If one game is any judge, life without Auston Matthews could prove to be There were no goals in an opening period dominated by the a difficult journey for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Flames, who outshot a lethargic Toronto outfit 12-4 but could not beat In the first game without their injured star, the Leafs were listless and Leaf goaltender Andersen. mostly aim-less, unable to weather a ferocious forechecking attack by the Calgary Flames, who skated to a 3-1 victory Monday night at ScotiaBank His best save was when he rebuffed Sam Bennett point-blank just after Arena. the periods midway point. The win snapped a three-game National Hockey League losing slide for The Leafs started the second with a bit more drive but Calgary continued the Flames while the setback was Toronto’s first in three games. with its heavy forechecking that soon had Toronto back on its heels again. It was for the most part was a listless, tight-checking affair which the Flames dominated for large stretches with the Leafs constantly checking Gaudreau made a nifty end-to-end rush but failed to get a shot off as he their rear-view mirrors to see where the next wave of attackers were skated by Anderson’s doorstep. After that, the Jikael Backlund trio about to arrive from. managed to create some sustained havoc deep in the Toronto zone for the Flames but Andersen was able to final smother the puck. Shots for the Leafs were hard to come by as the Flames held a 24-15 edge through two periods, and a 34-25 advantage overall. The Leafs managed a surge in the final seconds and thought they had the game’s first goal when John Taveras jammed the puck across the There gaps were great, I mean [they were] right on top of our guys,” said line during a goalmouth scramble. But the goal was waved off as it came Toronto centre Nazem Kadri, who scored the only Toronto goal. “Coming just after the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the frame. through the neutral zone it just seemed like it was a pain in the ass every time. They made it tough on us and certainly congested the neutral zone Globe And Mail LOADED: 10.30.2018 area and that was the difference.” Only the solid goaltending of Toronto’s Frederik Andersen allowed the game to enter the third period with the game still deadlocked at 0-0. There, the Flames persistence finally paid off with a powerplay marker by Sean Monahan at the six minute, 34 second mark, banging home a big rebound after Andersen had turned away a drive by Elias Lindholm. Less than a minute later it was Lindholm who was set up perfectly on a cross-ice pass from Calgary sniper Johnny Gaudreau and his one-timer from the left circle eluded Andersen for a 2-0 Calgary lead. The Leafs went on a late power play and were at least able to make it interesting for the capacity gathering of close to 19,000 when Kadri scored in his third consecutive game to cut the Calgary lead to one. The Leafs were on the power play when Kadri banged one behind Calgary goaltender Mike Smith home after a gorgeous goalmouth feed from Mitch Marner. Calgary ended the drama when Michael Frolik scored into an empty net with 5.8 seconds left. “I just thought they were prepared, I thought they skated, I thought they worked,” said Toronto coach Mike Babcock. “We turned the puck over. The game’s frustrating when the other team works hard.” The Leafs were playing without Matthews, their top center, after he injured his left shoulder in a collision with Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba during the second period of Saturday’s game, a 3-2 Toronto win. While he will not require surgery, Matthews has been placed on injured reserve and will be lost for at least four weeks say the Leafs. That means he will miss at least the next 10 games. The centre missed a total of 20 games last season with an assortment of aches and pains, including one issue to his right shoulder in February that shelved him for 10 contests. The only positive to all that, the Leafs posted a decent 11-7-2 record during his absences. “It’s frustrating,” Matthews told reporters after Toronto’s pre-game skate Monday morning, referring to his latest setback. “There’s not much you can do. It sucks, but it’s part of the game.” It puts just a bit of a damper on what had been a red-hot start to the regular season. He became just the third player in NHL history when he recorded seven straight multi-point games to start the season although he had been held off the scoring sheet in his last four outings. Matthews said that being on the sideline for so long is anything but relaxing. 1112733 Toronto Maple Leafs Zach Hyman and newly promoted winger Kaspari Kapanen. No panic here, but the key to success without Matthews could be how best to utilize Marner, the teams most creative forward. Marner, by the way, had Leafs fall into another neutral-zone trap in loss to Flames | The Star 24 points a year ago with Matthews out of the lineup, tops on the team. MILESTONE MEN By Mark Zwolinski Nazem Kadri (500 games), cheered during a break in the action in the first period, and Morgan Rielly (400 games) reached significant milestones against the Flames. For Rielly, the mark brought to mind a comment by former Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, the former NHL Once again, the Maple Leafs faced a team bent on clogging the neutral defenceman, who said it takes about 400 games for a defenceman to zone. And once again, that team came away with a win. truly mature into the player he should be. Rielly is off to the best start of his career, so there may be something to that. Toronto couldn’t come up with any answers to Calgary’s blanket coverage in mid-ice, losing 3-1 in a contest that — at least you’d think — WHAT ABOUT NYLANDER? should have provided the Leafs a great opportunity to prove they can score and win despite playing without Auston Matthews, sidelined four The pressure to re-sign restricted free agent William Nylander will only weeks with a shoulder injury. grow with Matthews sidelined. With that in mind, here’s a neat Halloween tweet featuring a pair of kids whose impersonations Leafs GM Kyle Flames goalie Mike Smith robs Leaf John Tavares from point-blank Dubas and Nylander are bang on: range in Monday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena. It was that kind of night for the home side. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.30.2018 Flames goalie Mike Smith robs Leaf John Tavares from point-blank range in Monday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena. It was that kind of night for the home side. (Richard Lautens / Toronto Star) Calgary had surrendered 16 goals in its previous three games but, with a tried and true checking formula from the playbook of coach Bill Peters, outshot Toronto 34-25 at Scotiabank Arena. The shot totals were a good indication of how the Flames outworked the Leafs. The Leafs are to be expected to see some dropoff in offence with Matthews and his 10 goals gone. Coach Mike Babcock shuffled all the lines in response, which will likely be a point of discussion in the coming days. (Why shuffle all four units with just one player out?) They had some good looks on offence, but there was a lack of chemistry overall. The makeup of the lines, though, wasn’t integral to the outcome. Toronto’s problem was the way the Flames bottled up the neutral zone. That was evident in back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and St. Louis last week, too. When a team dishes out that kind of blanket coverage, the Leafs seem to struggle in all areas of the ice. The Leafs failed to score until the third period and were turnover happy — 26 giveaways, compared to 13 by Calgary — allowing Calgary easy access to a transition game. “Everything,” Leafs centre Nazem Kadri said when asked what the Leafs needed to do better. “They were a lot better that us tonight. We didn’t deserve to win that game.” Kadri went on to say Calgary was a pain in the butt all night. Like the Penguins, Blues and others, the Flames knew how to stall the league’s leading offence and force turnovers. The Leafs’ coaching staff will find a way to adjust, but there is work to be done. HONEST EFFORT With Matthews out, the Leafs need more from centre John Tavares than he produced Monday night. Tavares often leads by example, and points the finger at himself when his performance isn’t up to par. “We’re learning some good lessons: how much better we have to be, consistent, night to night,” Tavares said. “We have to be a lot better, starting with me.” Babcock added: “I didn’t think our top group had a good night, you know what I mean? So, you’re talking about a different group. To me, our top group playing against their top groups weren’t good enough. We look at the whole group, obviously. We weren’t good enough. So, we get an opportunity to ask ourselves why and get it straightened out, so we can be better.” FIRST AND LAST The Leafs have been wilting in the first periods of games, when they’ve been outshot by a wide margin and managed just three goals in seven home dates — nine first-period goals overall. It’s a flaw in their game that needs correcting. LINE ’EM UP It’s only one game, but there’s sure to be talk about the Leafs top two lines. Leafs coach Mike Babcock – in his first go around at the forward units with Matthews out — reunited Mitch Marner with his linemates from a year ago – Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau. Marner was electric as usual, but that line has to generate more, as does the Tavares line with 1112734 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs offence cold minus Matthews in loss to Flames | The Star

By Mark Zwolinski

This was the Maple Leafs’ first game without Auston Matthews this season, and it was clear the team lacked finish and chemistry in the offensive zone in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena. Calgary scored a pair of goals 55 seconds apart midway through the third period to bag the win, with Michael Frolik’s empty-netter sealing it. Sean Monahan, on the power play, and Elias Lindholm were the other scorers for Calgary. Toronto’s league-leading offence could not get into gear until Nazem Kadri scored late in the third, just as the first penalty on a five-on- three advantage ended. More was expected against a Calgary team that had surrendered 16 goals in its three previous games: Offensive stars: Brampton native Sean Monahan broke open a goal-less tie and then assisted on the Flames next goal … Mitch Marner was at his best —making plays, skating elusively, breaking down defencemen — in the second period. The Leafs’ offence will need time to find itself with Matthews out and the forward lines shuffled to make up for it. Kadri’s goal was the 10th power-play marker for the Leafs this season (10-for- 31). Defensive stars: Leafs goalie Freddie Anderson was simply brilliant. He stoned James Neal on at least two sure goal chances and had the answer for Johnny Gaudreau and several other Flames who had great opportunities over the first two periods … Defenceman Nikita Zaitsev, exhausted at the end of a long shift in the second period, dove to knock the puck away from Gaudreau, who would otherwise have had a golden chance. Andersen gave him a pat on the back after the play … Connor Brown threw himself in front of a heavy slapshot in the second period to take away a scoring chance. Turning point: Monahan’s goal — 18 seconds after an interference penalty to Leafs winger Zach Hyman. That call certainly didn’t go over well with Leafs fans, who saw light contact between Hyman and a Flames defenceman. Talking point: It’s only one game, but there’s sure to be talk about the Leafs’ top two lines. Coach Mike Babcock reunited Marner with his linemates from a year ago: Kadri and Patrick Marleau. Marner was electric as usual, but that line has to generate more, as does the John Tavares line with Zach Hyman and newly promoted winger Kasperi Kapanen. No panic here, but the key to success without Matthews could be how best to utilize Marner, the team’s most creative forward. Marner, by the way, had 24 points a year ago with Matthews out of the lineup, tops on the team. Takeaways: The Leafs have to find another gear in the first period on home ice. They’ve managed just three goals in the first period over seven home games so far this season. They’ve scored nine first period goals overall — their worst period offensively … Toronto tallied just four shots in the first period. They have taken 116 first-period shots overall, also their lowest of any period … Is it time to bring up Carl Grundstrom? The Leafs clearly can use some scoring and Grundstrom is second on the Marlies with four goals (while Trevor Moore tops the club with seven). They said it: “It means a lot … I’m privileged to play in this league and to get the opportunity to play in the city of Toronto, that has embraced me through the ups and downs. I’m honoured to be part of the future.” — Nazem Kadri on his 500th NHL game, all of them with the Leafs Strange: Defenceman Martin Marincin took a faceoff in the first period — he lost it. Congrats: Kadri and Morgan Rielly (400 games) reached career milestones. Up next: Toronto hosts the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112735 Toronto Maple Leafs In the category of optimistic spins on otherwise bad news, William Nylander couldn’t have been gutted by Monday’s development. Not that anyone roots for anyone else to get hurt. But as Curtis Joseph, the A month without Matthews hurts Leafs in many ways | The Star former Leafs goaltender, was saying in an interview the other day, thinking back to his own experiences missing part of an NHL season in a contract dispute, it’s only human nature for a player in Nylander’s position to root against his team. Nothing personal. Nothing mean-spirited. But in By Dave Feschuk negotiations, leverage is everything. And given that Nylander is one of the rare potential Toronto wingers with at least a track record of playing

centre, his leverage was strengthened here. By how much, we’ll find out. On the surface, Auston Matthews looks like the laboratory-built vision of Not that Leafs GM should have been dialing Nylander’s the ideal hockey player. A strapping six-foot-three and 220-some pounds, agent in desperation. But after two straight first-round playoff exits, home he skates like a dream, shoots like a laser, plays keepaway like it’s glued ice probably should be a priority in Toronto. A month-plus of regular- to his stick. season games, while they shouldn’t be the reason Dubas rushes into an Certainly he’s put up the numbers to justify the fawning. With 84 goals in ill-advised deal, can’t be dismissed as completely meaningless, either. 155 games as a Maple Leaf, nobody’s scored at a higher rate since he But Nylander’s contract, compared to Matthews’s health, ranks as a arrived in the league. footnote. Goal scorers like Toronto’s No. 34 are the rarest of talents. They can also be the biggest of targets. And the NHL, as much as Auston Matthews takes a big hit from Jacob Trouba, gingerly skates to Columbus coach John Tortorella has criticized it for becoming the No the bench, hunches over in pain and heads back to the dressing room. Hate League, and as a result the No Hitting League, can still be a He would not return. ruthless place. On Monday, sadly, anyone who pays attention in Leafland was rhyming Matthews has been finding that out more and more. Heading into off a less glowing collection of figures. Matthews, the club announced, is Monday, no NHL forward had taken more hits this season, according to expected to miss a minimum of a month with the left shoulder injury he NaturalStatTrick.com. In 11 games, he’d been the target of 26 recorded suffered on a crushing net-front hit from Jacob Trouba in Saturday’s win bodychecks. Zach Hyman, who led the league in absorbing such over the Winnipeg Jets. Add that to the right shoulder injury that kept punishment the past two seasons, had taken 25. That was a marked Matthews out of 10 games late last season — and which appeared to change from last season, when Matthews finished 122nd among limit his effectiveness in the playoffs — and that’s two shoulder injuries forwards in the category and took about a hit less per game than his suffered in the past eight months. Tack on the shoulder injury Matthews current rate. Matthews, in other words, was paying a price for his early- has acknowledged suffering as a teenager and you’ve got a history that’s season scoring explosion. concerning, especially given Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s insistence that Matthews “did work this summer” to build muscle around his shoulder As one NHL observer said: “When he gets back, he’s going to be even joints. Such is the nature of shoulder hurt, experts will tell you, that more of a target.” suffering once increases your chances of suffering again. Indeed, if you’re writing opposing scouting reports it doesn’t take a lot of With 10 goals in his first 11 games — a 74-goal pace — this looked to be ingenuity to spot a coming game against the high-scoring centreman with the season Matthews would take another giant leap toward greatness. the bad shoulders and wonky back and suggest an antidote might be Barely a month into it, he’s taken a sad step backward. maximum physical punishment. Not that a hotshot young athlete like Matthews, the lab-built vision of an ideal player, hasn’t worn a bull’s-eye And shoulders haven’t been the sole focus of Matthews’ growing resume all his life. The question now, though, gets more pressing. Can he adapt of hurt. There’s also the concussion that kept him out of six games last and prosper? Or will a fan base be setting its watches to his next season, and the back injury that removed him from the lineup for another prognosis for years to come? Given the vastness of his gift, the former four games last season, which echoed the back injury he suffered while still seems far more likely. But the latter is a scary thought, and suddenly playing in the Swiss league during his NHL draft year, and brought back top of mind. memories of the broken femur he endured a couple of years before that. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.30.2018 Now, bad luck is bad luck. As Babcock said the other night: “Sometimes things happen.” And considering Matthews is still just 21 and played all 82 games as a rookie, it’d be harsh to label him injury prone. It’s fair to say, though, that he’s becoming alarmingly familiar with the ins and outs of injury rehab. The player some would call The Franchise is learning far too quickly that, in the NHL, health is ever fragile. “It sucks, but it’s just part of the game,” Matthews said Monday. “I’m going to work as hard as I can to get back as soon as possible and get back to myself. We’ve got a lot of depth on this team, and no doubt we’ll be fine.” That the Leafs figure to be fine, notwithstanding Monday’s mostly listless 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames, makes sense. There’s no judging such things based on one game. Last year, when Matthews missed a combined 20 games with those three separate ailments, his teammates played at 98-point pace. They did it thanks to big performances by the likes of Mitch Marner, who racked up seven goals and 24 points with Matthews out, and Nazem Kadri, who had seven goals during the 10- game stretch Matthews missed for his previous shoulder recovery. They did it, too, by committee. And so it’ll have to go this time around. For Kadri, his season-opening stint as a third-line afterthought is over, at least for a while. Kadri was on a line with Marner and Patrick Marleau Monday; no excuse not to produce there, and he scored the lone home goal, albeit late in the third period with his only shot on goal. Elsewhere, Matthews’ absence will be a test of depth. Now it’s Par Lindholm and Frederik Gauthier occupying the third- and fourth-line centre spots, their combined eight career NHL points suddenly responsible for driving the bottom-six offence. The aftershocks of a long-term shoulder injury to top-line centre Auston Matthews will be felt throughout the Leafs’ lineup — and across the Atlantic. “Hopefully it’s something that’s going to bring out the best in us,” said Frederik Andersen, the No. 1 goaltender. “And once we do get (Matthews) back, he’s going to seem like a bonus.” 1112736 Toronto Maple Leafs

Flames’ Hanifin and Gaudreau have sympathy for Leafs’ Nylander in contract impasse | The Star

By Kevin McGran

Maple Leafs winger William Nylander is discovering the foibles and pitfalls of getting caught in a contract impasse. It’s a lesson Flames defenceman Noah Hanifin and forward Johnny Gaudreau have already learned. Nylander has yet to suit up for the Maple Leafs this season, unable to come to terms with GM Kyle Dubas on a contract. As a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal, he has no arbitration rights. His only choices? Sign what’s offered or wait, hoping for a better offer. Like Nylander, Hanifin was coming off his entry-level deal this year after having been selected fifth in the 2015 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. Talks between the Hanifin camp and Hurricanes weren’t going so well when — presto – Hanifin was traded to Calgary along with Elias Lindholm, another player coming off his first contract. “That was some of it,” Hanifin said about contract issues before the Flames took on the Leafs on Monday night. “(The trade) came pretty abruptly to me. It was around the draft, and I found out I was coming to Calgary. It was pretty abrupt.” The Flames sent defenceman Dougie Hamilton, forward Micheal Ferland and blue-line prospect Adam Fox to the Hurricanes, who were looking for — among other things — cost certainty in acquiring three veterans under contract. Calgary signed both Hanifin and Lindholm over the summer, Hanifin to a six-year, $29.7-million deal (all dollars U.S.), Lindholm for six years and $29.1 million. That wasn’t the case in the summer and fall of 2016, when Gaudreau missed training camp before agreeing to a six-year, $40.5-million deal. “It was difficult, but it was the business side of the game,” said Gaudreau. “I didn’t have too many rights, which sucked. But that’s part of coming out of (an entry-level deal). Maybe that’s something that gets resolved. “I was happy to get the contract done before the season started and I didn’t have to miss any games.” Meanwhile, Nylander sits. Maybe he’s gained a bit of leverage with Auston Matthews injured and the Leafs’ depth at forward being tested. Speculation is rampant that teams are lining up offers in case the Leafs decide to deal the right winger. But it’s only players such as Nylander who are caught in the situation: NHLers coming off their entry-level deals don’t have arbitration rights, like restricted free agents who have four to six years of experience. (Those with seven years can become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire.) “Obviously it’s strange that guys don’t have arbitration rights,” said Hanifin. “Maybe that will be adjusted in the next CBA. It’s tough. It’s a negotiation. It’s business. For both sides, it’s important to come to a fair agreement.” Hanifin is not complaining. He got his contract and he quite likes life in Calgary. “It’s a little bit different from Carolina, for sure,” said Hanifin. “It’s a huge hockey town. Great teammates in the room. We have a lot of potential in here to do great things. If we come together and figure it out pretty soon here, we’re going to have a good team.” The start — 5-5-1 heading into Monday night — is not ideal for a team with high expectations. “We’ve addressed it in this room,” said Hanifin. “We’re excited with the team we have. We all want to play hard for each other, which is the key to having a good team.” Toronto Star LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112737 Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews to miss four weeks with shoulder injury | The Star

By Kevin McGran

Auston Matthews says he is frustrated, but resigned to the fact that a shoulder injury will keep him out four weeks. “It’s frustrating, but there’s not much you can do,” said Matthews, adding there’s no talk of surgery. “It sucks. It’s part of the game. I’ll work as hard as I can to get back as soon as possible, and get back to myself.” He holds no ill feelings toward Winnipeg defenceman Jake Trouba, who delivered the crunching shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Saturday early in the second period. “I knew the guy was coming, and I was trying to get a shot off,” said Matthews. “You don’t know what to expect because you’re so close to the goalie. “I was trying to score. He took the body, which is what you’re supposed to be doing, and he caught (me) on the right angle.” Matthews, who has been dogged by shoulder injuries, missed 20 games last year due to a couple of ailments, including 10 games between Feb. 22 and March 22 with a sore right shoulder. “He did a ton of work this summer on his shoulder,” said coach Mike Babcock. “It’s too bad for the kids. Sometimes those things happen. But it’s an opportunity for someone on our team to play more. It’s an opportunity for us to dig in and get better.” Matthews was the team’s leading scorer with 10 goals and six assists, though he has gone five games without a goal and four without a point. “We have a lot of depth on this team. I have no doubt we’ll be fine. We’ll step up,” said Matthews. Toronto Star LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112738 Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares said. “We know we can be a lot better, starting with myself.”

MATTHEWS SHOULDERS IT Leafs struggle at home, put in listless effort in loss to Flames Matthews has been down this road before, and you have to wonder whether it’s going to become a well-trod path for the young Leafs Terry Koshan superstar. The 21-year-old has had shoulder trouble in the past — it’s the left one this time — and Matthews will be out for a minimum of four weeks and It sounded like a fairly simple request from Mike Babcock to the Maple placed on injured reserve after he was hurt against the Winnipeg Jets on Leafs on Monday morning. Saturday. Taking into account the absence of the injured Auston Matthews — and Matthews suffered a right shoulder separation last season, causing him that no member of the was summoned to play against to miss 10 games, and he said the issue now is “similar” to what he the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena — Babcock got the message experienced last February/March. He also had some shoulder trouble out. before his professional career. “I have never met one guy in hockey who says ‘Coach, can I play less?’ ” No surgery is required, Matthews said, and though some subscribe to Babcock said. “They always want more opportunity. Someone always theory that shoulder injuries can become more common the more they thinks they are getting the short end of the stick. occur, what concerns Matthews most now is the mental test that awaits. “No one is getting the short end of the stick. We only have 12 forwards. Three injuries caused him to miss 20 games last season, this after he They all get their chance. Show me.” won the Calder Trophy in 2016-17 when he played in all 82 games. Hey, coach, can your players get back to you on that, perhaps on “It’s a challenge, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad,” Thursday night when the Dallas Stars visit? Matthews said on Monday morning. “It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part. The Leafs had nothing going for the majority of the evening versus the Flames, losing 3-1 on Monday night. “Just being around your teammates, being a part of something (but not being able to play), I think that is the hardest thing. We have such an While Babcock didn’t get much from his depth players, those who make unbelievable group of guys and everyone makes you feel a part of it the big dollars weren’t exactly scintillating. regardless if you’re injured or scratched, so that part will be fine.” All this talk in the room in the past couple of days about the overall depth Babcock knows that will be a crucial aspect of Matthews’ recovery quickly circled the drain, at least for one game. process. “I didn’t think our top group had a good night,” Babcock said. “To me, our “I think that is the biggest part about it,” Babcock said. “I think your top group playing against their top groups weren’t good enough. When mental health is the most important thing you do in any walk of life. So you look at the whole group, we weren’t good enough, and so we will get when things don’t go the way you want, it might affect you mentally, how an opportunity to ask ourselves why and get it straightened out so we are you going to handle that? We talked a little bit about that this can be better.” morning. Be around the group, do what you do, train real hard and be better when you come back than you were. Nazem Kadri, who scored the lone Toronto goal after the Flames had taken a 2-0 lead with goals 55 seconds apart early in the third period, “If you have a head injury, you can’t do anything. If you have a foot injury was succinct when asked in what aspects the Leafs could have been or a leg injury and you can’t move, you can’t do anything. He can do better. everything. Be in the best shape you can, be as strong as you can be and be around the guys as much as you can be. It’s one thing if you have “Everything,” Kadri said after playing in his 500th NHL game. “We didn’t a family and you can go home to that family. When you are living by deserve to win that game, but just call that a wash, move on and worry yourself in Toronto, you don’t want to be hanging out by yourself, you about the next one.” want to be with the guys.” There was some hope for the Leafs, who fell to 3-4-0 at home, heading Matthews hurt his left shoulder when he absorbed a hit from Jets out of the second intermission. defenceman Jacob Trouba during the second period. He knew right away But Toronto could not buckle down, displaying little in the way of urgency. something was not right. The Flames got goals from Sean Monahan (on a power play at 5:39) and “It’s frustrating,” Matthews said. “We have a great medical team here, so Elias Lindholm (at 6:34) to scuttle any thought of a Toronto win. you know they are going to take care of you and get you back out there The Leafs thought they had tied the game late when a shot tipped by as soon as possible and you are feeling 100%. Zach Hyman appeared to go in. But the puck landed on the back of the “Just have to let it heal and do everything I can to stay in shape. It’s not net, never having actually entered it. the position you want to be in, but at least you can still skate once it “I don’t think I have ever seen that before,” Kadri said. “Just too late at starts to heal a little bit and feel better, get back on the ice and try to stay that point.” in game shape. Michael Frolik scored into an empty net with six seconds to play for “I knew the guy was coming, I just tried to get a shot off and score a goal Calgary. but he took the body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and caught me on a weird angle.” The Leafs, who were 11-7-2 in the games Matthews missed last season, were slow off the hop and truth be told, the Flames didn’t collectively One question: Will Matthews’ injury history become a factor in contract have to break much of a sweat to win puck battles. negotiations? There’s no question that the Leafs are capable of a heck of a lot more. POINT SHOTS Hyman remains stuck on zero goals. Patrick Marleau has one goal. More and more NHL scouts are circling the Leafs as the calendar creeps Connor Brown has one. Tyler Ennis has one. Frederik Gauthier has closer to Dec. 1, the deadline to sign William Nylander so he is eligible to none. play this season. Twenty teams had scouts accredited for the game, a Andreas Johnsson is among the Leafs who will get a nice shot with higher number than usual; four of those teams — the Chicago Matthews ailing. Even if Matthews was healthy, the same could be said Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes of Johnsson: He needs to get his game going, unable so far to build off — had two scouts on the list. The longer that Nylander is unsigned by the his post-season run for the Marlies, when he as named the most valuable Leafs, the higher the degree of speculation will be that he gets traded. It’s player in the American Hockey League playoffs. not something the Leafs want to do, though perhaps it’s what eventually brings an end to the stalemate … Part of the trickle-down effect with Johnsson barely was noticeable against Calgary. Matthews out is Par Lindholm lining up at his natural position of centre after playing on Kadri’s left wing. That’s welcomed by the 27-year-old Fact is, each Leaf had to stare into the mirror after the game. Swede in his first NHL season. “The first games, I was just skating “We are learning some good lessons now with how much better we have around thinking about what I’m supposed to do, but I think I have settled to be, consistently night to night, how well teams are ready to play us,” in a bit and I feel more comfortable,” Lindholm said. “It’s pretty nice to have that feeling. For me to make myself useful, the defensive side is more important. I know that I have skill in the offensive zone too, but we will see when that shows.” … When the Flames most recently made a stop in Toronto, last Dec. 6, Matt Tkachuk took it upon himself to spear Matt Martin, resulting in a one-game suspension. A couple of days later, Kadri, not one to shy away from giving his opinion, said Tkachuk should “wake up” and “there comes a time where you just have to mature.” Has the 20-year-old Tkachuk, who is an alternate captain with Calgary, done so? “I’ve never really thought about that,” Tkachuk said. “I’ve gone out with the same … maybe I have grown and I’m starting to figure out some more tendencies of players, so I’m maturing that way. But there hasn’t been a crazy change in my mindset.” … Once Ron Hainsey plays in his 1,000th NHL game on Thursday, it will be a while before another Leaf potentially hits the milestone. The next closest is Tavares, who has played in 681 NHL games. FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED Here, take it! The Maple Leafs were charged with 26 giveaways, double those made by the Flames. Defencemen Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev and Igor Ozhiganov had four each to lead the way. It’s not like Calgary played an overly heavy game and pounded Toronto. Hit re-start If only the Leafs could — their four shots on goal in the first period equalled their lowest output of any period this season. The slow start against a club that travelled far the day before was inexcusable. Lack of concentration The Leafs fired 20 shots at the net that missed the target, and had another 13 blocked. There was not an ability to bear down, a factor that is head-scratching, especially for a team that won eight of its first 11 games. In Fred’s head Frederik Andersen made 31 saves, and didn’t have to deal with a ton of traffic or glorious second opportunities on the part of the Flames. But the Leafs were disorganized to the point that they couldn’t move the puck well out of the defensive zone once they got possession. Step up Where was everyone? Only Auston Matthews had a good excuse for not showing up. The Leafs have to dig deep to find something much improved Thursday against Dallas. Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112739 Toronto Maple Leafs arguing (the crew was confident he hadn’t touched the puck) and got so frustrated as he glared into the timekeeper’s box, he smashed his stick over the boards. ULTIMATE LEAFS FAN: Chasing hockey history in Winnipeg Those were just a few of the memorable stories, but their shared experience was the admiration they had for each other and how truly special the Gardens still is to all of them. Mike Wilson Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018

WINNIPEG — At 1123 Grosvenor Ave. stands a modest two-storey residence that was the childhood home of iconic Canadian rocker Neil Young. Around the corner is Earl Grey Middle School, built in 1910, that the ‘Godfather of Grunge’ attended. A slap shot away, the community centre where Young performed early concerts is still standing. If those who attended only knew at the time what they were witnessing. For 30 years this city was a frequent business stop for me, but this part of the Ultimate Leafs Road Trip was an overdue opportunity to explore its heart, its history and hockey. My friend Grant Kopytko kindly offered a place to stay and to be tour guide. Mike Wilson at the Manitoba Museum’s ‘Stories Behind our Passion’ hockey exhibit. (Supplied) The Leafs had an affiliation with the Winnipeg Monarchs starting in 1944 until the mid ‘50s and a team named the Maple Leafs competed in the Manitoba Professional League more than a century ago (before ‘our’ Leafs were named). At one time, this province was the birthplace of more Leafs than any except Ontario. Turk Broda, Terry Sawchuk and Eddie Belfour come to mind. One of Winnipeg’s oldest rinks is named for Sawchuk, another for Bill Mosienko, who holds the NHL record for three goals in 21 seconds. Visiting the Young home also brought back happy memories of his father Scott, legendary author of Scrubs on Skates, the first book I ever read, followed by Boy at Leafs Camp and Boy on Defense. For my generation, these were must-reads for anyone with the slightest interest in the game. Young contributed to Conn Smythe’s biography and also penned Hello Canada, The Foster Hewitt Story, while covering the Leafs for years in the Globe. Mike Wilson with Marlene Prosser at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. Prosser runs female Leaf fans site in the Peg. (Supplied) On game day against the Jets, I spoke at the Manitoba Museum’s ‘Stories Behind our Passion’ hockey exhibit, which is displaying items from my Ultimate Leafs Fan collection. Audience members added some great Leaf stories I’ll be sharing with you in coming weeks. Watching the Leafs warm up, they thankfully had the jump sorely missing from home losses to St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Toronto played its best two periods so far in my opinion and had the Jets chasing the game. The roar from Leaf supporters after Kasperi Kapanen’s opening goal was the loudest I’ve heard in five road games to date. Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (24) reacts with teammates after scoring the game winning goal against the Winnipeg Jets during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, October 27, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Back home, it’s interesting how engaged the Toronto fan base has become with the multi-Cup champion Penguins with some sightings of their sweaters at SBA. Before heading West, my partner Deb and I hosted an evening with former employees of who shared some tales from their time in the hallowed halls, seats and offices of Toronto’s most famous building. Long-time usherette and supervisor Celeste D’Agostino said she always kept an eye out for vacant seats in the golds during the first period and filled them with appreciative fans from the upper reaches. Once, she sat Darryl Sittler’s wife Wendy and a friend, but embarrassingly had to send them packing when the subscriber showed up late. Mike Wilson at the Manitoba Museum’s ‘Stories Behind our Passion’ hockey exhibit. (Supplied) Hot Stove restaurant manager Nick Loizou had breakfast every morning with King Clancy and Harold Ballard, which had some observers worried Nick was influencing some of the organization’s trades — which he denies. NHL off-ice official Peter Smeaton once refused Ed Olczyk an assist on a goal that would’ve put the forward closer to a points’ bonus. Olczyk kept 1112740 Toronto Maple Leafs Johnsson needs to get his game going, unable so far to build off his post- season run for the Marlies, when he as named the most valuable player in the American Hockey League playoffs. Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews on latest shoulder injury: ‘It sucks’ “We have discussed that and talked about it and went through it and he has to get his confidence back,” Babcock said of Johnsson. “The American league and the NHL are two totally different things, but he is a Terry Koshan young guy who is getting better, was a dominant player at the end of year last year, he has to come in and do the same thing here now.

