Sport-Scan Daily Brief

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 10/24/2019 Anaheim Ducks Colorado Avalanche 1109349 Ducks’ luck has increased as puck movement has 1109378 Mikko Rantanen’s replacement still a mystery, Avs coach improved Jared Bednar says 1109350 Corey Perry expects facing the Ducks to be ‘weird, 1109379 What are the Avalanche’s options now that Mikko exciting’ Rantanen is on the shelf? 1109351 ‘There was shock. Sadness’ — As Corey Perry moves on, 1109380 With Mikko Rantanen out “week to week”, Avs will look to those who watched him closely in Anaheim share improved depth to pick up slack memories Columbus Blue Jackets Arizona Coyotes 1109381 Don't pigeonhole Nick Foligno as a grinder — Columbus 1109352 Christian Dvorak scores in OT to lift Coyotes past Rangers Blue Jackets captain has skills 1109382 Perhaps Columbus Blue Jackets have means to score Boston Bruins enough goals 1109353 Bruins’ rematch with Blues will be ‘just like any other 1109383 Tentative Emil Bemstrom off to slow start for Columbus game’ Blue Jackets 1109354 Bruins aren’t ruling out David Krejci for Saturday’s game 1109384 Blue Jackets' Alexander Wennberg letting his play talk for 1109355 Bruins burned by offside review calls, which are still a him question mark 1109385 Zach Werenski gives new look to Blue Jackets' power play 1109356 Bruins send Anders Bjork to Providence, but probably not 1109386 Challenged to step up, Alexander Wennberg and Oliver for good Bjorkstrand answer the call for Blue Jackets 1109357 Anders Bjork sent to Providence with Bruins 'living in the 1109387 Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois is proof the best salary cap world' ability is availability 1109358 Bruce Cassidy happy with Anders Bjork's Bruins season debut Dallas Stars 1109359 Talking Points from the Bruins 4-2 win over the Leafs 1109388 Dallas Stars all-decade team: Longevity in Victory Green, 1109360 Unless Toronto’s young stars grow up, Bruins-Leafs young playmakers fill out roster Episode III will not be made 1109389 Dallas Stars to reveal Winter Classic jerseys Nov. 6 1109390 Breaking down the Stars’ new top line of Jamie Benn, Buffalo Sabres Roope Hintz and Corey Perry 1109361 Casey Mittelstadt's drive to net shows Sabres' 1109391 ‘There was shock. Sadness’ — As Corey Perry moves on, commitment to defense those who watched him closely in Anaheim share 1109362 Won Buffalo: Fans haven't had it this good this early in 30 memories years 1109392 Shattered glass, “feeling swole” and lost bets: What 1109363 Swiss spot isn't only offseason connection for Sabres happened when the Stars finally practiced? coach and Sharks' Joe Thornton 1109393 Kari Takko was a Minnesota North Stars goaltender. He’s 1109364 TV ratings show Sabres fans are losing sleep over the now the key to the Stars’ European scouting team's early success Detroit Red Wings BuffaloSabres 1109394 Detroit Red Wings lose 6th straight, falling 5-2 to Ottawa 1109365 Are these guys for real? How the Sabres’ hot start Senators compares with last season’s 10-game winning streak 1109395 Game thread: Red Wings lose in Ottawa, 5-2 1109396 Detroit Red Wings assign Jonathan Ericsson to minors, Calgary Flames recall Alex Biega 1109366 Rieder snaps 75-game goal-less drought in Flames' loss 1109397 Here is what Detroit Red Wings want to remember when to Capitals they look back at this stretch 1109367 Flames vs. Panthers GameDay: Five storylines to watch 1109398 'Not a winning recipe': Red Wings allow five goals again, 1109368 When is it acceptable to reach out to an opponent? losing streak reaches six Postgame text made public stirs debate among players 1109399 Jonathan Ericsson clears waivers; Red Wings assign him to Grand Rapids Carolina Hurricanes 1109400 Red Wings’ skid reaches six with loss to Senators 1109369 Jordan Staal faces his first challenge this season as the 1109401 Jonathan Ericsson joins Griffins: ‘Just glad I could play’ Hurricanes captain hockey again 1109370 Checkers’ James McGinn hopes for promotion to 1109402 Red Wings’ Jonathan Ericsson clears waivers, assigned to Hurricanes to play with younger brother Grand Rapids 1109403 How to watch, stream and listen to Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks Ottawa Senators 1109371 Blackhawks’ strong defensive start will be put to the test 1109404 Red Wings’ poor penalty kill proving costly with Connor Murphy out at least 11 games 1109372 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers Golden Knights, including Robin Lehner’s postgame sp 1109405 JONES: Which Edmonton Oilers are we going to see this 1109373 The Dach decision: Stay and play for the Blackhawks, or season? back to Saskatoon? 1109374 Brian Campbell joins the Blackhawks All-Decade Team Florida Panthers 1109375 Are the Blackhawks preparing to keep Kirby Dach on NHL 1109406 O.J. McDuffie, Roberto Luongo and Tamara James to be roster? inducted in Broward Sports Hall of Fame 1109376 Connor Murphy placed on long-term injured reserve 1109407 The Florida Panthers are gaining momentum. Next up: A 1109377 Robin Lehner's honest assessment of Blackhawks: 'It pivotal early four-game road trip looks far away but it’s really close' Los Angeles Kings Pittsburgh Penguins 1109408 Kings finding benefits of pressure and fast starts 1109439 Empty Thoughts: Lightning 3, Penguins 2 1109409 Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar help Kings win in Winnipeg 1109440 Lightning strike late, send Penguins to 3rd straight loss 1109410 How the Kings’ new forecheck has added speed, purpose, 1109441 Puck retrievals bring stability to Penguins’ power play excitement and more goals 1109442 Penguins to start Tristan Jarry against Lightning 1109411 FINAL – ONTARIO 2, BAKERSFIELD 1 – LUFF, LADUE, 1109443 Penguins CEO gives ringing endorsement for Pirates STOTHERS hiring Travis Williams as president 1109412 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: OCTOBER 23 1109444 Penguins fall to Lightning despite Tristan Jarry's strong 1109413 PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ BAKERSFIELD, 10/23 showing 1109445 Penguins' road trip to Florida another reminder of price tag Minnesota Wild for elite goaltending 1109414 Nashville Predators play the Minnesota Wild 1109446 Penguins lose a heartbreaker, but the bigger picture is 1109415 Gameday preview: Wild at Nashville pretty 1109416 Wild recalls goalie Kaapo Kahkonen ahead of return trip to 1109447 ‘Same old story’ as one player is especially frustrated after Nashville Penguins loss 1109417 Savvy, energy and perseverance are winning formula for Wild against Oilers San Jose Sharks 1109418 Toughest job in sports? Wild G Alex Stalock stopped 1109448 Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc hope to “come back stronger” Oiler’s power play cold after OT gaffe 1109449 Takeaways: ‘Selfish play’ costs Sharks in OT loss to MontrealCanadiens Sabres 1109419 Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Paul Byron working hard to find 1109450 Sharks' Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau committed to his game keeping things fun 1109420 Canadiens coach reunites Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin 1109451 LeBrun: Q&A with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on on same line reuniting with the Sharks and savoring what’s left 1109421 Canadiens Notebook: Joel Armia hoping to play Thursday vs. Sharks St Louis Blues 1109422 Rocket Rundown: Otto Leskinen is positioning himself well 1109452 Gordo: No need for soul searching as Blues get back to for an NHL debut this season winning 1109453 Behind the scenes at Game 7: A nervous wait for Blues' Nashville Predators extras 1109423 Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis has turned it 'on' so far 1109454 Blais' status uncertain for Blues-Kings game this season 1109455 Blues host the Kings in Western Conference battle New Jersey Devils Tampa Bay Lightning 1109424 How Devils’ Pavel Zacha has turned into team’s Swiss 1109456 Lightning’s struggling power play, Andrei Vasilevskiy come Army Knife through in the clutch 1109425 NJ Devils prospect roundup: Ty Smith off to a hot start in 1109457 Lightning welcome 46 Medal of Honor recipients WHL 1109458 Lightning’s Cedric Paquette scores in his debut against 1109426 Attention to detail(s): The process behind the Devils’ the Penguins pregame hype video, plus notes from extended practice 1109459 A guide to Tampa Bay sports this weekend New York Islanders Toronto Maple Leafs 1109427 Isles' Cole Bardreau had a long and winding path to the 1109460 This isn’t the report card most Maple Leafs wanted to NHL bring home to their parents 1109461 Maple Leafs’ losses are in the details, like their best New York Rangers players not playing their best 1109428 David Quinn busts up Rangers’ top line 1109462 It's on the Maple Leafs' stars to lead, and past due that the 1109429 Kaapo Kakko doubles down on harsh Rangers self- effort matched the talent evaluation 1109463 TRAIK-EOTOMY: Being 'just OK' nowhere close to good 1109430 New York Rangers projected lineup: Kaapo Kakko gets his enough for Leafs chance on the top line 1109431 NY Rangers: David Quinn addresses team psyche, ice Vancouver Canucks time for Kaapo Kakko and Lias Andersson 1109479 Just look at those Canucks draft picks. For once, you don’t 1109432 Rookie Kaapo Kakko elevated to Rangers' top line with have to wince center Mika Zibanejad 1109480 Patrick Johnston: Canucks see veteran-laden Comets as a good thing for the kids Ottawa Senators 1109481 Canucks re-assign Ashton Sautner 1109433 GARRIOCH GAME REPORT: Injury-stung Senators soldiering on with impressive win over Wings Vegas Golden Knights 1109434 Colin White and Artem Anisimov sidelined and Logan 1109464 Golden Knights rookie Cody Glass adjusts to life on road Brown recalled by Senators in NHL 1109465 Looking to buy a Golden Knights Fleury patch? Good luck Philadelphia Flyers 1109466 Golden Knights reassign goaltender Oscar Dansk, recall 1109435 Flyers center Nolan Patrick is making strides in his Garret Sparks recovery from migraine disorder 1109467 11 games in, a look at where the Golden Knights are 1109436 Brian Elliott, feeling better than at any point last season, shining will start again for Flyers 1109468 Expect the goals to come soon for Golden Knights’ William 1109437 Will Brian Elliott surprise in Flyers' goalie tandem with Karlsson Carter Hart? 1109438 Nolan Patrick has no answers, but feels progress with migraine disorder Washington Capitals 1109469 John Carlson has 20 points in October. His teammates are starting his Norris Trophy campaign. 1109470 John Carlson scores twice to help Capitals beat Flames 1109471 A more aggressive Caps team is looking for more offense from the defense 1109472 The next great hashtag, give props to Stephenson and Carlson can't stop scoring 1109473 Carlson's two goals lead Capitals to sloppy 5-3 win over Calgary Websites 1109482 The Athletic / Duhatschek: How the Heritage Classic in Saskatchewan is bringing outdoor hockey back to its roo 1109483 The Athletic / Mirtle: Why the NBA’s issues in China could soon become the NHL’s problem 1109484 The Athletic / When is it acceptable to reach out to an opponent? Postgame text made public stirs debate among 1109485 The Athletic / LeBrun: Q&A with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on reuniting with the Sharks and savoring wha 1109486 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Pressure mounting on the Toronto Maple Leafs 1109487 Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Jayna Hefford on the slow fight for equality and the Dream Gap Tour 1109488 Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews calls out team after Bruins loss 1109489 TSN.CA / Childhood friends Logan Brown and Brady Tkachuk reunite on Ottawa Senators’ top line Winnipeg Jets 1109474 Jets bolster defence with Sbisa 1109475 Are the Wheels falling off? 1109476 Jets add to blue-line depth with Sbisa 1109477 Jets trying too hard to do the simple things 1109478 JETS NOTEBOOK: Jets claim defenceman Sbisa off waivers SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1109349 Anaheim Ducks “In the first period, it seemed like there was a lacrosse ball on the ice for both teams,” Eakins said. “[The puck was] bouncing all over the place.”

At their best, however, the Ducks can make passing look like an art form, Ducks’ luck has increased as puck movement has improved able to streak down the ice with the synchronicity of birds soaring through the sky.

By JACK HARRIS STAFF WRITER “It’s a fun way to play,” Silfverberg said. “It’s sort of the way most teams play these days. And you create a lot of offense by doing that.” OCT. 23, 2019 8 AM

LA Times: LOADED: 10.24.2019 Because of their mascot, there never seems to be a shortage of puns or plays on words with which to describe the Ducks. They could be staying afloat or failing to take flight. Quacking with delight and waddling away with wins.

This season though, in the system of new coach Dallas Eakins, there has been one figure of speech that fits just right. There have been moments the Ducks’ puck movement has resembled a flock in perfect formation, intrinsic passing sequences derived as much from instinct as instruction.

“There’s a lot more room out there when you play that way,” forward Jakob Silfverberg said. “You try and spread them out. It allows you to play with a lot more puck control and enter their zone skating it in rather than dumping and chasing.”

The Ducks haven’t been a volume-shooting team, averaging the sixth- fewest shots in the NHL with 28.6 per game entering Tuesday. But their ability to produce dizzying spells of offense — in which the puck is whipped between waves of players weaving around the ice — has helped them exceed early season expectations with a 6-4-0 start.

Full-ice passing sequences factored into all four goals the Ducks scored Friday in a 4-2 win over Carolina. Even in a 2-1 loss to Calgary on Sunday, it allowed them to dominate in possession and chances down the stretch. During a 6-1 loss at Nashville on Tuesday, it was too often missing — leading to a rare blowout loss.

“We’re able to do that when we get close together offensively, especially with our three forwards,” Eakins said Sunday. “Those guys can move that puck and do some very fine things with it.”

This is all affirmation of the system Eakins is trying to put in place. Players say his message has emphasized the utilization of speed and space, spreading out defenses to then slice them apart.

“Dallas allows us to be patient and not rush over,” Silfverberg said. “He tells the guys that get the puck on the half-boards, rather than just kind of slap at it, take it and protect it for half a second. Look up. There’s usually a lot of space on the far side.”

That’s what happened on Silfverberg’s goal Sunday.

The rush started with a neutral-zone give-and-go between defenseman Josh Manson and winger Rickard Rakell. Manson then carried the puck down the right wing and across the Flames’ blue line. He fed his defense partner Hampus Lindholm in the middle of the ice, and Lindholm got the puck to Silfverberg on the left wing with a back-hand feed.

Stretched out of place, the Flames had left Silfverberg all alone. In one motion, he collected the puck and fired inside the post.

“It’s easier playing that way too,” Silfverberg added. “You don’t have to chip-and-chase as much. You can control the pace.”

There is a level of natural creativity required. The Ducks forwards quickly have blended chemistry and confidence to create moments of puck- moving brilliance and benefited from savvy play by defensemen now encouraged to jump into the play.

“We have some freedom now for our D to get involved,” veteran defenseman Cam Fowler said. “When teams have to take into account the defensemen, it opens up some ice for our forwards. I think all five guys on the ice feel like they can play a role offensively. I think that’s something that we lacked last year. It creates more time and space for our guys. I think you’re seeing the result of that.”

Eakins still wants to see his offense, which ranks only 25th in the league in scoring with 2.40 goals per game, click more consistently and finish more chances. For example, the Ducks took two periods to find their rhythm against the Flames, leaving themselves too little time to mount a rally. 1109350 Anaheim Ducks their first playoff miss since 2011-12, the Stars were making moves, too. Signing Perry was one of them, a low-risk/high-reward deal.

“Sometimes change is a good thing,” said Perry, who signed a one- Corey Perry expects facing the Ducks to be ‘weird, exciting’ season, $1.5-million deal.

In the end, Perry believed Dallas was the best fit.

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register “You look right from the goalies on out and we’ve got some young PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 4:31 pm | UPDATED: October 23, players on the back end that can really move the puck, really skate,” he 2019 at 5:04 PM said. “You’ve got some young forwards that are the same. You look at who I play with (Hintz and Benn). The core guys who have been here.

“We’re excited to continue what we have going right now and move FRISCO, Texas — Of course it’s going to be weird. forward.”

Right wing Corey Perry dressed in green, black and white? Perry not Actually, the Stars went ker-plunk to start the season, losing eight of their wearing black, orange and white? Perry receiving cheers? Perry not first nine games. Perry made his debut in a loss Oct. 16 to the Columbus hearing boos? Perry skating with Jamie Benn? Perry not skating with Blue Jackets, and after a loss Friday to the Pittsburgh Penguins, he had Ryan Getzlaf? Perry trying to help his new team, the Dallas Stars, beat a goal and two assists in a victory Saturday over the Philadelphia Flyers. his old one, the Ducks? Perry was scoreless in Monday’s win over the Ottawa Senators. How could it not be strange? Now, he’ll face the Ducks for the first time. “It’s a date on the calendar that I saw when I signed here,” Perry said Wednesday. “It’s going to be weird. It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to “You have dinner (the night before the game),” Perry said of perhaps be good to catch up with some friends. I’ll see what they’re up to, have breaking bread Tuesday with Getzlaf and others. “You get that out of the some dinner, have some laughs. Once the game starts, it’s game on.” way. You see everybody. You say, ‘Hi,’ to the trainers and staff when you see them at the rink (on game day). Once that puck drops, it’s game on.” The Ducks-Stars game Thursday at American Airlines Center could have been Perry’s 1,000th in the NHL, which would have made the reunion more significant. But he broke a bone in his left foot stepping off the last Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.24.2019 step on the staircase in his new home in Dallas before training camp started.

Instead, it’ll be his fifth with the Stars after playing 988 with the Ducks, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2003, nine spots behind Getzlaf, who went 19th overall. They broke into the NHL together, forming a dynamic pair that helped the Ducks forge an unmistakable identity.

But “The Twins,” as they were known, were separated June 19, when Ducks general manager Bob Murray bought out the final two years of Perry’s contract. Suddenly, Perry was cast adrift, a man without a team until the Stars signed him as a free agent July 1.

“I knew a couple of weeks before,” Perry said of the heart-wrenching process of leaving the only NHL team he had known, the club he’d helped win the Stanley Cup championship in 2006-07. “I had dinner with my agent. I talked to my agent, so I knew what was happening.”

Murray called and they talked it over. The Ducks needed to get younger and faster and Perry was taking the place of a younger, faster player who could help the organization get there quicker. Turning over the roster wasn’t fun. It was painful, but it had to be done if the Ducks were to move ahead.

“We had a good talk,” Perry said. “No hard feelings. It’s a business. You move on.”

Perry, 34, was already at his offseason home in London, Ontario, working with a power skating coach when he got the word from Murray. Perry missed all but 31 games last season after undergoing knee surgery, and those 31 games did not go well. Perry had only six goals and four assists.

It was a long fall from 2010-11, when he scored 50 goals and was the league’s MVP.

Dallas represented a chance for a fresh start for Perry. He had a friend in former teammate Andrew Cogliano, a left wing who was traded to Dallas in the middle of the Ducks’ lost season of 2018-19. This will be Cogliano’s first game against his former team, too.