“He gets a good opportunity at the start of the game tonight, what does Auston Matthews knows the mental test that awaits. he do with it?” The Maple Leafs’ 21-year-old superstar has been down the injury road Frederik Andersen, who is 7-0-1 with a .912 against the Flames in his before, of course, having missing 20 games last season, and he is career, will start in goal for Toronto (8-3-0). bolstering himself for the period of inactivity. Mike Smith gets the call in net for Calgary (5-5-1). Smith is 7-3-3 in his The Leafs announced on Monday that Matthews will be out of the lineup career versus the Leafs with a .925 save percentage. for a minimum of four weeks with a shoulder injury, suffered on Saturday in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, and will be placed on injured The game marks the 500th in the NHL for Kadri, and 400th for reserve. defenceman Morgan Rielly. Former Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who drafted both, was in the dressing room after the morning skate to “It’s a challenge, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad,” offer congratulations. Matthews said on Monday morning. “It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part. Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.30.2018 “Just being around your teammates, being a part of something (but not being able to play), I think that is the hardest thing. We have such an unbelievable group of guys and everyone makes you feel a part of it regardless if you’re injured or scratched, so that part will be fine.” Matthews hurt his left shoulder when he absorbed a hit from Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba during the second period, and said the injury is similar to the one he suffered last season, when a separated right shoulder caused him to miss 10 games in February and March. Matthews endured an upper-body injury last November, missing four games, and missed six games in December because of a concussion. No surgery is required, Matthews said. “It’s frustrating,” Matthews said. “We have a great medical team here, so you know they are going to take care of you and get you back out there as soon as possible and you are feeling 100%. “Just have to let it heal and do everything I can to stay in shape. It’s not the position you want to be in, but at least you can still skate once it starts to heal a little bit and feel better, get back on the ice and try to stay in game shape.” Matthews has a history of shoulder problems, dating to before his NHL career. The Leafs were 11-7-2 in the games Matthews missed in 2017-18. Matthews leads the Leafs — who play host to the Calgary Flames on Monday night — in scoring with 16 points in 11 games. Matthews said he knew when he was hit by Trouba that there was a problem with his shoulder. “I knew the guy was coming, I just tried to get a shot off and score a goal but he took the body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and caught me on a weird angle,” Matthews said. “It felt not right. Getting back to the bench and to the trainer’s room, going through that whole process, to find out it’s not good enough to come back, so it’s just the way it goes.” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said no player will be recalled from the Toronto Marlies, for the time being. That likely will change when the team goes on the road for games, starting on Saturday when Toronto visits Pittsburgh. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock heads to the ice for a Leafs game day skate at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Monday October 29, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun “I have never met one guy in hockey who says ‘Coach, can I play less?’” Babcock said. “They always want more opportunity. Someone always thinks they are getting the short end of the stick. No one is getting the short end of the stick. We only have 12 forwards. They all get their chance. Show me.” Andreas Johnsson will return to the lineup after sitting the past two games, while Par Lindholm will take over as the third-line centre, between Johnsson and Connor Brown. Nazem Kadri will centre Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner, continuing on the theme when Matthews was hurt, and John Tavares skates between Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen. The fourth line of Frederik Gauthier between Tyler Ennis and Josh Leivo stays intact. 1112741 Toronto Maple Leafs eight of the first 11 games. Babcock would probably prefer that he do it with Kadri as it would split the two best producers of offence at the

moment (Marner and Tavares) onto separate lines and make the depth More Tavares and Kadri: How the Leafs are moving forward without of the Leafs attack a little stronger. Auston Matthews Because suddenly, without Matthews and Nylander, the Leafs just aren’t as deep in scary offensive weaponry.

By Jonas Siegel Oct 29, 2018 Can Kasperi Kapanen produce without Matthews? Will Patrick Marleau, boasting just one goal so far, come alive alongside Kadri? And what of Andreas Johnsson?

Mike Babcock didn’t need to say much after his team, missing Auston Before the game against Calgary, Lindholm said he was especially Matthews for the first time this season, was swallowed up by the Flames excited to play with Johnsson, a fellow Swede and friend. “Just waiting on Monday night. for him to catch fire,” Lindholm said. “When he does it’s gonna be awesome.” He answered two questions. Lindholm, too, becomes a more interesting figure with Matthews down. “I just thought they were prepared. I thought they skated. I thought they The Leafs need him to play more and against tougher competition than worked. I thought they sailed out of their zone and beat us up the ice,” they would have had he simply remained in the fourth line centre spot. the Leafs coach said succinctly after the 3-1 loss. Lindholm said he had been focusing more on ensuring that his defence But the game, while lacking in much excitement or entertainment value, was up to par. “Obviously with the three centremen we have in Matthews, did offer a whole bunch of clues as to how the team plans to move Tavares, and Kadri, that’s a lot of offence!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “I forward in the next month without Matthews. think for me to make the team and make myself useful the defensive side In short, a whole lot of John Tavares and Nazem Kadri. is more important. But of course, I know I have skill in the offensive zone too. But we’ll see when that shows.” Ice time The 27-year-old remembered starting as a fourth liner in the Swedish Tavares and Kadri both played over 21 minutes to set early season- League before working his way up to the top line with Skelleftea. He highs, including around nine minutes apiece in the third period as the finished last season with a career-best 47 points in 49 games while Leafs tried (and nearly did) come from behind to catch the Flames. running with two former NHLers — Oscar Moller and Joakim Lindstrom. It was the most ice time for Kadri — playing in his 500th career game — But whether that offence will translate to the NHL remains to be seen. in almost two years. He hadn’t logged that many minutes since late 2016, The Leafs probably weren’t counting on much that way — more that he when Matthews was still a rookie. Kadri played almost six minutes more would secure their fourth line with smarts and defensive reliability. But than his average in the 10 games before Matthews got hurt against they could use a jolt now without Matthews. Winnipeg. He was drawing just under 16 minutes from the three-hole with Matthews healthy, including around 13 and a half at even-strength. Lindholm has scored once in the first 12 games. So has Connor Brown, his right winger moving forward. Johnsson, meanwhile, remains without a Tavares had been playing almost exactly as much as Matthews. Babcock goal and has only a single point in seven games. has said he wants both centres in the 18-19 minute range. Given that, Tavares’ opportunity didn’t spike quite like Kadri, but he did cross the 20- The Leafs have to hope they can get something out of that group or that minute plateau for the third time as a Leaf. Not that that kind of ice should Gauthier, Tyler Ennis and Josh Leivo, a possession monster against the be unfamiliar to the 28-year-old: he averaged at least 20 minutes in each Flames, can deliver the odd goal — something they’ve yet to accomplish of his last seven seasons on Long Island. to this point.

Upwards of 21 minutes might be a little extreme for Tavares and Kadri, Matchups and zone starts but it probably won’t be all that unusual in the next four weeks to see Babcock had the Kadri line defend the Flames top unit of Sean Monahan, both regularly crossing the 20-minute mark, especially in games where Johnny Gaudreau and Lindholm, and that figures to be the way moving the Leafs are trailing. forward, with Tavares grabbing the second matchup — Matthew There just isn’t enough offence elsewhere. Tkachuk’s unit in this case on Monday night.

Babcock essentially stopped playing his third and fourth lines down the The matchup game becomes more interesting when the Leafs hit the stretch against Calgary as he pressed for a goal to tie the game after road and lose control. Opposing coaches will presumably want their top Kadri scored for the third straight game to bring the Leafs within one. Par lines going head-to-head with Tavares or perhaps Kadri if he remains Lindholm got on the ice for only three shifts in the final 10 minutes and with Marner. They will be sure to try to pick the Leafs apart though in Frederik Gauthier, not surprisingly, didn’t see the ice at all and had only getting their best players on the ice against Lindholm and Gauthier — two shifts in the final frame. both lacking in NHL experience.

“I didn’t think our top group had a good night,” Babcock said afterward, That was part of the luxury of having Matthews, Tavares and Kadri down no doubt referring to the likes of Tavares, Kadri and Mitch Marner, the middle. There was rarely a spot in which Babcock wouldn’t have felt among others on those top two lines. secure with the centre he had on the ice.

While Tavares, Kadri and Lindholm all played more in the first game That changes in November. without Matthews, Gauthier’s ice time remained unchanged at just over More interesting, though somewhat predictable, was the Leafs coach eight minutes. That figures to be the way moving forward. leaning on Kadri and Tavares for the bulk of starts in both the defensive The Leafs will need both of their top two units, in whatever form they and offensive zone. take, to play a whole lot better in the next month without Matthews than In some ways, this highlights the dilemma the Leafs face in the weeks they did Monday night. Because without the big American, the team is ahead without Matthews. The team will want either Kadri or Tavares on suddenly missing one more reliable source of offence, with William the ice for defensive zone draws against quality competition — especially Nylander still out and unsigned. if they feel that Lindholm isn’t ready — but it’s also imperative that those Marner, who finished the night back with Tavares, ended up playing 22 two units get out for the most opportunities at the other end. minutes and 35 seconds — the second most he’s played to date in the The Leafs got Kadri and Tavares on the ice for eight of nine draws in the NHL. His inability to get a stick on a pass from Morgan Rielly in the Toronto end against Monahan’s line — five for Kadri and three for defensive zone led to Elias Lindholm’s eventual game-winner. Tavares. The Leafs are going to need the 21-year-old to shine again in the month Because he had Tavares and Kadri, Babcock was able to load Matthews ahead, to electrify a line like he did down the stretch of last season with up with offensive zone starts before he got hurt and Matthews responded Kadri and Marleau. He was a spunky, energetic star in those last few with one of the most prolific starts in Leafs history. months and rocketed out of the gate again this fall with at least a point in But now, short Matthews, the puzzle becomes more conventional with only two top-end centres in the mix.

Matthews was around Scotiabank Arena throughout game-day. Like many of his teammates, he was even spooked in a Halloween prank by Carlton the Bear on Monday morning. Hiding in a large inflatable version of his standard outfit, the Leafs mascot stood near the Leafs dressing room before coming alive to scare each player that walked by.

Johnsson was so surprised he dropped his phone. Matthews shrieked in horror. He looked to be OK spirits though as the Leafs tried to move ahead without him.

“It’s a challenge because you want to be out there so bad,” he said. “It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part. (Not) being around your teammates, being a part of something, I think that’s kind of the hardest thing, but we have such an unbelievable group of guys and everybody makes you feel part of it regardless if you’re injured or scratched or whatever.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112742 Toronto Maple Leafs Nazem Kadri will centre Patrick Marleau and Mitch Marner, continuing on the theme when Matthews was hurt, and John Tavares skates between

Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen. The fourth line of Frederik Gauthier Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews on latest shoulder injury: ‘It sucks’ between Tyler Ennis and Josh Leivo stays intact.

Johnsson needs to get his game going, unable so far to build off his post- season run for the Marlies, when he as named the most valuable player Terry Koshan in the American Hockey League playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock addresses media following a Leafs game day skate at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Auston Matthews knows the mental test that awaits. Monday October 29, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun The Maple Leafs’ 21-year-old superstar has been down the injury road “We have discussed that and talked about it and went through it and he before, of course, having missing 20 games last season, and he is has to get his confidence back,” Babcock said of Johnsson. “The bolstering himself for the period of inactivity. American league and the NHL are two totally different things, but he is a The Leafs announced on Monday that Matthews will be out of the lineup young guy who is getting better, was a dominant player at the end of year for a minimum of four weeks with a shoulder injury, suffered on Saturday last year, he has to come in and do the same thing here now. in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, and will be placed on injured “He gets a good opportunity at the start of the game tonight, what does reserve. he do with it?” “It’s a challenge, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad,” Frederik Andersen, who is 7-0-1 with a .912 against the Flames in his Matthews said on Monday morning. “It sucks. I think watching the game career, will start in goal for Toronto (8-3-0). is probably the worst part. Mike Smith gets the call in net for Calgary (5-5-1). Smith is 7-3-3 in his “Just being around your teammates, being a part of something (but not career versus the Leafs with a .925 save percentage. being able to play), I think that is the hardest thing. We have such an unbelievable group of guys and everyone makes you feel a part of it The game marks the 500th in the NHL for Kadri, and 400th for regardless if you’re injured or scratched, so that part will be fine.” defenceman Morgan Rielly. Former Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who drafted both, was in the dressing room after the morning skate to Matthews hurt his left shoulder when he absorbed a hit from Jets offer congratulations. defenceman Jacob Trouba during the second period, and said the injury is similar to the one he suffered last season, when a separated right The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 shoulder caused him to miss 10 games in February and March.

Matthews endured an upper-body injury last November, missing four games, and missed six games in December because of a concussion.

No surgery is required, Matthews said.

“It’s frustrating,” Matthews said. “We have a great medical team here, so you know they are going to take care of you and get you back out there as soon as possible and you are feeling 100%.

“Just have to let it heal and do everything I can to stay in shape. It’s not the position you want to be in, but at least you can still skate once it starts to heal a little bit and feel better, get back on the ice and try to stay in game shape.”

Matthews has a history of shoulder problems, dating to before his NHL career.

The Leafs were 11-7-2 in the games Matthews missed in 2017-18.

Matthews leads the Leafs — who play host to the Calgary Flames on Monday night — in scoring with 16 points in 11 games.

Matthews said he knew when he was hit by Trouba that there was a problem with his shoulder.

“I knew the guy was coming, I just tried to get a shot off and score a goal but he took the body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and caught me on a weird angle,” Matthews said. “It felt not right. Getting back to the bench and to the trainer’s room, going through that whole process, to find out it’s not good enough to come back, so it’s just the way it goes.”

Leafs coach Mike Babcock said no player will be recalled from the Toronto Marlies, for the time being. That likely will change when the team goes on the road for games, starting on Saturday when Toronto visits Pittsburgh.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock heads to the ice for a Leafs game day skate at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Monday October 29, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun

“I have never met one guy in hockey who says ‘Coach, can I play less?’” Babcock said. “They always want more opportunity. Someone always thinks they are getting the short end of the stick. No one is getting the short end of the stick. We only have 12 forwards. They all get their chance. Show me.”

Andreas Johnsson will return to the lineup after sitting the past two games, while Par Lindholm will take over as the third-line centre, between Johnsson and Connor Brown. 1112743 Vegas Golden Knights

First fight by Golden Knights’ Jon Merrill a worthy battle

By Ben Gotz / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Defenseman Jon Merrill wasn’t planning on engaging in his first career fight when the Golden Knights hosted the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. “It was just spur of the moment,” he said after the game, sporting a black eye from a series of left hands landed by Mark Borowiecki. “I was just trying to be there for my teammate.” Merrill immediately sought out Borowiecki after the bruising Senators’ defenseman had delivered a big blow to the head of Knights’ forward Cody Eakin in the first period. He certainly didn’t cherry-pick his opponent. The bout was a bit of a mismatch in terms of experience as Borowiecki is approaching 50 fights in his NHL career, according to hockeyfights.com. It was more about the principle for Merrill. “(He was) obviously stepping up for his teammates and that was real big,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “Jonny’s not a big fighter, but when your teammate gets run over like that, he stepped up and it was perfect. Exactly what you have to do.” Eakin didn’t return to the game and the team didn’t have an update on his status for a two-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Nashville. Ryan Reaves, a prolific fighter in his own right, was proud of Merrill’s performance. “Great on him,” the Knights’ forward said. “Borowiecki is a tough kid and he’s a lefty, so I tip my hat to Jonny for stepping in there and sticking up for a teammate. That’s not an easy thing to do.” The league’s Department of Player Safety announced Borowiecki would be suspended three games without pay for the hit after a hearing Monday. He was ejected from Sunday’s game. Borowiecki was playing in his first game after serving a one-game suspension for an illegal elbow last week. He got at least three good left hands in on Merrill during the fight. Merrill wasn’t sure if he was able to land any counters. “He’s probably all right,” Merrill joked. ‘Crap shoot’ Forward Jonathan Marchessault’s game-winning penalty shot in overtime against the Senators on Sunday was the 15th penalty-shot goal in overtime in NHL history. The Knights became the 13th difference franchise to score such a goal in their 4-3 victory. There have been only five penalty-shot goals in overtime during past two seasons. “I mean, it’s a crap shoot,” Senators goaltender Craig Anderson said. “Good shooter there, probably one of the best skilled guys. You know he made a perfect shot just inside the post over the pad. So, you know, it is what it is.” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher, your thoughts on the hooking call on Mark Stone that cost your team a point? “We’re not allowed to say anything,” Boucher said. Opponent update The Nashville Predators are tied for the most points in the Western Conference but Bridgestone Arena, where the Knights play Tuesday, hasn’t been a fearsome venue this season. The Predators are 3-3 at home but 5-0 on the road. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112744 Vegas Golden Knights

Rough road stretch for Golden Knights opens in Nasvhille

By David Schoen / Las Vegas Review-Journal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — William Karlsson hasn’t memorized the Golden Knights’ upcoming schedule. But he’s certain of one thing. “All I know is we have a lot of road games,” Karlsson said. “That means we’re going to be home later in the year, right? So, it has its ups and it has its downs.” After giving the NHL’s newest team a favorable schedule to open its inaugural season, the empire struck back in the Knights’ second year. Starting with Tuesday’s game against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena, the Knights play 12 of their next 17 games on the road, including six of their next seven away from home against teams with a combined record of 35-19-9. “It’s funny because somebody said in the dressing room we had a five- game homestand and we went 3-1-1, but it doesn’t feel like that because we started off at (2-4) when we got home,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “We want to win and we want to play better and we want to make sure things are going. “It’s a tough trip coming up to Nashville and St. Louis and they’re good hockey teams. We’ve just got to keep going. We have to keep playing like this.” The Knights traveled Monday and did not provide an update on whether injured forwards Max Pacioretty and Cody Eakin are cleared to play on the two-game trip that concludes Thursday at St. Louis. Pacioretty left in the first period of Friday’s 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay after absorbing a hard hit from Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn and did not play in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime victory over Ottawa. He is listed as day to day. Eakin took an illegal check to the head from Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki in the first period Sunday and did not return. Borowiecki was slapped with a three-game suspension Monday by the league’s Department of Player Safety. “It’s not where we wanted to be as a group to start the year, but I mean, all teams face adversity in the year and we have a lot of injuries right now,” leading scorer Jonathan Marchessault said. “It’s not an excuse. It’s just, we’ve got to see it as guys need to step up. I think we all need to step up, especially for myself.” Nashville, which is tied with Colorado atop the Central Division with 16 points, continues a tough opening stretch for the Knights. The Predators are the eighth playoff team from last season the Knights haved faced through 12 games. The Knights (5-5-1, 11 points) sit one point out of a playoff spot and are three points back of Pacific Division-leading San Jose, but can’t afford to fall too far behind. Nov. 1 is often cited as a statistical benchmark, as teams out of the playoffs by four points or more on that date rarely dig out of the hole. Minnesota overcame a four-point deficit last season to reach the postseason, but since 2005-06, 51 of 58 teams (88 percent) in that position on Nov. 1 ended up missing the playoffs. Of course, Washington started 5-6-1 and won the Stanley Cup last season, and Nashville was nine points behind St. Louis on Nov. 1. The Predators went on to claim the Presidents’ Trophy for the most points in the regular season (117) and the Blues missed the playoffs, so a lot can change in the next five months. The Knights, who went 2-3 on their first road trip, carry a bit of momentum into Nashville. They dominated Tampa Bay in the third period of Friday’s loss and fired a franchise-record 53 shots on goal against the Senators. “We’ve got a lot of road games in November,” right wing Ryan Reaves said Sunday. “To come off this win and go on the road with some confidence is big for us.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112745 Vegas Golden Knights

MGM Resorts, NHL sign sports betting partnership deal

By Todd Prince / Las Vegas Review-Journal

MGM Resorts International has become the first gaming company to sign a sports betting partnership with the NHL. MGM CEO Jim Murren and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman signed a deal Monday in New York City naming the Las Vegas-based company the league’s first official sports betting partner. Financial terms were not disclosed. MGM will receive access to “previously unseen enhanced NHL proprietary game data,” according to a joint statement. The deal will also enable MGM to market its properties and entertainment lineup to millions of hockey fans through the league’s media platforms and events. “The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our league,” Bettman said. “As a leading global gaming operator and entertainment company, MGM Resorts is the perfect partner for us to begin our transformative entry into this space.” MGM out front Murren has leapfrogged his Las Vegas peers in signing sports betting agreements with leagues since the Supreme Court overturned a ban on wagering in most states in May. In July, MGM signed a similar deal with the NBA, the first of its kind for a U.S. league. The deals with the two leagues are not exclusive. “MGM is very bullish on sports entertainment and sports betting, so it is trying to get in front of this expansion around the country,” said Union Gaming analyst John DeCree. “It is in their DNA.” Murren was instrumental in bringing the NHL to Las Vegas, said DeCree. He recently brought women’s basketball to the Strip and is trying to get the NBA to follow suit. MGM, which owns 50 percent of T-Mobile Arena, sees sports entertainment as a key driver of future growth. The league deals will give MGM greater exposure to markets where it does not have a physical presence as wagering is legalized around the U.S. Wagering is currently legal in six states, but that number could reach 44 by 2023, according to California-based research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. MGM will have a physical presence in seven states when it completes the purchase of a casino and raceway in New York next year. It will have mobile access to potentially eight more states through a partnership it signed with Boyd Gaming in July. Changing tactics Some leagues fought the legalization of sports betting and petitioned states to impose a so-called integrity fee based on the amount wagered. They also argued that operators should pay for the league data necessary to make odds. Casinos and sports betting operators said integrity fees would eat up much of the profits and make it difficult for legal operators to compete with underground books. They also argued the information was not the domain of the leagues. States have sided with the operators so far on the integrity fee debate, and that may be pushing leagues to sign partnerships that generate a fee in exchange for advisement and access to their data. Irwin Raij, co-chair of the sports group at international law firm O’Melveny & Myers, said leagues are now looking for innovative ways to package proprietary data for sports betting operators. He called the NHL’s decision to create new official league data “a practical solution” that will likely be copied. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112746 Vegas Golden Knights possible). But more importantly, they're going to use it to be able to set odds and proper odds that they're going to be able to create."

In an email to The Associated Press, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill NHL partners with MGM Resorts to share data for sports betting Daly said MGM "will access (NHL data) through our third party vendor, SportRadar. That may or may not change in the future." SportRadar also provides NBA data. By Denis Gorman, Associated Press Some leagues, including Major League Baseball and the NBA, had called for an "integrity fee" — essentially, states would give leagues a cut of the money wagered on their games to pay for expanded monitoring of NEW YORK — The NHL announced a multiyear agreement Monday to suspicious betting and to protect intellectual property. The effort has provide MGM Resorts International with data for use in betting, the been largely unsuccessful thus far. second major U.S. professional sports league to strike a deal with the casino giant since the Supreme Court opened the way for expanded "We have no concerns about the integrity of our game, of our players, our gambling last spring. officials," Wachtel said. "We've never had an issue. Secondly, the integrity of the sports betting landscape is just as important to the Las Vegas-based MGM is the league's first official sports betting partner, bookmakers, which is why the NHL does not have a discussion and we just as it is with the NBA and WNBA. That deal was reached in July. don't talk about this notion of integrity fees." As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data Bettman dismissed concerns that NHL players could be persuaded to that could eventually include puck and player tracking information once gamble on or even throw games. that goes through a testing phase. Access to that data will allow MGM to provide customized game details along with betting opportunities for U.S. "We monitor all of the games," said Bettman. "Through third party customers where gambling is legally available. resources. We watch what goes on, whether or not betting lines shift and the like ... It hasn't been an issue and we don't anticipate it being an The data will not be exclusive to MGM. The NHL is not getting a cut of issue." gambling profits, but other terms were not disclosed. Scott Butera, MGM Resorts' president of interactive gaming and a former "The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan Arena Football League commissioner, outlined how the puck and playing engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our tracking data will help bettors. league," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our "If I know one player is faster than the other, if I know one expends less progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do." energy than the other, if I know one has a faster slap shot than the other, it gives me information that I can bet," he said. "If I'm betting on who will MGM and other casino operators are moving aggressively to capitalize score the most goals, I have that tool. Ultimately when enough data is on the U.S. sports betting market, which is expanding after the Supreme collected on that, we'll be able to actually bet on that data itself. So you Court ruled in May that states could take sports bets if they wanted. could have a bet on which player's going to have the highest average MGM has made a series of significant moves, including the multiyear slap shot throughout the game." deal with the NBA and WNBA. Butera said MGM believes expanded sports betting will eventually be Bettman and MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said the available in 25 to 30 states. The 24 U.S.-based NHL teams play in 18 NHL's agreement differs from that with the NBA. different states, with seven more in Canada, which does not allow single game betting. The league is moving toward adding a 32nd team, in "I'm led to believe by Jim that our deal is more encompassing and Seattle in what would be its 19th state (Washington). includes basic sponsorship that we have together," Bettman said. Bettman said the seven Canadian teams "have been working with the The deal will include promotions during the league's marquee events, lotteries who control gambling on a provincial basis." including the Stanley Cup playoffs, the All-Star game and the Winter Classic. "I think that will continue," he said. "I know there have been a lot of discussions about going to single game betting as opposed to parlay, "We couldn't be more excited to enter into this historic partnership with which is what currently exists. And as the law evolves, you will see our the NHL," Murren said. evolution in dealing with it." Bettman said player tracking will be implemented next season. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.30.2018 "That's been the plan," he said. "While we've tested it in some forms at the World Cup, that was 16 games in two weeks at one arena. Having to scale this for 1,271 regular season games in 31 arenas is a little bit harder." There are no plans to change the way teams report player injuries, which are often described only in generic terms like upper-body or lower-body. "Our players tend to play hurt," Bettman said. "I'm not sure we have any interest in changing our reports. We're comfortable with the way things are because it's important to the well-being of our players. We don't want them targeted when they're playing injured." Bettman said the league and the NHL Players' Association will split the "fixed revenue" generated by the partnership with MGM, as the collective bargaining agreement calls for. Bettman cited a report commissioned by the American Gaming Association that estimated expanded sports betting could increase league revenue by more than $200 million. Bettman also said the deal with MGM would not preclude teams from striking deals with individual sports books. Earlier this year, bookmaker William Hill struck deals to do promotional work and post odds at the home arenas of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the New Jersey Devils. NHL executive vice president and chief revenue officer Keith Wachtel said being able to provide enhanced data and analytics to MGM will allow "some creative and unique things that don't really exist in the sport right now." "The more data and analytics that a gaming operator can have, the better it will be in enabling them to set odds," Wachtel told The Associated Press. "Whether or not they're using the data for actual purposes of creating prop bets and things like that certainly is something (that's 1112747 Vegas Golden Knights Gallant has preached working hard and having fun since the day he was hired in Vegas, and Marchessault is almost an extension of him on the ice. As Jonathan Marchessault goes, the Golden Knights follow “He shows it in practice,” Gallant said. “He has a lot of jump in practice and that’s what I like about him. It’s a short practice most days — 40 minutes, as you guys know — but I want (the players) to come here, By Jesse Granger Oct 29, 2018 work hard and have fun, and Marchy leads the way for sure.” During practice there are pucks flying in every direction, and tracking who is scoring and when is nearly impossible. Unless the scorer is His high-pitched shrieks, whoops and howls echo throughout the rink any Marchessault. time he scores, or even steals the puck from a teammate during practice. Sometimes the squawks continue into the dressing room, as you can He’ll slip a wrister past backup goaltender Malcolm Subban, and never commonly hear Jonathan Marchessault still celebrating as he walks forgets to taunt him as he skates to the back of the line. He’ll even turn to through the hallways. the fans in attendance and mockingly belt out a “Suuub” chant. But it’s all in fun. No one has more fun at Golden Knights practice than Marchessault, and the top-line winger has taken a leadership role on and off the ice in “I pick on him behind the scenes when no one sees it,” Subban said Vegas. The playful yet hard-working demeanor he brings to the rink laughing. “He tries to get even with me out here.” every day exudes everything Gerard Gallant wants his team to be. “I’ve never seen the kid in a bad mood,” Gallant said. “He’s happy and Marchessault leads the team with six goals and 11 points through 11 enjoying himself, so it’s nice to see. It’s refreshing.” games, and scored perhaps the biggest goal to this point in the season Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena. Marchessault’s childlike approach is contagious with his teammates. He was hauled down by an Ottawa Senators’ defender during a “I’m sure you guys can hear him yelling and screaming out there when he breakaway attempt in overtime and was awarded a penalty shot. scores goals or when he takes the puck from somebody. It’s a lot of fun Marchessault skated in slowly, sized goaltender Craig Anderson up and and keeps it light,” Merrill said. “He’s definitely a guy who encourages the fired the shot beneath the glove hand to send the Golden Knights out 4-3 guys to have fun and enjoy the game. We’re trying to win but we have to victors. have fun at the same time. That’s important and he definitely gets us going.” The sellout crowd of 18,000 erupted around him. The deafening goal horn blared and smoke machines fired in every corner of the rink. But in Marchessault is notorious for making his teammates continue a drill until the middle of jubilation, this time Marchessault didn’t whoop or holler. He he scores. He also knows when to turn the dial and bring physicality. took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. “Marchy is what? 4-foot-2? And he is not afraid to play like he’s 6-foot-5,” Moments later his friend and teammate Erik Haula tackled him to the ice Reaves joked. “For a small guy, he runs around, and he’s not going to lay in celebration. anybody out, but if you have guys like that coming at you, it wears you down. I’ve played against teams like that, and I’ve been on teams like It’s only late October, but the buzz in the dressing room had a feeling of that, and it definitely wears guys down.” higher importance after the win. At 5- foot-9, 174 pounds, Marchessault is the smallest player on the “It felt like a big game tonight,” Gallant said. “It’s early in the season but roster, but he’s fifth amongst forwards in hits this season despite playing it’s the last game of a homestand and we’re going on the road for two on the first line. It’s that physicality matched with his 27 goals and 48 tough games now.” assists last season that earned him a six-year, $30 million extension. The win brought Vegas’ record back up to 5-5-1 on the season and “I’m real happy for him,” Gallant said. “The kid came out of nowhere sort ended a two-game losing streak before the team heads on the road for of, and he earned a big contract last year because he earned it. He plays tough matchups with Nashville and St. Louis. hard every shift and I’m really happy for the kid.” “We really needed that game,” Marchessault said. “It’s not where we At this point, Marchessault has clearly proven his 30-goal season in want to be as a group to start the year, but all teams face adversity 2016-17 with the Panthers wasn’t a fluke. Now his $5 million average throughout the year. We all need to step up, especially myself.” annual value seems like a bargain. Marchessault puts much of the Golden Knights’ slow start on his Marchessault plays well beyond his stature, and he’ll need to as the shoulders, despite the fact that he leads the team in most statistics and is Golden Knights continue to lean on him heavily going forward. on a point-per-game pace. It speaks volumes of the standard he holds himself to and is a big reason why he has become a team leader. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 “As he goes, we go,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “We look to him in big situations to score big goals like he did tonight, and when he’s scoring and playing his game, the team follows.” Marchessault isn’t shy to speak his mind. Most memorable for me, was last season in the Winnipeg dressing room. The Golden Knights had just been manhandled by the Jets in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals and many were already writing Vegas off. Marchessault’s response: “We are going to see what kind of team we are. There are no excuses. Everybody has to be ready to play our best game of the playoffs, and we are going to show what kind of team we are.” Two days later he scored two goals to lead Vegas to a 3-1 win, and the Golden Knights didn’t lose to Winnipeg again on their way to the Stanley Cup final. “I think he’s one of those guys that talks when he has to,” teammate Ryan Reaves said. “He’s not the most vocal guy on the team, but he’s becoming that guy that when he does talk you listen up.” Last week, when usual alternate captain Deryk Engelland missed time with an injury, Marchessault donned the “A” for Vegas. “It was a chance to give him the assistant captaincy and he deserved it,” said Gallant, who also coached Marchessault during his time with the Florida Panthers. “He’s one of our great players. He competes every night and he’s a guy that’s noticeable.” 1112748 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Considered Anti-Bullying Campaign After Social Media Comments Skewered New Mascot Last Year

By ALAN SNEL

The nasty social media comments about the Golden Knights’ new mascot, Chance the gila monster, were so vicious a year ago when the mascot was unveiled that the NHL team actually considered launching an anti-bullying campaign in response to the mean-spirited anti-Chance posts on Twitter and Facebook. VGK Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsworth shared that choice nugget Monday afternoon at a sports branding discussion held by ThriveHive, a digital marketing company that is a sponsor of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tourney at TPC Summerlin this week. “We contemplated it,” Killingsworth told LVASportsBiz.com after he and five panelists chatted about sports branding at a hospitality building on The Hill at the 7,255-yard course. LVSportsBiz.com reported the story behind the mascot Chance in an Oct. 13, 2017 story. Killingsworth brought up the social media mascot tale when the panelists talked about digital media strategies to build branding. The Golden Knights ended up backing off the anti-bullying campaign idea and instead created an irreverent “Mean Tweets” video, which had fun with some of the actual anti-Chance tweets. The two-minute, five-second video consisted of players such as defenseman Colin Miller, staff and even owner Bill Foley reading tweets that hammered the mascot, with Chance absorbing the social media shots in humorous settings. Foley was the closer in the self-deprecating Chance video. You can see that mean tweets video here. “When we launched the mascot, we knew we were going to take some lumps on social media,” Killingsworth told the listeners. But he noted the team knew that Chance the mascot was designed to appeal to little kids and wasn’t too concerned about the mean tweets from 40-year-old guys. Golden Knights Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsworth showing the gila monster mascot when it was unveiled a year ago. Joining Killingsworth on the panel were Kevin Camper, Las Vegas Motor Speedway senior VP of sales and marketing; Brandon Clark, Las Vegas (the ThriveHive event sheet said Las Vegas, not Oakland) Raiders, director of marketing; Rob Dondero, R&R Partners executive vice president; Lisa Motley, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) sports marketing director; and Heidi Noland, UFC vice president of global brand creative. About 100 guests or so listened to the brand marketing advice from the panelists, who used the brand buzzword, “vertical,” a lot and talked about using digital media to reach demographic groups such as the coveted millennials. Clark, the Raiders’ marketing chief, mentioned that 85 percent of the Raiders fans do not live in Oakland but he expects more than half of the fans at the new $1.9 billion, domed stadium project in Las Vegas to be southern Nevada residents. A look at the Raiders stadium that opens in Las Vegas in July 2020. The Shriners golf tourney is staging a Raiders watch party at The Hill hospitality center Thursday night, when the NFL team plays the San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders have about 20 full-time workers in Las Vegas as they prepare to open the 65,000-seat stadium in July 2020. One discussion listener, Brandt England, who is the tourney’s volunteer division chairman for corporate hospitality, asked the Raiders’ Clark whether the personal seat licenses that cost as high as $25,000 to $75,000 apiece would price out local families from attending Raiders games in Las Vegas. Raiders Director of Marketing Brandon Clark at the panel discussion Monday. ThriveHive discussion moderator Mike Flanagan, also a Shriners Open board member, shot down that question. But Clark did say he expected most of the fans in the stadium on the west side of Interstate 15 across from Mandalay Bay hotel-casino will be from Clark County. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112749 Washington Capitals Very often, the clients actually themselves lower their performance capacity by 20 to 25 percent.”

Swärd focuses on helping those clients channel their optimal Andre Burakovsky hopes new mental approach can breathe life into his performance even when stressed. Swärd teaches specific breathing game techniques, and he sent Burakovsky a journal with questions for before and after games as a way to monitor trends and analyze why he reacted the way he did in a certain situation and how to change that next time. By Isabelle Khurshudyan October 29 Among the prompts Burakovsky writes about before games is a list of the six most important things he needs to do to play well and a plan of what he wants to do on the ice. Swärd said that a person in “the changed state” will always challenge that agenda, but reflecting on words written Before and after every game, Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky opens when in a normal state can bring a certain confidence and erase doubt. his journal to a fresh page and answers a series of questions, writing down what he wants to accomplish that night and then how he felt about “I’m waking my brain up a little bit when I’m doing that,” Burakovsky said. his performance immediately after the fact. When he can sense stress “You get your mind ready.” creeping in, he turns to the breathing exercises he learned over the summer, sitting or standing in a certain posture to promote deeper and As Burakovsky has been going through that routine in this first month of steadier inhales. Anytime he starts to internally berate himself for a shot the season, rather than dwelling on all of the things he did wrong in the missed or a puck turned over, he reminds himself to stop. last game, he’s visualized what might happen in the next one, keeping his stick on the ice and his head up, waiting for the pass. And when the “Before, I would always just be so mad at myself after games for three or puck lands on his blade, he shoots without hesitating. It was the way his four days,” Burakovsky said. “Now every shift, if I have a bad shift, I just first goal unfolded last week, and Burakovsky raised both arms while forget about it. I’m just looking forward to the next one.” screaming in celebration and also relief. Burakovsky’s four-year tenure with Washington has been defined by “Last year, I really was hard on myself and gave myself a really hard lengthy slumps, and as this season started with another one – he had no time,” Burakovsky said. “That’s something I told myself that I have to points in the first eight games and had been relegated to the fourth line – change because I can’t be so negative on myself when things aren’t perhaps no one was as patient or as positive as he was. Recognizing going my way. I just have to find a way to be positive about it, and I think that his mental angst was hurting his performance last season especially, I’ve done that.” Burakovsky hired a mental coach over the summer, and he’s kept up the exercises he learned, like the breathing techniques and regular writing. Washington Post LOADED: 10.30.2018 On Washington’s recent road swing through western Canada, Burakovsky scored his first goal of the season against Edmonton. The next morning, he was promoted into the top-six forward corps. The stakes are high for him to have a good season. The 23-year-old is in a contract year, due to become a restricted free agent next summer, and while many former first-round picks get long-term deals at that juncture, the Capitals are still waiting for Burakovsky to break through. In large part because of three separate hand injuries, Burakovsky’s point production has dropped in each of the past three seasons. Though the team doesn’t plan to part ways with him at this time, he hasn’t exactly cemented a future in the organization either. “We just want to get him in an environment where he feels confident and he’s contributing what he has to team success,” General Manager Brian MacLellan said before the season. “We’re not so concerned about contract and points. We want him to develop a consistency in his game that we’re all going to benefit from, and everything else will take care of itself.” Burakovsky learned of Swedish mental coach Andy Swärd through his work with New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt, a sixth-round pick in 2016 who was one of the league’s most promising rookies last season and credited much of that success to Swärd. Burakovsky was always one of the best players on whatever team he played for growing up, whether it was in the Swedish league or with the Erie Otters, a Canadian major junior club where he skated alongside Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. But when he got to the NHL, scoring didn’t come as easily, and Burakovsky didn’t know how to deal. One bad shift would devolve into a bad game, and that would then stretch into a bad month. He endured scoring slumps of 20-plus games in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. It was one extreme to another; then-coach Barry Trotz made Burakovsky a healthy scratch during the Eastern Conference finals and when Burakovsky returned to the lineup, he scored two goals in Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, flashing the high-end skill and skating that spurred the Capitals to draft him. He just hasn’t been able to show it throughout a full season. It was around that playoff series that Burakovsky first contacted Swärd, and when Burakovsky returned to Sweden for the summer, Swärd put him through a series of stress and personality tests over the course of several days. Swärd’s work centers around what he refers to as “the changed state,” which is the “body and mind’s primitive form of reacting” during duress. Certain personality traits become amplified in a negative way, and with athletes in particular, Swärd found that their hands and feet would become significantly colder. “It’s commonly known as getting stiff ankles or wrists, or the pass is not functioning when it’s game time,” Swärd said. “Everything works in practice, but in a game, you feel you can’t do your shift 100 percent and you feel tired and you can’t see the things in the right way because everything is going so fast. That’s because you’re in a changed state. … 1112750 Washington Capitals 4. John Carlson is a legitimate superstar In 10 games, Carlson has five multi-point games, is tied for first among all defenseman with five goals and is tied for first among defensemen in 6 observations from the Capitals' first 10 games of 2018-19 NHL season points with Morgan Rielly, who has played one more game than Carlson. Detractors will say he’s not great at defense and point to the disastrous By J.J. Regan October 29, 2018 3:30 PM turnover he had against Edmonton. Yes, there are times when he is prone to making those type of gaffes, but if you’re using that one example to define him, you’re missing everything else he is doing. Now 10 games into the season, the Capitals are 5-3-2 and sit fourth in Carlson is averaging 26:00 minutes per game, the third most in the the Metropolitan Division. We don’t know everything about this Caps league. That’s more than Ryan Suter, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, John team just yet, but here are some observations from the first 10 matchups. Klingberg, etc. Clearly, Reirden trusts Carlson on both ends of the ice. 1. The Caps are still adjusting to a new head coach 5. Pheonix Copley is the backup… for now A 5-3-2 record may not be what you envisioned for the defending After earning his first NHL win on Saturday, I wrote an article on how the champs when they returned almost the exact same roster this season. backup goalie job, one of the few questions surrounding Washington this Some may call it a hangover, but I see this more as a product of season, was settled. Copley has played well in all three of his adjusting to a new coach. appearances and has numbers comparable to what Braden Holtby has managed thus far (.882 save percentage to Holtby’s .888, 3.55 GAA to Some people get it in their head that hockey is a simple game. Players Holtby’s 3.41). get on the ice and “do that hockey,” and head coaches are just there to set lines and pull a goalie. It is way, way more complicated than that. But that may have been premature, as I am not so sure the team is sold yet. It is no coincidence that the most dominant aspect of Washington’s game to this point has been the power play. The power play is run by assistant Copley made just two starts in the first 10 games. If he starts 20-percent coach Blaine Forsythe who ran it last year as well. It’s also why I’m not of the games this season, that will give him 17 starts and Holtby 65. overly concerned about the defense allowing 3.60 goals per game just That’s pretty much the bare minimum you would want Copley to start, yet. Reid Cashman is in charge of the defensemen now, and with and that’s at the beginning of the season when you are not too Reirden behind the bench, I trust those two to be able to figure out the concerned about the standings yet. defense. When it comes to a backup, the real question you need to ask is if Even when a team is familiar with the new head coach, as the Caps were something happened to Holtby in the playoffs, would you trust Copley to with Todd Reirden, it still takes time to adjust to that new coach’s system. start? If the answer to that question is no, then you can’t say the backup Washington is still very much in that process as evidenced by the role is settled. extreme highs and lows of the first 10 games. Would you trust Copley to start a regular season game? Yes. That much 2. The offense is relying too much on the power play he has established. But would you trust Copley to start a playoff game? I’m not sure we have an answer to that question just yet. Just like I am not concerned with that the Caps’ 25th ranked defense, I’m also not celebrating their 2nd ranked offense. The offense is being 6. Significant roster moves are on the horizon propped up by a power play that is producing at an incredible 37.1- percent. While I think it is safe to assume the penalty kill and the defense Travis Boyd is nearing a return from LTIR, and Wilson will return from will improve over time, I think it is also safe to think the power play is not suspension sometime in November depending on the ruling from the going to continue to produce at that rate, and I’m not sure where that independent arbitrator. That means Reirden and general manager Brian leaves the offense. MacLellan are going to have to make some tough decisions fairly soon. Washington has scored only 21 goals at 5-on-5 this season which ranks Has Dmitrij Jaskin shown enough for the team to keep him? There is 14th in the NHL. some offensive upside there we haven’t seen yet and he is starting to play much better than when he first came. Those hot starts for the team's stars? That’s being propped up by the power play as well. Will Nathan Walker be headed back to Hershey? Walker’s speed and effort make him dangerous on the forecheck, but that can also lead to Evgeny Kuznetsov has 15 points, Alex Ovechkin has 14, Nicklas reckless mistakes, which is likely why we have only seen him play three Backstrom has 13 and T.J. Oshie has 10. If you take away the power games. play points, however, that leaves Kuznetsov with seven, Ovechkin with six, Backstrom with five and Oshie with eight. Both Kuznetsov and How much will Boyd and Nic Dowd split time? Boyd and Dowd were Backstrom are still looking for their first goals at five-on-five of the competing for the role of fourth line center in the preseason. Dowd had season. that role all to himself for the first 10 games of the season, and, while he played fairly well, he certainly did not do enough to earn a stranglehold The Caps have been held without a power play goal in three of the first on that spot. seven games. In those three games, they are 0-2-1. We know the penalty kill across the league is going to improve and penalties are going Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 to decrease as the season goes along until the playoffs when the referees swallow the whistles. Washington needs more five-on-five production than what they are currently getting. 3. Jakub Vrana is the best choice to replace Tom Wilson on the top line With Tom Wilson suspended, Reirden has tried to replace him with Brett Connolly, Chandler Stephenson, Devante Smith-Pelly and Jakub Vrana Vrana may have only played there for one game, but he is the obvious choice at this point, and he should stay there for as long as Wilson remains out. The most important thing Wilson brings to the top line is his ability to win puck battles, which helps generate more offense for Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. Vrana not only is the most offensively skilled of the players Reirden cycled through the right wing of the top line, but he also did a tremendous job fighting for pucks in his first crack at in Saturday’s game against Calgary. An Ovechkin – Kuznetsov – Vrana line looks like an offensive-heavy line and it was last year. Vrana, however, looks like he has a bit more grit in his game this season. He’s not going to win board battles by playing physically, but he showed he can still win the puck with his speed and a quick stick. He can win those battles and add an extra bit of offense to boot so that top line job should be his. 1112751 Washington Capitals But alas, teams are not going to be required to provide more detailed injury updates just yet -- even though the league’s gambling partner will have lots of money depending on it. The NHL’s new sports betting partnership with MGM Resorts, explained Bettman said at the press conference that he does not expect the NHL to adopt NFL-style injury reports or enforce more detailed injury disclosures. Concerns over player safety are holding the league back from such By J.J. Regan October 29, 2018 disclosures as it does not want to see players begin targeting others and their injuries.

As sports betting takes off, you have to think that at some point someone The NHL is diving head-first into the world of sports betting and has is going to be able to show conclusively that the NHL should be providing entered into a multi-year partnership with MGM Resorts, commissioner that information. Until that point, however, we are left with the headache Gary Bettman announced Monday. The new deal reflects the rapidly of not knowing what type of injuries players are dealing with. changing landscape of gambling in America after the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law in May that banned commercial betting in Oh, sorry, we are left with the “upper-body injuries” of not knowing. most states. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 MGM is now the official sport betting partner of the NHL and will get access to the league’s intellectual property and real-time advanced game data, which the NHL is still developing and anticipates being ready for next season. The league’s partnership with MGM is not exclusive. Why this partnership is a good thing Sports betting, thanks to that ruling, is here to stay. With this partnership, the NHL is doing what it can to maximize its position in a new and changing market. Whether you’re for or against sports betting, the fact is that toothpaste is not going back in the tube anytime soon. It would be foolish for the NHL to put its head in the sand and not try to maximize the potential revenue and interest it can gain through sports betting. This partnership could spark more interest in the NHL that makes it a… ahem… gamble worth taking. What the potential negatives could be The major argument against sports betting has been whether it will affect the integrity of the game. No one wants players or referees to start throwing games or another Pete Rose incident to hit their leagues. The NHL already monitors betting lines for games, even prior to this new partnership, so it is not as if the league is jumping into the world of betting ill-prepared. As mentioned above, however, sports betting is not going away. So long as the league educates its players, staff and officials on what is and is not acceptable when it comes to betting and continues to monitor for any curious changes to betting lines, there was no excuse not to seek some sort of betting related revenue. What this could mean In-game betting could become a part of the NHL experience in the near future. You may have scratched your head when you read that MGM is paying for data, but we are not talking goals and assists here which everyone has access to. The NHL is developing player and puck-tracking technology, and the real-time data that comes from that is going to lead to more accurate betting lines and, in theory, in-game sports betting. Hockey betting is here to stay, but we don’t know exactly what this is going to look like yet and we aren’t going to -- not for a while. That was highlighted by Bettman rather cryptically saying, “We have the ability to have input on what’s being bet on.” So yeah, there’s still a lot to unpack here, and we’re going to have more questions than answers for quite some time. In terms of revenue, the NHL and NHLPA will share 50-percent of the revenue from this partnership. The salary cap will almost certainly see a significant bump over the next few years as a result, especially if more casinos jump on board. This partnership is “not exclusive,” and others could line up for a chance to pay for the NHL’s data. More money is good for everyone, but the revenue sharing always opens the door for potential trouble. In a league that tends to have pretty intense labor negotiations, the revenue sharing from sports betting could potentially be another arguing point in talks over the next CBA. What this won’t mean (for now) When sports betting became legal, the dream of sports journalists and fans alike was that it would lead to the end of the NHL's cryptic injury reports. For most teams, a player either has an upper-body injury or a lower-body injury with no in-between. Whether a player hurt his pinky toe or had a leg amputated, those would both be called "lower-body injuries." 1112752 Washington Capitals Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018

NHL and MGM Resorts team up for landmark sports betting partnership

By Associated Press October 29, 2018

NEW YORK -- The NHL announced a multiyear agreement Monday to provide MGM Resorts International with data for use in betting, the second major U.S. professional sports league to strike a deal with the casino giant since the Supreme Court opened the way to expanded gambling last spring. Las Vegas-based MGM is the league's first official sports betting partner, just as it is with the NBA and WNBA. That deal was reached in July. As part of the agreement, MGM gains access to proprietary NHL data that could eventually include puck and player tracking information once that goes through a testing phase. Access to that data will allow MGM to provide customized game details along with betting opportunities for U.S. customers where gambling is legally available. The NHL is not getting a cut of gambling profits, but other terms were not disclosed. "The new sports betting landscape presents a unique opportunity for fan engagement utilizing technology and data that are exclusive to our league," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Fan engagement, technological advancement and innovation are paramount to our progressive approach and will be at the forefront of everything we do." MGM and other casino operators are moving aggressively to be able to capitalize on the U.S. sports betting market, which is expanding after the Supreme Court ruled in May that states could take sports bets if they wanted. MGM has made a series of significant moves, including the multiyear deal with the NBA and WNBA. Earlier this year, bookmaker William Hill reached agreements that allow odds and other promotional efforts at the home arenas of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the New Jersey Devils. "We couldn't be more excited to enter into this historic partnership with the NHL," MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said. NHL executive vice president and chief revenue officers Keith Wachtel said being able to provide enhanced data and analytics to MGM will allow "some creative and unique things that don't really exist in the sport right now." "The more data and analytics that a gaming operator can have, the better it will be in enabling them to set odds," Wachtel told The Associated Press. "Whether or not they're using the data for actual purposes of creating prop bets and things like that certainly is something (that's possible). But more importantly, they're going to use it to be able to set odds and proper odds that they're going to be able to create." Some leagues, including the Major League Baseball and the NBA, had called for an "integrity fee" -- essentially, states would give leagues a cut of the money wagered on their games to pay for expanded monitoring of suspicious betting and to protect their intellectual property. The effort has been largely unsuccessful thus far. "We have no concerns about the integrity of our game, of our players, our officials," Wachtel said. "We've never had an issue. Secondly, the integrity of the sports betting landscape is just as important to the bookmakers, which is why the NHL does not have a discussion and we don't talk about this notion of integrity fees." Scott Butera, MGM Resorts' president of interactive gaming and a former Arena Football League commissioner, outlined how the puck and playing tracking data will help bettors. "If I know one player is faster than the other, if I know one expends less energy than the other, if I know one has a faster slap shot than the other, it gives me information that I can bet," he said. "If I'm betting on who will score the most goals, I have that tool. Ultimately when enough data is collected on that, we'll be able to actually bet on that data itself. So you could have a bet on which player's going to have the highest average slap shot throughout the game." Butera said MGM believes expanded sports betting will eventually be available in 25 to 30 states. The 24 U.S.-based NHL teams play in 18 different states, with seven more in Canada. The league is moving toward adding a 32nd team, in Seattle and what would be its 19th state (Washington). 1112753 Washington Capitals

NHL Power Rankings: Is the power play making the Caps look better than they are?

By J.J. Regan October 29, 2018 8:34 AM

Now 10 games into the season, if the Caps have shown us anything it’s that the power play is still absolutely lethal. But is the power play so good that it is making Washington look better than it is? The Caps rank second in the league in offense with 3.80 goals per game, but that offense is propped up by the league’s top power play which is producing at 37.1-percent. If you break the goals down into strength, Washington has scored 21 goals at five-on-five (14th in the NHL) and 11 at five-on-four (3rd). Think the Caps stars’ are all off to great starts? It certainly looks that way as Evgeny Kuznetsov has 15 points, Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson have 14, Nicklas Backstrom has 13 and T.J. Oshie has 10. Pretty good, right? If you take away the power play points, however, that leaves Kuznetsov with seven, Ovechkin and Carlson with six, Backstrom with five and Oshie with eight. What’s more, all five of Kuznetsov’s goals and both of Backstrom’s came on the power play. That means both players are still searching for the first five-on-five goals of the season. Heck, the team’s most impressive offensive player to start the season may actually be Jakub Vrana who has three goals and five points and all five of those points came at even strength. As a team, Washington seems to be dependent on the power play as well. The Caps have been held without a power play goal only three times this season and they went 0-2-1 in those three games. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that the power play is doing well. Considering the talent on this roster, if you give the Caps the opportunity with the extra man they should be able to make teams pay. But the power play may be propping up the offense and making it look better than it really has been to this point. It’s still early in the season. The referees will eventually become stingier with the calls, the penalty kills around the league will start to catch up and the production on the power play will inevitably start to decrease. Washington is not going to score on 37.1-percent of their opportunities all season. What will the Caps’ offense look like at that point when the power play does start to decrease? Will Washington be able to keep scoring when it can no longer rely on the power play? Or will the offense and the team start to slip? For now, however, the power play keeps helping the Caps win and stay high in the rankings. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112754 Winnipeg Jets A seven-point week has earned Mark Scheifele star status this week in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets centre was named the league's second star of the Maurice had a positive Finn-ish in previous NHL series week after he scored four goals and set up three others in four games last week. By: Jason Bell Scheifele, 25, matched a career-high with four points (2G, 2A) in the Jets' 5-4 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues last Monday, including an assist on defenceman Jacob Trouba's winner. He also fired a power-play goal Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. — Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice comes into this week's games in Finland riding a two-game win streak in the country. The former first-round pick set up Kyle Connor's tying goal as Winnipeg rallied to beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Friday, and then scored in a Maurice was calling the shots behind the Carolina bench in 2010 when losing effort the next night in Toronto as the Leafs posted a 3-2 come- the Hurricanes confronted the Minnesota Wild for a pair of games here to from-behind victory. begin their 2010-11 NHL regular season. Scheifele is currently riding a five-game point streak (4G, 4A), and has 12 The 'Canes departed with four points after posting a 4-3 triumph in the points (6G, 6A) this season. opener and closing the early October Nordic series with a 2-1 shootout win. Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby was named the NHL's top star, with five goals and two assists this week, while Colorado Avalanche "Yeah, 2010 with Carolina to open the season, two wins. Jeff (Skinner) winger Mikko Rantanen (3G, 4A) was named third star. scored a shootout game-winning goal as an 18-year-old, I believe. We were in here and it was a pretty good trip for us," Maurice recalled Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.30.2018 Monday. Skinner, Carolina’s first-round pick (seventh overall) mere months before, had a memorable Game 2, indeed, setting up Finnish-born winger Tuomo Ruutu’s game-tying goal in the second period for his first NHL point and then firing the shootout winner. Maurice steps behind the bench at Helsinki’s 13,400-seat again this week as the Jets (7-4-1) and Florida Panthers (2-4-3) meet for a two-game set Thursday and Friday — both with 1 p.m. Winnipeg start times. Neither club skated Monday as players from both sides fanned out to do some sightseeing, but practice sessions are slated for today and Wednesday. Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, top, played for the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2003-04 season when Maurice coached the Raleigh, N.C. team. "It’s a good opportunity for us to spend some time together. We haven’t really had a chance to do that yet," said Jets captain Blake Wheeler. "We had a long homestand, so we’re excited to get away from home and get to know each other a little bit and try to build some things that are a little bit easier to do when you’re spending time around the same guys for extended periods of time." Maurice and Panthers head coach Bob Boughner have some shared history. The ex-defenceman, who played 630 NHL games, was with the Hurricanes for a stint in 2003-04 when Maurice coached in Raleigh, N.C. The two won’t be hanging out to swap stories about the good old days this week. "No, coaches still adhere, for the most part, to the old days where we don’t talk to each other," said Maurice. "Maybe after the game we would talk, but not before, probably." The Jets, about 6,700 kilometres away from Bell MTS Place, are considered the visiting team Thursday but get the last change as the home side Friday. Winnipeg heads home Saturday and doesn’t play until Nov. 9 when the Colorado Avalanche stop by for a matchup of Central Division rivals. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said it’s difficult to predict how participation in the NHL’s Global Series — unique and exciting but a disruption to routine, nonetheless — might affect his team down the road. "Well, that’s something you can look at in hindsight more than in foresight, but we’re looking at it as an opportunity for bonding and for the opportunity to get out on the road together and to enjoy the experience," said Cheveldayoff. "When you’re part of a team, when you’re trying to get a season started, you’re looking for things to try and come together on. You’ve got the on-ice stuff and you’ve got the off-ice stuff and it’s hard to manufacture things. "But when you’re on a trip like this, there’s going to be some laughter and some jokes, there’s going to be some different things that are already etched on the guys' minds, just on the way over (from the airport)." Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele was named the NHL's second star of the week after he scored four goals and had three assissts in four games last week. 1112755 Winnipeg Jets anything, is behind Laine’s limited success this fall but also the traits he possesses to flip things around.

The hockey gods were smiling on Kristian Kuusela when a 17-year-old Patrik Laine's slow production has Finnish fans scratching their heads kid armed with a missile launcher cracked the roster of of the Former coach, teammate confident star winger ready to break out men’s Finnish SM-liiga in the fall of 2015. The squad, mired in a 12-year championship drought, was coming off its third consecutive defeat in the finals. Kuusela, in his 14th By: Jason Bell | Posted: 10/29/2018 pro campaign at the time, recalls an intense thirst to win was becoming a distraction for the young father and the rest of his teammates.

The emergence of a young Patrik Laine would help rid them of the TAMPERE, Finland— There’s no obvious sign of panic in the streets of millstone around their necks. this thriving industrial city, but the early struggles of one of its prized exports is generating some concern. "I first saw him in the '14-15 season, he was with our farm team with Lempaala (second-tier league). That was the first contact with him When Patrik Laine’s production is restricted, supporters in his hometown when he came up to our team," recalls Kuusela, Tappara’s 35-year-old share the same dismay as hockey fans in the Canadian city where he team captain. "He was still really young and you could see he still wasn’t plies his trade. ready. The Winnipeg Jets world-renowned young sniper has three goals — all "When he came back to us in autumn (2015), everything changed for him on the power play – and two assists in the first 12 games of the 2018-19 and he was ready to take a spot. The self-confidence, you could see season, his third in the NHL. He’s had chances, and clanked some iron even in exhibition games, he wanted to be a part of the team. He wanted along the way, and has fired 44 shots (tied for sixth-most in the league) that spot and he took it." but is still searching for his first even-strength marker of the year. At the start of that season, the lanky teen with the sizzling shot played His last goal came six games ago in a 4-1 triumph over the visiting mostly second-line minutes on left wing, but was united down the stretch Vancouver Canucks. and the post-season with top-line centre Jani Lajunen and Kuusela, a shifty right-winger with a knack for puck distribution. Laine, plucked by the Jets second overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, has played the bulk of the season with centre Bryan Little and winger Nikolaj "I was the right wing, as I was older than him and got to decide," jokes Ehlers, and has even been bumped up to play the left side with Mark Kuusela. "… though it seemed to me he wanted to be at the left, or he Scheifele and Blake Wheeler — with no capital gains. just disguised it perfectly." On Friday night in Detroit, head coach Paul Maurice replaced Laine with What a season Laine put together, scoring 17 goals and 33 points in 47 feisty Mathieu Perreault in the second period, leaving the 20-year-old on regular-season games, while denting the twine another 10 times in the the fourth line. The Jets pulled out a 2-1 triumph over the Red Wings. playoffs. Three of his post-season goals were last-minute, game-tying tallies for the eventual league champs. The move, while warranted, struck a chord Saturday back home in south- central Finland. ‘Why you gotta be so rude, Mr. Maurice?’ asked Finnish "It was a privilege to play with him. As a playmaker, that’s the guy you hockey site nhlsuomi.com. dream about playing with, a guy who could shoot like that. It was a privilege to just lay it out there for him to score," says Kuusela, who "Tyly päätös! Patrik Laine heivattiin NHL:ssä nelosketjuun – näin posted a career-high 59 points alongside Laine. "It was fun to play with päävalmentaja kommentoi ratkaisuaan." him. It was so easy. When you want to pass and the other guy wants to Translation? ‘Rude decision! Patrik Laine of NHL dropped to fourth line; shoot, it makes for a good combination right away. head coach comments on decision.’ "To lose those finals like that, it was great to win one with him and kill the All eyes are on Patrik Laine as the Jets play in his home country this ghosts. What he did, those goals, I don’t think anybody can make those week. His demotion to the fourth line grabbed the attention of a hockey shots." fans in Finland. (Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva)

Case in point, he says, was a snapper past a startled Karpat team goalie All eyes are on Patrik Laine as the Jets play in his home country this during the league semifinal series in the northern city of Oulu. week. His demotion to the fourth line grabbed the attention of a hockey "They were ahead by one goal, (Carolina Hurricanes phenom) Sebastian fans in Finland. (Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva) Aho got a penalty. We pulled the goalie and got into their zone. Patrik got Twenty-four hours later, Laine was buzzing on a grand stage Saturday in the puck to his spot (above the left faceoff dot). He just kind of dangled it Toronto. He started the night on the fourth line with Jack Roslovic and a bit… he was five seconds keeping the puck like this (air stick-handling), Brendan Lemieux but was hooked up with Adam Lowry and Brandon looking and then zip, short side, top-left corner," Kuusela says. Tanev later in the game. Although he didn’t add to his five-point output, "That’s the kind of goal that you don’t expect. Maybe only one per cent of the 6-5, 206-pound right-shooting winger had a more sound effort, guys even have the confidence to take that shot from there because the although the Jets let a two-goal lead slip away in the third period, goalie is right there waiting. It’s flair, to try things nobody else believes resulting in a stinging 3-2 defeat to the Maple Leafs. can work." Laine was a integral part of the Jets' rise to the upper tier of the Western Patrik Laine (from left), Kristian Kuusela and Jani Lajunen after Tappara Conference last season, completing his second pro campaign in North won the Finnish elite league title in 2016. (Supplied)