“I think I’ve done as much as I can,” Cogliano said of aiding Perry with the transition. “He’s found himself on a good line with (Roope) Hintz and Benn, and those are two guys who are pretty special to play with. I’m not worried about Perry. I’ve seen him play in big situations.

“He’s a resilient guy, one of the most resilient guys I’ve seen in my career.”

While the Ducks were busy retooling their roster during the offseason, hiring Dallas Eakins as their new coach and generally trying to move past 1109351 Anaheim Ducks busted out with a goal and two assists in the Stars’ 4-1 win at Philadelphia on Saturday.

Upon returning home from the road trip, Perry experienced how rough ‘There was shock. Sadness’ — As Corey Perry moves on, those who weather in Dallas can get. A tornado caused extensive damage within watched him closely in Anaheim share memories the area near their residence. Homes owned by Bishop and Tyler Seguin were hit hard. Perry lives two exits from the Dallas North Tollway, where roofs torn from homes are visible from the highway, and trees, signs and Eric Stephens light poles are still strewn about. He said his son’s preschool suffered damage and remains closed for now. Oct 23, 2019 “I was actually at the football game (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington) with a

couple buddies,” Perry said. “My wife texted me and said there’s a FRISCO, Texas — The end of a Dallas Stars practice session had tornado coming through. We had no idea. I drove around a little bit arrived and several players engaged in a shooting contest with the yesterday on the day off. It’s pretty tragic. There’s a lot of families without goaltenders. When it came time for Corey Perry’s turn, he swung wide homes right now. I was freaking out (when) I didn’t have power for four from center ice to behind the right circle, then moved back all the way hours. That’s the least of anybody’s worries when you look at homes that across toward the left one, waiting and waiting and waiting for 6-foot-7 are gone.” Ben Bishop to commit to his move before shoveling a rising sharp-angled Two stalls away sat Andrew Cogliano. They are teammates again after forehand shot into the top of the net. being together for 7 ½ years in Anaheim, and Cogliano also will have a Sound familiar? The goal, yes. The team? No, not at all. first reunion with the Ducks, who traded him to the Stars in February. The speedy veteran left wing broke into a big, gap-toothed grin when thinking With that score over the fallen netminder, Perry flung his stick in delight about Thursday’s game. and fired his gloves to the ice in celebration as his Stars teammates hooted and hollered. He had the look of someone completely comfortable “I want to try to get a lick on Getzy if I can for sure,” Cogliano said of in his surroundings, but an ice rink tends to make any player feel at Ryan Getzlaf, his former captain. “That’s one guy I want to get a good home. And he has gotten used to wearing green and black, even if it’s shot on. I can catch him for sure. But knowing him, he’ll be ready.” going to take darn near everyone else longer to reach that point. If ever. Cogliano said he remains very tight with Getzlaf as well as Josh Manson, Fourteen seasons of wearing the Anaheim Ducks’ colors are now behind Rickard Rakell, Nick Ritchie and Cam Fowler. He hasn’t watched much him. Not forgotten. But this isn’t just a new chapter. He has moved on to of the transformed Ducks under first-year coach Dallas Eakins but is a new book after reading from the only one he ever knew in the NHL. happy they’ve had a promising start and thrilled that they’re enjoying The Ducks forced that transition in June, when longtime general manager playing under Eakins’ system. Bob Murray made the call to buy out Perry’s contract in a financial What occupies more of his thoughts is that the Stars are beginning to maneuver, one that was not wholly unexpected but still was stunning and emerge from a dreadful first two weeks. They’ve put together consecutive stung. wins after a 1-7-1 start. He has seen Perry start to become a presence Now the Ducks visit American Airlines Center on Thursday night, and on the ice and within the dressing room. The winger is currently being put Perry will play his first game against the team with whom he built his in a prime role alongside Jamie Benn, his Team Canada linemate from name and reputation, that of a feisty winner and elite scorer who, in the 2014 Olympics, and Roope Hintz, Dallas’s emerging star center. 2011, sat atop the league as the franchise’s only MVP. Ties may be cut “I’m not worried about Pears,” Cogliano said. “I’ve seen him play in big but bonds aren’t easily broken. situations. He’s a resilient guy, to be honest. One of the most resilient Navigating the past and the present began with a planned Wednesday I’ve seen in my career and usually finds a way. I think he’ll just get more night dinner to reminisce. comfortable.”

Perry has been working at making Dallas home. He has a place with his I knew (about the buyout) a couple weeks before. They told me. I had wife, Blakeny, and their young son, Griffin, within the tony neighboring dinner with my agent. They let my agent know and go from there. And Preston Hollow and University Park sections in the northern part of the Bob called me. We had a good talk. No hard feelings. It’s a business. Metroplex. It is a change from south Orange County. “Google Maps is You move on. Sometimes change is a good thing. I’m facing what I have getting a workout. That’s for sure,” he said, smiling. here.

But any move that significant is an adjustment. The couple has built a Obviously, you have to go through the process. You have teams dream home in London, Ontario, and put their Corona del Mar abode on reaching out and talking to everybody. That decision wasn’t easy. the market. But they had built a life in Southern California. There’s a lot of phone calls. A lot of back and forth with the agent. A lot of talks with my wife, my family. It’s a process. Some guys go through it a “My job’s easy,” Perry said. “I come to the rink every day and play few times in their career. This is the first time I’ve ever had to do that. hockey. For her, she had to find a routine with the kid. There’s a lot of You take it all in. Like I said, it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of great things for them that they have to do. She was in Anaheim for eight years teams that had called and that were on that list. Fortunately, I ended up with me. She called that home. That’s where she is eight months of the here. year. That’s home for her and the kid. One thing that has had to change is trying to find all those things here and trying to make it home.” Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks defenseman

It already has been an eventful, if not harrowing ride for Perry in Dallas. We were actually on my bachelor party trip. We were on a golf trip (in His debut with the Stars was delayed by a fracture toward the outside of Sea Island, Ga.). It was eight of us there. I could tell that something was his left foot that occurred when he awkwardly landed on a step at his on his mind. Obviously, I didn’t want to pry or anything. It was around that house, which forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason. time when news was coming out in the NHL and everything. We had just The first game with his new club finally came last week in Columbus. got done playing. We were sitting in the cabin there having a beer. Getz After going scoreless there and in a subsequent loss in Pittsburgh, Perry and I were there. For some reason, the rest of the guys were out doing something. It was just the three of us. He told us, he ended up telling it home and guaranteed us the Cup. One of the greatest moments ever Getz and I before it was released to the media and whatever. for us and the Ducks.

When you think about the Anaheim Ducks, you associate Getz and When you think of him, you can’t separate him too far from Getzlaf. ‘The Pears. For me, that’s what I do. I grew up watching those guys. He puts Twins.’ They’re one in the same almost. But I think of Corey just being in his heart and soul into the team. So, it was sad. I was happy that I had front of the net. Knocked down. Getting back up. Batting a puck in. And in the chance to spend that weekend with him before things changed. If not, the earlier years, going in the corners and always coming out with the you know how fast life moves. He would go on and I probably wouldn’t puck. Just a tenacious player who was willing to do pretty much anything get a chance to sit down and chat with him. I was happy about that. Still for his team, I always thought. My wife (Debbie) and I were maybe going super sad the way that everything turned out. to go to Dallas because they were going to play Dallas in their 12th game. His 1,000th game. And we talked about going. So when he broke In a way, it was nice because I got to talk to him firsthand. Share the his foot, I’m glad we hadn’t bought our tickets and flights and stuff. As memories that we’d gone through over the years. Shared a lot of laughs you can see, I have a Corey Perry jersey. with everything that we went through. And super sad. But it was nice to share that weekend with him before we went our separate ways. (You) Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks forward try and see a former teammate for dinner maybe the night before (the game). But that’s it. That was cool to have a full weekend. Enjoy my time I remember being on the golf course (Bear Creek Golf Club in Denver) with him. Obviously, things change after that. and seeing it with a bunch of my buddies who play hockey. It’s weird. Being a right winger and you know Corey Perry is — you’re not beating Nick Bonino, Nashville Predators (and former Ducks) center Corey Perry out. What he’s meant to this franchise and everything. All my buddies were like, ‘It’s really good for you. He’s getting bought out.’ I said At the end of the day, it’s a business. You’re surprised and you’re not to them all, ‘I loved that guy.’ It was hard to see him go. surprised. There had been things being said that he might go. It is surprising when you see something like him and Getzlaf playing together I broke my leg and he’s the one that carried me up the stairs to the plane. for 13, 14 years. It’s a long time. He gave a lot to the Ducks. I know just He meant a lot to me right when I got here. I’ll never forget that. It’s playing with him how hard he worked every night. I’m sure it was tough weird. It’s a business and it’s something that affects my position to make for him. He’s got a good city to go to in Dallas. Yeah, it’s always an eye- the team. But for a guy like that, no one wanted to see him go. He meant opener when someone who’s been with a team that long gets moved just so much to the organization. because you can’t really see them anyplace else. Paulo Kome, Honda Center public safety officer Just gritty. He had his highlight-reel goals. He’s scored 50 goals but he’d get so many of them around the net where it’s really hard to go I looked at my phone. My buddy Gordon (told) me, ‘Hey, Corey is no consistently and you take a beating. You got to be tough to do that. longer with you guys.’ I said, ‘For real?’ I miss him a lot. I’m telling you, When I came out of college and I saw him doing it, it is eye-opening for me being here — I was for seven seasons in the visiting locker room because you realize what it takes to score goals in this league. Some and then I moved to the home team — I know him. Getzlaf. Selanne. guys just have that innate ability to do it and he was one of them. This guy — and even his parents. His father came down to see him a lot of times. My job is to make sure they’re OK and they get what they want. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks captain And then all of a sudden Corey left. Corey was my wife’s favorite player. I bought a jersey for my wife (Ina) and I put Corey’s name (on it). She still There’s a lot of emotions that went into that scenario. I kind of knew it wears it every season. And she was going to miss him. My wife said, ‘If was coming. Obviously, I talked to Bob and talked to Pears for that you see Corey, tell him best of luck, best of luck.’ matter on what his approach was. But it still is a lot of shock when it actually comes out and is said out loud. Because there’s a lot of things It’s like a parent. I’m 62 years old and these guys are like a son to me. that get tossed around in our business that don’t ever come to fruition. The hardest part is when you have a good relationship with somebody There was shock. Sadness. I think me and him both cried at some point that much and all of a sudden (he’s) left … not just Corey but any player during our talks. We both got a little emotional at times. It’s not a sense of that leave and retire or play with another team. That’s tough. Whenever I saying goodbye. It’s just kind of the end of a long road that we were on saw him, I’d say, ‘How’s your mom? How’s the family?’ That’s my kind of together through a lot of different things. That part of it is tough. talk to a player because I’m (about) family ties. And every time they, come out or even when I’m busy, they always give me their love. … He was just a gamer. He was a guy that showed up and kind of defied Corey, man. My wife loved him dearly. (She said), ‘Paul, can you see if the odds a little bit. A lot of people didn’t have a lot of faith in him at the you can get me his jersey.’ I said, ‘Do you know how much it cost them?’ start when he came into the league. But somehow he found a way to I’m not going to ask Corey to give me his jersey. So, I went and bought it. make things happen. Throughout his whole career, from the World I bought two, the home and the road. Juniors to the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Olympics, all those kind of things, he was always kind of the underdog, outside kind of guy and he Bryan Rueda, Anaheim Ducks fan just persevered through anything. You saw it in other buildings. Everybody hated him. And those are things that he fed on to build his Devastated. Heartbroken. Depression. Anxiety. Mixed emotions. Hurt. game. When people didn’t like him and people doubted him. Everything. All of the above. I was actually driving home. We have our membership with the Orange Alliance. They had given me a hockey stick Kent Huskins, former Ducks defenseman that was signed by him because he was still, like, in the team. And then next thing you know, we’re at the Fan Fest and my rep is like, ‘Oh, he’s I had heard or seen some rumors. And then just one morning, I read it not with us.’ I was watching my (feed) on Instagram. I texted (my online. It’s just kind of a symptom of the modern-day salary cap era. I girlfriend Stefany). I’m like, ‘Babe, Perry’s not with us. Corey’s not with mean, these things happen. Obviously, he had an amazing career here. I us.’ Then I called my rep. I’m like, ‘Is that serious? He’s not going to be still remember his first camp. I was there. Just the skill level, you could with us anymore?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s leaving. I don’t know what.’ see right away he was a special player. Him and Getzy came down to Portland a little bit and just lit the league up for 10 games. You could tell For a couple of days, I was so mad. I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ It’s the they had something special there. To see the two of them do what they only reason why we joined the Orange Alliance, because I wanted to did over the course of the past few years — it’s been awesome to watch. meet him in person and everything. When I learned that it wasn’t going to happen at the Fan Fest, I was mad. I was sad. Depressed. But we still I know both of those guys are really well-liked by other past teammates. wish him the best of luck. We still support him regardless of what it is. A really self-deprecating kind of humor in the dressing room. They were We’re still going to rep him, still going to rep his number. That’s not going always great chirping each other, too. They were kind of partners in to change. crime. I’m glad he’s landed in Dallas and I hope it goes well for him there. Corey Perry remains well-remembered in Anaheim. (Courtesy of Bill Noyes, Anaheim Ducks fan Anaheim Ducks)

We got an e-mail from the Ducks or something that they were buying out Andrew Cogliano, Dallas Stars (and former Ducks) forward Corey Perry. For myself, I was pretty sad. I thought he should play his 1,000th game as a Duck. He meant so much to the team. Scored one of I was in Cali when I heard about it and then I was out at my cabin in B.C. the greatest goals in history. When we were in the (Stanley Cup) final He called me. I talked to Pears the whole time through it and told him game against Ottawa, we were just sitting there going, ‘One more goal what I thought. And told him the fit (with the Stars). I was honest with and we know they can’t come back.’ He gets that one in the slot and puts him. The last thing you want to do as a player is sell someone on a situation that you might not think it’s good. When I thought about it and what we needed as a team, I thought it was a good fit for both. So I told him that. I talked to people here about him. Gave them my input in what he’d bring to the team. Things went radio silent there for a bit. We talked and it ended up going silent for a couple of days. And then I ended up texting Benny (Jamie Benn). I said, ‘What about Pears?’ And he said, ‘He’s going to sign.’ That’s when I kind of found out, through him.

At the end of the day, I think he epitomized how we played. You look back at our teams through those six years for sure. We were a tough, hard team to play against. Stuck together. There’d be fights like crazy sometimes. But I think he epitomized the face of how the Ducks were. We were always a tough team to play against and teams knew that we played that physical style. Him and Getzy were the face of that. When I think about our team and I think about him with the Ducks, I know how it ended and it’s obviously a tough situation getting bought out, but I think he’s been vital for that organization. I think everyone there would agree with the same thing.

Ray Ferraro, TSN broadcaster

It made sense to me in that they had to turn a page somehow and it would be next to impossible with both Perry and Getzlaf. Injuries had slowed him, so it seemed logical as they wanted to get younger, faster. I wasn’t surprised really.

Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings president

Corey is an icon as it relates to hockey in Southern California. He helped grow our game during his time with the Ducks, and with his aggressive, tenacious style of play on the ice. I am sure all Kings fans are happy he has left the Pacific Division. (Laughs.)

John Ahlers, Anaheim Ducks play-by-play broadcaster

I probably learned when everybody else in the hockey world (did) from a fan’s standpoint. I had no inside information regarding it. I might have seen it on NHL.com or maybe someone told me — it doesn’t stand out to me. But I do remember when I found out. I was at home sitting at my desk. My initial reaction was I was surprised. On the business side of the game, I knew it was a possibility. I wasn’t sure if it would take place. On a personal side, I was disappointed because I’ve always liked Corey. I don’t know if we have favorite players but he was definitely one of my favorite players. And one of my favorite people too. He’s a pretty quiet guy but over 14 years, I enjoyed my time being around Corey Perry.

The thing that always struck me about Corey was I thought he was a hockey player. In today’s day and age where guys have a brand, where guys through their agents or their handlers or their managers, have so many other things going on, I always saw Corey Perry as a hockey player. He was a guy who came up wanting to be a hockey player. I never thought there was a whole lot of other real high aspirations in his mind. He wanted to be a hockey player from day one and he made it happen. I respected that about him and then watched him go about his business as a player and thought, he always was a hockey player. I never saw him change.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109352 Arizona Coyotes

Christian Dvorak scores in OT to lift Coyotes past Rangers

Staff Report

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

OCTOBER 22, 2019 AT 7:45 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Dvorak scored 1:04 into overtime and the Arizona Coyotes beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Lawson Crouse and Alex Goligoski also scored for the Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves while holding opponents to two or fewer goals for the 13th straight start.

Tony DeAngelo scored twice and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 32 shots as the Rangers lost their fifth straight (0-4-1).

On the winner, Dvorak got a pass from Goligoski and beat Georgiev with a high shot for his fourth of the season.

The Rangers trailed just 1-0 after 20 minutes despite being outshot 21-4 in the opening period and drawing boos from the home crowd as they left the ice.

The Rangers managed to tie it at 5:04 of the second when defenseman DeAngelo tapped the puck past Kuemper after Brendan Lemieux’s original tip-in attempt was stopped but the goalie couldn’t control the rebound. Pavel Buchnevich also assisted on the goal.

Goligoski put the Coyotes back ahead with 6:14 left in the middle period with a power-play goal as Buchnevich sat in the penalty box for tripping. Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz had assists on Goligoski’s first goal this season. It marked the fifth-straight game the Rangers have allowed a power-play goal.

The Rangers again tied it with 2:00 left in the period when D’Angelo notched his second of the night on the power play. D’Angelo scored from in front on a pass from Ryan Strome. Rookie Kaapo Kakko added his first career assist on the play.

In the third, the Coyotes had a two-man advantage for 1:36 after Strome went off for tripping at 5:40, and Brendan Smith took a delay of game penalty at 6:04. Arizona managed just one shot on goal.

Crouse opened the scoring for the Coyotes with his second goal of the season with 6:54 left in the first, knocking a loose puck in the crease past Georgiev. Linemates Christian Fischer and Carl Soderberg drew assists.

Arizona also had two power-play chances in their dominant first period but couldn’t convert as Georgiev kept the home team in the game.

The Coyotes, who narrowly missed the playoffs last season, entered the contest with three straight victories and a 4-0-1 mark in their previous five contests. Arizona hasn’t reached the postseason since 2012. They are showing improvement under coach Rick Tocchet.

The Coyotes were starting a four-game trip, which includes area games against the Islanders and New Jersey Devils plus a visit to the Sabres in Buffalo.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109353 Boston Bruins “I didn’t think there’s any doubt we’d be ready to go,” Cassidy said. “We’ve got a very competitive group. So it was going to be a matter of staying healthy.