America with 44 goals, second only to Washington's Alex Ovechkin (49). In his inaugural season (2016-17) in Winnipeg, Laine potted 36 goals, Patrik Laine (from left), Kristian Kuusela and Jani Lajunen after Tappara four behind rookie scoring leader Auston Matthews of the Leafs. won the Finnish elite league title in 2016. (Supplied) At this juncture in his rookie season, Laine had seven goals and three Admittedly, Kuusela has watched only one Winnipeg game on the tube assists while taking 38 shots, and in his sophomore year (2017-18), he this season but is well aware of his young friend’s difficulty getting pucks netted five goals, two helpers and had unleashed 35 shots. by goalies through a dozen games. The discrepancy is hardly shameful but certainly worthy of scrutiny, He hears the nervous chatter from Laine’s faithful hometown fans – but particularly with Laine’s much-anticipated homecoming this week. The doesn’t share their concern. Jets (7-4-1) and Florida Panthers meet in two regular-season games Thursday and Friday in Helsinki, which is about 180 kilometres south of "The last two years, Laine has had the most headlines in Finland. Tampere, as part of the NHL’s Global Series. Obviously, if you score 44 goals in one season you should be," he says. "The Finnish media is like if he doesn’t score in two or three games, it’s a The games were sold out in mere minutes when tickets went on sale in big crisis here. I think it’s funny. mid-March. "It’s early. Players go in spurts. If he’s getting shots, getting chances, it’s So, why the meagre personal statistics from one of the NHL’s much OK. He’s a young player, and they have ups and downs. Maybe it’s his ballyhooed stars, a dozen games into a Jets campaign that's filled with so down time right now. But his high levels are higher than anyone else on much promise? the team." That question and more were posed to three influential people in the Marko Ojanen doesn’t hide the fact he’s one of Laine’s biggest fans. young man’s life, each with an intriguing perspective on not only what, if The 45-year-old assistant coach of Tappara is awed by the player’s gift of While the talented forward’s self-deprecating commentary during media a rapid-fire release, his offensive instincts and mental maturity and availability is fast becoming legendary, Harri picks up no hint of self- toughness. doubt during frequent overseas calls between father and son. "He wants to win every game, and that’s why he gets a little bit p—-ed off And he’s clearly one proud papa. when he plays not so good. He wants to be the best player in the world," says Ojanen, noting he had a unique encounter with Laine in the spring "He is being the person he wants to be. He isn’t acting. He says the of ’14. things he wants to say, and I like that very much. I’m very proud of that," Harri says. "The hockey is just hockey, but it’s Patrik the person. He is a Laine had suffered a knee injury in 2013 and was still in recuperation very nice person and people like him very much." mode during the ’14-15 season when he made his debut with Tappara at just 16, dressing for six games and earning one assist. He spent most of If Laine is feeling the dull ache of disappointment over his mini-slump, he that campaign with Lempaala. didn't let it show Sunday at a downtown Helsinki hotel in his first meeting with Finnish and visiting North American media. Early in the off-season, Ojanen found Laine sitting in the team gym looking dejected, and figured it was good time for a pep talk. "I don’t know much about this city. They have their phones, they have Google, so they know pretty much just as much about the city as me," he "He looked like a pretty interesting guy. He was sitting there, looking like jokes, when asked if he'll act as the consummate tour guide for the rest this (head on hands). I talked to him and asked him. ‘What is he doing?’ of the Jets this week. because he played pretty bad in Lempaala because he was really frustrated because he wanted to give the team more of himself. But his In fact, he's very familiar with Helsinki, and Hartwall Arena, in particular. physical wasn’t there," Ojanen says. "I talked to him and told him he had He scored seven goals inside those walls at the world juniors, including a choice. ‘You can come to our under-20 team in Tampere and start to the opener in a 4-3 overtime victory over Russia in the gold-medal finale. really practice, more physical fitness, an individual program for him." He's in ultra-friendly territory this week, and there's no better opportunity The transformation from spring to fall was shocking, he says. to rediscover that golden touch. Once Laine’s commitment level improved, he began to dominate on a Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.30.2018 nightly basis. Tappara loyalists — more than 7,000 strong packed into Tampere Ice Stadium each home game — worshipped him like he was the fifth Beatle and, most importantly, his NHL draft stock rose dramatically. He also played a major role in Finland's gold-medal victory at the world junior championship in January 2016 — amidst the hysteria in Helsinki. Ojanen had no doubts Laine would one day be an impact player in the NHL. "Yes, for sure. But we didn’t expect it so fast. It’s incredible. We know he can score the 30 or 40 goals in the NHL sometimes, but right away in his first and second seasons, that’s impressive," he says. Things haven’t come as easily in Year 3, and when Laine’s not producing offensively his defensive shortcomings are only magnified. Ojanen believes a temporary drop in confidence is solely to blame. "He’s frustrated now, but it’s little things. I think he’s too hard on himself when he isn’t scoring those goals and that affects his other play. I think he needs just one or two and then he will get going." Like all quality hockey parents, Harri and Tuija Laine have been a tremendous support system for their famous son, the eldest of two children, helping to make his life in Canada more comfortable. In his rookie season, his mom came from Tampere to live with him until just after Christmas, and his father arrived for the holidays and remained in Winnipeg for the second half. They’ve been back and forth many times since; in fact, mom Tuija has been spotted around Bell MTS Place several times this month. Harri was home with teen daughter, Pinja, and hadn’t seen Patrik in the flesh in about seven weeks but caught the train Saturday bound for Helsinki to spend some time with his son prior the Jets’ back-to-backs with the Panthers. The train left the station at 12:30 p.m, about seven hours after Harri clicked off his TV and climbed into bed after watching Winnipeg and the Leafs wage their second battle in four nights. Call it Hockey Morning in Finland. "I always stay up to watch his games, of course. It’s nice to see my son," says Harri, in a brief but pleasant chat Saturday evening, still six hours prior to puck drop in Toronto. "I don’t see him in a couple of months. It’s good to watch him play. It will be good to see him in Helsinki. He’s doing well living in Winnipeg." Stories of Patrik’s penchant for firing pucks at stacks of aluminum cans in the family’s backyard when he was a boy have been well told. So, too, is the verifiable truth that without Harri’s coaxing, his son might have remained a goalie instead of switching to forward at the age of 12. Eight years later, Patrik has scored goals in abundance and dad has seen them all, either live or on highlight reels. And he’s steadfast in his belief there are so many more goals to come, in short order. "It’s a normal start. It’s not easy to score, that I understand. I don’t care when he scores goals, he is playing very well and team is winning," says Harri. 1112756 Winnipeg Jets Cheveldayoff admits that he didn’t really have Laine on the radar at the time, but that changed when the Jets essentially won the NHL Draft Lottery and moved up from sixth to second. Laine’s talent evident from beginning: Jets sniper showed growth on road Winnipeg Jets pick Patrik Laine in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. to NHL By being able to select a pure goal-scorer like Laine with the second overall pick in 2016, the rebuilding process essentially kicked into Ken Wiebe overdrive. Two years later, the Jets not only returned to the playoffs, they advanced to Game 5 of the Western Conference final. TAMPERE – Hard as it might be to believe, Patrik Laine wasn’t always bursting with confidence. Laine returned to his Liiga team in 2016 with a renewed sense of confidence, finishing the regular season with authority and finding The Winnipeg Jets forward was just a young 16 year old oozing with another gear during the playoffs, scoring 10 goals and producing 15 potential when he burst onto the scene with the Tappara Tampere Liiga points in 18 games, helping Tappara capture the championship. team back in 2014-15. “The last two years before the championship year (in 2016), we had lost “Outside the ice, he didn’t talk much. He was a really shy guy,” said in Game 7 in overtime,” said Kuusela. “It was coming from those years Kristian Kuusela, who was one of Laine’s linemates. “But right away, work, but the X-factor was Patrik. He was the guy that changed that trend when he stepped on the ice, you could see his skills, of course. The from losing to winning.” hockey skills are there, you could see it right away.” For his efforts, Laine won the Jari Kurri Trophy as the most valuable Laine was dealing with a knee injury that season, when he was limited to player in the playoffs, then was bestowed the same honour after leading six games with Tappara Tampere, but even after getting healthy, there Finland to a silver medal at the 2016 IIHF World Men’s Hockey was still an epiphany required before really elevating his game. Championship. Patrik Laine as a 17-year-old. By that time, the hockey world understood that if the Toronto Maple Leafs were taking franchise centre Auston Matthews with the first overall pick, “The first time I saw him on the ice, everybody saw his talent to score Laine was going No. 2 to the Jets. goals and his hockey instincts,” said Marko Ojanen, an assistant coach with Tappara Tampere. “Physically, he was a raw guy that first season. Team North America centre Auston Matthews (34) and Team Finland forward Patrik Laine (29) during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. “Of course, the young guys, sometimes they think it’s enough if you’re a good player. Sometimes they don’t understand they have to do a lot of “Everybody knew his skills and his shot, but it was great to see,” said work on the physical and the mental things before they can become a Kuusela. “When he came back from world junior, he just went from there. good player.” Every day, he amazed you with what he did with the puck. For me, his shot is obviously great but his puckhandling skills, that’s what caught Naturally gifted, Laine took it upon himself to take his training to the next your eye.” level and push harder to get better. Laine’s quick rise to stardom didn’t come as a surprise to those who He was skating with both the junior squad and the Liiga team – turning played with him – though challenging Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket heads with his quick release and booming shot. Richard Trophy in just his second season turned more than a few heads. “It was the best shot already when he came to our team. Our goalies said “I knew right away that he can be the best player in the world and also right away that it’s something they’ve never seen before,” said Ojanen.”It the NHL,” said Ojanen. “But how rapidly and how fast he can be that, that doesn’t matter what situation he has, he can shoot that one-timer from surprised me. He scored 36 goals in the first season and last season, he every spot. continued that.” “He played the full season with us and after that, the rest is history.” Despite a relatively slow start to the campaign, Laine’s skill set and drive should allow him to be a force for years to come. Although it wasn’t really that long ago, those days must seem like an eternity ago for Laine, who is back in Finland this week with the Jets as Laine is hugely popular already and given his ability and personality, his part of the NHL Global Series games with the Florida Panthers. fan base is only expected to grow as the years go by. There’s a great deal of focus this week on Laine and Panthers captain “He’s almost like Teemu Selanne,” said former Jets defenceman and Aleksander Barkov, which is natural, given their ties to the community Finnish product Teppo Numminen. “He’s well known, well respected and and the fact they’re among the most popular Finnish players in the NHL. well followed. Everything started when they won the world junior championship here in Finland (in 2016). That was a huge deal.” But the road to becoming an NHL star wasn’t smooth sailing for Laine, who had several shining moments on the international stage before [email protected] making his Jets debut in the fall of 2016. Twitter.com/WiebeSunSports “What I remember, the previous season he played six games with us. The next summer already, he was a different guy,” said Kuusela. “He Drought won’t last developed a lot during those couple of months. He wanted that spot on our team and he just came and took the spot. He was mentally prepared Coach predicts Laine will break through to take that spot and it lasted for the whole season.” TAMPERE – It’s true that Patrik Laine has gone five games without And what a season 2015-16 was for Laine. scoring a goal or recording a point and that he’s still searching for his first marker at even strength this season. Following a strong start to the Liiga season, Laine was a key contributor to the Finland team that captured the 2016 World Junior Hockey But the man who watched the Winnipeg Jets sniper blossom into a pure Championship gold medal on home soil with a 4-3 overtime victory over goal scorer isn’t the least bit concerned about his slow start to the Russia. season. Laine’s stock was already on the rise and his dominant performance in “Now, he has a bit of a problem, but I’m not worried about it,” said Marko the tournament cemented it. Ojanen, an assistant coach with Tappara Tampere when Laine played there. “He’s working hard every day and I know that it’s coming. Sooner “I remember at that point and time saying someone is going to get a or later.” really good player,” Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff recalled earlier this week. “Obviously, they won the world junior championship Although Laine is slightly behind last season’s pace, when he only had here at home, so there was a tremendous excitement level in the building five goals and seven points through 12 games, the third-year forward has watching the games and they delivered. 44 shots on goal and 70 shot attempts as he’s collected three goals and five points. “For a younger player, in an older tournament at that point and time, he looked very mature. His game was very mature.” The biggest difference is that his shooting % so far this season is 6.8 %, compared to 17.6 % as a rookie and 18.3 % last season. And it was merely rounding into form. Given how lethal his shot can be, a prolonged drought seems unlikely for Laine to endure – even if the Jets are still working to find the best fit for him to play with during five-on-five play. Sometimes it’s easy to forget Laine is only 20 years old and the player chosen two spots behind him in the 2016 NHL Draft, Jesse Puljujarvi, has recently been a healthy scratch with the Edmonton Oilers and has 14 goals and 29 points in 100 games. By comparison, Laine has 83 goals and 139 points in 167 NHL games. It takes time to become a consistent threat, no matter how much talent a player has. “The confidence and the skill is there,” said Kristian Kuusela, who was a linemate of Laine’s with Tappara Tampere. “He just needed a good start. Of course, there are low points too. I don’t know about the numbers. He scored 44 goals (last season) and that’s kind of over the top, but he’s a goal scorer and he can easily do that again, score more than 40. It wasn’t unexpected.” Laine’s teammates are keeping a close eye on him and Ojanen will be among those inside Hartwall Arena on Thursday when the Jets battle the Florida Panthers as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series. “In Finland, there are lots of headlines from the NHL, so I’m following him of course,” said Kuusela, 35, who is still the captain of Tappara Tampere. “One year playing (on a line) with (Laine) and now he’s there. It’s interesting for me to follow his career.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.30.2018 1112757 Winnipeg Jets Numminen will be involved in a clinic set up by the NHL on Wednesday and plans to take part in a Jets alumni event on Friday, but this tour was personal. Former Jets D-man an outstanding ambassador, Numminen shows off It wouldn’t have happened without the arrangements made by Tim his city Campbell of NHL.com, who covered the Jets when Numminen was playing in Winnipeg, but I was fortunate to be along for the ride. Ken Wiebe Numminen provided some thorough background on Tampere, discussing the factories that once powered the economy in the third-largest city in Finland. TAMPERE – Teppo Numminen wasn’t about to be denied. He showed us the beautiful lakes and navigated the construction of two major projects, a trolley system and the brand new arena that is being Things weren’t looking all that promising when a pair of Winnipeg-based built and should be ready in two years time. reporters walked to the counter with the former Winnipeg Jets defenceman to try to purchase a ticket for a quick stroll around the The Jets came to Finland in 1994 as part of training camp, but their roots Finnish on Monday afternoon. were planted here nearly two decades before that. Numminen was perplexed when the polite woman behind the counter “Winnipeg and Finland have a long history from the ’70s with WHA and replied in Finnish that the museum was closed on Mondays. so Winnipeg has always been a well-known city and team in Finland,” said Numminen, referring to a visit in 1975. “If you ask Finnish people, I Sometimes, the best laid plans just don’t work out. don’t know if they know exactly where Winnipeg is but they think Winnipeg is almost the capital of Canada. That’s how well-known it is. Or so we thought. They know a lot about the Jets and their history because there’s always While disappointed we wouldn’t get to see the shrine, the reporters been a connection.” figured there was nothing we could do about it. Numminen helps out with his 12-year-old son’s team and he certainly Numminen had other ideas and before long, someone with ties to the hasn’t closed the door on getting involved again at the professional level Hall of Fame had arrived on the scene. down the road. Following a pleasant exchange, not only were we not turned away, we “Maybe a couple of years from now, when the family life is not that hectic got a personalized tour of the exhibit. anymore. Then you’ve got to find things and do things that you’re interested in,” said Numminen, who has been back living in Tampere for Obviously, it helped that Numminen is a member of the Finnish Hockey the last three years after spending three seasons as an assistant coach Hall of Fame — and so is his father Kalevi, also a smooth defenceman. with the Buffalo Sabres. “I tried to get away, but I can’t. The game interests me. I don’t know if I miss coaching. I miss playing. Coaching Teppo was beaming with pride as he pointed to the picture of his dad on comes from the interest of hockey. I don’t know if missing is the right the wall. word. But that’s the way you can get really close to the thing that you There were other Jets in the shrine — from goalie Markus Mattsson to care (about). I would (consider) doing something in hockey for sure.” Veli-Pekka Ketola to Teemu Selanne. With 637 points in 1,372 NHL games, Numminen has plenty of hockey Former Jets coach Alpo Suhonen and Numminen’s agent, the late, great expertise to provide in whatever role he finds himself in. Winnipegger Don Baizley, have also been honoured. He’s also an incredible ambassador for both the game he loves and the Although he’s only in his third NHL season, Jets forward Patrik Laine city where he resides. already has a glass case filled with three jerseys — one from his club Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.30.2018 team Tampere Tappara, another from the Finnish national team and a third from Winnipeg. A trio of Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine’s jerseys are in the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in Tampere, Finland on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. KEN WIEBE/Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia Network / SunMedia A life-sized cardboard cutout can also be found near one of the exhibits and welcomes visitors to take a selfie with the Jets sniper and share it on social media. A life-sized cardboard cut-out of Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine invites you to take a selfie with him at the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in Tampere, Finland on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. KEN WIEBE/Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia Network / SunMedia Learning some of the history of Finnish hockey was fascinating and Numminen also took us to the outdoor rink where everything started and the indoor arena where he played for Tappara Tampere before joining the Jets. Those places are understandably special to him. “From growing up here, you feel proud. I was proud to show you guys the buildings and (share) the history,” said Numminen. “The older you get, you kind of understand and respect the past and the history of the game and your city and your teams and your culture. The older you get, the more you get in history anyway. I was glad you guys came here and I hope you guys learned something.” I learned a ton. The goal in taking the two-hour train ride to Tampere was to try to get a feel for where Laine grew up. Numminen helped provide that and then some. It was highly educational. As the Jets get set to face the Florida Panthers in the first of two Global Series games on Thursday at Hartwall Arena, Numminen not only provided a look around the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was kind enough to show the two reporters around the city. 1112758 Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets coach Maurice following the code

Ken Wiebe

HELSINKI – It’s nothing personal, but Paul Maurice isn’t planning on exchanging notes with Bob Boughner before the puck is dropped. As the Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers both took Monday off to prepare for Thursday’s opening of the 2018 Global Series, the head coaches weren’t expected to share any secrets about dealing with the jet lag or anything of that nature. “No, coaches still adhere for the most part to the old days where we don’t talk to each other,” said Maurice, noting he actually coached Panthers bench boss Bob Boughner briefly during his time with the Carolina Hurricanes. “Maybe after the game we would talk but not before, probably.” While the players were expected to get out and explore Helsinki, Maurice and his coaching staff spent some time dealing with the 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then moved on to preparation for the next two games against the Panthers. “We also work more maybe in themes than necessarily reactionary from each game,” said Maurice. “We’re trying to make sure we tighten up a lot of the defensive things we do so that will be a bit of the themes in practice. But priority is going to be to get them up to speed. We don’t have a lot of experience in bringing hockey teams across the water and what they’re supposed to look like. A lot of what you do as a coach in practice is you have a feel for what your team is supposed to look like that day based on your experience. This will be new.” The Jets will skate on Tuesday and Wednesday, which should give them enough time to acclimated with the new surroundings. “But after that second day of practice, we want to be moving,” said Maurice, whose club finished the opening month of the season with a record of 7-4-1, which left the Jets tied for third in the Central Division standings. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was asked if the disruption to the day-to-day routine on this overseas trip would be worth it for his team? “Well, that’s something you can look at in hindsight more than in foresight, but we’re looking at it as an opportunity for bonding and for the opportunity to get out on the road together and to enjoy the experience together,” said Cheveldayoff. “When you’re part of a team, when you’re trying to get a season started, you’re looking for things to try to come together on.” Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.30.2018 1112759 Vancouver Canucks Said Green: “He (Pettersson) has got really good hockey sense and it’s not just offensively. His details and sharp and he understands the defensive side of the game — he has caught on to it real quick playing Canucks Post Game: Pettersson’s passion plays, Granlund’s gritty game, centre. And he’ll get better in his own zone.” Sutter’s severe injury Granlund top Sunday School pupil Markus Granlund did more than hear a vocal Green during an intense Ben Kuzma practice Sunday. He put the preaching of skating harder, battling harder and getting to the net to practise.

Promoted to right wing on a new-look top line with Bo Horvat and Tim Points to ponder as Elias Pettersson got the fans out of their seats and Schaller, he got to the net and nearly scored in the early minutes. He the Canucks got a gritty game from Markus Granlund and a 37-save then opened scoring by getting to the hard area in the slot and held his performance from Jacob Markstrom in a 5-2 win Monday over the Wild ground to take a Horvat feed from behind the net and bury his second that ended a two-game losing streak: goal of the season. How many minutes should Elias log? If that wasn’t enough to get in the coach’s good books, Granlund then drew a slashing minor by playing fast and hard at the net. A double-minor Elias Pettersson had a pretty good answer to a pretty good query. for a high stick on Nino Neiderreiter and a slash minor were the only blemishes on a night where Granlund proved he might be an unsung When the slick Swedish centre was asked how many minutes he would hero this season. like to log for the Vancouver Canucks after hitting the 19-minute mark twice in his rookie NHL season, he offered up the money quote. He finished with six shots and didn’t hang around to talk about it because he’d rather let his play do the talking. “Interesting question,” pondered Pettersson. “I don’t know. If I could, I like to play 60 minutes a game.” Horvat was willing to weigh in because Granlund was good and his new look line combined for 11 shots. He played 18:11 on Monday, but easily looked like he could handle more. “Granny was great tonight,” he said. “He works his bag off on the “I felt good and felt fresh and felt that I had good energy all game long,” forecheck and is really good defensively. I was excited to play with him said Pettersson. tonight and I thought or line created a lot in the offensive zone and was That’s what you expect from an extremely confident 19-year-old grinding down low. wunderkind. He unleashed a howitzer off a cross-ice feed and then “And Granny played that 200-foot game. He scored 19 goals in this scored on a breakaway Monday and now has seven goals in his first league for a reason.” seven regular-season games to get an early leg up on the Calder Trophy race. Said Green: “That was Granny’s best game of the year by far and one of the better I’ve seen.” He did everything against the Minnesota Wild to prove that his first concussion is a thing of the past and that the future is packed with Horvat was also good. potential. Yet, maybe the best thing about Pettersson is perspective. He wants to score but he also wants to win. The injury to Sutter meant he had to take more defensive-zone draws and he wound up with 36 draws and winning 20 of them. “It’s always fun to score, but I think the biggest was to bounce back from our last game,” he stressed of a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Sutter injury ends Eriksson experiment Pettersson is even blocking shots What to do with Loui Eriksson? That burning question could burn a hole in the ice. He looked like a guy trying a hook slide into third base with a second- period shot block at the top of the slot. And he looked like a dog on a Green has tried the struggling Swede on the fist line, he has moved him bone when he forechecked Ryan Suter so aggressively that the to the second line, but it wasn’t until Eriksson was aligned with Sutter and frustrated veteran defenceman bobbled the puck and took a penalty for Antoine Roussel that those “subtle” aspects of his game arise. elbowing Pettersson in the face. Matched up against the Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund trio, “I had a feeling that he would try to pass it (puck) through me, so I just keeping the surprising Granlund from stretching his points streak at even dropped a knee,” shrugged Pettersson. “I read the play and he got a strength, keeping the pesky Parise from the net and negating Koivu’s penalty.” size and drive was going to be a challenge. What everyone will remember is what Pettersson did to provide the It was going well. The Wild trio didn’t have a first-period shot. Then came Canucks with a 3-1 lead. On a neat three-way passing play after a the Sutter injury. Charlie Coyle turnover, it was Nikolay Goldobin finding and the defenceman spotting Pettersson open at his favourite spot. The centre was forechecking on the penalty kill and when he went to engage Matt Dumba, he wound up slamming his right shoulder hard into With no hesitation, Pettersson’s one-timer found the net as goalie Devan the sideboards. He left favouring the shoulder and didn’t return. Dubnyk dove across in vane. It meant rookie Adam Gaudette took some of his shifts and could mean “If I got the puck, I knew I would do a one-timer and it was good pass Brendan Leipsic draws back into the lineup Wednesday against Chicago from him — right in the wheelhouse,” he said. and that Granlund moves back to the middle and that there will be a recall from the Utica Comets. And while Pettersson got a standing ovation for his third-period breakaway goal to make it 4-2, it came because he got out to the point “It was a gutty performance by our group and we had a lot of guys step and blocked a shot to spring himself. He finished with three blocks. up, especially after Sutter went down and it will be at least weeks,” Green said of the Sutter setback. “Young Gaudette gets thrown into the fire and “Good defence leads to good offence,” reasoned Pettersson. “I just want ends up playing against Staal and Koivu. to do the best in the situation and in the defensive zone if I have to block a shot I’ll do that. It’s good to get rewarded when you block a shot and “That’s a lot to ask.” get a breakaway.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.30.2018 What everyone should also remember is everything else Pettersson did. He made subtle plays to put pucks in the right places. He made crisp smart passes and he backchecked all the way back to his own zone. As for even-strength potential with Brock Boeser and Goldobin, Pettersson wasn’t worried about the Canucks’ 21st rank in the key category heading in Monday’s meeting. “Absolutely,” said Pettersson of the trio that combined for four points. “We continued what we started last game and I think it even went better today. We’re three young guys and we think hockey the same.” 1112760 Vancouver Canucks Green has tried the struggling Swede on the fist line, he has moved him to the second line, but it wasn’t until Eriksson was aligned with Sutter and Antoine Roussel that those “subtle” aspects of his game arise. Canucks 5 Wild 2: Prized rookie Pettersson shoots, scores, even blocks Matched up against the Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund trio, shots keeping the surprising Granlund from stretching his points streak at even strength, keeping the pesky Parise from the net and negating Koivu’s size and drive was going to be a challenge. Ben Kuzma It was going well. The Wild trio didn’t have a first-period shot. Then came the Sutter injury. Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scores past Minnesota Wild The centre was forechecking on the penalty kill and when he went to goaltender Devan Dubnyk. engage Matt Dumba, he wound up slamming his right shoulder hard into the sideboards. He left favouring the shoulder and didn’t return. Elias Pettersson had a pretty good answer to a pretty good query Monday. It meant rookie Adam Gaudette took some of his shifts and could mean Brendan Leipsic draws back into the lineup Wednesday against Chicago When the slick Swedish centre was asked how many minutes he would and Granlund moves back to the middle, unless there’s a recall. like to log for the Vancouver Canucks after hitting the 19-minute mark twice in his rookie NHL season, he offered up the money quote. Fourth-line Jake was better Jake “Interesting question,” pondered Pettersson. “I don’t know. If I could, I like Jake Virtanen was on the fourth line and it seemed to free up the winger. to play 60 minutes a game.” He had to use his speed to get in on the forecheck but nearly scored on a That’s what you expect from an extremely confident 19-year-old wraparound attempt before ripping a power-play wrist shot from the slot wunderkind. after being sprung on a long pass by Alex Biega. He unleashed a howitzer off a cross-ice feed and then scored on a Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.30.2018 breakaway and now has seven goals in his first seven regular-season games. He did everything against the Minnesota Wild to prove that his first career concussion is a thing of the past and that the future is packed with potential. Here’s what we learned as the Canucks got a 37-save performance from Jacob Markstrom to claim a 5-2 victory, but lost Brandon Sutter to a suspected second-period right shoulder injury: Pettersson even blocks shots He looked like a guy trying a hook slide into third base with a second- period shot block at the top of the slot. And he looked like a dog on a bone when he fore-checked Ryan Suter so aggressively that the frustrated veteran defenceman bobbled the puck and took a penalty for elbowing Pettersson in the face. What everyone will remember is what Pettersson did to provide the Canucks with a 3-1 lead. On a neat three-way passing play after a Charlie Coyle turnover, it was Nikolay Goldobin finding Michael Del Zotto and the defenceman spotting Pettersson open at his favourite spot. With no hesitation, Pettersson’s one-timer found the net as goalie Devan Dubnyk dived across in vane. And while Pettersson got a standing ovation for his third-period breakaway goal to make it 4-2, it came because he got out to the point and blocked a shot to spring himself. He finished with three blocked shots. What everyone should also remember is everything else Pettersson did. He made subtle plays to put pucks in the right places. He made crisp and smart passes and backchecked all the way to his own zone. As for even-strength potential with Brock Boeser and Goldobin, Pettersson isn’t worried about the Canucks ranking 21st in the key category heading into Monday’s meeting. “We’re three young guys and we think hockey the same and we just need a lucky bounce to get things going,” he predicted. Granlund top Sunday School pupil Markus Granlund did more than hear a vocal Travis Green during a intense practice Sunday. He put the preaching of skating harder, battling harder and getting to the net to practise. Promoted to right wing on a new-look top line with Bo Horvat and Tim Schaller, he got to the net and nearly scored in the early minutes. He then opened scoring by getting to the hard area in the slot and held his ground to take a Horvat feed from behind the net and bury his second goal of the season. If that wasn’t enough to get in the coach’s good books, Granlund then drew a slashing by playing fast and hard at the net. A double minor for a high stick on Nino Neiderreiter and a third-period minor were blemishes on a night where Granlund did so much right and proved he might be an unsung hero this season. He finished with six shots. Sutter injury ends Eriksson experiment What to do with Loui Eriksson? That burning question could burn a hole in the ice. 1112761 Vancouver Canucks time and that he has a long career ahead of himself. Guys are so eager to get back.

“When you’re down in the AHL, there’s not always a goalie coach. Ben Kuzma: Recalled Bachman hasn’t lost relentless drive, upbeat There’s a lot going on, a lot of bodies going in and out and if things aren’t demeanour going great, you try to work through them. I tell him (Demko) it’s OK and it’s all part of growing. It never stops.” Ben Kuzma Bachman knows it’s a different game at the NHL level. Players are quicker and stronger and their shots are heavier and more accurate. Working with goalie coach Ian Clark to iron out some wrinkles will be imperative before he gets another NHL start. Richard Bachman stops the Wild's Zach Parise enroute to backstopping the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 win in St. Paul, Minn., on March 25, “I actually feel pretty confident with making a few adjustments,” said 2017. Bachman. “The message doesn’t really change, no matter where you’re playing. It’s about having good stability and patience and cleaning up Veteran goalie Richard Bachman has been the perfect AHL mentor and a habits over the years that can slow you down. It’s about being a little bit good NHL insurance policy. quicker and smarter.” The mutual admiration between Alex Biega and Richard Bachman is Smart enough to know the big career picture. easy to understand. “I obviously want to be here full-time, but I understand the numbers side They have ridden the pro hockey roller-coaster with smiles plastered on of it,” summed up Bachman. their faces because a love of the game has always trumped being a healthy scratch, exposed to waivers, sent to the minors or being known Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.30.2018 best as a backup goalie. However, if you want to know why the 31-year-old Bachman has played 47 career NHL games with three teams — he will eventually add another with the Vancouver Canucks after being recalled after Anders Nilsson suffered a fractured finger on his blocker glove hand in the morning skate Saturday — listen to the 30-year-old Biega. Richard Bachman’s head and heart for the game has always impressed the Canucks. He vividly remembers the 2015 Calder Cup playoffs in which his Utica (N.Y.) Comets advanced to the AHL final before losing to the Manchester Monarchs. In the Eastern Conference semifinal, the Oklahoma City Barons were backstopped by Bachman, who made 39 saves in a Game 7 loss. Jacob Markstrom stopped all 35 shots for the Comets. “That’s probably why he signed here,” Biega said Monday. “An unbelievable goalie and an even better guy and a good influence for the younger guys. He’s a true pro. Even when it’s not going his way, he’s the first on and last off the ice and he pushes goalies to get better. “He’s the kind of guy you want in your room.” What Bachman obviously always wanted was an opportunity in the bigs. However, whether with NHL Dallas, Edmonton or the Canucks, his career high was 18 games with the Stars in 2011-12. He has played six games for the Canucks and a career 2.85 goals-against average and .905 save percentage proves he can deliver at this level. Yet, like any team with a bonafide starter, Bachman signed a rare two-year extension in June to mentor the injured Thatcher Demko and eventually Michael DiPietro. If you think being the aging NHL understudy is getting to the amiable and accountable Salt Lake City native, his long zigzag travel day to Vancouver on his latest recall was more of a pleasure than a pain. “I got in at 1:30 a.m. and woke up this morning and instead of going to an ordinary job, I get to come to a hockey rink,” said Bachman. “That’s the dream. I get to play a kids’ game every day and do it in the best league in the world and just enjoy it. “It doesn’t last forever and you don’t know how many opportunities you’re going to get. I try to relish it and enjoy the craziness of it all and the unknown of it all.” Bachman has been exposed to the NHL expansion draft and waivers and the fishbowl existence that is the Vancouver hockey market. He knows he might not see the net for a while here, but that’s reality. Markstrom could play Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Rogers Arena — and with no back-to-back games until road stops Nov. 12-13 against the Rangers and Islanders, respectively — he’s going to have to be that supportive guy once again. Bachman’s numbers with the Comets this season don’t reflect his ability because a 1-4, 4.23 GAA and .865 save percentage speaks more about a club that has already had seven injuries and four NHL recalls. It means wavering back-end support while carrying an increased load. Demko has been sidelined since Sept. 23 with a concussion after taking a shot in the mask and has challenged Bachman be much more than just an on-ice mentor to the prized prospect. “We’ve talked a few times,” added Bachman. “He’s a smart guy and a tough kid and is great mentally. I wanted to just ensure him to take his 1112762 Vancouver Canucks Bachman. “That’s the dream. I get to play a kids’ game every day and do it in the best world in the league and just enjoy it. It doesn’t last forever and you don’t know how many opportunities, you’re going to get. I try to Canucks Game Day: Pettersson’s potential, Nilsson’s injury, another relish it and enjoy the craziness of it all.” Granlund 4. That other Granlund is good Mikael Granlund, the brother of Canucks centre Markus Granlund, Ben Kuzma extended his points streak to seven games Saturday and his nine points (5-4) in that stretch speak to a whopping 20.4 per cent shooting accuracy because the right winger has but 24 shots in 10 games. He was also playing on a very good line with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu and is also BEN KUZMA’S CANUCKS GAME DAY getting first unit time on the struggling 26th-ranked power play. Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks 5. Make it a hard night for Wild Monday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 650 Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon were matched against Colorado’s vaunted top line and held Gabriel Landeskog to a goal while Nathan THE BIG MATCHUP MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen went pointless. Rantanen leads the Pettersson versus Dubnyk NHL with 21 points (5-16). Loui Eriksson hasn’t scored in a dozen games and Nikolay Goldobin is goalless in 11. Elias Pettersson wasn’t credited with a shot Saturday in a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh, but what the slick Swedish centre did creatively bodes well. CANUCKS LINES After missing six games with a concussion, he was strong on pucks, Forwards dished out pinpoint passes and ripped two attempts that barely missed the mark. Pettersson’s pace and poise in traffic to find lanes and release Tim Schaller — Bo Horvat— Adam Gaudette a heavy shot will test Devan Dubnyk, who made 30 saves Saturday as Minnesota stretched its win streak to five game with an impressive 3-2 Nikolay Goldobin— Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser home-ice decision over Colorado. The key for the Canucks is to get the big stopper moving and Pettersson’s shiftiness and rapid release will Antoine Roussel — Brandon Sutter — Jake Virtanen help. Tyler Motte — Markus Granlund — Loui Eriksson FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Defence 1. Get that PP1 back on track Ben Hutton — Erik Gudbranson In their first three games, the Canucks scored four power-play goals on Derrick Pouliot — Troy Stecher 11 attempts. They were not only drove the net to draw man advantages, having Brock Boeser and Pettersson as opposite dot shooting options Michadel Del Zotto — Alex Biega was a new and needed wrinkle. Then Pettersson was injured and Boeser laboured through a groin strain. The Canucks were 1-for-11 with Goal Pettersson out and are 0-for-8 in their last three and 1-for-17 in their last Jacob Markstrom — Richard Bachman seven. WILD LINES “I think we played good (Saturday) and I had a good chance and put it over the bar (crossbar),” said Pettersson. “If we have good tempo with Forwards the puck and move the puck chances will come up. And with a lot of movement, we’ll get chances and I’m not too worried about that. And our Jason Zucker — Eric Staal — Nino Niederreiter (5-on-5) line, we’re three young guys and we think hockey the same and Zach Parise — Mikko Koivu — Mikael Granlund we just need a lucky bounce to get things going.” Joel Eriksson Ek — Charlie Coyle — Matt Read Pettersson also logged 19:01 on Saturday — his season high was 19:10 at Carolina on Oct. 9 — Travis Green is trying to find the right time fit for Marcus Foligno — Eric Fehr — J.T. Brown the centre. How much should he be playing? Defence “Interesting question,” said Pettersson “I don’t know. If I could, I like to play 60 minutes a game.” Ryan Suter — Matt Dumba 2. Is there a QB in the house? Jonas Brodin — Jared Spurgeon Alex Edler, who suffered a knee strain Wednesday in Las Vegas, is Nick Seeler — Greg Pateryn missed on the power play because of what Derrick Pouliot and Ben Hutton aren’t doing. Edler’s shots are usually high or wide or strike an Goal opposition player, but he’s more patient at the point to thread passes. Devan Dubnyk — Alex Stalock Pouliot and Hutton have been tentative and prone to coughing up pucks. The point man must make quicker, better decisions and get pucks INJURIES through a maze. Canucks: Anders Nilsson (finger fracture, day-to-day). Seven Baertschi “It’s easier said than done,” said Green. “No. 1 point men are hard to find (concussion, IR). Alex Edler (knee sprain, IR), Chris Tanev (hip, day-to- and Eddie has been in that spot and I’m expecting our young guys to day), Jay Beagle (forearm fracture, IR). give us their best individually. They don’t need to be Eddie, they don’t need to be (Drew) Doughty. Wild: Matt Hendricks (leg, day-to-day). “The big thing is confidence.You make the right read, it’s natural. You try SPECIAL TEAMS to think too much, usually you’re a half second late.” Power play 3. Recalled Bachman living dream Canucks: 14th (18.2%) Jacob Markstrom could play Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and with Wild: 26th (12.9%) no back-to-back games until roadies on Nov. 12-13 agains the Rangers and Islanders respectively, the recalled Richard Bachman may not see Penalty kill the net for a while. However, Anders Nilsson is out two to three weeks after suffering a fractured finger on his blocker glove in the morning skate Canucks: 7th (85.1%) Saturday. Bachman’s numbers with the injury riddled Utica Comets are Wild: 6th (86.4%) below par (1-4, 4.23 GAA and .865 saves percentage), but his comfort level with 47 career NHL games and a positive attitude to work in unison Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.30.2018 with Markstrom is a plus. “I got in at 1:30 a.m. and work up this morning and instead of going to an ordinary job, I get to come to a hockey rink,” said the 31-year-old 1112763 Vancouver Canucks Put a ceiling over Bo Horvat at your own peril. He’s smashed every one of them thus far. Horvat’s barely 23-years-old and as driven as they get. Don’t expect that to stop any time soon. If the Canucks were Wall Street, Canucks stock report: With injuries mounting, Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton I’d be screaming in business-speak to buy Horvat stock, and lots of it. have stepped up their games As of writing this, Horvat leads all Canuck forwards in average ice time and is the team-leader in goals and points. The goals are going to be more difficult to come by with time. Horvat is converting on 25 percent of By JD Burke Oct 29, 2018 his shots and is exceeding his expected goal output, if only slightly. Even so, the Canucks as a team are only scoring on about seven percent of their shots with Horvat on the ice, a number that should start to turn for the better with time. The assists will start to make up for any lost goal So, where do the Canucks go from here? They’re twelve games into the production. season and the adversity dial on their switchboard is starting to twist towards ten. It’s clear now that the Canucks are moving on from Horvat as a penalty killer. If the intention was to free him up for more minutes at 5-on-5 and They entered the week without their best player, the future of their on the power play, then mission accomplished. franchise, Elias Pettersson, they lost their entire top defensive pair to injury, and it’s since been revealed that last year’s big-ticket, Brock Stock Down: Michael Del Zotto Boeser, is fighting a lingering groin injury that’s already forced him to miss game action. Furthermore, as of Sunday morning, you can add One could make a reasonable case that Michael Del Zotto was one of Anders Nilsson, their best goaltender this season, to the infirmary with a the worst defencemen in the NHL last season. That seems juxtaposed to broken finger. the coach’s steadfast defence of Del Zotto, coupled with his deployment, but the data paints a grim picture. Del Zotto was in the bottom-thirty of And yet, as of writing this, the Canucks remain tied with the San Jose the league for defencemen with a minimum of 500 minutes at five-on-five Sharks for second in the Pacific. Yes, they have played two more games by shot share, unblocked shot share, scoring chances, etc. at five-on- than most of the competition; and yes, they have a minus-nine goal- five. differential in all situations and an underlying profile every bit as ominous. No, it’s not likely that this early success will last. If Del Zotto could escape that season without a single trip to the press box, one had to wonder what it would take ever to get there. He seemed It’s a welcomed change of pace for a team and a city that’s come to know bulletproof. suffering better than any other in the last few seasons. You can almost see a future where we don’t have to qualify wins like these to cushion the Fast forward to the present, with the Canucks barely a tenth of the way blow when they inevitably turn to losses. That’s worth celebrating, unless through their season, and Del Zotto has sat for all but four games. If not you take the Brian Burke tact on these kinds of things. for the injury to Edler, it’s fair to wonder if Del Zotto would ever get back in the lineup. Even so, that spot stands on a shaky foundation. Guillaume So with that, let’s check in on which Canucks have led the charge in Brisebois is up with the big club, and with all the stock that management these early proceedings, as we check in with the first regular-season places in his game, it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets the call at some edition of The Athletic Vancouver stock report. point. Then there’s Olli Juolevi, who by all accounts is off to one hell of a start to his AHL career. Stock up: Ben Hutton I wanted to imagine a scenario where the Canucks would continue to Where would the Canucks be without Ben Hutton? That was an easy play Del Zotto in a big role and somehow accumulate trade value question to answer last season, and even through the first two games of throughout the season, culminating in a draft pick by the trade deadline’s this season — the coach made sure of it. Now, it’s unthinkable. With end. At this rate, call it a win if he doesn’t get the Sam Gagner treatment. Alexander Edler out for the next three-to-six weeks with an MCL sprain suffered in Wednesday’s shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights, The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 Hutton’s now the top dog on the left side. His ice time in all situations through the last three games, including that one, reads 29:25, 24:33, and 22:42. There was only one pathway out of Canucks head coach Travis Green’s doghouse for Hutton in the offseason: the weight room. Hutton accepted the challenge and came to camp a slimmer, better-conditioned defenceman. Moments like the one that the Canucks find themselves in currently drive home why that was so important. Much like last season, Hutton’s carrying a relatively strong underlying profile, driven primarily by his ability to limit the opposition’s offence. Unlike last year, Hutton’s numbers aren’t suspect to cushy, sheltered deployments. Only Tanev and Erik Gudbranson face a tougher slate of opponents according to Corsi’s Quality of Competition percentage. Stock Steady: Derrick Pouliot What exactly is Derrick Pouliot? He’s 24-years-old, with four years experience in this league and outside that, I’m not sure how to answer that question. At his best, Pouliot can reliably play second or third pair minutes and chip in on the power play. We’ve seen a lot of that this season. There’s also been a steadily increasing dose of the Pouliot that played his way out of Pittsburgh. Perhaps we can attribute the decline in Pouliot’s play to the increased demands that this coaching staff is placing on his shoulders. It’s a small sample, but the numbers suggest there might be something to it. Going into Wednesday’s game, Pouliot had a plus-four goal differential at five- on-five. In the three games since Pouliot has a minus-three goal differential at evens. The overall picture for Pouliot this season is positive. He showed up to Rogers Arena this season in better shape than he left it, and that’s reflected in his willingness to engage in the defensive zone, without hampering his contributions at the other end of the ice. The Canucks are one shot attempt away from breaking even at five-on-five with Pouliot on the ice and still own a positive goal differential. Here’s hoping this last handful of games is noise and not a signal. Stock Up: Bo Horvat 1112764 Websites even further on a goal assisted by Cam York and Cole Caufield. In the third period, the Americans poured it on.