Bruins’ rematch with Blues will be ‘just like any other game’ “Did the guys get enough reps coming out of training camp? We saw in Dallas and Arizona we were rusty on the offensive side of things. We just found a way to win. We did enough things well early on. By Frank Dell’Apa Globe Correspondent “Now you’re starting to see the guys get into the flow of it a little more October 23, 2019, 4:52 p.m. offensively. If there is any residual effect of last year, I think it’s coming down the road and it’s just the wear and tear of that many games. It can

catch up to you if you don’t manage it well.” The Bruins have waited more than four months for a rematch with the St.

Louis Blues. But they are keeping the situation in perspective as they prepare for Saturday’s game, the Blues’ first visit to TD Garden since Boston Globe LOADED: 10.24.2019 Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final June 12.

“Just like any other game, really,” center Charlie Coyle said Wednesday. “What is it, Game 10, 11? And we’ll just treat it like that.

“We know what to expect from them. We obviously played against them last year and we know what to expect. They’re a great team, they’ve got some great players who work hard, got some bigger guys over there, and we know how to counteract that.

“We’re up for the test. We’re looking forward to it. We’re excited. It’s nice to have a few days before, get some practice time in, gets some reps, kind of get that balance heading into a big night.”

The Bruins, who improved to 6-1-2 with a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday, held a half-hour workout at Warrior Ice Arena Wednesday and will take Thursday off.

The Bruins appear to be moving past the disappointing end to last season with a strong start.

“It’s a new season, that’s where I’m keeping my head,” Coyle said. “You remember things. That stuff doesn’t really go away too much. But you look at the positives, you look where we are, what we can be, and we’re facing a tough opponent. It’s up to us to fight for that 2 points against them.

“We, obviously, were shooting for that [fast start]. That’s the way you want to start out, the way you want to carry it, keep building your game, not be complacent, keep elevating our game. There’s definitely things we can work on, clear up.

“Wins are hard to come by in this league. Every team’s capable of winning on any given night. So, to be able to do that, string together as many wins as we have already, is a great thing.

“But we want to shoot for more, we want to keep growing here, and becoming a better team, a closer team. Get rid of those kinks here and there and kind of limit those lapses a little bit, and we’ll be better off and we’ll feel better, our confidence will keep building more and more, and we’ll keep heading in the right direction.”

Center David Krejci returned to practice Wednesday, and coach Bruce Cassidy said he could be considered for Saturday’s game. Krejci (upper- body injury), who was placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday, worked out pre-practice with Kevan Miller and John Moore and is expected to join the full group Friday.

“He’s back skating, which is obviously step one,” Cassidy said. “Friday, we’ll see where he’s at. I don’t have much else, but he is back in the mix.

“He’d certainly have to go through a contact practice. He may skate tomorrow, that’s up to the medical team. On Friday, he gets through practice, we’d have to make a decision, yes. Typically, he wouldn’t come right back in.

“He’s been out a little bit with a couple lingering injures, so probably err on the side of caution. That way make sure he’s closer to 100 percent and not forcing him in at 80 or something like that.”

Joakim Nordstrom (upper-body injury) practiced at full speed in skill drills. Center Anders Bjork was sent back to Providence but could return Saturday.

“[Bjork] played well and deserves the right to come back,” Cassidy said. “I think he did enough to get another look. I can’t guarantee Saturday.”

Cassidy said he expected the Bruins’ success of last season to carry over. 1109354 Boston Bruins

Bruins aren’t ruling out David Krejci for Saturday’s game

By Frank Dell’Apa Globe Correspondent

October 23, 2019, 1:56 p.m.

Bruins center David Krejci returned to practice Wednesday and coach Bruce Cassidy said he could be considered for the game against the St. Louis Blues Saturday.

Krejci was placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday with an upper-body injury, but worked out pre-practice with Kevan Miller and John Moore and is expected to join the full group Friday (the Bruins have the day off Thursday).

“He’s back skating, which is obviously step one,” Cassidy said. “Friday, we’ll see where he’s at. I don’t have much else, but he is back in the mix.

“He’d certainly have to go through a contact practice. He may skate tomorrow; that’s up to the medical team. On Friday, [if] he gets through practice, we’d have to make a decision, yes.

“Typically, he wouldn’t come right back in. He’s been out a little bit with a couple lingering injures, so probably err on the side of caution. That way, make sure he’s closer to 100 percent and not forcing him in at 80 or something like that.”

Joakim Nordstrom (upper-body injury) practiced at full speed in skill drills. Center Anders Bjork was sent back to Providence, but could return for Saturday’s game.

“[Bjork] played well and deserves the right to come back,” Cassidy said. “I think he did enough to get another look. I can’t guarantee Saturday.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109355 Boston Bruins

Bruins burned by offside review calls, which are still a question mark

By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald

October 23, 2019 at 7:00 PM

The Bruins might be a bit biased when it comes to offside reviews.

They’ve been burned twice already during the young season, including in Tuesday night’s win against the Maple Leafs when David Pastrnak’s first goal was called back in the first period.

That time, they got through it; Pastrnak scored again, and the Bruins won the game. They weren’t so fortunate earlier in the season when Jake DeBrusk had what would have been his first tally of the season called back for the same thing. They went on to lose that one.

“It’s a tough topic, because we’ve been kind of nailed by it,” said DeBrusk. “It’s tough to judge because it can go either way. Sometimes it goes for you or against you.”

It was true of Pastrnak’s goal, but especially for DeBrusk, the offside play — which, was debatable even with the replay — had nothing to do with the ensuing goal that was taken away.

For a league that wants more scoring, the review and reversal of goals for prior offside infractions is taking away offense. Changing the course of the game for a play that had no bearing on a goal is getting old for players, and especially those it’s affecting the most.

“The only thing I disagree with, if there’s a minute in the zone and there’s a goal, it has no effect on the play,” said DeBrusk. “A minute mark is fine. That’s a lot of time of possession in the zone. I’m biased about it, but a minute, like a minute max. That’s a lot of time, usually you have only 20 seconds, you have 40 seconds in a shift, 20 seconds is good in the O zone. So if you have a minute in there, I don’t see how that affects the play.

“I don’t see how that’s not a good goal, unless it’s blatantly like, an icing or something like that. But if it’s tight, I think the minute mark would be fair.”

Other things that more directly affect the integrity of the game — and of a goal — were once unreviewable, which adds a layer to the Bruins’ — and other teams’ — annoyance. The league this year added in review processes for hand passes that result in goals and also for pucks out of play, like the one that nearly cost the Bruins a win in the playoffs against Columbus last season.

That inconsistency, and then stalling of the game, which is taking away offense in a league that wants more scoring has been backward for a couple of years.

The Bruins’ game against Colorado was an early-season contest at the end of a road trip with an out-of-conference opponent. All things considered, a loss because of replay didn’t burn the team too badly. And on Tuesday night, the Bruins overcame it.

The Bruins haven’t had much luck with replay, dating back to last season. The Columbus playoff game could have been a disaster.

Going forward, the Bruins hope their luck — or lack thereof — with offside reviews will change, or, at the very least, avoid rearing its head when it matters most.

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109356 Boston Bruins

Bruins send Anders Bjork to Providence, but probably not for good

By MARISA INGEMI | [email protected] | Boston Herald

PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 5:15 pm | UPDATED: October 23, 2019 at 5:55 PM

Anders Bjork made his season debut on Tuesday night against the Maple Leafs, and with David Krejci and Karson Kuhlman out and a stretch of three games in four days coming up, it seemed likely he’d be around for Saturday’s tilt with the Blues.

The 23-year-old wasn’t at practice on Wednesday, and the Bruins said in a news release he was sent back to Providence, but that doesn’t mean he won’t skate in the Bruins’ rematch with their Stanley Cup Final foe this weekend.

“Krejci is back out on the injury ice (ahead of practice) and (Joakim) Nordstrom was back on the ice full participation today, so a little bit of it is living in the salary cap world,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “(Bjork) did enough to certainly get another look. I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be Saturday, but that’s where we’re at right now.”

Bjork, who had a strong training camp before being sent to Providence to work on scoring and get some confidence back after two season-ending injuries, had two shots on net and played 13:17 on Tuesday.

“He played well, earned the right to come back,” said Cassidy.

Krejci skating

Krejci skated ahead of practice on Tuesday after missing three games with an upper body injury. He was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

“He’s back skating, which is obviously step one,” said Cassidy. “We’re off tomorrow, so Friday we’ll see where he’s at. … He’d certainly have to get through a contact practice. It’s a day off, but there’s injured guys, he may skate tomorrow. That’s up to the medical team. Friday, if he gets through an injured practice, then we’d have to make a decision, yes.”

Nordstrom also practiced in full, while they know they’re going to be without Kuhlman for four weeks. The sooner Krejci can get back the better for a Bruins team with a heavy schedule coming up, including a weekend back-to-back with the Blues at home and the Rangers in New York, then the Sharks back home to start next week.

“Typically, (Krejci) wouldn’t come right back in in a situation where it’s three in four,” said Cassidy. “He’s been out a little bit with a couple of lingering injuries. We would probably err on the side of caution there, make sure he’s close to 100 percent and not force him in at 80 or something like that.”

Time off

Three days off is the longest stretch of the season so far for the Bruins, who won’t play until Saturday after Tuesday’s game. They’re taking Thursday off before getting back at it Friday ahead of the busy weekend.

“Typically, we’d have a day off after a game but then you’ve got Thursday-Friday, then we’ve got three in four,” said Cassidy. “Talking to the medical staff, talking to our strength and conditioning guys, even the players, we thought we’d be better. I like to go on the day after a game typically, loosen up, as long as it’s not a heavy workday. I think guys kind of get what they have out of their system and their legs, recover quicker. Kind of a quick skate. That’s what they’re doing today and they’ll be off tomorrow. The day off is built in, it’s just in between.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109357 Boston Bruins

Anders Bjork sent to Providence with Bruins 'living in the salary cap world'

By Joe Haggerty

October 23, 2019 2:33 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass. — The Bruins announced that Anders Bjork was being assigned to Providence after Tuesday night’s strong season debut. But have no fear, Bruins fans — the 23-year-old Bjork is anticipated to be back playing with the NHL club as soon as Saturday’s showdown with the St. Louis Blues as the transaction was about salary cap savings.

NHL teams enjoy daily cap savings when players such as Bjork, up on emergency recall serving as injury replacements, are returned to Providence, and it can be a common practice when those teams are bumping up close to the salary cap. The Bruins are in good shape right now, but that’s because players like John Moore and Kevan Miller are currently on injured reserve and not counting against Boston’s cap number.

So essentially Bjork wasn’t practicing with the Bruins on Wednesday for salary cap reasons, and will instead practice with Providence as the Bruins aren’t playing again for three days.

“Krejci is back out on the injury ice (ahead of practice) and [Joakim] Nordstrom was back on the ice full participation today, so a little bit of it is living in the salary cap world,” said Bruce Cassidy in explaining the move. “He did enough to certainly get another look. I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be Saturday, but that’s where we’re at right now.”

Haggerty's NHL Power Rankings: A new No. 1

While Cassidy wasn’t going to make any guarantees days prior to the game against the Blues, it’s a pretty safe bet that Bjork will be back for the Blues based on the way he played.

Bjork played 13 plus minutes in Tuesday night’s win over the Maple Leafs with four shots on net and earned plenty of postgame praise from Cassidy. He’s also clearly elevated his play in Providence, where he’d posted three goals and eight points in seven games for the P-Bruins to start this year after being one of the last players cut from NHL training camp.

With Karson Kuhlman out for at least a month with a fractured right tibia, the expectation is that Bjork will be up with the Bruins as long as he continues playing with the speed, assertion and confidence that he’s exhibited this entire season since all the way back in training camp.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109358 Boston Bruins

Bruce Cassidy happy with Anders Bjork's Bruins season debut

By Joe Haggerty

October 23, 2019 8:05 AM

BOSTON — Anders Bjork earned a promotion to the NHL based on his play in Providence this season, and he may have just also earned himself a longer stint with the Bruins based on a solid first game for the Black and Gold.

The 23-year-old Bjork didn’t break into the scoring column or put together any kind of dominant game in Boston’s 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, but he also looked like he might be ready for a consistent, productive run in a Bruins uniform this time around. Bjork finished with four shots on net in 13:17 of ice time and was a speedy, aggressive left wing who paired nicely with Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner for his first game of the season.

Certainly B’s head coach Bruce Cassidy liked what he saw and that bodes well for Bjork sticking around in Boston with Karson Kuhlman out for at least the next month with a fractured tibia.

“We’ll see where Bjork fits best. I don’t think he hurt himself at all tonight. With [Karson] Kuhlman out, you lose a bit of that motor, a younger guy that get on pucks, and that’s where Bjorkie was good tonight. That’s what we’re looking for,” said Cassidy. “Can he sustain it, can he be strong on it? He was. He didn’t hurt us defensively, so that’s a good thing and that bodes well for him. We’ll see if we find a spot for him on Saturday. But it’s looking that way.”

One would suspect that Bjork will be moved up to the third-line left wing once Joakim Nordstrom is ready to return the lineup, and Danton Heinen could swing around and possibly play on the right side to make room for his fellow twenty-something winger.

Bjork appeared to regain his scoring touch with three goals and eight points in seven games for the P-Bruins prior to Tuesday night, and the confidence is very clearly there after watching the way he played a 200- foot game against Toronto. Now Bjork simply wants to produce and play consistently good hockey while he’s up with Boston and work toward once again nailing down an NHL roster spot after serving as the Bruins' top forward prospect just a couple of short seasons ago.

“I think overall I was pleased that we got the win, so you can’t be unhappy with that. I can bring a little more of my speed and my confidence when I’m playing up here,” said Bjork. “I definitely think there’s a bit more of my game that I didn’t show tonight, so I’m going to try and do that.

“I need to show consistency both game-to-game and also throughout the course of a game. It’s really important to show that I can compete every night, and that I’m going to be reliable and that I can be trusted. It’s one of my focuses, and my offensive ability is something I was honing down in Providence. I want to contribute in that way up here.”

After a strong training camp and a solid start to his season in AHL, Bjork is now in a position to contribute with the Bruins now that Kuhlman is on the shelf. It’s completely up to him what he’s going to do with it, but it goes without saying that the Bruins need another productive top-9 winger and Bjork could be that guy after getting sidetracked by shoulder injuries for a couple of years.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109359 Boston Bruins

Talking Points from the Bruins 4-2 win over the Leafs

By Joe Haggerty

October 22, 2019 11:09 PM

Here are Joe Haggerty's Talking Points from the Bruins' 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs Saturday night in Boston.

GOLD STAR: Brett Ritchie was pretty quiet for much of the first few weeks of the season after scoring in the season opener, but the Bruins power forward is getting hot at the right time for the Black and Gold. Ritchie scored the game-winning goal in the third period to break open a tie hockey game and played the kind of solid, strong game that the Bruins had in mind when they signed him as a free agent in the first place. Ritchie’s goal was simply good things happening to somebody that was hanging around the net as Jake DeBrusk’s shot bounced off a Leafs defender, and then landed right on the stick of Ritchie powering to the net. He flicked the shot past Michael Hutchinson for his second goal of the season, and added four shot attempts, four hits and a takeaway in his 13:26 of effective ice time.

BLACK EYE: Mitch Marner has routinely been a guy that kills the Bruins, but he was not very noticeable at all for the Maple Leafs against Boston. Instead he was on the ice for a couple of goals against in his 21:26 of ice time, was shut off the scoreboard and had three shots on net while doing very little else while Alex Kerfoot, Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander accounted for the goals for the Leafs. Marner did his damage in the overtime win for Toronto last weekend when Boston traveled up to Canada, but he couldn’t summon that kind of speed and energy for the home-and-home rematch in Boston. Both Marner and Auston Matthews were average at best on Tuesday night and that’s why they ended up losing.

TURNING POINT: The game was tied 2-2 and the Bruins were playing a team that was going on the second night of back-to-back games with travel, so one would expect that the third period was going to be a good one for the Black and Gold. And it was. The B’s outshot the Leafs by a 14-8 margin in the final 20 minutes as it was pretty clear that Toronto was lacking in the skating legs department, and they poured on the two goals that ended up being the difference in the game. Certainly the Brett Ritchie goal six minutes into the period gave the Bruins confidence as front-runners on the scoreboard, and then killing the late penalty that turned into Par Lindholm’s goal was the coup de grace in the final period.

HONORABLE MENTION: David Pastrnak continues to dazzle with his offensive skill, his game-breaking ability and the way he has carried the team in the first month of the season. He had a goal taken away in the first period when an offside was successfully challenged by the Leafs, but then he came back with a between-the-legs score that will make highlight reels for the rest of his career. It was Pastrnak’s NHL-leading 10th goal of the season, the 300th point of his NHL career and exactly what the Bruins were looking for to take the momentum headed into the first intermission. Pastrnak added five shots on net, seven shot attempts and he threw a nifty centering pass to Brad Marchand for his own goal in the second period.

BY THE NUMBERS: 500 – the number of career NHL games for Tuukka Rask, who also won his 269th career game in another milestone event against the Maple Leafs team that drafted him.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109360 Boston Bruins Things will change between now and April. Players will get hurt. Surges and slumps will take place. A lot can happen in six months.

The Leafs are counting on this to happen. Otherwise, Round 3 of Round Unless Toronto’s young stars grow up, Bruins-Leafs Episode III will not 1 will not. be made

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 By Fluto Shinzawa

Oct 23, 2019

The Maple Leafs were playing shorthanded.

On Tuesday at TD Garden, Toronto was without captain John Tavares because of a broken finger. They were coming off a home loss to Columbus the night before. Frederik Andersen, who stopped 34 shots against the Blue Jackets, did not play in the 4-2 loss to the Bruins.

It seemed as if Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had Tuesday night off too.

For the last two seasons, the first round of the playoffs has been a joy to watch. The Bruins and Leafs have played 14 games crammed with the stuff that makes the NHL playoffs great: body-wrecking intensity, coach- versus-coach chess matches, Nazem Kadri meltdowns.

At this point, the inevitable Boston-Toronto spring meeting does not seem like such a sure thing.

Perhaps by April, after growing through the peaks and valleys of the regular season, Matthews (22), Marner (22) and Nylander (23) will age beyond their years. They are all still so young, yet to be hardened by the rigors that have forged Patrice Bergeron (34) and Brad Marchand (31) into granite.

Tuesday was one of those nights that showed how far Toronto’s youngsters have to go.

Collectively, Toronto is paying its three forwards just shy of $30 million annually to do their thing, which is score. All three are excellent skaters whose hands are as silky as their legs are fast.

But against the Bruins, Matthews, Marner and Nylander skated as if they were weighed down by their wallets. All they did was watch Marchand, Bergeron and David Pastrnak hound the puck as if it were their most prized possession. The Leafs, in comparison, showed little interest in claiming the puck for themselves.