But there were no loud horns as Team USA scored goals six, seven and The Athletic / What happens when you remove a goal horn, loud music eight. No music. Just hockey. and make a hockey game more inclusive Appert stood just behind the top row of seats and watched the action. When one family found out he was the genesis behind the idea, they Craig Custance Oct 29, 2018 thanked him for the opportunity. In front of him, a couple families were pressed against the glass watching the action, dressed in Halloween costumes. It wasn’t a huge crowd. It PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The first thing that stands out is the lighting. It’s was a start. not like it was pitch black in USA Hockey Arena on Sunday afternoon, just a bit muted. Kind of like everything was during this game. “For a Sunday afternoon, it’s a big crowd,” Appert said. “With anything, the first year you do it, you have no idea how well it’s going to be The ice itself was well lit. It had to be, for the players and the action. But received and you hope to grow it from there. It’s been a real successful the lights wrapped around the outside of the rink were off. So were the event.” lights on the two biggest suites at center ice, designated as quiet rooms for any kids who might need them. It’s been five or six years now since the idea for a game like this was planted. Appert was golfing with a longtime season-ticket holder at RPI. Sunday was a bit of an experiment for USA Hockey’s National Team The fan and his family had season tickets going back 50 years and his Development Program. It was their first Sensory Friendly Day, an idea favorite memories as a kid was going to RPI hockey games with his dad. imported by under-17 coach Seth Appert, who hosted games like these while he was the head coach at RPI. “That was something more difficult to enjoy with his children because he had children on the ,” Appert said. “Whether it was the band, the In partnership with the Autism Alliance of Michigan, the NTDP went to music, the goal horns — it impacted his kids in a negative way.” great lengths in order to make this game as comfortable as possible for kids with special needs. Lights were dimmed. There was no loud music So they brainstormed ideas on a way to make an RPI game friendlier for or video replay. There was an expanded selection in the concession families that were dealing with the same issues. stand with gluten-free options. There were ear plugs, fidget spinners, Appert, the dad, was all-in on the idea. Appert, the coach, couldn’t help Play-Doh and a handful of other items handed out to make the game but wonder what was being sacrificed if it actually came to fruition. even more enjoyable for kids. “The first time you do it, you have no idea,” Appert said. “You’re like, A couple weeks ago, players from the U.S. program filled up small plastic ‘Man, we’re giving up the home-ice advantage, not going to have music, water bottles with colored water, glitter and beads to give the kids goal horn, a pep band.’ You don’t know. You’re scared a little about how something else to play with, especially for those who were overwhelmed it’s going to be taken by fans and players. The fans and players at RPI by it all and needed time in the quiet room. were unbelievable with that.” It made for a unique atmosphere because, led by Jack Hughes, this It was a success and it grew from there at RPI, which ended up taking may just be the best group of U-18s ever to come through the U.S. players into schools to meet with kids and raising thousands and developmental program. Half the crowd was NHL scouts and executives thousands of dollars. who may not have known what was going on. “The perspective it gave our players was incredible,” he said. With no PA announcer blaring over the loudspeaker, one amateur scout joked that maybe the guy got lost on the way to the game. But to him, the USA Hockey players made colored water bottles for kids to play with effect was dramatic because he’d just been to a junior game that blared during Sensory Friendly Day. (Allison Farrand / For The Athletic) music during play in an attempt to entertain the crowd. This was quite the opposite. That’s what really resonated with Appert. Yes, it was great for the kids to get the opportunity to watch hockey in a safe setting. But it impacted And it was appreciated. everyone else just as much. He’d hear from dads who got to take their sons to a hockey game for the first time, just their fathers used to do with Tracy Veras’ 7-year daughter, Zakia, was recently diagnosed with autism them. spectrum disorder. It helped explain why things were so much harder for their family at times and it’s also meant learning how to navigate a world That’s the kind of potential an afternoon like Sunday has for very little with which she wasn’t necessarily familiar, even as a preschool teacher. trade-off. Yes, the players had to find another way to get motivated This event gave her a chance to get the family out together as a group without loud, pump-up music. Sure it was a little different to have the and also discover a sport she’d never seen live. national anthem singer out there without a microphone, leaning on the U.S. players to help sing, even if a bit off tune. “It’s great. I’m loving it,” she said. “We’re having a nice family outing. They have a lot of activities to keep them busy. It’s letting her have fun “I hear them (singing) on the bus all the time. They’d better stick to and seeing other kids who have the same struggles as her.” hockey,” joked U-18 coach John Wroblewski. There were no replays on the scoreboard Sunday, but there were There was also more talk on the U.S. bench than usual, to make sure the warnings if the horn was going to sound at the end of the period at USA players were engaged without any external stimulation. This was a U.S. Hockey Arena. (Allison Farrand / For The Athletic) team that already was coming off a game the night before in Muskegon. Before that, it was a trip East to play Boston University, Harvard and A few feet away, Reena Naami had a table set up with crafts while the Dartmouth — three games in four days. It’s been a grueling start for game action was going on directly behind her. Naami works for the these kids, so removing any external attempts to provide extra energy Sparks Center for Autism and she appreciated the safe and comfortable wasn’t insignificant. There was some internal concern they might be atmosphere this game provided families. hurting the players’ ability to perform in this game. “I think they just kind of lose hope sometimes that there really aren’t that But it was also an opportunity. In a very practical way, it was a chance for many opportunities or that their child isn’t going to have the opportunities this group to see how internally motivated it is. It was a chance to to go out in the community just because of some of the barriers some replicate the kind of atmosphere that may exist when this group plays in kids have,” she said, pausing the conversation as a couple of kids an international tournament on an afternoon in front of an empty rink, as approached. often happens for those early tournament games in faraway arenas. “Do you guys want to make some crafts? We have some stars and “You’re going to have to find a way,” Wroblewski said. pumpkins and you can decorate with stickers.” In this game, they did. As the U.S. piled up the scoring in the third period, “I want to use markers,” answered the first kid. a group of kids watched from one of the suites converted into a quiet “I want to glue,” said the other. room. When the door closed to this room, the already quiet game became as silent as a hockey game can get. On a counter, fidget “We’ve got these little puff balls you can glue. You want to try some of spinners, colored water bottles and Play-Doh was available for any them?” distracted kids, but the game was keeping their attention. While the kids did crafts, the U.S. team extended its lead over Dubuque. They sat on chairs against the glass near the front of the suite and Harvard commit Sean Farrell scored shorthanded. Later in the period, followed the action. Hughes, the best prospect in the 2019 draft class, opened the U.S. lead “What happened? Is he OK?” one of the kids asked when a goalie went down. “You’re not allowed to hit the goalie,” a mom said. Another kid spotted Boston College commit Drew Helleson, a U.S. defenseman. “No. 4! No. 4 like Bobby Orr,” he said, showing off his hockey knowledge. The two moms in the room started to chat about how much they appreciated this opportunity. They shared tips on similar events — a local movie theater that turns the sound way down and keeps the lights dim to track kids, a musical that was sensory friendly. “Was it ‘Aladdin’?” one of the kids asked, eavesdropping on the conversation like kids do. It was indeed “Aladdin.” The third period ticked away into its final minutes, an accomplishment not lost on Krysta December, one of the moms. “We’ve never been able to stay at a hockey game this late before,” she said, before turning back to the action. The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112765 Websites The 80s saw two franchise moves, the near-death of the Blues, the weird Pat Quinn situation, an emerging drug problem, several headline- grabbing acts of violence, the Alan Eagleson scandal and an influx of The Athletic / Down Goes Brown weekend power rankings: The Leafs European players. There was, of course, the infamous disappearing act and Jets collide and nobody wins on Yellow Sunday that marked the low point of his tenure. But Ziegler also oversaw the early 90s expansion to markets like San Jose, Ottawa and Tampa, and faced the only player strike in league history, a midseason walkout that briefly threatened to wipe out the 1992 playoffs. By Sean McIndoe Oct 29, 2018 It was his handling of that strike that ultimately led him to being pushed out, opening the door that would eventually bring us the Gary Bettman era. Ziegler’s reign was far from perfect and Bettman inherited a league This week served up one of the early season’s first big showdowns, as with more than a few fires burning. But given the challenges that were the Maple Leafs and Jets hosted each other in a two-game miniseries for thrown at him over his 15 years on the job, Ziegler probably did about as Canadian bragging rights. The two games came with a big spotlight on good a job as we could have asked for. That’s a legacy worth both sides of the border, as the teams faced off on national TV in the remembering and recognizing. U.S. on Wednesday before getting the prime Hockey Night in Canada slot on Saturday. We weren’t sure whether we’d get any sort of decisive 5. Winnipeg Jets (7-4-1, +3) – Next up are back-to-back games against result, but we figured at least one team would come away from the week the Panthers, which of course are being held in Finland and only an idiot feeling good about themselves. would think otherwise. Yeah, maybe not. 4. Toronto Maple Leafs (8-3-0, +7) – Let’s see how they look without Matthews before we drop them, but this is a team with three great Let’s start with the Maple Leafs, who ended up taking both games in centers and then not much else down the middle. Those third and fourth regulation. That’s a huge result for a young team that’s still trying to learn lines might be rough. how to close out good teams. They carried the play for much of the two games, weathered a dangerous Jets attack, largely shut down Patrik 3. Pittsburgh Penguins (6-1-2, +15) – Oh right, I remember these guys. Laine and blitzed the Jets for three quick goals on Saturday to steal two points. All in all, pretty much an ideal outcome. THE PENGUINS HAVE JUST CURB STOMPED WESTERN CANADA ON THIS TRIP. MIGHT BE ONE OF MOST LOPSIDED GOAL Except, of course, that nobody’s talking about that today. Instead, the big DIFFERENTIALS ON AN EDMONTON-CALGARY-VANCOUVER RUN news is Auston Matthews, who left Saturday’s game early in the second THAT THERE’S BEEN. period after absorbing a hit from Jacob Trouba. He’s out with an injured shoulder, which sounds a little too familiar given his history, and initial &MDASH; JAMES MIRTLE (@MIRTLE) OCTOBER 28, 2018 reports were simply that he wouldn’t play tonight. This morning, we found out that the news was worse, and he’ll miss at least a month. 2. Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-1, +5) – This was starting to look like the week they moved into top spot. While I don’t have many hard and fast AUSTON MATTHEWS (SHOULDER) IS EXPECTED TO BE OUT A rules for this section, one of them is “you can’t be the best team in MINIMUM OF FOUR WEEKS AND WILL BE PLACED ON INJURED hockey when you just gave up a touchdown to the Arizona Coyotes.” RESERVE TODAY. #LEAFSFOREVER 1. Nashville Predators (8-3-0, +10) – We’ll keep them at the top for the — LEAFS PR (@LEAFSPR) OCTOBER 29, 2018 fourth straight week despite Saturday’s loss to Edmonton, if only because I’m worried they might send their new best friend Rusev over to piledrive Is that a reason to panic in Toronto? Well … maybe, yeah, it might be. me. But man that Central is looking like a juggernaut of a division right The Leafs figure to be in a tough race for home ice in the Atlantic all now. season long. Every point will count and missing their best player for weeks at a time will cost them. More importantly, at some point you You’ve got the Predators and the Jets, as we all expected. You’ve got the wonder if Leaf fans will have to cover their eyes every time Matthews Avalanche, who I still don’t completely trust but maybe should be pushing takes a big hit to the shoulder. Our own Justin Bourne has some for a top five spot based on their start. The Blackhawks might be good personal experience with shoulder issues and shared his thoughts here: again. The Stars and Wild have at least had their moments. Even the Toronto fans may not want to read them. Blues finally looked like a competent team on the weekend. As for the Winnipeg side, we won’t read too much into the sweep, Meanwhile, the Pacific has like two teams that can figure out how to get especially since there was a mitigating factor on Saturday. While the their skate guards off. Life in the Western Conference isn’t fair. Leafs were home and resting up, the Jets had to play in Detroit on Friday, so maybe it wasn’t a shock to see them run out of gas in the late- Not ranked: Carolina Hurricanes – Yet. going the next night. But we’re now a dozen games into the season and Look, the Hurricanes’ case for the top five is far from ironclad. Their 6-4-1 it’s fair to say that the Jets have been just OK. They’ve won seven, lost record is fine, but they’re still sitting outside the top ten in the overall five and have been pretty even in terms of goal differential and standings, so they can’t get in on that alone. They beat the Sharks, which possession. They haven’t been bad by any stretch. But they haven’t been was impressive, but lost to the Islanders, which was not. The goals great and going pointless against a fellow contender doesn’t help that differential is just OK. And most importantly, this is still a team that had perception. 83 points and missed the playoffs by 14 last season, and while these are So there probably aren’t a lot of smiles in either Winnipeg or Toronto right power rankings for this year, we’re still factoring in the larger body of now. The good news is that both teams remain in our top five. Let’s see work to weed out any early flukes. The five teams above are all good who else is joining them … right now and have been for a while and there’s no obvious candidate to drop out. Road to the Cup So no, they’re not here … yet. I’m giving everyone some advance notice. The five teams that look like they’re headed towards a summer of keg Get used to the idea of the Hurricanes as a top five team, because stands and fountain pool parties. someday soon, I think they’re in. Maybe even next week. Before we get to the rankings, it’s worth taking a moment to mention that They’ve just been too good. The middling record doesn’t do them justice; former NHL president John Ziegler passed away on Thursday. That’s a they’re leading the league in possession, and while that’s not everything, name that may not be familiar to some of today’s hockey fans, since he it’s starts to be a pretty good indicator once we get a month into the hasn’t been directly involved in the league in over 25 years. But there’s a season. And the Hurricanes aren’t just leading the pack – they’re running decent case to be made that even all those years later, Ziegler is in the away, with only one a few teams really close. conversation as the second most important behind-the-scenes figure in the league’s modern history, behind only Gary Bettman. One of those other teams is the San Jose Sharks, who the Hurricanes beat on Friday. It was only a shootout, which isn’t a real win. But after the Ziegler was a somewhat surprising choice to become league president in Sharks dominated the first period, the Hurricanes took over the rest of 1977, an American lawyer replacing a legend in Clarence Campbell. He the way. It felt like one of those measuring stick games and Carolina inherited a league in which several teams were on the brink of financial passed with flying colors. failure; within a year the Cleveland Barons had folded, becoming the last team in major North American pro sports to do so. The NHL was also in YES, THE CAROLINA HURRICANES ARE “FUN,” BUT THERE’S SO the final stages of its battle with the rival WHA and Ziegler stickhandled MUCH MORE TO THIS. THIS IS ABOUT SOME GUYS WHO HAVE the complicated merger that saw four teams absorbed into the NHL. PLAYED 10 NHL GAMES, SOME WHO HAVE PLAYED THOUSANDS, LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND DECIDING TO RAISE A STANDARD. HTTPS://T.CO/VPNNCALWJW &MDASH; SARA CIV (@SARACIVIAN) OCTOBER 27, 2018 BEN BISHOP: "IT’S REALLY UNACCEPTABLE, TO BE HONEST. WE COME IN HERE AGAINST A TEAM THAT’S BEEN They’re doing all that and annoying Brian Burke. What’s not to love? STRUGGLING AND WE GO OUT AND KIND OF JUST PLAY TO THEIR So they’re in … eventually. Probably. There’s the small matter of three LEVEL." games this week, as they face the Bruins, Coyotes and Golden Knights. &MDASH; MATTHEW DEFRANKS (@MDEFRANKS) OCTOBER 29, If they get swept, then we can all start doubting them again. But if they do 2018 well, they’re going to be knocking on the door. Start mentally preparing yourself now for a world where the Carolina Hurricanes are considered Not ranked: Arizona Coyotes – After a rough start, the Coyotes have won one of the very best teams in the NHL. Because you’ve been warned – three straight and clawed their way back to .500. They’re sitting at 5-5-0, that day is almost here. which isn’t especially impressive, but is enough to keep them out of our bottom five. The bottom five This is news. Five stories from teams around the league where things aren’t going so well. In fact, somewhat amazingly, it’s the first time since opening week of the 2016-17 season that the Coyotes haven’t been included in this section. We’re a few days away from one of my favorite dates on the NHL That’s over two years. In a league with as much parity as the NHL, that calendar: Nov. 1, the day that we can invoke the Elliotte Friedman Rule should be just about impossible. But the Coyotes’ recent habit of getting and start officially eliminating teams from the playoff race. out to season-killing slow starts has left them consistently looking up at That’s overstating the issue a bit, maybe. But ever since Friedman first the rest of the league. made the observation five years ago, hockey fans have known that Just not this week. teams that are four or more points out by Nov. 1 very rarely make the playoffs. That sounds insane – four points is just two wins, and you have The Coyotes are coming off one of the best weeks in recent franchise 70 or so games to make them up. But the numbers bear it out. As we history, as they racked up those three straight wins by a combined score keep saying around here, it gets late awfully early in today’s NHL. of 15-3. That kind of week will do wonders for the old goals differential. So who’s going to be in four-point danger zone this year? We can’t say THE COYOTES HAVE THE BEST GOAL DIFFERENTIAL IN THE for sure quite yet, but the list of suspects is a long one. We know the PACIFIC, AHEAD OF TEAMS LIKE WINNIPEG AND CAROLINA, AND Kings, Red Wings, Rangers, Blues and Panthers probably will be. The TIED WITH TAMPA BAY. Senators, Flames, Ducks, Islanders, Flyers, Stars, Coyotes, Golden Knights and Devils all could be too, depending on how the next few HUH. nights go. &MDASH; TRAVIS YOST (@TRAVISYOST) OCTOBER 28, 2018 Can at least one of those teams beat the odds and make it? Well, sure. More importantly, the Coyotes are right back in the mix for a playoff spot We’d better hope so, because it’s going to be a pretty boring season if in a weak division. But that comes at the expense of their usual spot in over a dozen teams are already out. The Friedman Rule is a guideline, the rankings. It won’t be the same without them, but it’s like that classic not a hard-and-fast commandment. old saying: If you love something, set it free. If it loses to the Senators The more interesting question is who makes the comeback? Some of tomorrow, you can put them right back in the bottom five next week and those teams are ones that absolutely expected to be in the postseason forget this ever happened. and falling short would presumably lead to some major changes. It’s one The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 thing for the Red Wings or Rangers to miss in a season that everyone had penciled in as a rebuilding year. But the Blues? The Flyers? The Panthers? The Stanley Cup finalist Golden Knights? It feels just about impossible to imagine the 2019 playoffs opening up without at least a few of those teams. But as history has taught us, it may not stay that way for long. Nov. 1 isn’t some sort of carved-in-stone death sentence for a team’s playoff hopes. But it’s at least a reminder that time is running out more quickly than you might think. 5. Philadelphia Flyers (4-7-0, -15) – I don’t fully understand what’s happening with the Flyers, who I still think are a reasonably good team. But we’ve reached that point in the season where results have to matter at least as much as expectations, and the Flyers are getting rolled right now, having been outscored 13-2 in three straight losses. They head out west this week, with matchups against the terrible Kings as well as John Gibson and 18 pylons wearing Ducks jersey. That should get them back on track, and off our list for the rest of the season. Unless they keep losing, in which case it might be time to worry in Philadelphia. 4. Ottawa Senators (4-4-2, -4) – The record remains decent, even as their underlying numbers are mostly awful, they keep getting smoked by good lines, and they’ve relied on unsustainable shooting to make it all work. It can’t really last like this – either their play will improve or their record will crater. Either way, this may have been the coolest moment of the weekend, as a returning Matt Duchene doesn’t waste much time putting an exclamation point on a nice tribute video from the Avalanche. 3. Los Angeles Kings (3-7-1, -17) – Last week I put the Kings in the bottom five and braced for pushback from L.A. fans. I got it, but almost entirely from fans who thought I was being too generous. They went pointless is six straight and lost Jonathan Quick to injury along the way. Who could lose to these guys? 2. New York Rangers (3-7-1, -11) – Oh, right. Blowing a 2-0 lead and giving up the winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation against a team that can’t beat anybody seems less than ideal. 1. Detroit Red Wings (2-7-2, -17) – I’m trying to decide which has been the worst Wings story of the week – them having to rework their curly fries promo because expecting anyone on the current roster to score a hat trick seemed too optimistic or Ben Bishop responding to yesterday’s loss by dropping this quote: 1112766 Websites Pride players head out of their locker room after their pregame meeting. (Glenn Osmundson)

The latter was Mara’s priority heading into the season. On May 30, he The Athletic / Behind the scenes during a game with the Boston Pride was hired to replace Thomas Poeck. The timing of his hiring allowed women’s hockey team Mara, formerly Team USA’s assistant coach, to form his roster. Speed was his most desired asset. Fluto Shinzawa Oct 29, 2018 “I had a vision of the team I wanted, the style we wanted to play,” Mara says. “Speed and finesse. Moving the puck.”