The numbers bear out their frailty. Matthews, Marner and Nylander combined for four 5-on-5 shots. Marner was practically drowning: 37.5 Corsi For rating at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. Ex-Harvard forward Alex Kerfoot (goal, assist) was Toronto’s best player, which is never a good sign.

On the other side, the Bruins’ top line combined for 11 5-on-5 shots. It was boys against men.

“In the end,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock told Leafs reporters, “your dominant players have got to be dominant for you.”

Something is not right in Toronto. The Leafs and their coach are not on the same page. Who’s to blame is unknown.

The truth, most likely, lies in between.

Matthews, Marner and Nylander have way more to give — specifically, away from the puck. They are not being paid to check. But they have to be more accountable defensively so they can do the things that make them offensive difference-makers. The way they cruised at TD Garden would make any coach’s hair fall out overnight.

Babcock, meanwhile, is being paid more than any coach in the league to maximize his players’ performance. Nobody can say he is succeeding at this task. Babcock’s youngsters do not seem interested in carrying out his orders.

In 2007-08, Babcock had game-changers when he led Detroit to the Stanley Cup. By the time the Cup went over their heads, Nicklas Lidstrom was 38 years old. Brian Rafalski was 34. Pavel Datsyuk was 29. Henrik Zetterberg was 27. They were graybeards compared to the millennials Babcock is trying to teach now. Unless Babcock finds a way to straighten out his kids, Toronto may have no choice but to let him go. 1109361 Buffalo Sabres Though Mittelstadt downplayed his role in baiting San Jose into what Sharks captain Logan Couture called an "inexcusable change," the reaction from the bench was particularly gratifying for Krueger.

Casey Mittelstadt's drive to net shows Sabres' commitment to defense "I’m watching the entire bench cheering Casey’s drive back to our net," Krueger said. "I’ve spoken to you a little bit about the life on our bench right now, and when you hear the players talk and use the word tracking By Lance Lysowski in front of you in a three-on-three overtime situation and everybody’s so excited and then it turns into a goal, it’s that lead up to the goal that really Published Wed, Oct 23, 2019|Updated Wed, Oct 23, 2019 makes you proud of what the group is doing as a coach."

With two goals and two assists Tuesday night against San Jose, Eichel In the aftermath of a thrilling overtime win Tuesday night, Casey became the sixth player in Sabres history to post multiple four-point Mittelstadt received from a friend a text message that included a clip from outings through his first 10 games of a season. Pat LaFontaine (1992-93) an NHL Network broadcast. and Gilbert Perreault (1972-73) each accomplished the feat three times.

Kevin Weekes, a former goaltender and current analyst for the network, Rasmus Dahlin, meanwhile, became the fifth teenage defenseman in spent more than two minutes breaking down Mittelstadt's final shift of the NHL history to record at least 10 points in his first 10 games of a season, Buffalo Sabres' 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks inside KeyBank joining Phil Housley (13 points, 1984 and 10 in 1983), Zach Werenski Center. Mittelstadt, a 20-year-old center, skated full bore down the ice to (10, 2017) and Hannu Virta (10, 1983). break up a centering pass from Erik Karlsson near the Sabres' net, baited The Sabres' game Thursday night against the New York Rangers in the Sharks into a bad line change and assisted on Jack Eichel's game- Madison Square Garden marks Vesey's return to his former home. winning goal. Vesey, a 26-year-old winger, scored 50 goals among 90 points in 240 The vision with which Mittelstadt surveyed the ice following his forced regular-season games during his three years with the Rangers. He also turnover led Weekes to compare him to Hall of Fame defenseman played 12 playoff games with the team in 2016-17. Nicklas Lidstrom. The Sabres acquired Vesey in July for a third-round draft pick in the 2021 "Uh, no," Mittelstadt said when asked about the Lidstrom comparison. "I NHL draft. The Rangers (2-4-1) have a negative-6 goal differential think that’s my roommate’s job. One of my buddies sent me that clip last despite adding Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba, among night. They were just making fun of me the whole time. It’s pretty good. others, this past offseason. It’s pretty funny."

Mittelstadt's shift also was a prominent talking point during the Sabres' Buffalo News LOADED: 10.24.2019 team film session prior to practice Wednesday. The sequence illustrated the defensive work coach Ralph Krueger wants to see from his players every game and continued an upward trend in Mittelstadt's play. However, he downplayed his part in the victory.

"I saw Karlsson get the puck and they had a two-on-one," Mittelstadt recalled. "I pretty much had no choice but to go, I guess. I don’t know, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I think anyone on our team would’ve done it. I guess it’s just something you've got to do."

The game-winning shift began when the Sabres (8-1-1) turned the puck over behind the Sharks' net, leading to a odd-man rush in the other direction. Mittelstadt put his head down and skated up the ice to intercept Karlsson's pass. Upon gaining possession, Mittelstadt bought time for Buffalo to make a line change.

In the meantime, San Jose chose to make a change. It proved to be the difference in the game. Mittelstadt sent a breakout pass up the ice, and Eichel scored his second goal of the game on a scramble in front of the net. Mittelstadt, who was drafted eighth overall in 2017, has continued to show refined play without the puck.

"It definitely didn’t get lost, because pretty much everything that’s happening here on the positive offensively – five-on-five, four-on-four or three-on-three – is coming out of excellent defensive work and decisions that guys are making," Krueger said of Mittelstadt's final shift. "That gets lost in the general analysis of a game – what happens, the tracking, the way the D are gapping up, and all of that is causing the opposition stress in that we’re attacking them when they’re quite weak, and that’s what happened there. ... That was just a microscopic example of what’s going on in this team in general and the character we’ve shown and the commitment we’ve shown without the puck is what’s making even these victories possible."

Mittelstadt has three goals among seven points with a plus-6 rating in 10 games this season. Five of those points have come in the past three games. His line – which also includes Jimmy Vesey and Conor Sheary – has helped rejuvenate the Sabres' play at 5 on 5 since they were reunited last Thursday in Los Angeles.

Mittelstadt's improvement is perhaps the most significant development surrounding this team. Last season, he struggled to adjust to the defensive responsibilities of playing center in the NHL. An offseason of training helped him gain strength to better prepare him to withstand the grind of an 82-game season and to outmuscle an opponent for a loose puck along the boards. 1109362 Buffalo Sabres

Won Buffalo: Fans haven't had it this good this early in 30 years

By Staff

Published Wed, Oct 23, 2019|Updated Wed, Oct 23, 2019

It's a good time to be a Buffalo sports fan with the Bills and Sabres off to tremendous starts. But how good are their starts?

With the Sabres' win last night to move to 8-1-1 and the Bills sitting at 5- 1, the teams have combined for 13 victories before Nov. 1 for only the third time, and the last time was 30 years ago.

The Bills have one more game in October, Sunday against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. The Sabres have three more games: Thursday at the New York Rangers, Friday at the Detroit Red Wings and Monday against the Arizona Coyotes.

Buffalo News LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109363 Buffalo Sabres There isn't a ton of hockey talk between the two men in the offseason. Thornton spends time with his wife and children, while Krueger is an avid outdoorsman. They have frequent encounters throughout the town, Swiss spot isn't only offseason connection for Sabres coach and Sharks' though. Thornton joked it's not the best place to be in the summer if you Joe Thornton want to avoid someone.

They connected over their passion for the sport. You can count Thornton among the players, coaches and executives in the NHL who believe By Lance Lysowski Krueger wasn't given a fair chance during his one season as coach of the Oilers in 2012-13. Published Wed, Oct 23, 2019 "Not at all," Thornton said when asked if he's surprised to see Krueger

behind an NHL bench again. "He had a quick stint there in Edmonton. I Davos is a resort town situated along the Landwasser River, high in don’t think they gave him a real good shot, but I’m glad to see him back. Switzerland's Eastern Alps. According to the latest census, less than He’s a great guy, super coach. You saw him in the World Cup there a 11,000 people make it their permanent residence. couple years back. I’m so happy for him that he’s back."

Tourists account for most of the congestion on the one major road Tuesday was the final matchup of the season, and potentially, ever, for leading into the town, and for two weeks each January, approximately the two men, unless the Sabres have a chance encounter with the 3,000 people visit for the World Economic Forum, a series of meetings to Sharks in the Stanley Cup final. It's unclear how much longer Thornton address global, regional and industry agendas. intends to play, while Krueger is in the early stages of his plan to bring playoff hockey back to Buffalo. The Alpine region can appear desolate in the summer months when the slopes are no longer blanketed with snow, yet its picturesque landscapes When their respective seasons are over, they'll likely reunite in Davos. and seclusion are used as an offseason escape for two prominent figures Thornton already has a request for the Sabres' coach. in hockey: Buffalo Sabres coach Ralph Krueger and San Jose Sharks "He’s such an easy guy to talk to," Thornton said. "Always a smile on his center Joe Thornton. face. I always enjoy talking to him. Very friendly guy, a hospitable guy. The two men have formed what Krueger called a "special relationship" He can teach me some Swiss because he’s very fluent in Swiss. He can since meeting 15 years ago in Switzerland and live close to each other in work on that with me, but a phenomenal guy to be around." Davos every offseason. They were united as foes when the Sabres and

Sharks played a home-and-home series Saturday and Tuesday. Buffalo News LOADED: 10.24.2019 "Oh, he’s the best," Thornton said of Krueger while pulling off his jersey following the Sharks' morning skate Tuesday. "The best. Just a fantastic guy. A fantastic guy."

The relationship began when Thornton, a former first overall draft pick, chose to play for Davos HC during the National Hockey League's lockout in 2004-05. Krueger was coach of Switzerland's national team, and he helped the country become a source of elite talent for the NHL. The 60- year-old led Switzerland in 12 IIHF World Championships and three Winter Olympics.

Krueger is still revered in Switzerland and recognized as a pioneer in ice hockey's emergence. He guided the Swiss to a stunning upset of Canada at the Turin Games, a tour-de-force coaching performance that helped him earn a spot on the Edmonton Oilers' staff as an assistant under Tom Renney in 2010.

Thornton was on the wrong side of that upset. That hasn't soured him on Krueger, though. The two have become close in the year since, often seeing each other during their summers in Davos. Thornton, now 40 and in his 22nd season in the NHL, said publicly in the past he could imagine finishing his playing career in Switzerland.

For now, Thornton is attempting to bring a Stanley Cup to San Jose, his home since a trade from Boston in 2005.

"He’s such a fantastic human being and I can understand why they would extend him to keep that person in your environment and in the room," Krueger said of Thornton. "His love for the game and his passion for the game and for being a great teammate is special. I have a lot of respect for him as an athlete for sure and as a human being."

That praise was reciprocated by Thornton. He beamed inside the KeyBank Center visitors' dressing room at the first mention of Krueger. Like Sabres players, Thornton is captivated by the manner in which Krueger delivers a message.

The townspeople of Davos are aware of Krueger. He's lived there since becoming the Swiss coach in 1997 and is a member of the World Economic Forum, though his work with the Sabres and, previously, Southampton F.C., has prevented him from attending the annual summit in recent years.

Thornton was captivated upon spending time with Krueger.

"You could feel it," Thornton said of Krueger. "You can. He has this presence that you want to be around a guy like that. Whatever it is, he has it. I’m glad to see the boys over there playing hard for him. He deserves to be on a good team." 1109364 Buffalo Sabres

TV ratings show Sabres fans are losing sleep over the team's early success

By Alan Pergament

Published Wed, Oct 23, 2019|Updated Wed, Oct 23, 2019

Buffalo Sabres fans are losing sleep over their team’s strong early season performance. But in a good way.

The team’s hot start had led to an average of a 7.6 rating on MSG over the first nine games. The rating for Buffalo’s 4-3 overtime win over San Jose Tuesday night won’t arrive for a few days.

The first five evening games averaged a 9.0 rating.

An afternoon game with Dallas on Columbus Day had a 6.4 rating, which isn’t surprising since many afternoon games almost always have lower ratings and many fans probably were working while the game was being played.

But here’s the most positive sign for interest in the team and evidence of fans losing sleep: The Sabres’ loss to Anaheim in the first game of the three-game California road trip had a 5.9 rating even though it started at 10 p.m. and ended around 1 a.m.

The Sabres win over the Los Angeles Kings on the following night had a 5.2 rating even though it started at 10:30 p.m. and ended about 1:15 a.m. And the 4-3 win over San Jose in the last game of the trip had a 5.9 rating even though it started at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and ended around 1:15 a.m.

To put those ratings in perspective, it is rare for any prime-time entertainment program on broadcast television to average a 9 live rating in Western New York these days, meaning 9% of the Western New York households with TVs were tuned to that program. It is even rarer for any 10 p.m. prime-time entertainment program to get a rating above a 5.

Most prime-time entertainment programs at all hours don’t even get a 5 rating and they usually are for only 30 minutes or an hour compared to three-hour games that have much more time to sell advertising.

The Sabres averaged an 8.1 rating last season, a 70% gain from the 4.8 average for the 2017-18 season.

But the ratings were as inconsistent as the team, which started the season 17-6-2 and collapsed in March with a 2-12-2 record.

The Sabres’ 10-game winning streak last season started in game 16 and ended in game 26.

The Sabres are ahead of the pace of the first 20 games last season. The first 20 games, which included a five-game West Coast trip, averaged a 6.9 rating. The second 20 games that started five games into the winning streak averaged an 11.3 rating. The third 20 games averaged a 7.9 rating and the last 20 games when the wheels fell off the season averaged a 6.4 rating,

Ratings for Sabres games don’t approach the ratings for Buffalo Bills regular-season games, which get in the range of the mid-30s to the low 40s.

Buffalo News LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109365 BuffaloSabres The Sabres certainly could do a better job when they have the lead, but hunkering down rather than applying pressure has produced eight wins in 10 games.

Are these guys for real? How the Sabres’ hot start compares with last “We find multiple things to work on after every game,” Krueger said. “The season’s 10-game winning streak learning and growing process will never end actually. It’s just exciting for us to see the details that we can now focus on.”

By John Vogl Category 2018 2019

Oct 23, 2019 Scoring first 7-0 7-1

One-goal games 9-0 4-0-1

BUFFALO, N.Y. – There’s one colossal question out there: Are these Three-goal games 1-0 3-1 guys for real? Overtime 7-0 3-1

That remains to be seen. But if there’s one thing the Sabres have learned Leading after two 3-0 7-0 so far, it’s that their game plan works. Both Sabres teams thrived on jumping on the opposition. Quick starts “I don’t think anybody can argue it,” defenseman Colin Miller said. “When remain important in the NHL, where 23 of the 31 teams have a winning we do it, things are going well.” record when they score first.

The 8-1-1 record is Exhibit A. But this year’s squad can build off its starts. They’ve got three wins by “Nothing ever replaces winning in sports,” coach Ralph Krueger said. “I three goals or more, something last year’s team did only once during its think that has been really good for our energy and for the buy-in that we run. have here.” “The way we’ve won some of our games is something we can build The players have certainly bought in. But, understandably, there’s confidence in,” Skinner said. hesitance among Buffalo’s fan base and the outside hockey world. After And on those rare occasions when it falls behind early, Buffalo has all, it was just 11 months ago that the Sabres had a 10-game winning confidence it can come back. The Sabres are 2-0-1 when trailing after streak. It resulted in nothing more than a 27th-place finish. one period.

The guys who lived through that plunge understand the reluctance as “It starts with the guys on the bench,” left wing Zemgus Girgensons said. much as anyone. “Everyone stays positive. There’s not a moment where we think we’re “It’s nice to get off to a good start, nice to get results,” left wing Jeff going to lose a game. It’s been like that throughout all these games this Skinner said. “Obviously, we have a long way to go. We know that. We season so far. It’s a great thing to see.” have a lot of work to do. We have things we want to work on. Last year’s Sabres loved nail-biters. Nearly every game during the “But we’ve gotten off to a good start and now we’ve got to build on it.” winning streak was close, including an astounding seven that went to overtime or a shootout. So, can they sustain this? Are the Sabres really, truly, finally a playoff- caliber team? This edition knows how to build a lead through 40 minutes and how to hold it without heading to the extra session every game. One way to get a glimpse is to compare the opening 10 games of this season to last year’s 10-game run. The results and NHL rankings show Category 2018 2019 Buffalo may indeed have what it takes to play meaningful games in Power play 20.0 (13th) 30.8 (4th) March, April and possibly beyond. Penalty kill 88.9 (4th) 76.7 (20th) Category 2018 2019 The Sabres’ power play has been a major story during the start. The unit Goals 33 (10th) 37 (4th) has connected in eight of the 10 games, including three multigoal Goals against 24 (4th) 24 (9th) outings.

Shots 315 (12th) 309 (10th) Victor Olofsson and his shot lead the way with six power-play goals, but four other players have scored (Jack Eichel, Conor Sheary, Casey Shooting percentage 10.5 (11th) 12.0 (4th) Mittelstadt and Marcus Johansson) while five more have points (Rasmus Dahlin, Miller, Sam Reinhart, Skinner and Rasmus Ristolainen). Shots against 344 (27th) 326 (22nd) The depth is a good sign of sustainability. If opponents shade toward The teams are remarkably close. The one sign of trouble is shots Olofsson on the right side, the Sabres can feed Eichel on the left, set up against. The Sabres appear to be behind in the puck-possession battle, Skinner in the slot or hit Reinhart in front of the net. which was a harbinger of trouble last season. “You need to be creative within each game and take each game with a But wait … different approach to neutralize some of that prescouting that’s going on,” Category 2018 2019 Krueger said. “But what we have is an extremely skilled group when it comes to puck possession and the opportunity that lies within it. It’s been Shot attempts -59 (29th) -23 (24th) a lot of fun. They’ve bought into the principles and we give them a lot of freedom to create within that.” SAT Tied -18 (25th) 5 (14th) Now let’s look at individual stats, starting with goals from last year and SAT Close -39 (28th) 28 (7th) this year. SAT Ahead -44 (29th) -23 (25th) Skinner remains at the top, but he doesn’t have to carry the team this The Sabres are outplaying the competition when it matters. They’re out- time. Of the seven scorers with multiple goals, three forward lines are attempting teams by 33 when the game is tied or within a goal. represented – and the remaining line of Larsson, Okposo and Girgensons has a goal from every skater. It’s a sign they are a legitimate team at five-on-five. “Every single line can score,” Dahlin said. “Every single line is dangerous “When we play the right way, you see the results,” Miller said. “If we play out there.” within our system, I think we’re going to have a good chance every night. It’s fun hockey right now.” “That’s a fun way to play,” Skinner added. “It’s tough for other teams to defend when you have four lines rolling like that.” Last year’s top line of Skinner, Eichel and Reinhart was overworked and, eventually, overwhelmed. Now Skinner is scoring alongside Johansson. Eichel is still feeding Reinhart. Mittelstadt and Sheary are connecting with Jimmy Vesey. The Larsson line is scoring.

Playoff teams need balance, and the Sabres seem to have it.

“We’ve had so many contributions from so many different guys and I think that’s one of the keys to our success,” Eichel said. “We’ve got a deep group right now. You’re getting contributions from both goaltenders, all defensemen and all four lines. It speaks to the work that the guys have put in so far.”