Mara’s preferred tempo matches the pace at which the Pride needed to has been a National Women’s Hockey League coach for only come together. Under league rules, teams can practice only twice a three games. week. They usually play once, on Saturdays. The ex-Bruin has already mastered the art of ripping officials. This means NWHL coaches and players have to accelerate the team- building that happens organically elsewhere. With Team USA last year, After the Boston Pride’s 3-2 loss Saturday to the , Mara and the Americans set up base camp in Wesley Chapel, Fla., for Mara waits in the Warrior Ice Arena hallway behind the visitors’ bench. workouts, practices, and games. From September 2017 until their The Belmont native has people he intends to address. departure for PyeongChang, the team used its Florida residency period to prepare for Olympic gold. “You guys should be ashamed,” Mara tells referees Jessica Leclerc and Michaela Frattarelli and linesmen Danika Korpacz and Sarah Hickman as The collegians that populate the NWHL bonded in the gym, classrooms, they walk through the doors into the hallway. “Awful. You shouldn’t be buses and dorm rooms as well as the rink. allowed to ref anymore. Fucking awful.” “There’s definitely more time spent with the team in college. So team Mara’s primary beef is with the winning goal Rebecca Russo scores on chemistry can kind of be created,” says Dana Trivigno, who played at Katie Burt with three seconds remaining in the third period. It is the play Boston College. “Whereas here, at least I saw it last year and this year, if that lights Mara ablaze following earlier brushfires: an uncalled icing you can create that team chemistry early, it’s a huge advantage. Last before the Riveters’ first goal, another no-call icing before a hooking call year, we didn’t do a great job up front building the team together. But this on Jordan Smelker, and the four power plays his opponents enjoyed year, we made sure we did a team event right away before the season compared with the absence of one-up situations for his club. even started — bowling in Boston at Jillian’s.” “The ref doesn’t call it. She doesn’t call it a goal,” Mara says of the As such, players have limited windows to open eyes. Coaches do not winner. “She said, ‘I looked at the linesman.’ The linesman said, ‘Oh have much data with which to make evaluations. yeah, it might be a goal.’ And then they called it a goal. One of the problems I had is I’ve played in a lot of games and seen a lot of games, Boston’s Lauren Kelly, left, and Lexi Bender, right, race with the Riveters’ and I’ve never been part of a team that hasn’t gotten a power play and Alexa Aramburu to a loose puck in the first period. (Glenn Osmundson) [four] against. Rarely happens.” “We approach it very intentionally to maximize those few hours a week The loss is the Pride’s first of the season. Officiating is not the only that we do have with each other,” says Alyssa Gagliardi. “At this level, reason. we’ve all played with or against each other at some point. So we’re pretty familiar with each other. But it is about building that chemistry. I think Pride head coach Paul Mara talks with an official after the game. (Glenn Paul’s done a great job of pairing lines with people that already have that Osmundson) built-in chemistry from years past, college, or the national team. I think that’s helped us get started right away.” “I don’t even think we should be in a game close enough with them that the refs make a difference,” assistant coach Marissa Gedman, the The Pride’s legs are good early against the Riveters. They peel off for daughter of former Red Sox catcher , tells the players. “We two breakaways in the opening 10 minutes. But Katie Fitzgerald holds can be pissed off. But we are so much better. So the refs played a part her ground on both chances to keep the game scoreless. today. But also we did.” At 16:30, following the icing Mara wants but does not get, Russo puts a A postgame spread of pizza, salad, Cheez-Its and Bud Light does little to net-front shot past Burt to put the Pride down, 1-0. The Pride do not push shorten the long faces in the Pride’s dressing room. The 2-1 Pride are back. already 19 percent of the way through the season. They will not practice this week. Their next game is on Nov. 17. “When we pressure them — Pelkey, Kriz, Brandy, you guys did a great job — they can’t handle it in their zone. We’ve seen it,” Mara tells his In the NWHL, now in its fourth year, neither games nor practices are players during the first intermission, singling out , Denisa bountiful commodities. Krizova, and McKenna Brand. “We’re a centimeter off. If we sharpen things up, we’ll be fine. Maintain our speed. We’re getting our chances. The Pride are one of five teams in the NWHL. It is the former team of Two breakaways. One thing is D’s, let’s move the puck up quicker to our Denna Laing, who was paralyzed during the Pride’s outdoor game at forwards. Be quick to defend. We can beat them up the ice. Lastly, let’s on Dec. 31, 2015. To this day, Pride players wear a hit the net. We had a couple great chances there, we just missed the net sticker of Laing’s No. 24 on their helmets. A No. 24 banner hangs at by a little bit. Just sharpen things up, we’ll be fine. Just keep maintaining Warrior above one net. that speed and that pressure. They can’t handle it.” The Pride are one of two professional women’s teams in Massachusetts. They kick their skates on the boards. They bang their sticks atop the The Worcester Blades, formerly based in Boston, are one of six teams in dashers. On the bench, the Pride are not conservative when celebrating the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. ’s tying goal at 12:40 of the second. In the NWHL, salaries are capped at $100,000 per club. Player salaries “Great pressure,” Mara tells his players. “They’re going to tire out. They range from $3,000 to $10,000 per season. As such, most players have can’t hang with us.” full-time jobs or attend graduate school. Boston’s Jillian Dempsey, left, celebrates with Emily Field after scoring in The routine before the game, during intermissions and postgame is the second period to tie the game 1-1. (Glenn Osmundson) always the same. Gedman enters the room, makes sure everyone is dressed, then gives Mara the green light. Mara goes in and delivers his The bench dips when Trivigno is called for body checking at 17:05. It is messages. It does not take him very long. the Pride’s second penalty of the period. It means more work for , one of the team’s penalty-killing forwards. “I think the last game, we got on the refs, we got on them a little bit,” Mara tells his players after warmups. “Let’s stay off them. If there are any In one way, Parker is happy for the opportunity. Parker did not play in the issues, I’ll deal with it. Let’s just stay focused on the game. Secondly, first two games. But Mara and Gedman are satisfied with her progress they can’t handle our speed. Relentless speed and pressure. Stay on since the start of the season. So after practice last Thursday at UMass them all the time right from the first shift. We got them in a hole early last Boston, Mara tells Parker she is in against the Riveters. game. Let’s keep that up. Don’t give them any room to be in this game. Stay in it right from the start. Lastly, pressure. They have some good “It’s very exciting,” Parker says of making her season debut. “Playing on players with (Amanda) Kessel and some of those other players. Pressure a team like this is a huge honor. To be able to get the nod to join the them hard. Don’t give them time or space or anything. We’re right on team this weekend is really exciting.” them all the time. Start quick. Start fast.” Parker, a Milton native, played 104 games at Harvard. She attended teams. But I think it’s up to us as athletes to get off the ice, doing our Boston University as a graduate student, leading Hockey East with 24 workouts, our conditioning, to stay on form. We’ll still have practices, so goals in 2015-16. it’s taking advantage of those to stay sharp. And extra ice if you can get it.” It speaks to the strength of Boston’s roster that a player with Parker’s pedigree is not guaranteed playing time. While Mara has 22 players on For others, like Lexi Bender, a law student at Northeastern, the downtime his roster, only 17 are allowed to dress for games: nine forwards, six is opportunistic. She has finals the first week. Then she will go home to defensemen, and two goalies. Seattle the second week. But her gear will be traveling west, too. Between family time, Bender will skate with several boys’ teams. For players like Parker, practices are critical for earning a uniform. Olympians such as enjoy greater job security. But even the Upon their return, the Pride will have back-to-back games against the 31-year-old Marvin does not take her place in the lineup for granted. on Nov. 17-18. Mary Parker, left, and Gigi Marvin share a laugh prior to the start of the “A lot of this game is mental, not just physical,” Mara says. “It’s when you game. (Glenn Osmundson) sharpen things up mentally, everything will be OK. Passes just weren’t on the tape. An inch off here, inch off there. That’s the difference between “Everyone wants to play,” says Marvin, who won gold with Team USA in winning and losing.” South Korea. “That’s why you show up and you compete. Everyone competes for a different reason. But I hope the main one, the underlying The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 one that kind of unites us all, is the love of the game. It’s pro hockey. Some people want to make it to the next level with Team USA. It depends. But at the root of it, everyone loves to play.” Parker helps her teammates kill the first penalty of the second. They do not have similar results in their second shorthanded situation. Forty-nine seconds into Trivigno’s penalty, Chelsea Ziadie puts the Riveters up by a goal. “That was a lot better period,” Mara tells his team during the second intermission. “We’re only going to beat ourselves on this team. Let’s stay disciplined. Don’t worry about the refs. I’ll take care of them. Once we scored that goal, we had the momentum for a few minutes there. They can’t handle us. I’ve said that many times. They cannot handle our speed and relentlessness. Keep getting shots and we’ll be fine. Keep working hard and the breaks will come our way. The refs… I hope we get a couple power plays here. We get a couple and they’re going to tire out. Same starters, all right? Let’s go.” On the Pride bench, the din is the same when they score another goal, this time at 12:15 of the third. This time, there is one more feature: a puck that spins toward the bench. Toni Ann Miano, a Pride rookie, has scored her first NWHL goal. Her teammates make sure the puck is put aside. Thirty-five seconds later, the energy fades after Smelker is sent off for hooking. “Four-oh,” Mara tells the referees, putting up four fingers, then closing his fist to indicate the difference in power plays. “We’re the home team here, you know.” The Pride kill Smelker’s penalty. The teams are almost to overtime when a disrupted Pride breakout gives the Riveters a final offensive rush. Bodies converge on the net. During a scramble, Russo sticks the puck over the line at 19:57. Riveters players celebrate after scoring with three seconds left in the game to clinch a 3-2 win. (Glenn Osmundson) “I don’t know what to say about that,” Mara addresses the room after the last-second loss. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a game where we haven’t had a power play. But hey, whatever. Learning experience. We’re going to have tight games like that. We’re not going to win them all. But we battled hard. We were down 1-0, came back. Down 2-1, came back. Credit to that.” It will not be easy for the Pride to get over the loss. Three weeks will pass before their next game against Buffalo on Nov. 17. The entire league goes dark because of the Four Nations Cup. This year’s tournament, which includes the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland, takes place in , . Marvin, a Minnesotan, is the Pride’s lone entry. The Pride will not practice during the first idle week. Players who wish to skate will have ice available at UMass Boston. But they will be on their own to maintain conditioning before they resume practice on Nov. 6. Players from a Dorchester youth hockey team reach to tap the sticks of Pride players after the second period. (Glenn Osmundson) For some of the Pride, life stays the same during the three-week segment. Dempsey, a fifth-grade teacher, will be busy in her classroom. Backup goalie Brittany Ott is a paramedic. Gagliardi, who works for Eversound, a startup company in Boston providing wireless headphones for seniors, might have to visit the office on weekends. “It’s always a challenge,” Gagliardi says of the layoff. “It’s kind of the nature of women’s hockey right now, building in time for the national 1112767 Websites “It becomes less about how much a good staff can draft and develop and how much you can spend on mercenaries,” the executive said. “Ultimately, it will alienate some fans, because fans (in small markets) The Athletic / What would a soft cap look like in the NHL? are very aware of how much money (their team) is spending. We would not only lose games and lose fans, but the results would spiral. We’d have the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Royals of years past, collecting revenue-sharing checks and not reinvesting that money into By Katie Strang Oct 29, 2018 their teams, like the Miami Marlins today. “It becomes a league of haves and have nots.” The William Nylander-Toronto Maple Leafs contract impasse has now One veteran agent wondered whether a tax threshold system, though it dragged into the fourth week of the NHL regular season, though there sounds appealing, would have adverse, unintended consequences on have been some positive flares signaling a possible resolution. the bulk of players. He worried such a model would disproportionately affect superstar salaries, essentially wiping out what would be considered There was reportedly a meeting between the two sides in, literally, the the middle class of earners among the players and widening the pay most neutral of places, Switzerland, a few weeks ago. Reports later disparity across the league. surfaced that Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was in New York City meeting with Nylander’s New York-based agent, Lewis Gross. There OK, so let’s take a more modest change to the current economic model, appeared to be some constructive dialogue taking place and progress something closer to the NBA way of doing things. You could institute a being forged. cap with a soft payroll threshold but the ability to exceed that threshold under certain scenarios, like when a team wants to sign its own star But let’s harken back a few weeks, when the standoff seemed to reach player. There is already a version of this in the NBA, which has the apex of its intrigue — when Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan colloquially become known as “the Larry Bird Rule” or “Bird Rights” after suggested that if Nylander wanted to set a new bar in his next contract, a precedent was established that allowed Larry Bird to sign a lucrative perhaps Toronto wasn’t for him. Those comments sparked a flurry of seven-year contract to remain with the in 1983. (Though reactions, many of them decidedly unfavorable. there is some debate over whether the Celtics technically employed this And yet, though Shanahan’s delivery of the message was perhaps less- rule, as the new cap system did not go into effect until the season that than-artful, the underlying premise he was describing is hard to debate: followed.) In a salary cap world, it is supremely difficult, if not virtually impossible, to This could be a helpful tool for a present-day Leafs team, which could pay all of your stars at fair market value if you are a talent-laden team. spend at will on Matthews, Marner and Nylander, and sacrifice the hard Not all of the Leafs’ talent is homegrown, mind you — Toronto landed the cash those players would dictate on the market, while avoid being coveted free agent of the summer by inking John Tavares to a seven- penalized at full contract value against the cap. year, $77 million deal. Yet the team’s ability to keep a burgeoning and dynamic young nucleus — including Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Rather than punish a team for drafting well and amassing an abundance Marner, , Kasperi Kapanen, among others — is of talent, the softer cap could allow a winning product to be preserved. compromised by the constraints of the NHL’s hard cap. “A player should be able to get market value but teams should be able to The Leafs are not the first team to be handcuffed in such a way. One get some type of benefit from doing things the quote-unquote ‘right way,’” only needs to look at the way the Chicago Blackhawks were dismantled said one NHL GM. “That would put a premium and onus on drafting and following recent Stanley Cup championships, in 2010, 2013 and 2015, to developing. If you’re able to get it right, you can keep that player in your see how difficult it is to preserve a winning core under a rigid cap. system.” Those examples offer an interesting thought exercise, especially in light Big-market teams would not be able to just throw money around at will; of the impending CBA talks: What would it be like in the NHL with a soft rather, they’d have to earn the right to do so. cap? Could it work? If so, how? “Having the Larry Bird-type system, you still have to draft and develop to The NHL is one of two of the Big Four professional sports leagues with a take advantage of it. You can’t trade or sign your way into it,” the GM hard cap; the NFL’s payroll threshold is similarly rigid. MLB is the most explained. “For small-market teams as well, I’m not sure why you’d object lenient, with a luxury tax that penalizes teams for exceeding a certain to it.” payroll threshold, rendering it virtually to function as a soft cap. The NBA possesses a soft cap, meaning there is a cap on payroll expenditures, Andrew Zimbalist, a professor of economics at who has but there are also several exemptions (more on that later). written extensively on the professional sports industry, said a system that incorporates something similar to Bird Rights would benefit small-market So there are several iterations on how a loosening of cap restrictions teams in the short and long term. For a long-suffering fan base that could take shape in the NHL. To wit: remains loyal through dark times and sticks around long enough to see the fruits of that suffering, it doesn’t have to be just an ephemeral feeling. Let’s take the current numbers and play with them a bit. As it stands, the upper limit of the cap for the 2018-19 season is $79.5 million, while the The soft cap in the NBA, Zimbalist said, has mitigated this phenomenon. cap floor is $58.8 million. Let’s make this easier on the eyes and say a soft cap was set at $80 million. In a fairly soft cap, there could be a tax “One of the things that the exceptions give you, and one of the reasons imposed on every dollar spent above the $80 million mark. You could the Bird exemption was introduced, was the great ability, the greater scale that tax to increase by tiers (a tax of $2 dollars for every dollar likelihood, to keep your stars,” Zimbalist said. “And I think that’s positive. spent above $80 million and up to $85 million; $3 dollars for every dollar Fans develop an attachment to players on a team, as well as a team.” spent above $85 million up to $90 million and so on) or have a flat rate. It could be a fairly reasonable tax rate or it could be so prohibitive, teams’ There are some quibbles with the above scenarios, however. spending behavior moderates itself. The money from the tax could be One front-office executive thinks that, even in a revenue-sharing system, then be redistributed to smaller-market teams as part of the revenue- the small-market teams would be at a severe disadvantage under this sharing system, or to pay down escrow, or both. model, with salaries being driven up and those with more modest payrolls As one prominent NHL agent asked: “Why should the league be rendered unable to compete. restraining (these teams) from spending more money on payroll if they so “There would be some teams in a world of fucking hurt,” the executive choose to do it, especially with the understanding that the money you’re said. spending, the tax of your overage, is going to the have nots, and you’re spending it willingly?” In the case of the Bird Rights scenario, it’s prudent to point out that the NBA and the NHL are markedly different in their financial health and the But a front-office executive of a small-market team was much more economic model of their respective games. And the dynamics of the averse to such a premise. He pointed to the AHL as an example of the teams are different, too. great disparity between the teams that can spend without restrictions and those that can’t. Some independent owners, under pressure to sell Teams are much smaller in the NBA and superstars are on the court for tickets, are willing to fork over a ton of cash to sign players and pursue much longer than their NHL contemporaries are on the ice; hockey championships, while other AHL teams are more adherent to the requires more key contributions throughout the bulk of the depth chart. philosophy of the league as a developmental incubator. “To win in the NBA, you have to have three superstars, so you can It is worth noting that the two leagues are not analogous — the AHL does overpay three superstars and backfill where you can,” said Frank not have a salary cap or revenue-sharing system — but his concern Provenzano, a former assistant GM with the Washington Capitals and remains the same: If such a system was implemented in the NHL, the Dallas Stars. “It’s harder to win with a core of three in the NHL.” chasm between the teams would widen. The hard cap materialized as a result of the 2004-05 lockout; it was the time, but not other leagues at other points in time, but it doesn’t hold up owners’ antidote to rising player salaries. It was a hard-fought battle that very robustly.” amounted to a massive victory for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in providing the two things he emphatically stresses to this day: cost For an economist, it’s not a straight, clear line by which to make strong, certainty and competitive balance. scientific deductions. According to figures provided by the NHL, the league has experienced an But Zimbalist points out that fairness seems to be something that fans annual average growth of 6.1 percent and overall growth of 51.5 percent covet, so if one team is running the table for years — a la the New York since 2011-12, the season that preceded the most recent lockout. Yankees in the late 1990s — that can lead to people in other cities feeling like it’s a rigged system. If it were the Kansas City Royals Per Article 50 of the current CBA, the salary cap, or payroll range, is amassing titles, Zimbalist said, perhaps people would have felt the calculated by taking the previous year’s hockey related revenue, outcome was determined by other contributing factors, not just money. multiplying that figure by 50 percent (the applicable percentage allocated to players), subtracting the projected benefits, dividing by the number of Salary cap systems do address this notion of fairness and, as much as clubs in the league and, voila, you have your midpoint. After adjustment Zimbalist said he likes to criticize Bettman, he does feel like he gets this for the revenue growth factor, 15 percent of that midpoint is added on to part “fundamentally correct.” both ends to create the ceiling and the floor. But David Berri, a professor of economics at Southern Utah University This linkage — tying the cap and floor to revenue figures — has always who wrote the textbook “Sports Economics,” points to college sports as a meant that some big-market teams are constrained by the ceiling, while prime example of the still-fervent interest among fans despite perennial some small-market teams are dragged along by the floor, forced to powerhouses. fans are going to watch Alabama play spend above their means and employ smoke and mirrors to reach this football even though they know Alabama is going to win, he said. threshold. “It doesn’t look like it’s the case that big-market teams necessarily According to Capfriendly.com, roughly a third of teams spent close to or dominate sports and it also doesn’t look like fans really care if they did,” near the cap ($75 million) last season, while a few hovered above the Berri said. floor ($55.4 million); the remaining teams fell somewhere in between, Another example to consider: the English Premier League, which is a between $66 million and $74 million. financial juggernaut despite the utter lack of competitive balance. Deep- But by tying the salary cap to growth, the league ensures the amount of pocketed behemoths like Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester spending and insulates the economic model from the otherwise standard United spend with reckless abandon and have had a virtual monopoly on expansions and contractions in a free market system. In fact, when we championship titles for decades. talk about a player’s fair market value in the NHL, it’s a bit of a misnomer. Granted, hockey can’t compete with the global appeal of soccer, but EPL The NHL is far from a free market. fans are rabid and the league is wildly popular, despite the lack of “Leagues by definition are set up as cartels. If you want to have a closed diversity among its championship clubs. cartel system, you by definition are already lacking one of the So while the NHL claims competitive balance (seven teams that didn’t components of a free market, which is equalization of competition. You’re make the playoffs in 2017 made it in 2018; the same figure was also true committing to 31 economic entities,” Provenzano said. “If you commit to for the season prior), objective observers are skeptical that is really the an arbitrary level of competition, you commit to an arbitrary level of talent driving force behind having a payroll cap. distribution.” “The cap exists because it allows owners to get more money. So you’re And if that talent distribution only became more constricted, and the restricting player pay,” Berri said. concentration of star power was reserved for big-market teams with spending power, small teams in untraditional markets would suffer, Rod Fort, a professor of sport management at University of Michigan, Provenzano said. echoed these sentiments: “What’s really going on here is that, overall for the league, they’re in a better revenue position under a payroll cap Would those types of teams in the NBA be able to survive within the because of the amount of money that is distributed away from players to NHL’s economic model, especially considering the relative dearth of TV owners. Whatever happens happens in terms of increased revenues money as compared to the NBA? because of competitive balance, is just gravy.” “In my opinion there are consequences to that in a gate-driven league. If There is no doubt a softening of the cap, or loosening the restrictions of the NBA was the NHL model, would there be franchises in Utah?” the cap, would enjoy ample support among the players and agents, who Provenzano asked of the smattering of small-market teams without elite don’t want to see salaries compressed or earning power stymied. From star power. “I’m not sure in a gate-driven league in absence of major TV the league’s perspective, however, it’s a likely non-starter in negotiations. revenues that can support economic viability of weakest team.” The league views the salary cap as a massive victory earned in collective How do players feel about this? Adam Lowry, the NHLPA rep for the bargaining in the 2004-05 lockout, and it is one the NHL is surely loathe Winnipeg Jets, expressed similar skepticism when the idea of a soft cap to give back. Ultimately, it provides Bettman control over the amount of was broached. He said he felt the solution was binary: hard cap or no spending and thus helps control the financial viability of the game and its cap at all, or else certain teams would just plain founder. And that could franchisees. be hard for the large majority of players in the NHL. This is important to keep in mind as we talk about a soft cap in the Lowry, son of former NHLer Dave Lowry, said competitive balance is abstract, because at this moment both the league and the NHLPA are something that matters to a player who may not have a long-term deal circling each other, having at least reached the point about having talks and could be traded on a whim. about the next CBA. Early indications are that both sides seem inclined “It’s not the star players that are (generally) moved, it’s kind of the lower- to hammer out a deal sooner than later. There is belief that progress can echelon players. For a guy like me, there’s not a lot of certainty where be forged without waiting until the 11th hour and that a reasonable deal you’re gonna be,” Lowry said. “When my dad played, he played for five can be brokered without major concessions having to be made on either different teams over 19 years, so we moved around a lot as a kid. As far side. as competitive balance, I just want to be on a good team.” To put the cap back on the table would disrupt all that. Competitive balance has long been a talking point by Bettman and Co. One veteran agent likened it to a potential powder keg that could inflame as an impetus behind the game’s growth and as a necessary component tensions between the two sides and derail any progress. He wondered: If to driving fans’ interest. But is there any empirical evidence to suggest the idea of a soft cap was raised by the NHLPA, would the league then that this is something that fans truly desire? counter by going after guaranteed contracts? Zimbalist said that when there’s more compression in win percentages, Another prominent agent wondered whether the NHL would try to there’s more balance in a league. So if you’re assuming that fans do implement a cap on the second tier of deals for players, the deals that enjoy competitive balance, you’d expect to see higher attendance and come following a player’s entry-level contracts. higher ratings in this scenario. The relationship between the two, however, tends to be more erratic. Suffice it to say, this is a potentially volatile issue. But it is an interesting one worth at least considering, especially once CBA talks commence. “Generally speaking, it’s kind of hard to find that linear relationship,” he said. “A lot of people have looked at this and don’t see it. When you do a Though there is a sense of optimism around the league about avoiding metric analysis, usually, you’re looking at identifying a linear relationship. another lockout, there are others who are more skeptical. Lockouts have It’s very hard to find. You can find it for some leagues at some points in ensued in the three previous negotiations during Bettman’s tenure. This very well may be his last go-around, so perhaps he does not want that to be part of his defining legacy. Or maybe he takes a look at the last deal and remembers the 7 percentage points clawed back on behalf of the owners and the significant amount of wealth that was transferred to their pockets as a result and decides to opt for that route again. Even if the bargaining talks go smoothly, this topic may resurface, and with fervor. Envision the Leafs winning the Cup this season and then trying to re-sign Matthews and Marner. They’d surely face the difficult decision of dismantling a championship-caliber club under the hard-cap system. Imagine being a Leafs fan, having endured so much pain, so many rough years, and finally celebrating the reward of that loyalty and anguish, only to have it be fleeting. Don’t be surprised if fans revolt. “The system has worked as desired. I can’t say it’s not working,” the NHL GM said. “I just can’t say whether that’s something that’s good for the league or not.” The Athletic LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112768 Websites Still, true to his nature, Kadri didn’t seem concerned about another flat performance at Scotiabank Arena on the night he played his 500th NHL game. The Leafs managed just 15 shots on net in the first 54 minutes Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' first look without Auston Matthews not very before pouring it on following a Kadri power-play goal. pretty - Sportsnet.ca “No, no. We’re more than fine,” said Kadri. “Just a few bad periods. We turned it on late — it was too late — Freddie stood on his head, gave us a chance.” Chris Johnston They even thought they scored the tying goal when Zach Hyman tipped a point shot with 1:28 to play and had the puck land flat on the back of the netting. The goal horn blared while Hyman and teammate Josh Leivo ORONTO — Just four shots on goal in the first period. A stretch of 14- celebrated with a crowd of 18,000 strong — only to find out it wasn’t in. plus minutes without one while trailing by two in the third. And a false- start celebration to top it all off at the end of the night. Matthews could be seen walking the corridors after the final buzzer sounded. The 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs got their first look at life without Auston Matthews on Monday and it wasn’t very pretty. Even though Babcock had noted that “the greatest thing about hockey is it’s a team game and you don’t win by yourself,” it’s impossible to argue In fact, vast stretches of a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames were downright that life wouldn’t be better for the Leafs if their 21-year-old game-breaker ugly for a team that still sits atop the NHL standings. was playing. He’ll be missed. “I just thought they were prepared, I thought they skated, I thought they “It’s a hole for them, definitely,” said Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. “I worked, I thought they sailed out of their zone and beat us up the ice,” mean he’s one of the best players in the world.” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “To me, our top group playing against their top groups weren’t good enough.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 It started with Nazem Kadri’s line, which drew a tough assignment against Sean Monahan and Co. and had all kinds of trouble executing a clean breakout. One failed attempt — a bobbled pass from Morgan Rielly to Mitch Marner while Monahan applied pressure — ended with a quick Elias Lindholm goal to put Calgary ahead 2-0 with less than 14 minutes to play. That about summed up how things went for Toronto. Matthews watched the game in a sharp green suit and will be unavailable to the team for at least four weeks after suffering an injury to his left shoulder on Saturday night. In his absence, Babcock leaned heavily on his top remaining centres and gave both Kadri (21:14) and John Tavares (21:26) their season high in ice time. The Zach Hyman-Tavares-Kasperi Kapanen line spent some time in the Flames’ zone, but didn’t generate a significant number of high-danger chances. Their best saw Tavares get the puck behind Mike Smith and across the line just after time expired in the second period. “We’re learning some good lessons now with how much better we’ve got to be consistently night to night and how well teams are ready to play us,” said Tavares. “They’re coming in trying to do the same things we’re trying to do and get the results that they need. We know we can be a lot better starting with myself.” There’s no reason to think they won’t be, but this stretch of games without Matthews will come with some big challenges. They’ve got tough road games on the horizon, including visits to Pittsburgh, Boston, Carolina, Columbus and a swing through California. Among the more interesting thoughts from Babcock in the wake of Matthews’ injury diagnosis was his unwillingness to endorse the prevailing notion that this year’s Leafs are better-equipped to play without No. 34 than last year’s Leafs because of the signing of Tavares. “Yeah, I don’t know for sure,” said Babcock. “Now, when we’re 20 games in and you ask me that question again, I’ll tell you if we’ve got more depth this year.” Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. Surely, he’s thinking about the 108 goals out the door with the free-agent departures of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and , plus the William Nylander contract standoff and Matthews injury. That will put a lot of pressure on the top six to produce in the meantime. The Leafs entered the night with just 56 games of NHL experience total between their third and fourth centres (Par Lindholm and Frederik Gauthier). Kadri, Marner and Patrick Marleau fuelled Saturday’s comeback win over the Winnipeg Jets, but they were held in check at 5-on-5 against Calgary. That trio had a poor possession night and just seemed to be a step off with passes and reads. “Their gaps were great,” Kadri said of the Flames. “Right on top of our guys coming through the neutral zone. It just seemed like a pain in the ass every time. They made it tough on us and certainly congested the neutral zone area. That was the difference.” 1112769 Websites “We’re learning how to manage the puck, taking some of the risk out of our game, and if we continue to do that, we can have a good team by the time it’s all said and done.” Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames maintain better structure in win over Smith was solid when he needed to be, but his foil at the other end, Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Andersen, had to be spectacular just to keep the game within reach. Luke Fox | October 29, 2018, 11:59 PM The Leafs’ lone goal was a Nazem Kadri strike that arrived late on a 69- second, 5-on-3 power-play granted by an iffy Mark Giordano interference penalty that Peters questioned post-game: TORONTO – Only in the standings are all regulation losses measured "They were getting hot there, weren't they? They had a lot of equal. momentum going, the refs." —Bill Peters The bitter aftertaste of the Calgary Flames’ 9-1 shellacking by the — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) October 30, 2018 Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice Thursday is still lingering – in the best way possible. Leafs winger Zach Hyman noted that Peters’ and Mike Babcock’s teams play a similar style, but only one executed on this night. Two days and one critical team meeting later, they turned around and pushed the defending-champ Washington Capitals to a shootout, and on “I just thought they were prepared, I thought they skated, I thought they Monday the Flames delivered what goalie Mike Smith dubbed “the best worked, I thought they sailed out of their zone and beat us up the ice,” game we’ve played all season” from a defensive standpoint, on the road, Babcock said. against one of the top-five scariest offences in hockey, defeating the “The game is frustrating when the other team works harder than you.” Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in decisive fashion. As the road-warrior Flames piled on a bus to cruise the QEW through the “It was time for us to step up and do something,” said Sean Monahan, a night to Buffalo for the second-half of their back-to-back, they cited this Brampton, Ont., native with a grandma in the stands and a 99-year-old victory as an example of what they’re capable of, how they can play great-grandpa watching proudly on national TV. when motivated and working in unison. After his top line stirred up chances aplenty but, like the rest of the night’s “When we play good, we can play against the best,” Lindholm said. “And participants, failed to crack a 0-0 deadlock through 40 minutes, Monahan tonight we did.” banged in the opener on a third-period power-play and later orchestrated winger Elias Lindholm’s pretty tic-tac-toe game-winner after swiping a Smith, another Ontario boy, crowned Monday’s shutdown effort in puck from Mitch Marner in the Leafs’ zone. Toronto their new standard. “Really smart,” Gaudreau says of Lindholm. The other guy in the Noah “A huge win. We just played together as a team. We made it hard on two Hanifin trade snapped a game-high six shots and leads all Flames with really good hockey teams to transition and get any rush chances. It’s eight goals. hard to play like that, but it’s rewarding when you win. And when you deserve to win hockey games, it feels really good,” Smith said. “He has a great release. When I throw it over to him over there, it’s on his stick and off his stick in half a second.” “We realize the differences between Pittsburgh and tonight.” Six years in the league, Monahan couldn’t recall ever scoring or winning Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 in his NHL hometown before tonight. “Just the character. You lose 9-1, you get booed out of your own rink — that’s embarrassing,” Monahan said. “To come here and get two points, that’s huge.” Lots of family here to watch the boys play, including Sam Bennett's sister Kaitlyn, bottom left, and Sean Monahan's grandma above. Thanks for cheering us on!!#CGYvsTOR pic.twitter.com/FXPMU7Q681 — Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 30, 2018 Flames coach Bill Peters counted eight Ontario boys on his lineup card and accurately predicted extra jump for the annual trip. “You can’t help but get up for games like these,” said Smith. After losing his last three starts, the veteran couldn’t help but take some comfort knowing Auston Matthews wouldn’t dress. “Whenever one of the best players in the world isn’t in the lineup, it’s unfortunate for him and their team, but I guess we’re catching them at a good time. Saying that, they still have a lot of weapons. It’s not like he comes out and their lineup goes to crap. “We still needed to be on our A-game tonight.” That they were. Weapons silenced. We’d even bump Calgary’s grade up to an A+. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. From puck drop, the Flames flexed more desire, maintained better structure, and sucked the life out of Toronto’s rush attack and the 18,989 who paid good dollars for sloppy passes and limited thrills at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs gave the puck away 26 times, twice as frequently as their guests. “If our group can wrap their head around the fact we’ve gotta check and check for our chances and be proud of the way we played in our D-zone, I think we have a chance to be real good,” Peters said. 1112770 Websites Pettersson’s earlier goal, at 6:51 of the second period, was a blistering one-timer teed up by Michael Del Zotto, the spare defenceman who is playing due to injuries and created the scoring chance by forcing a Sportsnet.ca / Canucks don't flinch in win over high-flying Wild - turnover inside the Minnesota blue-line. Sportsnet.ca "It’s good to get rewarded when you block a shot and get a breakaway," Pettersson said. "We wanted to bounce back from that last game. I think we did that." Iain MacIntyre After a spirited Sunday practice got players’ attention, the Canucks played a strong first period and for just the third time this season actually opened scoring when Markus Granlund scored from the slot at 7:17 after VANCOUVER – Nothing the Vancouver Canucks encounter on Dumba gave the puck to Horvat behind the Wild net. Halloween will be as scary as this: so far in October, they have lost to injuries Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, Sven Obviously unaccustomed to leading 1-0, the Canucks immediately gave Baertschi, Jay Beagle, Anders Nilsson and Brandon Sutter. the goal back when the Wild’s Jordan Greenway, with both body and stick position on Pettersson, got two whacks at a rebound that tied it at Then again, Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks are here 7:52. Wednesday. Undeterred, the Canucks outshot the Wild 8-1 in the final 11 minutes of Sutter became the latest man down on Monday when he crashed heavily the period and, importantly, killed a high-sticking double-minor to into the boards on his right shoulder while clearing the puck shorthanded Granlund early in the second before Jake Virtanen and Pettersson against the Minnesota Wild. scored goals 96 seconds apart to put Vancouver ahead 3-1. Fortunately, Pettersson is already back in the lineup after missing two Virtanen surprised Dubnyk with a heavy wrist shot in stride from the high weeks with a concussion. He played his best National Hockey League slot to break the 1-1 tie at 5:15. That was less than a minute after Sutter game so far, scoring twice, including a superb breakaway finish from hobbled off the ice, his arm hanging slack. Boeser’s pass in the third period as the Canucks beat the Wild 5-2. "It’s unreal," Horvat said of the injuries. "I don’t know, it seems to happen Canuck coach Travis Green said after the game that Sutter’s injury would to us every year. But other guys have stepped up. Different guys filling be a matter of weeks, not days. different roles." His departure left the Canucks with Bo Horvat, Adam Gaudette and Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 Pettersson as their centres. It was Pettersson’s seventh game in the NHL, Gaudette’s 12th. Pettersson now has seven goals and 10 points to start his career. "Some young kids played like real men tonight and that’s impressive," defenceman Erik Gudbranson said. "There’s not much to say about it; the injuries are tough." "I don’t know what’s going on around this team," goalie Jacob Markstrom said of the conga line to the medical room. "But once again the guys battled… and did a great job to come up with two points. Tonight was huge for us. "It’s super nice to have Pete in the lineup with what he brings. It’s unbelievable. And he gets the building going, too, like no other. Like Hank and Danny (Sedin) used to do. I can’t talk enough about our defence, too. We’re short on defence and guys are stepping in and playing big minutes. Erik Gudbranson blocking two or three one-timers from Dumba; I don’t think that’s much fun." Uh, no. "I blocked it in the worst possible place a male can block a shot," Gudbranson said. Well, as the Rogers Arena crowd once chanted to Sami Salo during the playoffs: "Balls of steel! Balls of steel!" Nerves of steel, too, because the Canucks did not flinch against a Wild team that had won five straight games while allowing only nine goals. The final 25 minutes were especially impressive as the Canucks absorbed a lot of pressure but limited the Wild’s Grade-A scoring chances at even strength after Ryan Suter’s power-play goal had cut Vancouver’s lead to 3-2 at 14:37 of the middle period. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. Markstrom stopped all 17 shots he faced in the third period. Twenty-one of Minnesota’s 39 shots were from defencemen, an indication that Vancouver defended its goal area much more stoutly than it did in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. "Another gutsy win," defenceman Ben Hutton, who in the absence of Edler and Tanev logged a team-high 27:55 of ice time, said after scoring into an empty net. "I think the team bought in and we’re playing good top- to-bottom hockey. We had two or three goals that came off blocked shots and then down to the other hand. That takes guts to do. We got rewarded for it." None more directly than Pettersson, the 19-year old rookie sensation who lethally finished a breakaway on goalie Devan Dubnyk to put the Canucks up 4-2 at 6:29 of the third period, a few seconds after he blocked Dumba’s point shot then collected the puck back from Boeser. 1112771 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL partnership with MGM all about growing the business - Sportsnet.ca

John Shannon

I suppose it was inevitable. Once the US Supreme Court overturned a law in May that said it had no right to ban Sports Gambling, it was inevitable that pro sports leagues would find a way to get their piece of the pie. Remember it was not that long ago that Gary Bettman wrote to a House of Commons committee saying single game betting is not a positive for sports leagues, particularly the NHL. Understandable, because at that point six years ago, pro sports league would not be able to share in the profits of gambling. Actually, we still are at that point in Canada, but with the ruling in the U.S., you have to wonder when the rules will change in Canada. As the Commissioner told us on Prime Time Sports, when that change comes, he would have to go along with the lawmakers in our country too. Yes, the NHL would be forced to grow revenues, by partnering with multiple partners in the gaming industry. But there is something else at play here, at least for hockey. There’s a willingness of both the league and the players to work together to build the business. You see the real future in this category is in advanced data, data that can only be mined by electronic tracking of the players in their sweaters, their helmets or somewhere on their bodies. In my time at the NHL, any suggestion of this use of technology was quickly refuted by the players’ union for fear of the information would be use against the players in contract negotiations and arbitration. It would appear those fears have dissipated. In talking to people on both sides, there truly is an appetite to work together to create a data gathering system for the betterment of the game and the business. Quite frankly, and simply, this is all about money. In growing the business and interest in hockey, sports gambling will help owners claim their franchises are worth more, grow Hockey Related Revenue which will put more money in the player’ pockets and, hopefully, build fan interest which will then manifest itself in better TV ratings, more tickets sold and sponsorships. It should be noted, the NHL is not getting a cut of the wagers. Bettman made that clear today. He also made clear that technology allowing for player tracking and advanced data (which has been tested at the World Cup of Hockey and all-star games) should be available next season as this gaming rolls out. Which really should be interpreted as the league and the players’ union are working together. Certainly a positive. A positive that might make CBA discussions in the next few years more palatable for both sides. The hows and whys of the actual gaming system are still to be made public. But I know Gary Bettman well enough to know that he doesn’t go down this path without understanding the ripple effect of such partnerships. The depth of the gaming have yet to be defined. But I know Gary Bettman well enough he has already calculated how to best use the advanced data in the best interest of attracting non-traditional fans to hockey. And if gaming has the same results for hockey that fantasy sports have had for other North American sports, and gaming has for European Football, then Monday’s announcement might be viewed years from now as a watershed moment for the NHL and all that work in it. The reality of sports gambling is simple. It’s found money. And for the league, the owners and the players it isn’t a gamble. Only the fans will volunteer and take that chance. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112772 Websites “We’re learning how to manage the puck, taking some of the risk out of our game, and if we continue to do that, we can have a good team by the time it’s all said and done.” Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames maintain better structure in win over Smith was solid when he needed to be, but his foil at the other end, Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Andersen, had to be spectacular just to keep the game within reach. Luke Fox The Leafs’ lone goal was a Nazem Kadri strike that arrived late on a 69- second, 5-on-3 power-play granted by an iffy Mark Giordano interference penalty that Peters questioned post-game: TORONTO – Only in the standings are all regulation losses measured "They were getting hot there, weren't they? They had a lot of equal. momentum going, the refs." —Bill Peters The bitter aftertaste of the Calgary Flames’ 9-1 shellacking by the — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) October 30, 2018 Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice Thursday is still lingering – in the best way possible. Leafs winger Zach Hyman noted that Peters’ and Mike Babcock’s teams play a similar style, but only one executed on this night. Two days and one critical team meeting later, they turned around and pushed the defending-champ Washington Capitals to a shootout, and on “I just thought they were prepared, I thought they skated, I thought they Monday the Flames delivered what goalie Mike Smith dubbed “the best worked, I thought they sailed out of their zone and beat us up the ice,” game we’ve played all season” from a defensive standpoint, on the road, Babcock said. against one of the top-five scariest offences in hockey, defeating the “The game is frustrating when the other team works harder than you.” Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in decisive fashion. As the road-warrior Flames piled on a bus to cruise the QEW through the “It was time for us to step up and do something,” said Sean Monahan, a night to Buffalo for the second-half of their back-to-back, they cited this Brampton, Ont., native with a grandma in the stands and a 99-year-old victory as an example of what they’re capable of, how they can play great-grandpa watching proudly on national TV. when motivated and working in unison. After his top line stirred up chances aplenty but, like the rest of the night’s “When we play good, we can play against the best,” Lindholm said. “And participants, failed to crack a 0-0 deadlock through 40 minutes, Monahan tonight we did.” banged in the opener on a third-period power-play and later orchestrated winger Elias Lindholm’s pretty tic-tac-toe game-winner after swiping a Smith, another Ontario boy, crowned Monday’s shutdown effort in puck from Mitch Marner in the Leafs’ zone. Toronto their new standard. “Really smart,” Gaudreau says of Lindholm. The other guy in the Noah “A huge win. We just played together as a team. We made it hard on two Hanifin trade snapped a game-high six shots and leads all Flames with really good hockey teams to transition and get any rush chances. It’s eight goals. hard to play like that, but it’s rewarding when you win. And when you deserve to win hockey games, it feels really good,” Smith said. “He has a great release. When I throw it over to him over there, it’s on his stick and off his stick in half a second.” “We realize the differences between Pittsburgh and tonight.” Six years in the league, Monahan couldn’t recall ever scoring or winning Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 in his NHL hometown before tonight. “Just the character. You lose 9-1, you get booed out of your own rink — that’s embarrassing,” Monahan said. “To come here and get two points, that’s huge.” Lots of family here to watch the boys play, including Sam Bennett's sister Kaitlyn, bottom left, and Sean Monahan's grandma above. Thanks for cheering us on!!#CGYvsTOR pic.twitter.com/FXPMU7Q681 — Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 30, 2018 Flames coach Bill Peters counted eight Ontario boys on his lineup card and accurately predicted extra jump for the annual trip. “You can’t help but get up for games like these,” said Smith. After losing his last three starts, the veteran couldn’t help but take some comfort knowing Auston Matthews wouldn’t dress. “Whenever one of the best players in the world isn’t in the lineup, it’s unfortunate for him and their team, but I guess we’re catching them at a good time. Saying that, they still have a lot of weapons. It’s not like he comes out and their lineup goes to crap. “We still needed to be on our A-game tonight.” That they were. Weapons silenced. We’d even bump Calgary’s grade up to an A+. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. From puck drop, the Flames flexed more desire, maintained better structure, and sucked the life out of Toronto’s rush attack and the 18,989 who paid good dollars for sloppy passes and limited thrills at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs gave the puck away 26 times, twice as frequently as their guests. “If our group can wrap their head around the fact we’ve gotta check and check for our chances and be proud of the way we played in our D-zone, I think we have a chance to be real good,” Peters said. 1112773 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL partnership with MGM all about growing the business - Sportsnet.ca