Once again, Hutton is guarding the net at an unsustainable rate. During the past 20 years, only three goaltenders have finished with a save percentage above .935: St. Louis’ Brian Elliott (.940, 2011-12), Boston’s Tim Thomas (.938, 2010-11) and Vancouver’s Cory Schneider (.937, 2011-12). So Hutton’s numbers will dip.

But he’s thrived before in a structured system, recording a .931 save percentage with the Blues two seasons ago. It’s asking a lot to do that again, but the defenders have confidence in Krueger’s structure.

“We’re working really hard with video and stuff after games because last year wasn’t our best in the D-zone,” Dahlin said. “Guys who were here last year really want to be solid in the D-zone. We have a really good structure going on. It’s really easy to play it. It’s simple.”

It’s harder to predict whether the Sabres are for real. Hesitance is understandable, but there are enough signs that it might actually be OK for fans to believe.

“We need to stay extremely humble with what’s going on here and have respect always for the league and the opposition,” Krueger said. “This start helps to confirm that we have a plan that can work. We know the opposition will have more and more respect for us as we go on here, and we will need to be better every day to continue having success.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109366 Calgary Flames Last year with the Oilers, it was a struggle. After he recovered from an injury early on in the 2018-19 season, he was rarely used and wound up only logging 11 assists in 67 games. It got worse when Oilers CEO Bob Rieder snaps 75-game goal-less drought in Flames' loss to Capitals Nicholson told season-ticket holders, “if Toby Rieder would have scored 10 or 12 goals, we’d probably be in the playoffs.” (Nicholson later apologized)

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia Rieder still has a long way to go in improving his confidence — and trying to stay in the lineup on a daily basis — but finding the back of the net October 23, 2019 9:38 PM MDT always makes a guy feel better.

“It’s important to stay positive,” Rieder said. “It doesn’t matter what The goal was, by all accounts, insignificant. situation you’re in. You always have to stay positive. That’s just my normal mindset.” The Calgary Flames, already down 5-2 at the time, were well out of the picture of Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

A comeback was not happening on this night. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.24.2019

There were 15.2 seconds remaining on the clock.

The play, too, was not on the short-list for the night’s highlight reels.

But for Tobias Rieder, a simple rebound tap-in off an Andrew Mangiapane shot was a massive deal in the 26-year-old’s world, no matter how much he downplayed the situation. Rieder had gone 75 National Hockey League games and two jersey changes — from the L.A. Kings to the Edmonton Oilers to the Flames — between goals.

That, basically, is an eternity for an everyday NHLer, especially for a forward.

“Obviously I’m happy it went in, but, at the same time, the game was pretty much over, so it didn’t really mean a whole lot at that time,” Rieder said Wednesday, discussing his first goal as a Flame as the team regrouped from an eventual 5-3 loss. “But, personally, it meant a lot.

“It always feels good to score. Obviously, it’s been a long time. It is good to get the first one out of the way. Too bad we lost the game, but it’s always nice to get a goal.”

There had been slumps before. When he was younger, playing with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League and with the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League, he would have swapped his sticks. Always a CCM, of course, but changing the colour, the pattern, the style …

It never worked.

“I feel like as soon as I start switching things around it makes it even worse,” Rieder said. “I tried early on in my career to switch it around a bit … I haven’t done it since. (The goal-slump would be) just in my head, so I stuck to what I like and what I always used … I had a couple of different sticks going, and I realized I was thinking way too much about the stick.

“But I stopped right away after that.”

Of course, his offensive prowess isn’t the reason Rieder was inked to a one-year deal by the Flames this fall after a professional tryout offer. The German left-shot winger also kills penalties, adds speed and gives the team some added depth and experience (he has logged nearly 400 NHL games and has scored 56 times in the best league in the world).

Rieder has also played the last three straight games in the wake of injuries to Sam Bennett and, on a two-game road trip to California, filled in when Mangiapane was at home recovering from an upper-body injury.

Through eight of the Flames’ 11 games, Rieder has averaged 11:42 of ice time, which is more than Mangiapane, Mark Jankowski and Austin Czarnik. He’s also maintained a steady spot on the Flames’ penalty-kill unit and averaged 2:04 of ice-time when the Flames are burning an infraction.

This year, so far, has started positively.

“I think it’s been pretty good,” he said. “Obviously, scoring a goal helps a lot. I think my overall game has been solid, and I think I’ve been been really good on the PK.

“That’s what I take a lot of pride in and just hope to move forward from there.”

He also wants to build off his first goal in the Flaming ‘C.’

But prior to arriving in Calgary, his NHL drought was well-documented. 1109367 Calgary Flames

Flames vs. Panthers GameDay: Five storylines to watch

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia

October 23, 2019 8:18 PM MDT

THE BIG MATCHUP

Flames C Sean Monahan vs. Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky

It’s been three games without a point for Sean Monahan while he hasn’t found the back of the net in nine. That seems like an eternity for a goal- scorer. Frustrations are starting to mount for the 25-year-old and that might mean bad news for Sergei Bobrovsky (3-2-2, 3.75 goals against average and .878 save percentage).

FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME

BENNY’S BACK

Flames centre Sam Bennett is good-to-go for Thursday’s game against the Panthers after missing two games with a lower body injury. The 23- year-old mustachioed Lanny McDonald look-alike left Saturday’s clash in Los Angeles early in the third period after a collision with Kings’ defenceman Kurtis MacDermid.

FIRST LINE PROBLEMS

It’s been a slow start for the Flames first liners this year. Or, better yet, for those not named Elias Lindholm (who has been excellent with six goals and one assist). It’s Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau who have been most quiet on the scoresheet. Monahan is point-less in three games, goal-less in nine and only has two goals and four assists in 11 games. Gaudreau, meanwhile, has three goals and six assists in 11 games but hasn’t scored since Oct. 12 at Vegas. “They’re due,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters. “They’ll get that changed around here.”

SLOPPY SECOND PERIODS

In the last three games, Calgary has given up early goals in the middle frame. Against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, they allowed a marker 35-seconds into the second period. Only 12 seconds had passed on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks before they allowed a goal. And, on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, they were scored on 16 seconds in.

SLOW START

The Flames are 5-5-1 which is exactly their record at this time last year after they played the Washington Capitals and, also, got whipped by the Pittsburgh Penguins 9-1. On one hand, it is still early in the 2019-20 campaign. On the other, the leaves have nearly fallen off the trees and it’s starting to get colder and colder — it’s not THAT early. “We want to be playing better,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters. “We want the process to evolve quicker and we have to say with it. There’s only so much you can do. Today was a good day, a good video session, things we have to do better and get back to … we’ve got room to improve. We’re well aware of that and we’d like to see that (Thursday) night.”

THIS N’ THAT

Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau missed Wednesday’s practice because he was sick … C Sam Bennett was skating in his place on the team’s first line … Based on Wednesday’s line rushes, it looks like D TJ Brodie is back with Flames captain Mark Giordano and D Oliver Kylington will draw back into the lineup with Rasmus Andersson … This is the start of a four- game road trip for the Florida Panthers who are coming off Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins … The Flames split their 2018-19 season series with the Panthers, winning 4-3 in Calgary and losing 3-2 in a shootout on Feb. 14 in Florida.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109368 Calgary Flames Giordano said to reporters: “We’ll run into each other, I’m sure. If not by text or phone, then next time we play them I’ll reach out to him, for sure.”

After the Flames defender spilled Connor McDavid into the net in Game When is it acceptable to reach out to an opponent? Postgame text made 82 last winter, he hunted down the injured superstar in the Saddledome public stirs debate among players corridor so he could say sorry.

“You know in your gut if you should reach out,” Giordano said on By Scott Cruickshank Tuesday morning. “Nobody ever wants to see anyone lying on the ice and not being able to get up and not be able to continue to play. Oct 23, 2019 “We all love the battle, the competitiveness, that comes with our sport, but you also respect that we’re all men with families who have people who care about us off the ice.” Don’t get Brian McGrattan wrong. He appreciates the sentiment. He understands the concern. He gets it. Which is what made the weekend words between Pospisil and Cave so compelling. A thoughtful gesture, a brief but meaningful conversation, It’s just nothing he would have done. Like, ever. bad blood cooled, in the aftermath of an ugly scene. While the rest of the hockey world got a charge out of the touching post- “I think Cave did the right thing,” Brandon Davidson said, a rearguard for game exchange between Colby Cave and Martin Pospisil — the former Stockton. “He showed his true colours. I thought he did a great job with had knocked out the latter during a first-period fight in AHL action — the whole situation.” McGrattan maintained his non-negotiable, old-school stance. Postgame, when Pospisil had picked up his phone, he discovered a pile The idea of reaching out for a warm how-do-you-do after one of his bare- of texts, people checking in to see if he was OK. One of those notes was knuckled bouts in the NHL? It never crossed his mind. from, of all people, the man who had just punched him squarely in the “If I ever got beat, I wasn’t expecting a phone call or an apology that face. “For sure, I was surprised,” the Slovak said on Monday. “It was nice night,” McGrattan said, the former hockey heavyweight and a current of him. Very cool.” member of the Calgary Flames’ player development staff. “To be honest, Pospisil was blown away by Cave’s class — and even felt a little bad for I’m not a big fan of it. I don’t believe in apologizing for things that happen the 24-year-old. “I haven’t watched the replay … but it was probably on the ice and are part of the game. scary for him. Probably, it was tough for him. “I kind of think of the apologizing stuff as …” He catches himself. “I’m not “So it was nice when I got the message. I texted him back right away.” a fan of it.” And Cave weighed in one more time. The big man is not done. Duly impressed, Pospisil screen-grabbed the whole back-and-forth and “Even with hits,” McGrattan continued. “The game moves at such a high tossed it on Twitter the next day, topping it with his own response: speed, my timing could be a little bit off and I could catch you high or you could catch me high with an elbow … so an awkward play, right? But it’s It was an instant hit, with fans being given the chance for a rare peek part of the game, man. No apologies for that stuff.” inside hockey’s brotherhood. “Did I expect that people were going to like that?” Pospisil said. “It was just like we respect each other.” Not that McGrattan is some sort of hard-hearted ogre. The reaction was largely positive — “This is why hockey is the best sport Quite the opposite, in fact. Pospisil, a gritty prospect stationed in AHL in the world,” read one comment — and the post has drawn more than Stockton this season, happens to be one of his favourites. 500 retweets and 3,500 likes. (All of the players interviewed for this story When McGrattan saw footage of Saturday’s incident in Bakersfield — the had seen it.) 19-year-old being laid flat by Cave’s uppercut — he knew what he had to “It was a great exchange between the two,” Davidson said. “I don’t think do. He got busy compiling a video of his one-sided losses — “Every there’s any harm the way they did it, at all. I understand why people single time I’ve been knocked down or knocked out” — and emailed the would want to do that privately … but in this scenario, it came to be works to Pospisil. harmless anyway.” “I’ve had some good dialogue with Posp — I sent him a real long note,” For Tom Wilson, one of the league’s most fierce punishers, that’s what McGrattan said. “It’s part of it, a learning lesson for him. The process now raised his eyebrows — that Pospisil pulled a conversation out of the is the (concussion) recovery and making sure he’s OK.” personal realm and shoved it into the spotlight. Which, of course, had been Cave’s motivation all along. Tracking down Admitting that he himself has written a few of those notes, Wilson politely the rookie’s digits. Bucking him up. Wishing him well. Moving on. refused to disclose any further details. Not how many. Nor to whom they This practice is commonplace. were issued.

Last season when Michael Frolik sent Devils defender Mirco Mueller “If I feel the need to send one out, I’m not glorifying it. I’m sending it crashing headfirst into the boards in New Jersey, he was rattled. “It’s that because I think it’s the right thing to do,” the Washington Capitals’ feeling, ‘Oh my god. This is really, really bad,'” the Flames winger said. “I seventh-year winger said, who’s collected 1,377 hits — many of them didn’t mean it at all.” heavy. “Obviously in the day of social media, nothing’s a secret anymore. Those are two young players. Social media seems to be amplified a little He decided to wait a day — assuming, correctly, that Mueller would be in bit, but it’s just not my style to talk about it. hospital overnight — before firing off a get-well note. “I think the guy reaching out had good intentions. But I don’t think he “He responded right away,” Frolik recalled. “He said, ‘No worries. Those would’ve known that it would have been brought to life, either. The text things happen. Thanks for the text.’ It’s just respect.” isn’t sent to go on Twitter. The text is sent for good intentions and well wishes. When Frolik’s own jaw was broken by Brent Burns’ shot in December 2017, the San Jose Sharks blueliner — and his coach Peter DeBoer — “To each their own. I’m not going to judge another situation. That’s just passed along best wishes. nowadays. That’s what happens — it gets on Twitter and gains traction. It was a bit of a strange exchange, but it is what it is.” “It was nice to get a text from them, for sure,” Frolik said. “We respect each other as opponents and you don’t want to see something happen to But if the communication can be kept away from prying eyes, Wilson is a guy on the other side. It’s a scary thing.” all for it — given the right time and right place.

Following a knee-on-knee collision with Mikko Koivu — a December “There’s a lot of different things that go into it. Is the guy OK? Is he not 2018 incident that sidelined the Minnesota Wild captain — Mark OK?” Wilson said. “I think hockey’s one of those sports where you’re able Giordano actually tried to apologize on the ice. Later, in-game, he even to kind of move past it. There’s a good camaraderie around the league of asked Ryan Suter to tell Koivu that it was an accident. Afterward, guys wanting to be able to see each other off the ice. That’s sportsmanlike — reach out, make sure he’s OK, end things there, make sure there’s no hard feelings.”

According to Wilson, it’s important, too, to ensure the content strikes the appropriate note, that the tone is sincere. Even then, the taker isn’t always thrilled to hear from the giver.

For instance, in light of a severe injury, how much does a quick text resonate? Or, in the middle of a playoff round, a reach-out of that nature might feel misplaced.

“I’ve heard of a few instances where it may not have been that well received,” Wilson said. “But most guys know it’s out of a (genuine) position. Guys aren’t sending a text to add fuel to the fire. They’re trying to make amends a little bit.

“You’ve got to feel it out and see what your gut tells you.”

The Condors declined to make Cave available for an interview, but if his well-meaning act didn’t speak loudly enough, others, on his behalf, stood up.

Garnet Hathaway, who worked out with Cave this past summer in Foxborough, Mass., declares him to be a solid dude.

“It probably wasn’t an easy text for Colby to write. It probably wasn’t an easy text to receive, either,” Hathaway said, a former Flames winger skating these days for Washington. “He was just trying to wish him the best in recovery, which is the kind of guy he is. Colby probably reached out how he would hope to be reached out to if he was on the other side of it.”

Tyler Lewington — who’s played against Cave and even fought him in the WHL (while both were rookies in 2011-12) — says the Battleford, Sask., native’s reputation is sound.

“Nice job by Cave to reach out,” Lewington said, defenceman of the Capitals. “It was a cool little exchange you don’t see to often.”

Which is what gave legs to the combatants’ e-chat — a rare glance at the inner workings of the puck-chasing fraternity.

“The thing is, when you step in there (to fight) you know it’s a possibility … and there’s a possibility of it happening to you,” Hathaway said of being knocked cold. “When you get down to it, nobody wants anyone to be injured. It’s a scary situation, especially with how much everyone’s learning about brain injuries.

“I think guys have the respect of knowing there’s life outside of hockey — and life after hockey.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109369 Carolina Hurricanes “We just weren’t sharp in that game,” Brind’Amour said to the media this week. “I didn’t feel like we had a lot of zip to what we needed to do. It’s a matter of getting everyone on the same page every night.”

Jordan Staal faces his first challenge this season as the Hurricanes Williams, as captain, was Brind’Amour’s conduit to the team, an captain extension of the head coach. They’re close friends and former teammates who won a Stanley Cup for Carolina in 2006. Staal now is the coach-to-team messenger.

BY CHIP ALEXANDER “He’s been great,” Brind’Amour said during his Wednesday media session. “Again it’s leading by example. That’s the most important thing, OCTOBER 23, 2019 04:44 PM and he does it every day. Every game, every practice. It’s exactly what you need. It’s been very good on that end.”

RALEIGH What needs to change for the Canes after losing three of four? The captain has the answers. In the Carolina Hurricanes’ first five games this season, all victories, there was little for Jordan Staal to say other than, “Keep it going, boys.” “We’ve had some good complete periods but it’s been sporadic,” Staal said. “Obviously, it’s about dialing that in and every team wants to do that But the Canes now have encountered their first rough patch of the and play that full 60 minutes. You’re going to give up chances and make season, losing three of their past four games. It’s a first test, so to speak, mistakes. But that work ethic and the way we want to play and the for Staal as team captain, as the player seated in the center of the structure we want to play in really hasn’t been there on a consistent basis Canes’ locker room at PNC Arena. and it’s shown.”

“I’ve had to make sure the guys played the right way,” Staal said in an It has been a busy time for Staal. In addition to becoming the captain and N&O interview this week. “Essentially that’s what it comes down to, that beginning a new season, he and wife Heather have a baby boy, Henry, we haven’t being doing that as of late. as the family continues to grow.

“There’s been some talk about it, and sometimes talk can be cheap. I’ve Staal, as sensible as they come as a professional athlete, said putting been trying to focus on making sure I’m playing the right way and leading the “C” on his sweater is a responsibility he readily accepts but hasn’t that way, and making sure everyone is on the same page of getting that brought about any other changes. work ethic and the way we want to play every night.” “My day to day doesn’t really change a whole lot with a different letter on A year ago, it was Justin Williams’ team to lead. As captain, he was not my sweater,” he said. ‘What I bring to the table every day doesn’t change one to bite his lip and stay silent if things were not going well. He could much. Beyond a couple of logistics things of what the team is going to do be poignant, and he could be tart. He was heard. here and there ... it hasn’t really changed a whole lot.”

If Williams could be blunt and outspoken, and he was, Staal is viewed more as the strong, silent type. News Observer LOADED: 10.24.2019 “But I can’t say I’ve bitten my lip so far,” Staal said. “Everybody hasn’t gotten on the same page yet. Every day is a work in progress, and I’m working on being the best I can be for the team and doing the things I can to help. And leading the way I can to help us best.”

It was easier, if a bit strange, for Staal two seasons ago when former Canes coach Bill Peters made Staal and defenseman Justin Faulk co- captains. Shared leadership can be that way. It was easier with Williams as captain last year and Staal and Faulk serving as alternate captains.

“He, obviously, said the right things, whether it was being hard on guys or having that good feel for the room and knowing whose buttons to push and who needed a pat on the back,” Staal said of Williams.

But Williams, after leading the Canes to the Stanley Cup playoffs, is semi-retired, no longer in hockey, no longer a part of the team. Staal is the button-pusher and the back-patter.

“It’s a little different personalities, different guys with their own way to lead,” center Sebastian Aho, who sits next to Staal in the Canes’ room, said in an N&O interview Wednesday. “First of all, both are great guys and everybody likes them and likes to hang out with them. They care a lot and both are great examples, on and off the ice.

“As a young player coming into the league you want players like that. You start picking up their habits. If you really want to learn, you can learn from guys like that. So there’s a few things different but both are great leaders who lead by example.”

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour named Staal the captain on Sept. 29, saying the Canes needed “somebody driving the ship.” Of Staal he said, “He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every night. That’s what a captain has to do.”

Staal had a goal and three assists in the Canes’ 5-0 start to the season. He did not have a point in the past four games, the only win coming against the Los Angeles Kings last week in the first of three games on the West Coast following a home-ice loss to Columbus.

Staal, 31, did notch a personal milestone against the Kings — his 900th career regular-season game. Winning the game 2-0 made it special, but losses to San Jose and Anaheim followed, with a sluggish start against the Ducks a bit unsettling. 1109370 Carolina Hurricanes

Checkers’ James McGinn hopes for promotion to Hurricanes to play with younger brother

BY STEVE LYTTLE

OCTOBER 23, 2019 02:57 PM

The Charlotte Checkers have looked ordinary through their first three weeks, but the team gave a sign Monday of how it hopes to break from that rut.

The Checkers signed 31-year-old James McGinn, who has 11 seasons of professional experience and six different NHL teams on his resume, to add a bit of firepower to their front line.

They hope that, along with a bit more consistency from the defense and goaltenders, McGinn will ignite the switch for the defending AHL champions.

Charlotte is 3-3, with a victory and a loss on each of the season’s first three weekends.

The team endured its worst night of the young season Friday, with an 8-2 drubbing by Utica. But 24 hours later, the Checkers had arguably their best outing in a 7-3 romp at Syracuse.

Alex Nedeljkovic, last season’s AHL Goaltender of the Year, is 0-3 on the season. Team officials say they expect him to round back into form, noting that he got limited playing time in the preseason while in the Carolina Hurricanes’ camp.

If the goaltending comes around, what about the offense?

That’s where McGinn comes in.

He has played 617 NHL games, with 117 goals and 103 assists. McGinn was assigned to the AHL last season but missed most of the year with an injury.

“He’s a bigger guy, a power forward that we kind of lack a little bit,” Checkers’ coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s an older, experienced guy who’s played in the National Hockey League.

“He knows what it takes to be a pro, so he’s going to help these young kids out, and he’s going to try and get his game back on the next level.”

The Checkers had a couple veteran players on last year’s championship squad but are fielding a young team this season.

McGinn, the older brother of former Checker Brock McGinn (now with the Hurricanes), says he feels ready to go physically.

“I took some time off this summer, which I really think let things heal,” he said. “Getting back into it now feels great.”

And if things go well enough, there’s a chance for McGinn to move up to Raleigh and play with his brother.

“Hopefully it can evolve to bigger things, and maybe I can go play with my brother Brock,” he said. “That would be pretty special.”

News Observer LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109371 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ strong defensive start will be put to the test with Connor Murphy out at least 11 games

By JIMMY GREENFIELD

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

OCT 23, 2019 | 5:02 PM

The Blackhawks have survived an offensive slump to start the season thanks to solid goaltending but mainly because of a defensive corps that got healthy and found its rhythm over the last five games.

But the loss of top-pairing defenseman Connor Murphy to a groin injury will force the Hawks to reconfigure their blue line. Murphy, 26, suffered the injury Tuesday during a 2-1 shootout loss to the Golden Knights and was placed on long-term injured reserve Wednesday.

The LTIR rules require Murphy to sit out at least 24 days, which means he won’t be eligible to return until Nov. 16 in Nashville and will miss at least 11 games. The Hawks recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from Rockford to take his roster spot. Gilbert has played in two NHL games, including this season’s opener.

Murphy’s latest injury leaves Brent Seabrook as the Hawks’ only right- handed defenseman and will require somebody to move to the right side. Colliton wouldn’t say who will get that assignment but downplayed its significance.

“It’s just experience,” Colliton said. "The more you do it, the better you feel. We always use (Erik Gustafsson) as an example. He barely played the right at all when we had him in Rockford, and then we moved him over there and all of a sudden he likes the right better. Sometimes it’s just having the opportunity to do it and feeling more comfortable.

“The reads can be a little different. Your puck plays are a little different. You see you’ve got a different look. The more you’re in those situations, the more comfortable you feel.”

The Hawks have allowed only eight even-strength goals in their last five games as their defensemen, including newcomers Olli Maatta and Calvin de Haan, have grown more comfortable with each other. Maatta and Seabrook have been the only consistent pairing since the start of training camp.

Slater Koekkoek, who played in the first two games while Murphy (one game) and de Haan (two) sat with injuries, could return to the lineup.

Koekkoek was a reserve with the Lightning before the Hawks acquired him last season, so he has experience sitting for several games. It’s not something any NHL player wants to get used to, but Koekkoek understands his role and how to prepare for his opportunities.

“It’s a mental game,” he said. “You know some guys get too low when they’re out of the lineup or some guys don’t care. It’s about keeping that balance of being ready whenever you get the chance and keeping a positive mindset. I like to think that even when I’m not playing, I’m a good teammate around here. I just want this team to win and when my opportunity comes just get in there and play hard.”

Colliton said he isn’t concerned about the offense, which has scored just 15 even-strength goals and three power-play goals in seven games.

“We’ve been in every game,” he said. “We’re not at our top level. Power play hasn’t really gotten going yet, even though we’ve had our moments where it looks good. The pucks haven’t gone into the net.

“We have a bunch of players who we think can produce way more than they have. And we’re right in the game. We’re going to continue to shore up the defensive side and we’re going to score the goals that we need.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109372 Chicago Blackhawks Crawford was an aging goaltender trying to regain consistency after a serious injury.

Lehner has developed into not only the Hawks’ best goalie, but also a 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Golden team leader. Knights, including Robin Lehner’s postgame speech “There’s a lot of new guys to this team,” he said. "Great core players, a lot of new guys. They’re still trying to implement the system, and we’re getting better and better at it. We’ve seen it really well in spurts when we By JIMMY GREENFIELD manage the puck and when we stick to our details. Such an offensive- talented team. If we can keep going like this, we’re going to be CHICAGO TRIBUNE successful. OCT 23, 2019 | 8:57 AM “Honestly right now, I don’t even care about the standings because we’re going to start getting wins. We’ve played some good teams and we’ve dominated them at times. ... We’ve just got to keep pushing the pace, like On a routine October night in Chicago, the Blackhawks and Golden the third today, we’ve just got to keep pushing. We’ve got to keep Knights played a game that had a little bit of everything. attacking.”

Wide-eyed Hawks rookie Kirby Dach scored his first NHL goal in his 2. Kirby Dach scored his first NHL goal while playing the fewest minutes second career game while a pair of veteran goalies — the Hawks’ Robin of any Hawk. Lehner and Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury — made incredible stops at either end of the ice. It’s a shame both Hawks rookies who have scored their first career goals this season — Dach and Dominik Kubalik — did it in losses when they One of the Hawks’ top defenders, Connor Murphy, went down with a couldn’t bask in their personal accomplishment. groin injury and will miss a couple of weeks, according to coach Jeremy Colliton. The Hawks even pulled off an in-game trade — involving minor- A duty to lament a defeat comes first, as it should, but it’s a missed leaguers — when forward Aleksi Saarela was dealt to the Panthers for opportunity to engage in the joy that’s evident when the goal is scored. defenseman Ian McCoshen, who has played 60 NHL games. And make no mistake, Dach’s joy was visible for all to see. But the final drama was reserved for the end when the Golden Knights “It was a pretty cool moment,” Dach said. “Grew up dreaming of playing scored with 1 minute, 44 seconds left in regulation while using an extra in the NHL, and two games in, you’ve got your first goal. That’s pretty attacker to tie it at 1, then won on shootout goals by Jonathan special, but at the same time, pretty disappointed that we lost. My main Marchessault and Shea Theodore to steal a 2-1 victory. focus is the team game, so I’ve got to take a step back and realize what I It was the second straight strong effort that didn’t result in a victory for the can do better to help the team win and move forward tomorrow.” Hawks, who dropped to 2-3-2 with one game remaining in their season- It was a goal to remember if not a game to remember. Dach played only high seven-game homestand. They have never beaten the Golden 8 minutes, 22 seconds, the least ice time of any Hawk, and only 4:56 Knights in the franchise’s three-year history, falling to 0-5-2 with two over the final two periods. Despite the goal, this was not a good game for more chances this season. the Hawks to clearly evaluate what Dach can do. Here are three takeaways from the loss. His goal will be remembered for his smart positioning in front of the net, 1. Robin Lehner gave a postgame speech to remember. where he needs to spend a lot of time if he hopes to become a star, and for his big body that allowed the puck to bounce off his right thigh and One thing that has been very noticeable about Lehner after each of his into the net. starts is he looks absolutely exhausted. Every player looks tired after a game, but Lehner looks like he’s on the verge of collapse. It wasn’t pretty, but it went in. Colliton has liked what he has seen.

Yet after each game he has calmly sat at his locker delivering a “He’s playing well,” Colliton said. “Not a ton of minutes tonight; that’s thoughtful response to every question. He doesn’t deliver cliche answers partly all the special teams. And that at the end we’re trying to defend a designed just to get the interview session over with. Lehner speaks with lead, (so) we went with other guys down the middle. But he made a lot of an honesty that’s heartfelt and appreciated. plays again and probably could’ve had more points, could’ve produced more offense for us, so just keep going. He’s going to keep improving.” When he spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s loss — in which several of Lehner’s 33 saves were remarkable, including one with 22.8 seconds left 3. The loss of Connor Murphy will hurt. in overtime when he stacked his pads to somehow stop a point-blank It wasn’t clear when Murphy suffered a groin injury that will keep him out shot — the words seemed to be directed at his teammates as much as for at least 11 games while on long-term injured reserve. But it’s clear the the public. impact on the Hawks’ improving defense will be significant. “When I chose to sign with this team, it’s because I really believe in this Murphy and Duncan Keith have been the Hawks’ top pairing since team,” Lehner said. “There’s a lot of great hockey players on this club, Murphy returned from an injury after the season opener. They’re not and we’ve seen it in spurts in the beginning of the season. The last few flashy and they haven’t scored much — Keith has two assists and games have been really, really good. Murphy doesn’t have a point in a combined 13 games — but they are “Small, small details and we’re going to be very dangerous. I’m really dependable, play a ton of minutes and have had favorable possession liking what I’m seeing from a lot of the guys. A lot of the young guys are numbers. playing great and the core guys here, maybe it looks far away but it’s Without Murphy, Slater Koekkoek is likely to get back into the lineup and really close. It really is. could be paired again with Keith. The Hawks also recalled Dennis Gilbert “Washington is a good team, Vegas is a good team, and at times we from Rockford to take Murphy’s roster spot. were totally dominating. It should have been 4-0 after two (periods). “Obviously, that’s a blow for us,” Colliton said. “It’s an opportunity for Couple of posts were in the way, couple of missed bounces. That’s other guys. We need to continue to build depth. We can’t just play with hockey sometimes. If we just keep playing like we’re going, we’re going six or seven (defensemen) all year. You’re going to need more than that. to get good results and we’re going to have a good season.” That’ll be an opportunity for other guys to grow.” Seven games into the season, Lehner has been undoubtedly superior to

Corey Crawford. He has a better goals-against-average (1.93 to 3.58) and save percentage (.943 to .891) and has produced more points (four) Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019 in three games than Crawford has produced (two) in four.

Things can turn on a dime, and it’s likely at some point Crawford will get hot and Lehner will get cold. But what we’re seeing now isn’t just a window into the start of this season. It’s an extension of last season, when Lehner was a Vezina Trophy finalist with the Islanders and 1109373 Chicago Blackhawks Through 11 games, Glass has 2 goals and 4 assists while averaging almost 15 minutes of ice time for the 7-4-0 Golden Knights.

Easing into it The Dach decision: Stay and play for the Blackhawks, or back to With DeBrincat, it's important to remember he didn't exactly light the Saskatoon? world on fire right away. Even with a full training camp -- which Dach did not have due to a concussion -- DeBrincat managed just 1 goal and 4 assists in the Hawks' first 12 games. John Dietz The same growing pains are being felt by New Jersey's Jack Hughes and Follow @johndietzdh the Rangers' Kaapo Kakko, the No. 1 and 2 picks of last June's draft. Both players have just 1 goal and 1 assist. Updated "It's a little different going to the next level," DeBrincat said. "Training 10/23/2019 6:02 PM camp was pretty fast for me. By that third regular-season game -- maybe even before that -- you're used to the speed.

One-hundred and two. "But timing's still a little bit different. You need to know that some places you have a lot of time and some places you don't. You've got to figure That's how many goals Alex DeBrincat piled up while dominating the that out and that was my feeling-out process." Ontario Hockey League at 16 and 17. Which is exactly what Dach is going through now. After the scoring machine was selected 39th overall by the Blackhawks in 2016, he returned to his OHL team in Ohio, prepared to wreak havoc Dach has proved he can establish a net-front presence. He's also been once again. tough in 1-on-1 battles and has shown decent speed while moving from zone to zone. That's exactly what happened, thanks in large part to DeBrincat's mental toughness. The 5-foot-7 forward didn't want his game to slip just because While the Hawks were nursing a 1-0 lead against the Golden Knights, he was facing slower and often inferior opponents. however, Dach was on the ice for just three shifts in the third period.

"I tried to play as fast as I could to get to that next level with my It's an understandable strategy, but it's also fair to wonder if this is what's baseline," said DeBrincat, who poured in an eye-popping 65 goals that best for him. season. "Obviously you're going to have some good games, some bad Rushing a player in any sport is dangerous and can kill their confidence. games. I wanted my bad games to still be above other people's good Oftentimes it's best to allow them to dominate for a year or two at lower ones." levels as they get bigger, stronger and faster. This brings us to the very interesting case of Kirby Dach. "It could go either way," said DeBrincat, who scored 28 goals for the The Hawks are trying to determine where Dach should spend the Hawks as a rookie then added 41 last season. "Obviously for me it was majority of this season: with them, or back in juniors with the Saskatoon good to go back down. I don't think I was ready that year to make the Blades. jump.

The No. 3 overall pick of June's draft, the 6-foot-4, 198-pound forward "But I didn't go third overall, either (smiles). It's different for every has played in the Hawks' last two games following a three-game situation. I'm sure the coaching staff and everyone else can really get an conditioning stint in Rockford. If he plays 10 games, he will burn a year of eye on that and feel that out. But I don't think there's a right or a wrong … his three-year contract. "If you put your mind to it, you can get better back down in juniors. But Dach hasn't looked at all out of place -- and he even scored the team's sometimes it's not worth going back down." only goal in a shootout loss to Vegas Tuesday -- but it's fair to wonder what is best for his long-term development. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 Which path is correct?

Some top picks -- Connor McDavid, Patrik Laine and Jack Eichel, for example -- are ready to jump into the NHL right away.

With others, it's not so black and white.

A perfect example is Cody Glass, taken sixth overall as the Vegas Golden Knights' first draft pick in 2017. Vegas opted to send Glass back to juniors not once, but twice before promoting him to its NHL roster this season.

Glass was particularly displeased with the decision last year. But after a frustrating campaign in which he lost two months to injury, the Winnipeg native came to Chicago and scored 7 goals in 22 playoff games during the Wolves' run to the AHL's Calder Cup Final.

"The second season was kind of tough," Glass said Tuesday before Vegas' 2-1 victory at the United Center. "Obviously I wanted to stay. I felt like I had a good preseason too.

"But I feel like that just made me more hungry for it; made me want to train harder, skate harder. Ultimately it made me a better player, not rushing me into it."

Coach Gerrard Gallant was blunt when asked why Vegas put such a highly touted prospect in juniors for two straight seasons.

"Well, he wasn't ready," Gallant said. "He's a good hockey player; he's talented enough. But he's a young kid and physically he wasn't strong enough to play in the league. Now he's playing real well. We're real happy with his progress." 1109374 Chicago Blackhawks

Brian Campbell joins the Blackhawks All-Decade Team

By Slavko Bekovic

October 23, 2019 11:24 PM

Throughout the 2019-20 season, NBC Sports Chicago will be unveiling its Blackhawks All-Decade Team. The roster will feature the 14 forwards, 7 defensemen and two goaltenders that made the biggest impact on the franchise from the 2010 through 2019 seasons.

When considering transcendent free agent signings in Chicago Blackhawks history, Marian Hossa is usually the first player to come to mind. But Brian Campbell’s arrival to Chicago’s West Side in the summer of 2008 signaled to the rest of the NHL that the Blackhawks were not only a desirable team to play for, but that their front office meant business in fielding a competitive hockey club.

“It was always Chicago came back into the picture of a place that I could see myself be,” Campbell said in his introductory press conference. “There’s expectations within the locker room and I think it’s going to be like that right from the get-go. It’s not about making the playoffs, it’s about getting the whole prize.”

After prying him away from the San Jose Sharks, Campbell helped lead the Blackhawks to the Western Conference finals in his first year in Chicago, and assisted in grooming young defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook into the dominant top pairing they eventually became. The next season, the Blackhawks snapped a 49-year Stanley Cup drought, with Campbell assisting on the series-clinching goal in Game 6, passing it off to Patrick Kane before he slid the puck under Michael Leighton and sent the Hawks bench into a frenzy.

After three strong seasons with Chicago, the Blackhawks moved him to the Florida Panthers. But he gone for long.

In 2016, Campbell re-signed with the Blackhawks on a one-year contract, taking a “hometown discount” in an attempt at one last hoorah in Chicago. Campbell had a strong season in a smaller role behind Keith, Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, but the Blackhawks, the Western Conference’s top seed, fell short in the first round to the surging Nashville Predators.

Campbell spent four seasons in Chicago, totaling 134 points in 295 games with the Blackhawks. In July of 2017, when Campbell hung up the skates for good, he took a job in the franchise’s front office and reiterated one last time how impactful the Blackhawks organization – and the city of Chicago – was to his career.

“Today, we call Chicago home. We’ve embraced the Chicago culture,” said an emotional Campbell during his retirement announcement. “We love this town and we are proud to say our family is a Blackhawks family.”

Campbell played in more games for both the Sabres and Panthers in his 17-year NHL career, but that 2010 Stanley Cup championship made him a Blackhawk for life. He is the third player, and first defenseman, to join the Blackhawks All-Decade Team.

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Are the Blackhawks preparing to keep Kirby Dach on NHL roster?

By Charlie Roumeliotis

October 23, 2019 10:00 PM

The Blackhawks will eventually have a decision to make on No. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach, whose clock is officially ticking after he made his NHL debut over the weekend and scored his first goal in his second game two nights later.