John Shannon

I suppose it was inevitable. Once the US Supreme Court overturned a law in May that said it had no right to ban Sports Gambling, it was inevitable that pro sports leagues would find a way to get their piece of the pie. Remember it was not that long ago that Gary Bettman wrote to a House of Commons committee saying single game betting is not a positive for sports leagues, particularly the NHL. Understandable, because at that point six years ago, pro sports league would not be able to share in the profits of gambling. Actually, we still are at that point in Canada, but with the ruling in the U.S., you have to wonder when the rules will change in Canada. As the Commissioner told us on Prime Time Sports, when that change comes, he would have to go along with the lawmakers in our country too. Yes, the NHL would be forced to grow revenues, by partnering with multiple partners in the gaming industry. But there is something else at play here, at least for hockey. There’s a willingness of both the league and the players to work together to build the business. You see the real future in this category is in advanced data, data that can only be mined by electronic tracking of the players in their sweaters, their helmets or somewhere on their bodies. In my time at the NHL, any suggestion of this use of technology was quickly refuted by the players’ union for fear of the information would be use against the players in contract negotiations and arbitration. It would appear those fears have dissipated. In talking to people on both sides, there truly is an appetite to work together to create a data gathering system for the betterment of the game and the business. Quite frankly, and simply, this is all about money. In growing the business and interest in hockey, sports gambling will help owners claim their franchises are worth more, grow Hockey Related Revenue which will put more money in the player’ pockets and, hopefully, build fan interest which will then manifest itself in better TV ratings, more tickets sold and sponsorships. It should be noted, the NHL is not getting a cut of the wagers. Bettman made that clear today. He also made clear that technology allowing for player tracking and advanced data (which has been tested at the World Cup of Hockey and all-star games) should be available next season as this gaming rolls out. Which really should be interpreted as the league and the players’ union are working together. Certainly a positive. A positive that might make CBA discussions in the next few years more palatable for both sides. The hows and whys of the actual gaming system are still to be made public. But I know Gary Bettman well enough to know that he doesn’t go down this path without understanding the ripple effect of such partnerships. The depth of the gaming have yet to be defined. But I know Gary Bettman well enough he has already calculated how to best use the advanced data in the best interest of attracting non-traditional fans to hockey. And if gaming has the same results for hockey that fantasy sports have had for other North American sports, and gaming has for European Football, then Monday’s announcement might be viewed years from now as a watershed moment for the NHL and all that work in it. The reality of sports gambling is simple. It’s found money. And for the league, the owners and the players it isn’t a gamble. Only the fans will volunteer and take that chance. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112774 Websites Evan Bouchard For many of the same reasons we listed for Puljujarvi’s absence from Edmonton’s lineup, Evan Bouchard spent the weekend in the press box Sportsnet.ca / Where Oilers stand with Puljujarvi, Kassian, Bouchard - as well. The 19-year-old defenceman has played seven games, and can Sportsnet.ca get up to nine before burning a year on his entry-level deal. Like Puljujarvi, Bouchard has not been a plus player in any one game Mark Spector this season, despite being protected with offensive-zone starts against mostly third and fourth lines. It’s understandable for Bouchard, of course, as a younger player playing a more difficult position. The Edmonton Oilers took Monday off. The players, that is. Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the But where the coaches readied for a visit from Minnesota on Tuesday, country’s most beloved game. management wrestled with the fates of three players: A couple of kids and a veteran who appears to burning through yet another organization. There is a very good offensive-minded blueliner here, and the debate over whether there is anything for him to learn by returning to London — Let’s take on each case, and see if we can find some conclusions: where Bouchard led all CHL defencemen in points last season — is legitimate. But Edmonton sees its resurrection as a contender being Jesse Puljujarvi based on strong defensive play, and keeping the goals against down. The debate inside the Oilers organization right now is, with the Oilers on That doesn’t jibe with breaking in a first-year pro on defence. a 3-0 run with Puljujarvi in the press box as a healthy scratch, is it time On its current 6-1-1 run, Edmonton has held opponents to two goals or for the 20-year-old right-winger to spend some time on the farm? They’ve less four times. On the weekend, with neither Bouchard nor Puljujarvi in officially reached a tipping point with this No. 4-overall draft pick, with the the lineup, they played two solid defensive road games — the kind of surging Oilers at a juncture where they can not afford a roster spot to a game that wins. The power play is running at 25 per cent without player who can’t help right now. Bouchard as a member, so any thoughts of keeping him in the NHL to Puljujarvi’s uptake on how to play the NHL game has been slow, and the help there is moot. place to play catchup on that is at AHL Bakersfield. After parts of three Bouchard is going to be a big part of things in Edmonton, but with front seasons in the NHL however, that would mark a measure of failure for office jobs on the line this season and some early success — of which both the player and the team that drafted him — especially in a 2016 Bouchard has little part in — he’ll very likely be sent back to London in draft where Matthew Tkachuk, Mikhail Sergachev and Charlie McAvoy the coming days. were there for the taking. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. Finnish correspondent Tommi Seppala recently talked to Puljujarvi for a piece in their native language. Seppala wrote about a player for whom points are the cherry on top of the sundae; that Puljujarvi needs to be better without the puck, learn to use his size, and play a trustworthy, professional game. Do all of those things, and the points will come. I couldn’t agree more. The Oilers need to get out of the business of teaching players how to be pros at the NHL level. Better to have a player become overripe in Bakersfield, than playing in Edmonton before he is NHL-ready. Seppala also asked Puljujarvi’s agent Markus Lehto on Monday if he’d received news that Puljujarvi was AHL bound. As of Monday, he had not. Zack Kassian Our Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada that Kassian’s agent, Rick Curran has been granted permission by Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli to seek a trade for Kassian out of Edmonton. A couple of things on that: Rarely is an agent the architect of an NHL trade but sometimes it happens. Pat Brisson had a constructive hand in both Roberto Luongo to Florida, and Matt Duchene to Ottawa, so perhaps Curran can cook something up. But it won’t be easy: At 27, Kassian’s next NHL organization will be his fifth. He is a fourth-line player who will be paid $1.95 million this year and next, another example of Chiarelli overpaying a depth player. In a pair of weekend wins, Kassian’s characteristics were on full display. He took a needless, reckless roughing penalty with 5:16 to play in a game the Oilers had well in hand, leading 4-2. Filip Forsberg scored on the ensuing power play, and the Oilers required an empty-net goal to rescue the two points. The next day Kassian displayed the soft hands he’s always had for a big man, lifting in a rebound from in close for the only Oilers regulation goal in a game Edmonton won 2-1 in overtime. Over time however, his inability to find a consistent middle ground makes coaches crazy. Coaches can accept the odd penalty. It comes with Kassian’s bruising style. But turnovers and the inability to play the clock and the score — for a player with nearly 400 games played — makes you wonder if Kassian isn’t another Ben Eager. He has size, skates great, can shoot the puck, is terrifying to some opponents — but never figures out how to make all that come out as a positive on more nights than not. We don’t see him being moved without the Oilers eating some of his contract, which seems an unlikely scenario. 1112775 Websites There are no guarantees it continues, but the recipe currently in place had Bergevin saying on Monday that he’s sleeping much better than he did at this time a year ago. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' solid start has GM Bergevin back to his old self A lot has changed for the Canadiens since then. Players have come and - Sportsnet.ca gone, assistant coaches Dominique Ducharme and Luke Richardson have replaced Dan Lacroix and Jean-Jacques Daigneault and brought fresh perspective to the mix, and the system of play head coach Claude Eric Engels October 29, 2018 Julien has instituted is much more in line with what successful NHL teams are running and much more executable for the personnel in place.

“How [the Canadiens] compete, how they play every night,” are the BROSSARD, Que. — There was a lightness to Marc Bergevin that shone things Bergevin said he was impressed with. “They don’t give up, they’re through in sharp contrast to the all-black outfit he wore to meet the media hungry, they play fast, they’re having fun together, and they enjoy coming on Monday. to the rink every day and that’s a big difference for me.” We’re not exactly out on a limb suggesting it had everything to do with Another one to be encouraged about is the way the defence has stepped his Montreal Canadiens getting off to an unexpected 6-2-2 start to their up in Weber’s absence, allowing Bergevin to say they won’t rush the big season. We didn’t ask if it was because he was holding a press man’s recovery from off-season knee surgery. conference to address something positive for the first time in recent memory, though we’re comfortable asserting that might have also been a And then there’s this: factor. “Our record is not because of Carey Price,” Bergevin said. “Maybe in the What was the precise reason Bergevin gave for his unsolicited past we did rely only on Carey, or mostly on Carey, to win games. But appearance in front of cameras and microphones at the Canadiens’ now we play better as a team in front of him [and] that makes his job south-shore practice facility to start the week? easier. “I miss you guys,” the general manger said before chuckling to himself. “That’s the way it should be.” Levity had been the trademark of his 1191-game journeyman career as There’s no denying that — and it has bought Price time to find his best an NHL player. We’re talking about a frequently-traveled guy — Bergevin game, which he put on display in a 33-save, 3-0 Canadiens win over the played for eight different teams and did multiple stints with three of them Boston Bruins this past Saturday. — who regularly had an entire bag of prank equipment sent alongside his hockey gear to whatever new city he arrived in. If Price can remain at his peak while the Canadiens continue to perform admirably as a team, if they can all remain relatively healthy, a lot more Though his pranks fell by the wayside, Bergevin’s fun side was front and weight will come off Bergevin’s shoulders as the weeks go by. centre as he transitioned to executive life. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 He brought his jokes with him to Chicago in 2005, when he was hired by the Blackhawks as a scout, inevitably spreading his good humour throughout the organization in roles as an assistant coach and assistant general manager. And he transported them to Montreal when he was appointed general manager of the Canadiens back in 2012. Bergevin was the source of many laughs as the years wore on, but his humorous side had all but disappeared during the cataclysmic clustercrap of a season that was 2017-18 for the bleu, blanc et rouge. Stream over 500 NHL games blackout-free, including the Flames, Oilers, Leafs and Canucks. Plus Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey and more. It was understandable, really. The team got off to its worst start to a season in 76 years and things devolved rapidly—and hideously—from there. And there were several press conferences Bergevin held over that time that were no laughing matter — to update on trades he couldn’t make to solve the team’s issues, to discuss a misdiagnosed injury that would keep a player out longer than expected, to express his general confusion and disappointment about the way things were going, and, finally, to condemn the bad attitude that had become pervasive throughout the organization. “It affected me,” he told Sportsnet in an exclusive interview prior to this season. “I’m a sensitive person. I do have feelings and I care. Yeah, I’m sensitive.” “I realize at times I closed myself,” Bergevin added. “It’s not really my personality, but it’s become a way of protecting myself.” He had no choice but to be cautious as the Canadiens entered this season with captain and star defenceman Shea Weber sidelined by injury until December at the earliest, with superstar goaltender Carey Price entering Year 1 of an eight-year, $84-million contract to follow up the worst season of his career, with a defence that went through virtually no change from the one that appeared for most of last season as though it couldn’t hold its own in the American Hockey League, and with two 30- goal scorers in Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk traded away from a group that had the 29th-best scoring numbers in the league from last October to April. Bergevin wasn’t jumping for joy on Monday, either, but he was justifiably upbeat. “What I’ve seen so far, the effort’s there,” he said with a hint of satisfaction. “There’s a recipe for success. It doesn’t mean you’ll have success, but if you don’t have that [recipe] you have nothing. We have a team that competes and plays within the system and plays fast, and with that we’re having success.” 1112776 Websites always thinks they’re getting the short end of the stick. No one’s getting the short end of the stick [now] — we’ve only got 12 forwards, show me.”

The veteran coach sat down with Matthews on Monday morning and tried Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews' injury spoils award-worthy to get him in the right frame of mind. He pointed out that a shoulder issue start to season - Sportsnet.ca should allow Matthews to maintain or even improve his conditioning. He also encouraged him to spend as much time around his teammates Chris Johnston as possible. “It’s one thing if you’ve got a family and you can go home to that family,” said Babcock. “When you’re living by yourself in Toronto you don’t want TORONTO — It began as a season where everything seemed possible to be hanging out by yourself. You want to be with the guys.” for Auston Matthews. A chase for 50 goals, a run at the NHL’s scoring title, an offensive explosion that cemented his place among the game’s Besides offering support and companionship, the best thing the Leafs absolute best. can do for Matthews is keep winning. He’s no longer in the mix for any personal hardware this season, but there’s still a larger prize for the team Conquests all halted by a left shoulder injury that will keep him out of the to chase once he’s back in the lineup. Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for at least four weeks, but probably more. “I don’t think it falls on the shoulders of one specific player,” said Kadri. “It sucks,” said Matthews. “Collectively as a group everybody can do a little bit more. We have the depth to temporarily fix the situation. Obviously [Matthews] is a player This is an all-too-familiar process for a 21-year-old producing greatness that you can’t replace, but we’ll hold the fort until he gets back.” when he’s not on the training table. Since the start of last season, Matthews has 44 goals and 79 points in 73 games — putting him on Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 pace for 49 goals and 89 points when adjusted for a full year. Through a small sample this season he was clicking along at an eye- popping 75-goal, 119-point pace until driving towards the Winnipeg Jets net on Saturday night and taking a jarring bodycheck from defenceman Jacob Trouba. “I knew the guy was coming. [I was] trying to get a shot off, but you don’t really know what to expect because you’re so close to the goalie,” Matthews explained Monday, before the Leafs faced the Calgary Flames. “He took body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and just caught me on a weird angle.” Matthews immediately knew something was wrong. He missed 10 games last season with a second-degree shoulder separation on the right side and this time a familiar pain shot through the left. If there’s good news to be found here, it’s that Matthews says the damage doesn’t require surgery. That would have sidelined him for multiple months. Still, there’s a level of unpredictability about how long it will take the ligaments to heal and tighten and there’s no guarantee he’ll feel completely comfortable with his shoulder when he returns. Matthews has dealt with more than his share of injuries in the last year. In addition to the two shoulder problems, he’s missed time with a concussion and back issue. “He did a ton of work this summer on his shoulder to make sure he was a stronger. These things happen,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “You know, it’s too bad for the kid.” All is not lost, obviously. The Leafs are 8-3-0 and should be able to maintain their playoff positioning even without Matthews and William Nylander, who remains in Sweden because of a contract impasse. There should be plenty of runway left on the season when Matthews is healthy again, which means there’ll be time to get back up to speed and help the Leafs in their push for the Stanley Cup. However, you can’t totally ignore the fact Matthews had appeared to take another step in his third NHL season, only to see everything placed on hold once again. “It’s a challenge because you want to be out there so bad. It sucks,” he said. “I think watching the game is probably the worst part. (Not) being around your teammates, being a part of something, I think that’s kind of the hardest thing, but we have such an unbelievable group of guys and everybody makes you feel part of it regardless if you’re injured or scratched or whatever. “That part will be fine.” Without him, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri will each see their minutes bumped. Par Lindholm becomes the third-line centre while Frederik Gauthier continues to anchor the fourth. There is increased opportunity for winger Kasperi Kapanen, who takes Matthews’ spot on the top power- play unit, and Andreas Johnsson, who has been freed from the press box. “I’ve never met one guy in hockey that says ‘Coach, can I play less?’ They always want more opportunity,” said Babcock. “And someone 1112777 Websites “The amount of work that gets put in in the background is great, the meals we eat on the plane are unbelievable, we get first-class hotels all the way. There’s definitely no excuses on that end,” Hamonic says. Sportsnet.ca / Flames refuse to use 'weird schedule' as excuse - Giordano not only echoes that sentiment, the veteran has grown to Sportsnet.ca savour these getaways with the boys. “Being in the West, you get used to it. Honestly, it becomes kinda Luke Fox | October 29, 2018 enjoyable, being around the guys, playing cards. The boys are playing euchre a lot these days,” the captain says. “You’re on the plane for a few hours, get a good meal and a good movie in, and you’re fine.” TORONTO – Over his 13 years as a Calgary Flame, Mark Giordano Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 cannot recall a road schedule quite like the continental crisscrossing the club is in the middle of now. Once they wrap their back-to-back roadie versus the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday and Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, the not-so-favourable schedule gods will have forced the Flames to flip from Mountain Time to Eastern Time to Mountain Time to Eastern Time back to Mountain Time all within 12 nights’ sleep — if you can get it. Timewise, that’s not exactly standard. “No,” Giordano says of this mini eastern business trip. “Not this quick. Within a couple weeks, right? We’re on this one for four or six games usually. We came out to play Montreal and New York [Oct. 21 and 23], and then we’re in a back-to-back. It’s a little bit different for us. It’s a bit of a weird schedule.” Of the 31 NHL clubs, none will cover more distance to squeeze in their 82 games in 2018-19 than Calgary, slated to log 84,882 kilometres. Tuesday’s opponent, Buffalo, has the lightest travel at 51,915. Even if your seat reclines all the way and your champagne is gratis, that’s a significant disparity — and that figure does not include the Flames and Bruins’ preseason voyage to China, the one time Giordano admits jet leg got the best of him. “There are guys who feel it more than others. It affects their sleep, the time difference,” Giordano explains. “There are nights where you fall asleep later, but you still try to get seven or eight hours in.” Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. On the flip side, Buffalo is among the leaders in those dreaded back-to- backs, with 16 (Florida and Carolina are tied for tops with 17), while the Flames have just 10 back-to-backs, tied with the league low. To Johnny Gaudreau’s mild chagrin. “I like back-to-back games,” says Johnny Hockey, who’s still adjusting to life on a Western team since moving from New Jersey. “As the years go on, I think I’ve gotten better at it. But still, it’s a lot of hours on the plane, switching time zones. It’s difficult sometimes, but it’s part of it.” Perhaps no Flame has had his eyes opened by the realities of Pacific Division trekking more than Travis Hamonic, whose first seven NHL seasons were spent in the cozy Metropolitan Division. Last season, Hamonic’s first in Calgary, the Flames ranked second only to Nashville in air miles, journeying 77,137 kilometres in 2017-18 — or 16,246 more than he would’ve travelled had he not been traded from the New York Islanders. “You play on the Island and everything is close — train rides, car rides, some buses. Quick. It was kinda different at the start,” Hamonic said. “You’ve gotta get used to the time change and the longer flights.” A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Maybe we should check back in April, but you won’t catch the road-weary Flames (2-2 away from the Saddledome) complaining about jet lag yet. “If everybody could have their perfect schedule, you would never work,” Matthew Tkachuk reasons. “It’s definitely [a lot of] travel. It wears on you. But the way we travel, it should never be an excuse. We travel great. We’re very lucky with the stuff we have access to.” Hamonic — not a man to take anything for granted — waxes on about how gracious everyone is with their time to ease all the average-joe travel burdens: hauling baggage, fighting over armrests, munching stale pretzels, shaking your fist at that toddler in 22F. Even the roadiest road team knows how good they have it. 1112778 Websites Lehner got another fresh start after signing with the Islanders in the off- season and, right now, the match is benefiting both parties. Only three teams had a worse save percentage than the Isles last year, but Lehner’s Sportsnet.ca / How newcomers are fitting in on new teams after switching .929 mark has helped New York post a plus-four goal differential this jerseys - Sportsnet.ca season. Losing a certain superstar who also appears on this list is going to hurt way less should Lehner fully realize his potential on Long Island.

Not there just yet Ryan Dixon |October 29, 2018, 9:29 AM Erik Karlsson, D, San Jose Sharks

There’s a completely reasonable take that would lobby to say Karlsson is The first month of the NHL season is nearly in the books, which means actually doing just fine — perhaps even more than fine — in San Jose, we’re just far enough into this thing for people to start wondering if what where he’s on pace for 50 assists and his Corsi percentage is 58.2. That they’re seeing — good or bad — is real. said, a wizard like Karlsson is held to the highest possible standard and he’s yet to find the net as a Shark. And when it comes to observation, few players are watched closer than those who switched teams over the summer. Inevitably, a fresh set of Carter Hutton, G, Buffalo Sabres eyeballs peer in to see what the new guy is all about. A lot of curiosity surrounded Hutton as last season’s save percentage A number of players have ingratiated themselves to new fans, leader (.931) attempted the transition from part-timer to starter status. teammates and managers with strong play. But, of course, not everyone Hutton was solid through his first three games as a Sabre, but has has hit their stride just yet. posted an .877 save percentage in his past five outings. With that in mind, we’ve identified a slew of players who are loving their Max Pacioretty, LW, Vegas Golden Knights new surroundings and a handful more who are still sorting a few things out: Should we really lean into freaking out here, just to make Pacioretty feel like he’s back in neurotic Montreal? The former Habs captain — who left Strong Starts Vegas’s game Friday night versus Tampa with an upper-body injury that has him listed as day-to-day — figures to be a wonderful fit long-term in Max Domi, C, Montreal Canadiens the desert. Right now, though, he has just two points (both goals) and is averaging 2.60 shots per game, the lowest mark he’s posted since 2010- When the Canadiens indicated they were going to start Domi at centre 11. after acquiring him for Alex Galchenyuk — a natural pivot whom Montreal constantly wedged onto the wing — it almost seemed like something Noah Hanifin, D, Calgary Flames from theatre of the absurd. But after missing most of the pre-season due to a sucker-punch-related suspension, Domi — who played mostly wing T.J. Brodie’s struggles are getting the headlines, but Hanifin has had his with Arizona — has looked fantastic for Montreal. His 11 points in 10 hiccups, too. His 49.5 Corsi percentage is second-worst among Calgary’s contests pace the team and his five goals are more than half the total of most-used defencemen and represents the worst mark of his short nine he posted in 82 games last season. career. Thus far, Hanifin’s offensive contributions are limited to a pair of assists. John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 He’s the Leafs’ No. 1 man now, at least for the foreseeable future while Auston Matthews recovers from a shoulder injury sustained Saturday night versus the Winnipeg Jets. You watch the goal Tavares scored on Wednesday versus the Jets — where linemate Mitch Marner did all the heavy lifting and J.T. just had to tap home a loose puck — and you wonder if it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll set new personal highs for goals and points this season, thanks to the best supporting cast he’s ever seen. Dylan DeMelo, D, and Chris Tierney, C, Ottawa Senators The fact the Ottawa Senators have been, not just competitive, but very entertaining this season may stand as the single biggest early surprise. DeMelo and Tierney — both acquired from San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade — have surely made fast friends in Ottawa with their strong play. Tierney recorded at least a point in the Sens’ first seven outings playing alongside Mark Stone, and DeMelo is logging 18 minutes a night while registering five points in nine games. Micheal Ferland, LW, Carolina Hurricanes, and Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary Flames These two are lumped together because they went opposite ways in one of the biggest trades of the off-season, namely the one that sent Dougie Hamilton (who scored his first goal Saturday night and has ridiculously good possession numbers for the Canes) east with Ferland, and Lindholm to Alberta alongside Noah Hanifin (more on him later). Ferland has transitioned beautifully from Calgary’s top line to Carolina’s premier unit, netting six goals in 10 games. Lindholm, meanwhile, has seven through 11 contests as a Flame. Ryan O’Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues Scratch O’Rielly’s name from the list of people to blame for St. Louis’s rough start. The new Blue has 14 points in 10 games for St. Louis, as his 11 helpers are tied for third-most in the league. O’Rielly’s three points on Saturday night helped the Blues trash the Chicago Blackhawks, so maybe the Missouri boys are starting to find their way. Jaroslav Halak, G, Boston Bruins Brought in to back up Tuukka Rask, Halak has been Boston’s best goalie by some distance. His .948 even-strength save percentage in six games is the fourth-best mark in the league and the Bruins have yet to lose a regulation-time game in which Halak has started. Robin Lehner, G, New York Islanders 1112779 Websites Friday, split their two-game trip to Alberta with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Flames on Saturday.

The good news was that after being embarrassed by Crosby and the Sportsnet.ca / Flames Thoughts: Calgary looks to bounce back after Penguins, the Flames were much, much better versus Ovechkin and the string of losses - Sportsnet.ca defending champion Capitals, picking up an important point and some much-needed confidence. Derek Wills | October 29, 2018, 8:52 AM JET LAG After spending just under four hours in the air flying from Calgary to New York last Saturday before making the approximately one-hour trip from After getting thumped by the Penguins on Thursday, the Flames picked New York to Montreal on Sunday, and then the just-over-four-hour jaunt up an important point versus the Capitals on Saturday going into back-to- from Montreal to Calgary on Tuesday, the Flames unpacked their bags back games against Toronto and Buffalo this week. on Wednesday and played games on Thursday and Saturday — before packing their bags again and boarding their charter for a four-hour flight MARCH OF THE PENGUINS from Calgary to Toronto on Sunday. With a 5-0-1 record in their last six games against the Penguins, the While there are quirks in the schedules for all 31 NHL teams, making two Flames were a confident team going into Thursday’s contest versus separate trips east to play four games in the span of 10 days has meant Sidney Crosby and Co. That confidence was crushed before the end of more time in the air than on the ice for the Flames, making it tough to find the opening period. a balance between getting the necessary work done and getting sufficient rest. Leading by a field goal following the first period and a converted touchdown after the second period, the Penguins tallied two more times The 5-5-1 Flames will face the 8-3-1 Maple Leafs at the newly-named in the third en route to a 9-1 win at Scotiabank Saddledome. Scotiabank Arena on Monday. Following the game, the Flames jump on the bus and travel two hours to Buffalo, where they’ll take on the 6-4-1 The loss was the Flames’ most lopsided on home ice in two decades. Sabres at KeyBank Center on Tuesday. Hopefully, the Flames won’t look From the goaltender out, the Flames were equally as bad as the as jet-lagged against the Maple Leafs on Monday as they did versus the Penguins were good. While a win is a win and a loss is a loss in the Penguins on Thursday. standings, Thursday’s embarassing setback in front of their fans was one that could prove to be a turning point early in the 2018-19 season. MATTHEWS-LESS MAPLE LEAFS BACK TO WORK Going into Sunday’s games, the Maple Leafs’ 41 goals for were tied for most in the NHL. Unfortunately for the Leafs (and fortunately for the Following Thursday night’s loss, it was back to work on Friday morning. Flames), Auston Matthews will miss at least the next four weeks with a While it was business as usual as far as the daily schedule was shoulder injury sustained in his team’s 4-2 triumph over the Jets on concerned (there was no players-only meeting, as some have Saturday. speculated), the team watched video prior to taking to the ice for an Even without Matthews, who, in my opinion, is already one of the top 10 intense 40-minute practice, which focused on defensive zone coverage forwards in the game at just 21 years old, and William Nylander, who and featured a lot of battle drills. remains unsigned, the Maple Leafs still boast one of the deepest forward After the skate, head coach Bill Peters had one-on-one conversations groups in the league. Matthews, who has a team-high 16 points in 11 with a number of his veteran players, including T.J. Brodie, Mark games, is one of four Leafs who have produced more than a point per Giordano, Travis Hamonic, James Neal, Derek Ryan and Mike Smith. game this season, along with winger Mitch Marner (15 points), While Peters — who is as direct with his players as any head coach that defenceman Morgan Rielly (14 points) and centre John Tavares (13 I’ve come across in my nearly two decades calling professional hockey points). games — addressed his team following Thursday’s loss and before, The Flames, who haven’t left Toronto with a pair of points since a 2-1 during and after Friday’s practice, it’s important that a team’s coaching shootout win on Jan. 15, 2011, will try to snap a six-game road losing staff and veterans are on the same page. streak versus the Maple Leafs with a win on Monday. At times, messages can be as, if not more, effective delivered indirectly SABRES SHARP through the leadership group than directly from coaches to players. It looks like the constantly-rebuilding Sabres may have finally turned the IMPORTANT POINT corner. With a talented young core featuring 2018 first-overall pick While the Flames didn’t win Saturday’s game against the Capitals, from Rasmus Dahlin and second-overall picks Jack Eichel (2015) and Sam start to finish, their effort and execution in the 4-3 shootout loss was Reinhart (2014) — and a good group of veterans including off-season significantly better than it was versus the Penguins two nights earlier. addition Jeff Skinner, who leads the team in goals (six) and points (12) — the fifth-place Sabres are just three points behind the first-place Maple Despite a pretty strong start on the ice, the Flames found themselves in a Leafs in the Atlantic Division. two-goal hole before the 15-minute mark. But, just when it looked like it was going to be another long game for the Flames and their faithful, just The Flames snapped a three-game losing streak in Buffalo with a 15 seconds after the Penguins took a 2-0 lead, Travis Hamonic cut his convincing 5-1 victory over the Sabres on Mar. 7 of last season. team’s deficit in half. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.30.2018 It was a special moment for the Flames defenceman. Hamonic’s daughter, Charlie — who will be six months old later this week and was at her first-ever NHL game — got to see her dad score his first goal in 71 games, dating back to Oct. 14 of last season. Pretty cool. Elias Lindholm tied the game at two with his team-leading seventh of the season before the end of the first. The Penguins, who were the only team to tally in the second, took a 3-2 lead into the late stages of the third. But with their goaltender on the bench, an extra attacker on the ice and just 1:33 remaining in regulation time, Matthew Tkachuk tipped a Rasmus Andersson point shot past Penguins goaltender Pheonix Copley to tie the game at three. For Andersson, who has shown steady improvement since being recalled from the AHL’s Stockton Heat on Oct. 5, it was his first-career NHL point. Sportsnet NOW gives you access to over 500 NHL games this season, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Hometown Hockey, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the entire 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more. The bad news for the Flames was that Calgary couldn’t complete their comeback in overtime or the shootout. Nicklas Backstrom scored the shootout winner for the Capitals, who, after falling 4-1 to the Oilers on 1112780 Websites It’s not the first time this season the Leafs have lamented not being prepared enough or being out-worked, particularly at home. But the key now is starting to understand why certain bad habits continue to re-occur. TSN.CA / Leafs' home struggles continue in loss to Flames “We’re learning some good lessons now with how much better we have to be, consistently, night to night, and how well teams are ready to play us,” surmised Tavares. “They’re coming in trying to do the same things By Kristen Shilton we’re trying to do. All you can do is go back to work tomorrow, turn the page, learn from today and find a way to get better.”