The Blackhawks, as we know, can give Dach up to nine NHL games before having to decide whether they want to burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Whether he makes it past nine games or not, if the Blackhawks don't feel like he's pro ready for the full season, the only other option for the team is to send Dach back to the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL because he's not eligible to play in the AHL full-time this season due to CHL rules.

That being said, it appears the Blackhawks are at least preparing for the possibility that Dach could be kept on the NHL roster beyond the nine- game tryout this season.

TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Wednesday on NBCSN that: "You don't have to make a decision on this right now, so Stan Bowman and the Chicago Blackhawks won't, but if you twisted their arm and said you do have to make a decision, I think they're definitely leaning towards this guy being an NHL player this season."

The roster move the Blackhawks made earlier in the day indicates the organization is making sure it can afford Dach's services in case he does stay the whole season.

Connor Murphy was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) Wednesday with a groin injury, which means he'll be sidelined for a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. By putting him on LTIR instead of regular injured reserve, the Blackhawks get some cap relief and that’s noteworthy when you factor in Dach's potential performance bonuses that could reach up to $2.5 million.

When Dach was activated and recalled, the Blackhawks exceeded the 7.5 percent cushion in total amount of potential performance bonuses by $595,000, according to Cap Friendly. That number was then applied to the cap, which put the Blackhawks near the upper limit. So every dollar counts, considering the bonus money rolls over to next season's salary cap if there isn’t enough financial space at the end of the season to absorb the hits.

The other noteworthy item from McKenzie's report: The Blackhawks aren't too worried about burning the first year of Dach's entry-level contract. They're more-so looking ahead to the 40-game mark, which would put him one year closer to becoming an unrestricted free agent — a player must be 27 or older as of June 30 or accrue seven seasons to become a UFA, and hitting 40 games counts as a full season if they're on the NHL roster, injured or not.

The Blackhawks have said all along that there's no set plan on Dach's future and his performance will dictate what's going to happen. But the team is prepared for every scenario, and that includes keeping him past the nine-game tryout and 40-game benchmark.

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Connor Murphy placed on long-term injured reserve

By Kelly Twardziak

October 23, 2019 4:30 PM

The Blackhawks have announced that defenseman Connor Murphy will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) due to a groin injury.

Earlier reports stated the 26-year-old Murphy would miss “a couple of weeks” after leaving the second period of the Blackhawks game against the Golden Knights last night. Murphy had previously sat out of the Blackhawks season opener in Prague for the same injury.

LTIR is designed for teams navigating the cap hit when a player is out with a long-term injury. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), this means the player will be out for at least 24 calendar days and 10 regular season games. While LTIR doesn’t create cap space, it does allow a team to replace the player on LTIR with any number of other players to fill the roster hole.

In the case of Murphy, the Blackhawks recoup his $3.85M cap hit for the duration he’s LTIR. The Blackhawks can go over the cap hit for the time being, but once they activate him his entire cap hit goes back on the books. Essentially, the Blackhawks can go over the cap for the time being up to what Murphy was making, plus whatever cap space they had beforehand.

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Robin Lehner's honest assessment of Blackhawks: 'It looks far away but it’s really close'

By Charlie Roumeliotis

October 23, 2019 12:00 PM

The Blackhawks wanted to take advantage of seven straight games at the United Center after kicking off the 2019-20 campaign in Prague, but it hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

They're 2-2-2 through the first six home games as they prepare to host Philadelphia on Thursday for the final tilt of the homestand, but the Blackhawks feel like they've left points on the table. The last two games especially, the feeling around the locker room is that the two losses aren't reflective of the overall performance.

After dominating the Washington Capitals in every aspect but the scoresheet on Sunday, the Blackhawks were 1:33 away from shutting out one of the most dangerous Western Conference teams in Vegas before falling 2-1 in a shootout. That's one point out of a possible four when it easily could've been four out of four for the Blackhawks.

Robin Lehner was fantastic against the Golden Knights, turning aside 33 of 34 shots for .971 save percentage. And he was very honest about his assessment of the team after the game and had an optimistic but realistic viewpoint.

"When I chose to sign with this team, it’s because I really believe in this team," Lehner said. "There’s a lot of great hockey players on this club and we’ve seen it in spurts in the beginning of the season. I think the last few games have been really really good. Small, small details and we’re going to be very dangerous. I’m really liking what I’m seeing from a lot of the guys. A lot of the young guys are playing great and the core guys here, maybe it looks far away but it’s really close. It really is.

"Washington is a good team, Vegas is a good team, and at times we were totally dominating. It should have been 4-0 after two. Couple of posts were in the way, couple of missed bounces. That’s hockey sometimes. If we just keep playing like we’re going, we’re going to get good results and we’re going to have a good season."

Lehner is coming from a New York Islanders team that allowed the fewest goals against last season, and the fact the Blackhawks gave up only three high-danger chances at even strength and were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill against a Vegas team who had a top-five power play going into Tuesday's matchup is encouraging.

Lehner is as candid as they come and he legitimately believes the Blackhawks are trending in the right direction, despite what the results may show. And if the Blackhawks can play like they have the last two games, the points will even out over time.

"There’s a lot of new guys to this team," Lehner said. "Great core players, a lot of new guys. They’re still trying to implement the system and we’re getting better and better at it. Again, I think we’ve seen it really well in spurts when we manage the puck and when we stick to our details. Such an offensive-talented team. If we just can keep going like this, we’re going to be successful. It really is.

"Honestly right now, I don’t even care about the standings, because we’re going to start getting wins. We’ve played some good teams and I think we’ve dominated them at times and are these small mistakes and we just gotta keep pushing the pace like the third today, we just got to keep pushing. We’ve got to keep pushing. We’ve got to keep attacking."

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Mikko Rantanen’s replacement still a mystery, Avs coach Jared Bednar says

By SEAN KEELER | [email protected] | The Denver Post

PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 12:24 pm | UPDATED: October 23, 2019 at 3:49 PM

It’s not that they can’t live without him — when the Avalanche shut Mikko Rantanen down late last winter for the final eight games of the regular season, a Rananten-free Colorado roster went 5-1-2 during a critical stretch run.

For coach Jared Bednar, the question right now isn’t so much how as it is who.

“Yeah, I haven’t made that decision,” the Avs coach said Wednesday when asked about potential top-line replacements for Rantanen, his No. 1 right winger whose status is “week-to-week” because of a gruesome lower-body injury suffered Monday at St. Louis.

“We’re contemplating a couple of different guys … we may see some movement in that position, just to see who we like.”

Bednar said Rantanen isn’t playing Friday against Vegas and he’ll be evaluated again early next week.

“We’ll see how he progresses in the new few days, (which) is the big thing,” the coach said of the 22-year-old winger, who’s tied for the team lead in points (12) with teammate and linemate Nathan MacKinnon. “I can tell you I don’t think it’s going to be four to six weeks (out) … we’re hoping he’s going to be back significantly sooner than that.”

Bednar’s update had Avs fans breathing a sigh of relief, given the presumed severity of the injury when it occurred.

Rantanen went down awkwardly during his first shift in the second period of a 3-1 loss to the Blues. The Finnish winger was trailing Blues defenseman Colton Parayko along the boards when his lower left leg appeared to give on — or get caught on — the ice, with his left foot nearly doing a 180-degree turn before twisting back into place. Rantanen immediately went down to his left knee and couldn’t continue.

“He’s one of the best players in the NHL,” MacKinnon said. “When you lose one of the best players in the NHL, it’s tough. We’re not going to replace him, but he got hurt last year and we found a way to get some wins. Hopefully, we can weather the storm until he gets back.”

Rantanen didn’t skate at Wednesday morning’s practice. As for replacement options on the top line, Bednar said he was loathe to make major changes given the Avs’ 7-1-1 start, but that new wingers Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi, who’ve accounted for eight points and six points, respectively, on the second line, remain possibilities to pair with MacKinnon and left winger Gabe Landeskog. Moving up winger J.T. Compher (four points) could be another short-term option, the coach noted, that would leave the No. 2 line intact.

“Mikko is a freak,” MacKinnon said. “He’ll be back, I’m sure, sooner than later … we need guys to step up. Including myself.”

Footnotes. Bednar is considering splitting up the No. 2 defensive pairing of Cale Makar and Nikita Zadarov… … The Avs also practiced Wednesday without wingers Compher and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and defenseman Ian Cole; the coach said the trio were taking “maintenance days.”

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109379 Colorado Avalanche Perhaps an early indicator that Donskoi could receive the nod came Monday when Bednar had Donskoi log nine even-strength shifts with Landeskog and MacKinnon, according to data from ShiftChart.

What are the Avalanche’s options now that Mikko Rantanen is on the Choosing Burakovsky or Donskoi could come at the potential cost of shelf? disrupting what appears to be a multifunctional second line through the first nine games of the regular season.

Burakovsky’s eight points along with Donskoi’s six, coupled with Nazem By Ryan S. Clark Kadri’s five has created a combination that can generate the supplementary offense needed beyond the top line. Scoring, while Oct 23, 2019 important, is only part of the appeal for Bednar. The line’s defensive reliability also provides the Avalanche another option beyond the fourth line when it comes to countering an opposing team’s first or second units There was already an expectation the Colorado Avalanche would be in even-strength play. without star right winger Mikko Rantanen after a bizarre sequence that saw his left ankle twist in an unnatural position Monday in a 3-1 loss to Say Bednar opts to keep the second line together. Who becomes the the St. Louis Blues. next option? It could be Compher but that also comes with a caveat of altering a third line that has appeared to have found a bit of comfort. Fast forward to Wednesday when Rantanen was held out of practice. Then came the long-awaited news once practice ended when Avalanche Compher, Tyson Jost and Colin Wilson were the Avalanche’s most coach Jared Bednar declared Rantanen will be out on a week-to-week potent line in a 6-2 win last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning basis with what was classified as a lower-body injury. that led to Jost scoring his first NHL hat trick. Wilson said after the game the trio felt good about their progress during their 5-4 overtime victory Bednar said the team should have more information on Rantanen’s Friday against the Florida Panthers with the win over the Lightning being status next week while the Avalanche continue to monitor his progress a more aggressive version of the previous game. over the coming days. Placing Compher on the first line gives the Avalanche a player who, if not “I can tell you that I don’t think it’s going to be a four-to-six week injury,” for injuries, was in a position to score 20 goals last season in addition to Bednar said. “We are hoping he is going to be back significantly sooner his prowess as a responsible defensive-minded forward. than that. But we are just going to have to watch it and see how he is feeling in a couple days and what type of workouts he is going to be able That said, who could Bednar go with between the likely candidates of to do. Just see how he responds to some of the extra work that he gets Burakovsky, Compher and Donskoi to replace Rantanen on the top line? off the ice to start and then on the ice as well.” One scenario could see the Avalanche place Burakovsky next to Learning how long Rantanen would be unavailable answered one Landeskog and MacKinnon. Burakovsky, who stands 6-foot-3, 201 question. pounds, would give Bednar another sizable skater who could fill in for the 6-4, 220-pound Rantanen while also keeping the skill and speed that Now comes another: What are Bednar’s options with Rantanen on the makes the line formidable. If so, it would Donskoi and Kadri together mend for at least a week, if not longer? while searching for a new right winger.

“You lose any player, especially top players, it can be a little bit nerve- Another outcome could result in Bednar going with Donskoi instead. That racking for a team,” Bednar said. “But I certainly feel good about where gives the top line another two-way forward who works with Landeskog to we’re at with the depth and the way some of our guys are playing. free up possession in the defensive end, which allows MacKinnon to There’s going to be some more opportunities for a number of guys to fill quickly get into transition. Donskoi’s speed would also allow him to in for Mikko.” support MacKinnon on those odd-man rushes and entries into the offensive zone. Determining who Bednar will use to fill the void left by Rantanen, however, remains something of a mystery. Both of those situations depend on how Bednar feels about breaking up the second line. “I haven’t made that decision,” he said. “We’re contemplating a couple different guys and we’ll just see some movement in that position just to Moving Compher to the top line allows Burakovsky, Donskoi and Kadri to see who we like. It’s not a position that a lot of guys have been in. We’ve stay together. As for the third line? It means Jost and Wilson would likely had (J.T.) Compher in that position in the past … (Joonas) Donskoi be reunited with Matt Nieto. In fact, that was the combination Bednar obviously an option. I’d like to leave to the lines as much as I can the used in three straight wins against the Boston Bruins, Arizona Coyotes same with some of the success that we’ve been having but certainly and Washington Capitals. when you lose a guy like Mikko, then things have to shuffle underneath as well.” Nieto’s hypothetical promotion to the third line could potentially see Valeri Nichushkin work his way back into the fourth line or it could prompt Bednar has the advantage of possessing the most forward depth in his Bednar to experiment with Vladislav Kamenev in that role. Having four-year tenure with the Avalanche yet Rantanen’s injury means Nichushkin in the lineup expands the number of forwards Bednar can use balancing finding the right replacement while also keeping that continuity on the penalty kill knowing that could prove vital should Donskoi receive intact. an increase in minutes next to Landeskog and MacKinnon.

An argument could be made Bednar could promote Andre Burakovsky or Either way? The Avalanche appear to have options throughout what Donskoi to the first line to replace Rantanen. He already got a feel for Bednar agreed was a “best-case scenario” in regards to how long they what that scenario could look like as both wingers filled in for Rantanen in will be without Rantanen. the early stages of training camp while he was still seeking a new contract with the Avalanche. “That’s a positive for me coming out of that,” Bednar said. “You lose a guy in the middle of the game and he leaves and your mind starts Early on, it appeared Burakovsky would have been the favorite to open thinking the worst. But I think as of now, to be re-evaluating him again the regular season next to Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon on early next week, you see how he responds to some of the treatment and the top line if the club and Rantanen remained in negations. Bednar had whatnot, I think it’s a positive for sure. We’re at the point in the season Burakovsky operate on the first line and the first-team power-play unit in we want him to come back fully healthy but we don’t want him to be out Rantanen’s role on the half wall opposite MacKinnon. too long either.

Then, Bednar opted to swap out Burakovsky in exchange for Donskoi to “So, there’s a little bit of a balance there.” provide the top line with another forward who could add a two-way element. It was a short-lived experiment with Rantanen ultimately returning to the lineup once his representatives and the club came to The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 terms on a new deal. 1109380 Colorado Avalanche

With Mikko Rantanen out “week to week”, Avs will look to improved depth to pick up slack

BY EVAN RAWAL

OCTOBER 23, 2019

The news could have been worse. Much worse.

Jared Bednar announced on Wednesday afternoon that Mikko Rantanen will be “week to week” with a lower-body injury. While that’s not the news any Avs fan wanted to hear, there did seem to be a sense of optimism around the Avs that it’s not as bad as they originally may have feared.

“We’ll just see how he progresses over the next few days,” Bednar said after practice, delivering the bad news to the media. “I can tell you I don’t think it’s going to be a four to six week injury. We’re hoping he’s going to be back sooner than that.”

Rantanen wasn’t the only guy missing from practice on Wednesday. Forwards J.T. Compher, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and defenseman Ian Cole also did not skate, but Bednar announced those were just maintenance days. With those guys missing, there were no set lines for practice, and the Avs have not decided who they want to fill that top line role.

“I haven’t made that decision,” Bednar said. “We may see some movement in that position just to see who we like. It’s not a position a lot of guys can do. We’ve used Compher in that position in the past and on occasions he’s done a nice job. Donskoi is obviously an option. I’d like to leave the lines the same with some of the success we’ve been having. Certainly when you lose a guy like Mikko some things have to shuffle.”

Unfortunately, not having Rantanen in the lineup is something the Avs have had to adjust to in the past. He missed the final eight games of last season due to injury before returning in the playoffs, and the Avs made the adjustments needed to lock down a playoff spot. Still, it’s not easy losing a player the caliber of Rantanen.

“It sucks,” Nathan MacKinnon said after practice. “He’s one of the best players in the NHL. When you lose one of the best players in the NHL, it’s tough. He got hurt last year and we found a way to get some wins. Mikko’s a freak, he’ll be back I’m sure sooner than later.”

The Avs superstar feels confident that the Avs will be able to step up without his star winger because of the additions they made this summer.

“We’re way deeper than we were last year,” he said on Wednesday. “We didn’t have Kadri, Donskoi, and Burkovksy, they’ve had a great road trip and scored some big goals for us.”

We’ll know more after Thursday’s practice on what Bednar plans to do with the lines to replace Rantanen, but the feeling on Wednesday was that it could have been a lot worse.

The Avs will be changing up their defensive pairings. Cale Makar and Nikita Zadorov, who have spent all year together, will be separated, as they’ve had struggles on the ice together. Bednar wants Makar to play with a veteran who is more vocal, and indicated Ian Cole would be the ideal fit there. Expect their top pair of Samuel Girard and Erik Johnson to remain the same.

Makar stayed on the ice well after practice working with skills coach Shawn Allard shooting a puck through a tire. The Avs want him to shoot the puck more, but he’s struggled to get his shot through traffic and that seemed to be the goal of the drill.

With a smaller group available to practice, the Avs spent most of the day working on 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 rushes, before separating out the forwards and defensemen to do work on their own. It was a shorter practice overall, running only about 40 minutes.

The Avs will practice again on Thursday before heading to Vegas for their game on Friday against the Golden Knights.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109381 Columbus Blue Jackets has lost a little bit of that grind and a little bit of that bite, I think it’s important for Nick to bring that to this team, because we need to play that way.”

Don't pigeonhole Nick Foligno as a grinder — Columbus Blue Jackets And if the Jackets ever need a puck caught out of midair using only a captain has skills hockey stick, their captain can do that too.

Double or nothing.

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch @BrianHedger

Oct 24, 2019 at 5:31 AM Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019

Cam Atkinson will never forget the time he was duped by Nick Foligno’s uncanny hand-eye coordination.

After picking up a puck with his stick, the Blue Jackets captain offered up a bet that Atkinson quickly accepted.

“Hundred bucks says I’ll catch it,” Foligno deadpanned, glancing toward the rafters.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, you won’t catch it,’” Atkinson said. “He catches it. He does it again. Again. He kept saying, ‘Double or nothing,’ and I’m like … 'I’m done. I’m not going to be able to feed my family.'”

What Atkinson learned from that day is what many eventually discover about Foligno, often the hard way: He’s no ordinary “grinder.”

Yes, he fits the definition of one perfectly as a tough dude who is more than willing to inflict damage with his body. Yes, he fights more than any player on the team. Yes, he is a 31-year old veteran with guile and smarts.

Just don’t forget: The skill is in there.

Foligno has a ton of skill in those mitts. Loads of it. He has crazy, ridiculous, jaw-dropping skill, and every so often it comes bursting out — to the amazement of those who are lulled into thinking he’s just some super plugger on a checking line.

“In junior, I was more skill than grind,” said Foligno, who was a point-a- game center for his hometown Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League from 2004 to 2007. “I learned when I came into the NHL that if I wanted to play in the league … you had to work your way up.”