Takeaways TORONTO – In their first full game without top-line centre Auston Matthews on Monday, the Maple Leafs were looking to prove they could Andersen can’t cure-all carry on just fine without him. But instead of making a statement, the Leafs proved mostly lifeless against the Calgary Flames in a 3-1 loss While the team around him looked flummoxed by the Flames’ game plan, they couldn’t wait to forget. Andersen was locked in, and gave the Leafs every chance to turn the tide. When the first period began, the Flames were all over Andersen but “They were a lot better than us tonight,” said Nazem Kadri, who scored he answered the bell with a series of quick saves. As the Leafs’ defence the Leafs’ only goal in his 500th career game. “[They did] everything struggled to break pucks out or maintain control in their own end, a [better]. We didn’t deserve to win that game. Just call that a wash, move turnover by Martin Marincin behind the net led to another big chance for on, and worry about the next one.” Sam Bennett on Andersen, but he got enough of the puck to send it off the post and out of danger. When that opportunity comes around, Mike Babcock was clear his remaining top players (namely Kadri’s line with Mitch Marner and Patrick In the second period and into the third, Andersen came up with several Marleau, and John Tavares’ unit with Zach Hyman and Kasperi key saves through traffic and was efficient with his rebounds when the Kapanen) have to perform. Collectively, those two lines finished at Flames were really rolling around again. His point-blank kick-stop on minus-seven, while top-four defencemen Morgan Rielly and Jake James Neal early in the final period was as important as any in giving Gardiner were a combined minus-four. Toronto a chance, but the Leafs’ comeback attempt was too little, too late to make the most of a terrific outing from Andersen. He finished with 31 “I didn't think our top group had a good night, you know what I mean?” saves and a .939 save percentage. Babcock said. “To me, our top group playing against their top groups weren't good enough. We look at the whole group, obviously. We weren't Marincin not meshing good enough. So, we get an opportunity to ask ourselves why and get it straightened out so we can be better.” With Travis Dermott still recovering from the effects of a nasty flu, Marincin played in his third straight game Monday on the Leafs’ third The night started out as another chess match between Babcock and his pairing with Igor Ozhiganov, but it was far from his best outing. In order coaching protégée Bill Peters, where open ice was at a premium and for Marincin to be successful, Babcock said on Sunday he had to “be neither team took too many chances. But Toronto’s start was undeniably steady...go back and get the puck and just move it” but that’s where the slower – the Leafs took nearly five minutes to get their first shot on goal blueliner really struggled. He was a turnover machine against the and were outshot by the Flames 12-4 overall in the opening frame. Flames, sending blind passes in his own zone that ended up on Calgary’s sticks. Too often when Marincin handled the puck he was By the end of the second the score was still 0-0, but Toronto was being fumbling it, or appearing unsure of where to go next. While Marincin outshot 24-16 while accumulating 20 giveaways compared to only six by wasn’t on the ice for any goals-against, that was in large part due to Calgary, which didn’t help Frederik Andersen’s cause as the busier Andersen standing tall on opportunities Marincin helped generate. goaltender versus Mike Smith. The Flames’ netminder entered the game with an .869 save percentage, yet the Leafs weren’t able to test him in In a departure from his usual workload, though, Marincin also ended up part because of how successful Calgary was clogging up the middle of taking a defensive zone draw late in the first period after Par Lindholm the ice. was kicked out of the circle and right before a Leafs’ penalty kill was about to begin. It was the second draw Marincin has taken since 2013- “Their gaps were great, right on top of our guys coming through the 14, and the first one he’s lost. He finished the game with two giveaways neutral zone,” Kadri said. “Just seemed like they’d be a pain in the ass in 14:58 of ice time. every time. They made it tough on us and certainly congested the neutral zone area, and that was the difference.” First period follies “They were just playing aggressive, they were on their toes and didn’t The Leafs lead the league in goals scored this season (42), but still give us much time and space,” added Tavares. “Especially it felt like in struggle to light the lamp in the first period. Toronto has only scored nine the second period, they tilted the ice on us and we weren’t able to grab goals in the opening frame this season, while also giving up nine. some momentum back. They came out hard, ready to play, and took Through seven games at home, the Leafs have posted only three first advantage of our mistakes.” period goals, two against the L.A. Kings and one in their season opener against Montreal. Meanwhile in the second period the Leafs have 16 Toronto leaned on Andersen, who made 31 saves in the defeat, to keep goals-for (second in the NHL) and in the third they’ve scored 15 (fifth- Calgary at bay through 45 minutes of action. But eventually their most). mistakes ended up in the Leafs’ net. Sean Monahan opened the scoring with a power play strike early in the third, on the Flames’ 28th shot of the Blue and White Trending game, after the Leafs’ penalty killers failed to clear the zone. Then Marner couldn’t corral a sloppy pass behind him at the Leafs’ blue line Tracking Leafs’ trends all season long and the resulting turnover became a goal for Elias Lindholm just 55 For reasons they can’t quite pinpoint, the Leafs have struggled at home seconds after Monahan scored. in October. Monday’s loss dropped them to 3-4-0 at Scotiabank Arena, “They kind of play like us. They played better at that game tonight than where they’re being outscored 20-15. On the road, Toronto is 5-0-0, and we did,” said Hyman. “We turned the puck over way too much in the outscoring opponents 27-17. neutral zone, they transitioned. They were better than us.” Next up Toronto continued to have a hard time getting shots through traffic as The Leafs take on the Dallas Stars at home on Thursday. Calgary held them to the outside, and didn't put its second shot of the third period on net until 5:38 remained in regulation. But somehow that Last word helped to flip the switch, however briefly, in the Leafs’ favour. “I think the horn went off, right? Any time you hear the horn and see the With a 5-on-3 power play chance in the third, Kadri finally found mesh to puck behind the net, you think it’s in and then you react like it’s a goal – cut the Flames’ lead to 2-1. Now in control, the Leafs tried to replicate the the tying goal. It sucks.” result they earned on Saturday, overcoming a two-goal deficit against the Winnipeg Jets with three late goals. They even thought the tying marker - Zach Hyman reacting to thinking he scored the game-tying goal had been scored with 1:21 to go in regulation when a shot from Hyman late in the third period before learning the puck landed behind the net. fooled everyone by landing behind the net instead of in it, but the ensuing TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 celebration was premature. Michael Frolik subsequently sealed Toronto’s fate with an empty netter. 1112781 Websites ---- With Matthews out, the Leafs’ depth down the middle will be tested. Lindholm, who has 11 games of NHL experience and only three at TSN.CA / Injury to Matthews will test Leafs’ depth centre, will be the third-line pivot tonight. “Lindholm is going to be in tougher match-ups playing down the middle," By Mark Masters Babcock noted. "If you look at their centre ice (Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Mark Jankowski and Derek Ryan), they've got good centre ice. So, there's a challenge for everyone that way.” TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes Frederik Gauthier, the fourth-line centre, has suited up in just 45 NHL on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Flames skated at Scotiabank Arena games. Can the Flames take advantage? Coach Bill Peters laughed on Monday. when asked that question. With Auston Matthews out for at least the next four weeks, does Maple "We got some NHL D who are short on NHL experience that are finding Leafs head coach Mike Babcock have a message for his players? their way and playing good," he said referencing 20-year-old Juuso Valimaki (10 NHL GP) and 22-year-old Rasmus Andersson (20 NHL GP). "Win the game," the head coach said with a shrug. “I mean, he was in the "We got to worry about our team game right now." game last game, we weren’t winning, just got regrouped after two, decided to play right and win. The greatest thing about hockey is it’s a But there’s no question that the Flames, who have lost three straight (0- team game and you don't win by yourself.” 2-1), will benefit from the absence of Matthews. The Leafs proved that last season going 11-7-2 when Matthews missed "It's a hole for them, definitely,” acknowledged Matthew Tkachuk. "I time. And Toronto bolstered its centre depth by signing John Tavares in mean, he's one of the best players in the world. But they're a good the summer. But Babcock isn’t so sure his squad is as equipped to enough team where they've dealt with him being injured in the past. I handle the absence of its top scorer this season. know last year they dealt with it and continued to play well so we're not expecting a huge change. They still have a lot of stars over there." "I don’t know for sure," Babcock said. “So, another 20 games in, you ask me that question again, I’ll tell you if we have more depth this year." Tkachuk and Matthews became friends during their time together with the U.S. National Team Development Program. The Leafs lost Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov in free agency. Meanwhile, left winger Andreas Johnsson, who made a "I was texting him all day yesterday," Tkachuk said. "We were planning strong impression down the stretch last season, has failed to find his on seeing each other, but I saw what happened on Saturday and form this year. Johnsson will start on the third line tonight after sitting out probably wasn’t a good idea for him to be out in the city answering the last two as a healthy scratch. everybody. It’s a tough time, tough news for him. It’s kind of a freak thing, hockey play. It’s the type of player he is, goes hard to the net … it’s "Everyone’s got to pick up the slack," said centre Nazem Kadri. "We have unfortunate, but he’ll make sure he comes back stronger than he left, the depth to temporarily fix the situation. Mats is a player you can’t that’s for sure." replace, but we’ll hold the fort until he gets back." Tkachuk following Matthews injury: 'I was texting him all day' When Matthews missed 10 games with a separated shoulder in February and March, the line of Kadri (seven goals, one assist), Mitch Marner (four Matthew Tkachuk says that he has had contact with close friend Auston goals, 10 assists) and Patrick Marleau (three goals, three assists) really Matthews following his injury, and had to cancel their day out together in stepped up. And that trio was reunited in the third period on Saturday Toronto. The Flames also don't feel any sense of relief with Matthews' against the Jets. absence as they are aware of how deep their opponents are. Kadri had been playing on the third line logging most of his even-strength ---- minutes with rookie Par Lindholm and Connor Brown. Kasperi Kapanen will slide into the Matthews’ spot on the left flank of the "The players I’m playing with now have that offensive mindset and are Leafs top power-play unit. Matthews is responsible for four of Toronto’s extremely gifted up front," Kadri noted. "Patty’s got the speed to back nine man-advantage goals this season. defenceman off to give you a little more time and space and Mitchy, obviously, his playmaking abilities are second to none. So, for me, just "They're different players," observed Tavares. "And Kap’s a right shot so trying to find those areas where I can get open, similar to my goal have to be aware of that. But will try and keep the framework and not Saturday, find those soft spots." change a whole lot." Out of the corner and into the net.@Marner93 strips the puck, slips it to The Leafs power play has converted on 32.1 per cent of its opportunities @43_Kadri and he snaps it home. #LeafsForever this season, which is the second best rate in the NHL behind only the pic.twitter.com/i6by17D72s Capitals (37.1 per cent). But Toronto has gone cold of late, missing on nine straight chances during the last four games. — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 28, 2018 This will be the first time Kapanen gets consistent power-play minutes in Kadri, who has scored in consecutive games after a nine-game drought, the NHL. enjoyed mixing it up with Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele on Saturday and is eager to get a look at Calgary’s top unit featuring Johnny Gaudreau, "I made clear to him his No. 1 job is penalty kill so don't lose your way," Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett. Babcock noted. "He's playing with good players, get out there and if you get a chance, shoot it in the net." "Johnny likes to skate the puck up the ice and gain the zone with possession so just try to have good gaps," Kadri said. "And try to congest ---- the neutral zone." Lines at Leafs morning skate: Kadri has always embraced the spotlight in Toronto and that’s allowed Marleau-Kadri-Marner him to survive some tough times, including a three-game suspension in March 2015 for off-ice behaviour. Tonight Kadri will play in the 500th Hyman-Tavares-Kapanen game in his NHL career. Johnsson-Lindholm-Brown How has he changed since his first game? Ennis-Gauthier-Leivo "Completely changed," he said with a smile. "It’s been quite a journey, quite the evolution, which I’m very proud of, that I handled in a positive Rielly-Hainsey manner throughout the adversity. I’m just thankful for the people that Gardiner-Zaitsev gave me the opportunities and the people that stuck by my side and weren’t so quick to throw me under the bus right away. It’s panned out Marincin-Ozhiganov and I’m looking to always get better." Dermott-Holl Leafs Ice Chips: Matthews out at least four weeks Andersen The Leafs announced that Auston Matthews is expected to miss at least four weeks due to a left shoulder injury he sustained Saturday. Mark Sparks Masters has more on the injury, and how the Leafs plan to fill his void. Power play units at Leafs morning skate: Rielly Kapanen-Kadri-Marner Tavares Gardiner Ennis-Johnsson-Leivo Marleau Projected Flames lineup: Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik Bennett-Jankowski-Neal Hathaway-Ryan-Dube Giordano-Brodie Hanifin-Hamonic Valimaki-Andersson Smith Rittich TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112782 Websites Anaheim does have a bit of a safeguard to the extent that their starting goaltender is a legitimate Vezina Trophy candidate, but even a goalie of his talent may only partially be able to sustain this type of run. TSN.CA / How puck luck impacts the NHL standings Based on their individual game percentage components, here’s what Anaheim’s season looks like on a cumulative basis. As you can see, they missed substantial opportunity between games eight and 12. There, the By Travis Yost Ducks had fantastic shooting and save percentage performance, yet failed to accumulate a single point in the standings.

How can a team that’s shooting the puck reasonably well and stopping It seems like no one is happy in Anaheim despite an injury-depleted the puck so frequently still be struggling in the standings? There are only roster managing a .500 start to the regular season. a few reasonable answers to that question, but in Anaheim’s case, there is just one. The Ducks are outshot so substantially on a game-to-game That’s because the results in the standings have been kind, considering basis that opponents are eliminating their favourable variance by how poorly the Ducks have played. A typical Ducks game this season dominating control of the puck. has seen Anaheim attempt 46 shots at their opponent’s net while their opponents return 71 shots of their own. Those are mind-boggling A team with Anaheim’s puck luck season-to-date should be leading the margins and indicative of how much of a struggle it has been for Pacific Division with close to 16 points; instead, they are hanging around Anaheim to get out of their defensive zone. in the middle of the pack, having already traded off four points in the standings. So how have they held on in the standings? The one word (and maybe only word) is goaltending. John Gibson is an early Vezina Trophy Now let’s look at the other side of the spectrum. Carolina is clearly the favourite, full stop. It’s a classic case of a team getting by on the team with the biggest deviation in the league, and that shouldn’t be percentages and the percentages only; usually, these runs turn into pixie particularly surprising. The Hurricanes have had better shooting luck this dust with enough games. season, but the goaltending has still been a real drag on performance. Think about that statement for a moment: Carolina, despite being the The percentages, of course, refer to on-ice shooting and on-ice save league’s early season surprise and firmly in a playoff spot in the percentage – two components that heavily impact outcomes of individual Metropolitan Division, has been let down by goaltending. games, but are heavily susceptible to randomness and rarely indicative of a specific team talent. (Combined, these components have historically How is that possible? Let’s look at their expected versus actual points been aggregated to create PDO, a measure of reference to how “lucky” first: or “unlucky” a team may be by the percentages.) The secret behind Carolina’s success is that they dominate the puck. PDO was meant to be a quick reference tool, but I’ve struggled with how They are getting a league-leading 62 per cent of the shots and, unlike to improve it for a few years now. There are obvious limitations. First, on- prior seasons, are finding the back of the net with some regularity. It’s a ice shooting percentage is much more random than on-ice save good thing the Hurricanes do own the puck that much, though. They percentage, relatively speaking (and so, aggregating the two rarely need to offset the league’s worst penalty kill, season-to-date – a group seems appropriate). Second, not all goals are created equal and that can that is killing off just 67 per cent of opponent power plays. have a disparate impact on how we interpret PDO and the impact it has on a team’s position in the standings. That’s why our standings expectations are so much lower for Carolina than where they actually sit today. If you had a team giving up a goal on, Consider this example. Imagine you have one team that shoots 0 per quite literally, one of every three power plays against, you’d think the cent, then 20 per cent, every other game. Imagine you have another team would be toast. But the Hurricanes are so ahead of their opponents team that shoots 10 per cent every game, on the same degree of shot in other game states that they are able to mostly cover for it. So while volume. Which team will have the better record? It’s likely the latter. Carolina is again carrying a very low PDO, they’ve been able to put Why? The team that shoots 0 per cent will lose half of their games. The critical points into the standings. other half they’ll likely win, but the value of each marginal goal in those games has diminishing returns. (What’s the difference between winning I’d be remiss to not point out one of the more amusing games to date 4-1 and 5-1? Not much.) The 10 per cent shooting team, though, will featured this very Carolina team back on Oct. 13. The Hurricanes had a likely score around three goals per game and consequently win the nearly fatal 82 per cent save percentage that night, giving up four goals majority of hockey games they play. to a Minnesota Wild team that has been punchless most of the season. For most teams on most nights, that’s a guaranteed loss. But the Ultimately what we care about is how the percentages are affecting a Hurricanes out-attempted the Wild 83 to 34 – yes, 83 to 34 – en route to team’s position in the standings. Nothing more, nothing less. We know a one-goal victory. That’s one way to beat the percentages. the percentages drive wins and losses, but we should be able to better interpret just how much a team’s shooting or save percentage luck has These are all things to keep in mind when we talk about how impacted their positioning. Moreover, we should be able to answer randomness can impact the standings and how teams capitalize (or fail another question: Knowing what shooting and save percentage luck a to capitalize) on their situations. Puck luck doesn’t mean all that much if team has had, how many points should they have accumulated in the you aren’t making the most of it. standings? TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 Since we know each team’s on-ice shooting and save percentages at the individual game level and historically know the relationship between each measure and the points they have accumulated in the standings, we can regress the components against standings points to understand which teams are truly getting lucky and which aren’t. Historically, this is how single game shooting and save percentages drive expected point accumulation in the standings: You can see that save percentage is worth a little bit more than shooting percentage per game, which makes sense. But when a team is on a heater and getting bounces on both sides of the ice, you can see how difficult it is for them to be defeated. With that table in mind, let’s regress the 2018 standings by game-by- game PDO. Here, ‘Actual Points’ indicates what the team has accumulated to date, ‘pPDO’ indicates what a team should have accumulated based on the percentages, and ‘Delta’ indicates the difference between the two. Cool. So what does it all mean? Let’s focus on Anaheim as a quick example here. The Ducks are shooting at a normal rate, but their goaltending has been otherworldly, stopping 93.0 per cent of shots. Teams can realize these sorts of numbers in small stretches, but that tends to wash away over long stretches. 1112783 Websites provincial level through the lottery system. Single-game wagering remains unavailable, legal hockey betting exists only in parlay (multi- game) form. TSN.CA / NHL moves all-in on sports gambling “The clubs in Canada have been working with the lotteries, who control gambling on a provincial basis,” Bettman said. “As the law evolves, you’ll see our evolution in dealing with it.” By Frank Seravalli What fans will not be seeing, according to Bettman, is a shift in team injury reporting. Those hoping for an NFL-style detailed injury report are out of luck. The National Hockey League is all-in on sports gambling in the United States now after years of fighting the spread of legalized betting in “I’m not sure we have any interest in changing our reports,” Bettman courts. said. “Our players tend to play hurt. We’re comfortable with the way things are because it’s important for the long-term health of our players. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced a multi-year partnership with We don’t want them targeted when they’re playing injured.” MGM Resorts International on Monday, making MGM the league’s first official sports betting and resort partner. The NBA executed a similar deal TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 with MGM Resorts International in July. Bettman cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark May ruling that struck down a 1992 federal law banning commercial sports betting in most states as reason for the NHL’s about-face. “The world changed and we’re adapting to it,” Bettman said. As part of the partnership, MGM Resorts will have access to the NHL’s intellectual property – including use of logos and branding to promote to consumers – and eventually proprietary real-time data that will be generated by the NHL’s player tracking systems. Bettman said the NHL hopes to make player tracking data available in time for the start of the 2019-20 season. The data won’t be exclusive to MGM Resorts and is believed to be the same information that will be available to national and regional broadcasters for use in-game. However, MGM Resorts is hoping that access to exactly how fast Connor McDavid is skating on a particular night or how hard Dustin Byfuglien is shooting the puck will be a valuable tool for bettors. “Data is the key,” MGM Resorts chairman and CEO Jim Murren said. “The more data a [bettor] has, the better. That data has to be trusted. It has to be specific. It has to be endorsed. It has to be real-time. We’ve seen the power of data outside the United States; look at the World Cup in the U.K. and Europe … The more data you can have on an individual athlete on his or her skills, the more connection a fan will have to that athlete.” Bettman said he was not concerned about any potential impact on hockey’s integrity in the wake of this partnership. He said the NHL monitors all games for potential red flags, such as significant line shifts, through a third party data company like Sportradar. Bettman emphasized the NHL also “trusts” MGM Resorts as a first partner based on previous collaborations. MGM Resorts owns 42.5 per cent of T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. “I’ve never worried and don’t worry about the integrity of our game,” Bettman said. “It has been strong even when the majority of gambling was not through legal sportsbooks.” Industry experts have reported that the legalization of gambling in the U.S. could be worth as much as $216 million per year to the NHL. Bettman scoffed at that notion, saying the “amount of revenue is secondary” to fan engagement and fan connectivity. Players will receive an equal 50 per cent of the revenue generated by this MGM Resorts partnership, as it counts as hockey-related revenue under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NHL will not, however, receive a cut of MGM Resorts’ hockey take. Hockey wagering represents a very small part of the Vegas sportsbook action. According to multiple reports, the NHL is the least bet on of the four major professional sports. Bettman said previously it is “less than one per cent,” but gaming commission filings indicate it is closer to four or five per cent or $100 million of the total Vegas handle. By getting on-board with sports gambling, the NHL has paved the way for something like the inclusion of in-arena lounges where fans could place real-time bets on the action they’re watching in states where sports gambling is legal. That possibility currently exists only in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, but many more states are on the way. Bettman said he does not believe that concept will become reality because fans of the Golden Knights and Devils can already place bets in real-time without leaving their seat using mobile phone apps. Canadians will not see any impact or change on the fan experience through this partnership as betting on hockey is still governed on a 1112784 Websites like myself and trickles on down through the lineup. I believe we are ready to deal with it and try and find another level for our team and everyone individually.” TSN.CA / Frustrated Matthews facing another spell on the sidelines The Matthews injury was also a popular topic in the Calgary dressing room, especially for Matthew Tkachuk. A former teammate of Matthews’ at the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2013-15, Tkachuk By Kristen Shilton was supposed to see his good friend when the Flames arrived in town Sunday, but they thought better of getting together.

“It probably wasn’t a good idea for him to be out in the city answering Hours after the Maple Leafs announced Auston Matthews will be out a everybody,” Tkachuk said. “It’s a tough time, tough news for him. Freak minimum of four weeks with a left shoulder injury, the centre spoke out play. He’s playing awesome this year. He’s a guy who will make sure he about his frustration over facing another long absence from game action. comes back better than before he got hurt.” “It’s frustrating, there’s not much you can do. It sucks,” he said Monday. Whether the Leafs have better depth now than they did a season ago is “It’s part of the game. Your health comes first, and you want to come still up for debate with Babcock (“In another 20 games ask me again. I’ll back when you’re feeling ready to go. I’m going to work as hard as I can tell you whether we have more depth”), but he was crystal clear on what to get back as soon as possible and feeling back to myself.” Matthews should be focused on as he navigates a difficult stretch. The injury, which will not require surgery, happened in the second period “Be around the group and do what you do. Train real hard; be better of Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Matthews was about to when you come back than you were. Be fitter,” Babcock said. “He can do put a shot on net and defenceman Jacob Trouba laid a hard hit to everything [with a shoulder injury]. Let’s be in the best shape you can be, Matthews’ left side. The 21-year-old immediately looked to be in pain and as strong as you can be and around the guys as much as you can be.” exited the game for good soon after returning to the bench. TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 “I knew the guy was coming but I was trying to get a shot off and score a goal,” Matthews said. “But obviously he took body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and caught me at a weird angle. You don’t really know what to expect when you’re so close to the goalie.” It was also on a play around the net that Matthews suffered a separated right shoulder injury last season, when the New York Islanders’ Adam Pelech and Cal Clutterbuck collided with him in the slot. That hit cost Matthews 10 games, and he characterized this injury as similar. Having been through the recovery process, Matthews has a good idea of what to expect going forward. “Just have to let it heal I guess and do everything you can to stay in shape,” he said. “It’s not a position you want to be in, but you can skate once it starts to heal a little and feel better and you can get back on the ice and stay in game shape.” Based on the timeline provided by the Leafs, Matthews is projected to miss at least 14 games as he rehabs through the end of November. It’s a disappointing turn of events for Matthews on multiple levels, including in the face of what work he did in the off-season to prevent such an injury. “It’s tough for him. He did a ton of work on his shoulders this summer to get stronger, but sometimes things happen,” said coach Mike Babcock. “It’s too bad for the kid. Yet it’s an opportunity for someone on our team to play more, opportunity for us to dig in and continue to get better.” That starts on Monday, when the Leafs battle the Calgary Flames with a new-look lineup, one that won't include any recalled player from the American Hockey League taking Matthews' vacated spot. Instead, Babcock wants to see players already in the fold working harder to earn the extra ice time available. “Someone always thinks they’re getting the short end of the stick,” Babcock said. “No one is getting the short end of the stick [now]. We’ve got 12 forwards, they’re all playing.” At the Leafs’ morning skate on Monday, Babcock had re-assembled his lines with Tavares between Kasperi Kapanen and Zach Hyman, Kadri between Mitch Marner and Patrick Marleau and Par Lindholm centering Connor Brown and Andreas Johnsson. Toronto’s fourth line with Tyler Ennis and Josh Leivo flanking Frederik Gauthier remains the same as it did to start Saturday’s game. Babcock’s message to his team in the wake of Matthews’ absence is the same as it would be if he were dressing. “Win the game,” he said. “The greatest thing about hockey is it’s a team game and you don’t win by yourself.” Matthews has been a large part of what the Leafs accomplished so far this season, leading the way in both goals (10) and points (16). Yet the Leafs have amassed a winning record without him before. Last season, Matthews missed a total of 20 games with injuries (four with a back issue, six with a concussion and 10 with the shoulder), and Toronto went 11-7-2 in those games. This time around, his teammates are just as confident a winning record is possible without his contributions. “When you have one of the best players in the league on your team, it’s an opportunity for a lot of guys to step up,” Tavares said. “Obviously with his skill set you can’t always look to one person, but it starts with guys 1112785 Websites

TSN.CA / Matthews on Trouba: He did 'what you're supposed to do'

TSN.ca Staff

Auston Matthews says that Jacob Trouba was just doing his job. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston met the media on Monday for the first time after the team announced that he would be out of action for at least a month with a shoulder injury incurred in Saturday night's 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets following a hit from the defenceman. Matthews on the Trouba hit: "He took the body, which is what you’re supposed to do, and caught me on a weird angle." #Leafs — Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) October 29, 2018 "He took the body," Matthews said of Trouba, "which is what you're supposed to do and caught me on a weird angle." This marks significant shoulder injuries for the 21-year-old in successive seasons. Matthews missed 20 games a season ago with an injury to the other shoulder. Because of that, Matthews knows what's ahead of him on the road to recovery. Having been down the injury road, Matthews knows a mental test awaits with the inactivity: "It’s a challenge, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad. It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part." #Leafs — Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) October 29, 2018 "It's a challenger, I think, just because you want to be out there so bad," Matthews said of his impending time away from the team. "It sucks. I think watching the game is probably the worst part." If there is a silver lining for Matthews, it's that his injury will not require surgery, which would have likely increased the recovery time. The Leafs play 15 times before December 1, Matthews' projected return date. Currently leading the Atlantic Division, the Leafs host the Calgary Flames on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. TSN.CA LOADED: 10.30.2018 1112786 Websites Jimmie Johnson: Ally Financial hat, No. 48, well-groomed beard: Don’t embarrass yourself by portraying Johnson in Lowe’s gear. Show your up- to-date knowledge of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Johnson by USA TODAY / Gritty, Serena, Harbaugh, Tiger — plenty of quality sports showing up in Ally Financial gear. With Lowe’s leaving as Johnson’s Halloween costume ideas to choose from sponsor after 18 years, it was announced Sunday that Ally Financial has taken over that role.

USA TODAY LOADED: 10.30.2018 Kevin Allen, Oct. 29, 2018

The hottest sports costume for this Halloween salutes a rookie performer who wasn’t on anyone’s radar before the NHL preseason was launched last month. A 7-foot goofy-looking, orange furry Philadelphia Flyers mascot named Gritty was introduced Sept. 24 and quickly became the No. 1 sports figure in Philadelphia. Since falling on his rump on the ice during his NHL debut, he has risen to cult hero. And not just solely in Philadelphia. Several national outlets, including "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," have featured Gritty. But nothing speaks to his popularity more than multiple stories and videos online detailing how to make a Gritty Halloween costume. Gritty tops our list of top 12 possible sports-themed costumes. Serena Williams: Black spandex catsuit, hair in bun, Nike headband: French Open officials can’t prevent you from wearing one of the most memorable outfits in tennis history. If spandex isn’t your thing, you can still rock Halloween with Serena’s black tutu outfit from the U.S. Open. Jim Harbaugh: Michigan cap, 1950s-style glasses and khaki pants: The glasses are key to the costume because Harbaugh says his spectacles are an ode to Woody Hayes, Malcolm X and Michael Douglas from the movie "Falling Down." The glasses make the costume. If you are partial to Ohio State, you can swap out the Michigan cap for a Buckeyes’ hat and don a red Ohio State, plus gray slacks, and instantly become Hayes for Halloween. Tiger Woods: Black slacks, TW cap and red Nike golf shirt: Halloween is on Wednesday this year but wear Tiger’s Sunday red because this costume is a winner. It’s classic. It’s topical. He’s baaack. Simone Biles: Red, white blue leotard, four Olympic gold medals, something with a Nike swoosh logo: This is a timely costume, considering Biles left the hospital and overcame kidney stones to dominate at the gymnastics world championships last weekend. Biles has also emerged as one of the sport’s most influential voices. When she tweets, people listen. Peyton Manning: Black button-down shirt. Black notebook. Tan pants. Don’t go cliché with a Manning Indianapolis Colts or Denver Broncos jersey. Be Manning the comedic actor. You need to persuade a friend to go as Brad Paisley. Don’t say anything all night except to sing the "Nationwide is on your side" jingle and utter, “We are a band. I’m in a band.” Bill Belichick: New England Patriots hooded sweatshirt, with sleeves cut off, clipboard: You have to wear the hood up to be authentic with this costume. You must also scowl all night. No smiles. None. James Harden: Classic beard, Houston Rockets jersey: In a sports landscape where beards have become blasé, Harden's beard stands out. It’s his trademark. He is a great player. He has a great beard. Don’t don this costume unless you are willing to do the beard right. This isn’t an unkempt beard. This beard makes a statement. Fear the beard. Ed Hochuli: Striped referee shirt, white NFL hat, whistle: The key to pulling off a tribute to an iconic retired NFL referee is to have cannon- sized biceps. What we remember about Ed’s time in the game was his muscles bulging out of his shirt as he signaled a first down. If you don’t have the pipes to impersonate Hochuli, look at stealing some fake muscles from an old Popeye costume. Alex Morgan: No. 13 Team USA jersey, high ponytail, thin pink headband: This is an easy costume to put together because there are approximately one billion different Morgan jerseys available online. She is amazingly popular. But to complete this costume, you need to wear it with the right attitude. Morgan is fearless and relentless. She’s a risk- taker. You don’t amass 3.62 million Twitter followers by playing it safe. Bring a swagger when you wear her jersey. Michael Phelps: Blue swim cap, goggles, headphones, 23 gold medals: If you dare, go with the Speedo. If you don’t, the Phelps swim warm-up is your ticket. If you are looking to be authentic with the playlist on the headphones, the New York Times once reported his pre-race playlist includes tunes from Eminem, Young Jeezy and Eric Church. 1112787 Websites “The NHL is ahead of the curve,” he said. “I think the other leagues should really look at that.”

Curren said cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug. “It is actually USA TODAY / From pucks to pot: Could NHL be a leader in marijuana helping people and it is actually getting people off of opioids,” he said. policy? “They can live a more sane life and manage their pain at the same time.” That’s what Healy is hoping for. Kevin Allen and Erik Brady, USA TODAY Published 2:47 p.m. ET “I’m not just talking about OxyContin or Vicodin,” he said. “It could be depression. It could be anger. It could be anxiety. It could be joint pain. It could be a lot of things. Or, after repeated blows to the head, it leaves Recreational use of marijuana is now legal in Canada. The NHL has the you not in functional agreement with your world. And pretty soon, your most lenient pot policies of North America’s major team sports. But those world will not be in agreement with you. … facts, taken together, do not add up to Hockey Night in Cannabis. “I don’t want to paint a sad-sack picture of the alumni association – Though they might someday, if Glenn Healy gets his way. He’s executive ‘Whoa is us.’ What I want to paint is hope. This is hope. If there is a director of the NHL Alumni Association and he hopes certain compounds player who is not functionally integrated, he has hope. That’s what I want of cannabis can become a better painkiller for former players than to give him.” dangerous opioids. Healy said his organization is working with two neurologists to study whether such compounds are safe. USA TODAY LOADED: 10.30.2018 “Give me the science first and last because you can’t refute science,” Healy told USA TODAY. “You can disagree with me on politics or whether you like bagpipes, but you can’t disagree on science.” The NHL tests for cannabis but doesn’t apply penalties for positive results. When a significant amount is detected, players are referred to a behavioral health program, rather than suspended or fined. Meanwhile, multiple infractions can lead to suspensions in the NFL and NBA and fines in Major League Baseball. “We still consider marijuana a drug of abuse,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. “And our program allows for intervention in appropriate cases.” NHL Players' Association spokesperson Andrew Wolfe said by email, “We are going to respectfully decline comment.” Healy, of the alumni association, said he regularly hears from the wives, children and teammates of former players who have lost themselves to the thrall of opioid painkillers. Sometimes he hears from the ex-players themselves. “I’ve had players call me and say, ‘I wish you knew me when I was me,’ ” Healy said. “That’s hard to hear.” Proponents of cannabis say while opioids are synthetic, marijuana is a natural plant. And they say cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabis compound that offers relief from inflammation and pain as a nonaddictive alternative to opiates. Healy hopes CBD can someday safely replace opioids for pain management. "If it is Vicodin or OxyContin and I can take him from four (pills a day) to two, and he gets 50% of his day back, I win,” Healy said. “If I get him to zero, then order the rings. But it has to be based on science. It can’t be based on profit. It can’t be based on, ‘Someone told me it works.’ It can’t be based on there could be money. It has to be based on science telling me we can get people functionally integrated again.” No less an eminence than Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, who is careful in the things he says, thinks it’s time at least to listen. “I say this more talking about the CBD side of it, obviously: You’d be stupid not to at least look at it,” McDavid told the Associated Press. “When your body’s sore like it is sometimes, you don’t want to be taking pain stuff and taking Advil all the time. There’s obviously better ways to do it. … You’re seeing a lot of really smart doctors look into it. If all the boxes are checked there and it’s safe and everything like that, then I think you would maybe hear them out.” Daly said the NHL reviewed its existing policies in consultation with the NHL Players Association over the summer in anticipation of Canada’s new law and determined “no changes to our current policies were necessary at this time.” He said the league issued a memorandum for all clubs to post in their dressing rooms to make players aware of the laws in Canada and in the U.S. NHL players frequently cross the border – 24 teams are based in the U.S. and seven in Canada – and the league wants them to remember that Canada’s legalization does not change U.S. federal prohibitions. Ben Curren is CEO of Green Bits, which produces the software that helps roughly 1,000 cannabis retailers across 12 states process more than $2.2 billion in annual sales. He thinks the NHL is a model for the other major team sports leagues in terms of pot policy.