It was an eye-opening process for Foligno, who is slated to play his 500th game with the Blue Jackets on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes — and 851st game overall. As a 19-year old rookie with the Ottawa Senators in the 2007-08 season, Foligno was forced to do things the old- fashioned way. He earned his way up the lineup by playing on the fourth line, mucking his way around a league filled with grown men.

“In a lot of ways, it helped me round out a lot of the other parts of my game, the parts that I wasn’t really too studied in yet,” said Foligno, who is on the Jackets’ top line and tied for the team scoring lead with five points (one goal, four assists). “I didn’t have to be that kind of player in junior … the checking, the grind, the fighting. I didn’t fight at all, really, in junior. Couple times a year? So, I learned how to fight in the NHL.”

Ask any of his 27 opponents how much fun it was matching “skills” with Foligno in that category. According to HockeyFights.com, only one player — retired defenseman Dion Phaneuf — has ever fought Foligno more than once. He fought Phaneuf twice and the others once each, including stars like Evgeny Malkin of Pittsburgh and heavyweights like Tom Wilson of Washington.

Foligno can hold his own against anybody that way, but don’t forget what he can also do when the gloves stay on.

Remember Sonny Milano’s jaw-dropping between-the-legs goal a week ago?

Foligno did it six years earlier, also in Nationwide Arena against the same goalie, Ben Bishop. Foligno also sniped a series-changing goal in Game 1 of the Jackets’ sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning during the playoffs last season and provided the key play in overtime for their first win this season — swiping the puck from Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel and feeding it to rookie Alexandre Texier for the winner.

“He can do a lot of different things as a player,” said coach John Tortorella, who values Foligno’s grit as much as his skill. “I think when he has the grind and the bite to his game, I think it helps everything else in his game. That’s a reminder I give to him all the time. In a league that 1109382 Columbus Blue Jackets “Out of our blue, we rise” is what Kekalainen growls on the hype video. At this point, at least, it is not lunacy to think they still have enough yeast.

Perhaps Columbus Blue Jackets have means to score enough goals Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019

Michael Arace The Columbus Dispatch @MichaelArace1

Oct 24, 2019 at 5:30 AM

Whether the Blue Jackets like it, and they don’t, their first order of business is to prove that they can generate enough offense without Artemi Panarin. To that end, it may be that Gustav Nyquist’s winning overtime goal in Toronto on Monday night was a turning point. More on that in a second.

It is one thing to think of Panarin as Leon Trotsky, and to insist that he, as one man, is not a movement. It is quite another thing to replace the Blue Jackets' most dynamic player, and the 1.06 points per game he provided over his two seasons with the team.

Panarin may be out of sight in Mexico City, or New York, or wherever he is, but he was not out of mind over the weekend. The Jackets lost two overtime games — in Chicago to the Blackhawks on Friday night and at home against the New York Islanders on Saturday night — and their fans, at least, could feel Panarin’s absence like a phantom limb.

The Jackets looked like the 1980 Soviet national team for stretches in those games. But they had trouble finishing and came away with two points when they could have, should have, had four. Their margin for error was the width of a razor cut.

Coach John Tortorella is not crazy when he says that, outside of a 30- minute lapse of patience in Pittsburgh, the Jackets have played uniformly solid hockey. Yet, coming out of the weekend they were next-to-last in the league in goals per game (2.1), and the back-to-back OT losses appeared like dark portents.

As Tortorella noted, the Jackets needed wild-card entries to get into the playoffs the previous two seasons. One reason they got the cards was by picking up precious points in games that went beyond regulation: They were 17-6 in OT games and 10-4 in shootouts with Panarin.

It is likely they will need these shinny points even more this season. They are one of the youngest teams in the league, playing with a more defensive bent. Their past seven games have been decided by one goal. There are many more to come.

Nyquist’s overtime winner — on a penalty shot — brought palpable relief Monday. The Jackets signed Nyquist to help fill the hole left by Panarin, and here was some weighty filling. The victory — on the road, against a team that had spanked them on opening night — sounded a high note at the end of a span of four games in six days. With the victory, the Jackets lifted their record above .500.

“I just hope that, as a team, we believe in what we are doing,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said before the Toronto game. “We’ve got to believe — because we’re playing well. The finishing touch is not quite there, but if we keep playing like this, it’ll come. We’re going to go on a run at some point.”

The Jackets have been a solid five-on-five team under Tortorella, with and without Panarin. They have scored between 193 and 231 goals at even strength in each of the previous four seasons. They had the seventh-most even-strength goals in 2016-17, the season before Panarin arrived.

That is one of three primary reasons Kekalainen is not hellbent to trade for a scorer, not at this point.

Number two: Kekalainen thinks he has enough higher-end scorers (Cam Atkinson, Josh Anderson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nyquist) and complementary pieces (Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner, Alexander Wennberg, et al.) — they just have to taste some success and build some confidence. Ancillary to this is Kekalainen’s belief in rookies Emil Bemstrom and Alexandre Texier.

Number three: Kekalainen knows he has pop in the back end, particularly with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and they will warm. 1109383 Columbus Blue Jackets

Tentative Emil Bemstrom off to slow start for Columbus Blue Jackets

Jacob Myers The Columbus Dispatch @Jacob_Myers_25

Oct 24, 2019 at 5:29 AM

No one expected Emil Bemstrom to score a goal or make an assist every night when he was named to the Blue Jackets roster before the season. But most expected he would have made some type of impact by now.

"I just want him to allow himself to play,” coach John Tortorella said. “I don't want him to be afraid to make a mistake offensively.”

Bemstrom had a season-low 7:32 of ice time Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rookie winger has just one assist in nine games, which was a fortuitous bounce off his arm that led to a goal.

He said he has never experienced the type of funk he’s going through, but he believes one goal could jump-start his season.

“I have to make decisions faster in my head and just be ready for next game,” Bemstrom said.

Tortorella said most young players need improvement playing off the puck, but Bemstrom has struggled to keep the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. Tortorella said he’s not going to berate him about turning over pucks.

“He's so rigid, and so A, B, C,” Tortorella said. “‘I get the puck, then I look. I get the puck, then I look to shoot.’ I want it to flow. I think it's a lack of confidence. I do think it's a lack of minutes, but I can't cure that for him. I can't.”

Though he hasn’t seen it, Tortorella believes the player who scored 45 points in 65 games in the Swedish Hockey League last season is still in Bemstrom because Tortorella trusts what general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has seen in his time.

Tortorella said he didn’t think he had ever seen a game end on a penalty shot in overtime like the Jackets’ 4-3 win in Toronto before suggesting that the NHL should get rid of the shootout. “That overtime is dynamite,” he said. “I don't know what we're waiting for to get rid of the shootout stuff; let's (just do) overtime. I know they're worried about the time limit. If it goes past five minutes, it's not going to be many more minutes after five.” …Defenseman Markus Nutivaara sat out practice Wednesday with an injury. Tortorella said Nutivaara was “banged up" and listed him as day to day.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109384 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets' Alexander Wennberg letting his play talk for him

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch @BrianHedger

Oct 23, 2019 at 6:27 AM

He was done talking about it.

Alexander Wennberg arrived at training camp this season with a fresh outlook, clear mind and absolutely no desire to rehash his past two seasons for the Blue Jackets. They weren’t good, especially when stacked up against his 13 goals and 59 points in 2016-17, so the 25- year-old center didn’t want to dwell on it.

He also showed up prepared to fix it, and the solution had nothing to do with his verbal skills.

“There’s no point in talking about last year,” said Wennberg, whose two goals in the first nine games have matched his goal output through 75 games last season. “I don’t see any point in it at all, to be honest. It’s a new season now, new opportunities, new linemates. Right now, we’re just out there and we’re a hard-working team and that’s our mindset. So, I just try to do that, as well.”

Wennberg’s hard work paid off in two key goals Monday, when the Blue Jackets upended the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena. Wennberg’s rebound goal to cap a power play midway through the third period tied it at 3-3. He stepped up again in overtime.

After taking the puck from Toronto captain Auston Matthews deep in the Jackets' zone, Wennberg skated up ice to create a two-on-two in the other direction. His pass around a Maple Leafs defender was perfect, landing right in front of linemate Gustav Nyquist for a solo chance that drew a hooking minor on Toronto star Mitch Marner.

Nyquist buried the ensuing penalty shot for the victory and the Blue Jackets (4-3-2) had a big win.

Wennberg was a key reason. He is shooting the puck a little more, making assertive plays in all zones, still killing penalties and is back to playing in front of the net on power plays.

“He’s playing a full 200-foot game and I’m really happy for him,” said defenseman Zach Werenski, whose shot created the rebound for Wennberg to put home against Toronto. “Last year was probably a little tough for him, so this start he’s on right now, it’s really good to see.”

So, what has changed? Two words: Wennberg’s approach.

“He entered camp with the right mindset,” coach John Tortorella said. “You could tell, as I’ve repeatedly said, he’s concentrating on the things that have been talked about for over a year with him. Quite honestly, I just think he’s sick of conversations. I think he feels good about himself. We all know what he can be as a player, as he’s shown. I think he’s just gone about his business.”

The result is a possible rebound season in the making. Wennberg has two goals, three assists and five points — tied for the team lead in scoring with four others — and he is showing no signs of slipping.

“I feel good,” Wennberg said. “I’m not trying to overthink it, either. Obviously, there’s a new year right now and I’ve got the opportunity to be out there and play a lot of minutes, so I’m just trying to make the best out of it.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109385 Columbus Blue Jackets

Zach Werenski gives new look to Blue Jackets' power play

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch @BrianHedger

Oct 23, 2019 at 6:26 AM

They tried just about everything, but the Blue Jackets still couldn’t get their power play going.

So, approaching the midway point in the third period of a 4-3 overtime victory Monday at the Toronto Maple Leafs, another change was made. That one worked, as defenseman Zach Werenski — who normally quarterbacks the second unit — created a rebound for Alexander Wennberg’s tying goal by firing a shot from the right wing.

“On our power play, there were just way too (many) passes on the outside,” coach John Tortorella said. “We didn’t penetrate much at all. We put in a different look with a couple defensemen on that power play there. Got some shots to the net and end up with a fortunate rebound. Hopefully, that will give us some confidence.”

Werenski’s job during power plays mimics that of his defensive partner, Seth Jones, who quarterbacks the first group. Each is an outlet at the blue line in the 1-3-1 setup, roving from side to side looking for ways to set up teammates with one-timers. Occasionally, they send shots through the slot, but primarily they are distributors.

Werenski’s new role Monday, which the Jackets first dabbled with a couple of seasons ago, put him on the wing looking for spots to set up for one-timers and hard wrist shots.

“I feel like they kind of put me out there just to fire it,” Werenski said after the win in Toronto, where he created the rebound on Wennberg’s goal with back-to-back shot attempts. “I’ve never really played that side on the half wall. I’ve done it a little bit, but not too much. (Jones) put it right in my wheelhouse and I just tried shooting it as hard as I could.”

The goal was a big one, tying the score at 3 in the third and ending a stretch of 18 straight power plays without a goal, dating to the third game of the season, Oct. 7 against the Buffalo Sabres.

“Good things happen when you shoot the puck,” Werenski said. “It was a pretty fortunate bounce for (the initial shot) to come right back to me, and then Wenny made a good play by the net there putting it in. So, I just went out there and tried firing one.”

Will Werenski remain in the shooting role? The Jackets didn’t practice Monday, so that remains unclear.

“I like shooting the puck,” Werenski sad. “I don’t know what it’s going to look like going forward, but if I’m going to be over there, I’m going to be shooting.”

Cannon fodder

Emil Bemstrom, who was removed from the power play in Toronto, played just 7:32 against the Maple Leafs. Tortorella said the rookie forward “still has some work to do there.” … Captain Nick Foligno was credited with four takeaways in Toronto, which gave him an NHL-high 21. … Goalie Joonas Korpisalo has turned it up in his past five starts, going 3-1-1 with a 2.40 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. … After parading to the penalty box in the first several games, the Blue Jackets have been short-handed only twice in the past two games combined, killing off both situations.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109386 Columbus Blue Jackets And there’s also Wennberg’s commitment to going through traffic. It gets him individually into more scoring positions and, by doing that, it pulls opponents’ attention to him, creating more space for his linemates to get looks of their own. Challenged to step up, Alexander Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand answer the call for Blue Jackets Josh Anderson has played with Wennberg for years. But when a shoulder injury sidelined Anderson for six games, he had the opportunity to watch his teammate from a different vantage point in the press box.

By Alison Lukan “Just watching him over the past couple games he’s standing out to me in a good way,” Anderson said. “It looks like he is holding on to pucks a Oct 24, 2019 lot more and he’s a lot more confident with the puck. He’s using his body to protect the pucks. It looks like he’s just more comfortable overall. He’s shooting the puck. He’s not looking pass-first as much as he was over If someone had bet you going into this season that nine games in, the previous years.” Alexander Wennberg (2-3-5) would be tied for the lead in points on the Blue Jackets, would you have taken that bet? Wennberg said he’s been trying to get into the “areas” more, get more involved, get more scoring chances, and thus far, it’s been paying If you had, you’d be richer today. The 25-year-old Swede came into the dividends. season with a different attitude and an improved game that has drawn the notice of fans and teammates alike. “Wenny is a player that I can rely on right now in a lot of different things,” Tortorella said “I know Wenny has been well documented through everything and he struggled through last year,” captain Nick Foligno said. “No one can help Coming into training camp this year, Bjorkstrand said he knew he was a (in that situation). I’ve been in that situation. No one can help you but player who needed to step up this year and that doing that was all about you, and he took that seriously and he’s really made a statement this mindset. year with how he’s going to play, and we need that to continue.” “I just think for Bjorky, he finally after the playoffs last year understood Foligno has had the perfect observation point, too. He’s played the how he needs to play in this league,” Foligno said. “It has nothing to do majority of his minutes this season with Wennberg and right winger with shooting and passing and skating, it’s his feet are moving and he’s Oliver Bjorkstrand. physical, he’s not afraid to get engaged.”

And Bjorkstrand hasn’t just been alongside Wennberg literally, he’s also Here we see Bjorkstrand skate to the puck with intention and draw the right there figuratively in terms of progress. The Dane is a player whom penalty in the process. the organization wanted to get a strong start to the season. So far, he And here, Bjorkstrand efforts the puck low before fighting for real estate has two goals and has been noticeable for his play on the ice many a close to the goal, ultimately setting him up for the finish. night. In part, that ability to play hard on the puck came from watching and “I believe Bjorky can play with anybody,” coach John Tortorella said. “He learning from former teammate Artemi Panarin for two years. Bjorkstrand has played that well as far as being on the puck and hard on the puck.” watched the Russian’s awareness and focus on having the puck and how When we look at what each player is doing differently this year, he controlled play. Wennberg has shown the largest year-over-year increase in shot quality It’s an influence Anderson sees coming to fruition now. (plus-.32 expected goals); the second-largest increase in both shot attempts per 60 (plus-3.53) and goals per 60 (plus-.59); and is “Bjorky (is) just being more competitive on the puck and using his body,” committing one fewer giveaway and just over half a takeaway more a Anderson said. “It looks like he is a lot stronger on his stick. He reminded game. me a bit of Panarin with how strong he was working and his battle level, too, in the defensive zone. He’s moving out of battles and moving around Bjorkstrand, too, is gaining the puck more (plus-.76 takeaways per game) D and that opens more space for his linemates, too.” and has those two goals already even with a shooting percentage that is currently 5.59 percent lower than last year. Not only is that goal an impressive effort, but it also was impressive in terms of context. The tally was a response goal. Bjorkstrand scored 28 But perhaps what’s been most impressive is how the two players’ efforts seconds after Carolina got their first, and only, lead of the game. have contributed to their team’s performance as a whole. The chart Columbus would go on to win 3-2. below shows the year-over-year improvement for each skater and where they rank among all Blue Jackets players. But the work isn’t done. It’s time for the two players to pass their next tests. When Wennberg and Bjorkstrand have been on the ice this season, they’ve made the overall team stronger offensively while limiting First and foremost, each must continue to maintain his level of play, and opponents’ offense. According to MoneyPuck.com, among the four Blue second, they need to do that with different skaters. In Wednesday’s Jackets forward lines that have played 30 minutes or more together this practice, Tortorella put Josh Anderson in Bjorkstrand’s spot along with season, when it comes to controlling shot share, two of them include Gustav Nyquist on the left wing, while Bjorkstrand moved to a line with Wennberg and Bjorkstrand and both are above 60 percent. Boone Jenner and Alexandre Texier.

And both Wennberg and Bjorkstrand have been rewarded for their The decision is not about “sharing the wealth,” so to speak, or adding a efforts. Bjorkstrand has seen the most significant year-over-year increase jolt to other lines. Tortorella said the moves are about balance among the in his five-on-five ice time (4.81 minutes) and Wennberg comes in lines with Anderson returning. But the coach also won’t deny that both second at 4.03. The next closest skater doesn’t even cross the 2.5- Wennberg and Bjorkstrand have helped those with whom they play. minute barrier. “Oliver has helped some people,” Tortorella said. “And Wennberg is not So what’s working for each player? only going to the puck, he’s not getting rid of it. He’s holding on to it, taking a hit, rolling out, crawling up the wall, in the offensive zone. Wennberg is driving play right from the faceoff. He’s second on the team in win percentage off the dot (51.1), and that starts a chain reaction of “I think when an offensive player is in a top-six role, and you fight as hard play not just in him but also in his linemates. for pucks as hard as both of those guys are right now, you’re helping your linemates.” “(Wennberg) is winning draws and now you feel like you have the puck,” Foligno said. “When the centerman gets the puck, you’re going to get it on your tape, you’re going to have a chance to get some open ice because he’s drawing people to him. The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019

“It’s amazing for the winger’s psyche when your center is going how much more confident you play as a winger. That’s why it’s such a crucial position.” 1109387 Columbus Blue Jackets Stat Trick. A year ago, the total was 59.9 percent with Panarin often playing on his left side.

The center also is commanding more attention. In the first nine games, Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois is proof the best ability is he’s drawn 2.36 penalties per 60 minutes. Again, it’s early and much can availability change, but his previous high mark was 1.1 per 60 in his rookie season.

Coach John Tortorella appreciated Dubois’ robust play Monday, which marked the Blue Jackets’ fourth game in six nights. By Tom Reed “He’s been playing as a power forward,” Tortorella said. “For a number of Oct 23, 2019 games, he’s been very good. He was one of the guys who seemed fresher than the other guys. … It’s a tired team.”

Dubois arrived at training camp in great shape again. He finished first in TORONTO — Early in Monday’s game, Pierre-Luc Dubois lined up for the team’s fitness testing that combines lifting, skating and running. another faceoff he wouldn’t be taking. The 21-year-old is still learning what it takes to produce consistently over As a center, it bothers the third-year pro not having the responsibility of the course of a long season. Despite career marks in goals (27) and winning possession when the puck is dropped. assists (34), his offensive numbers dropped down the stretch last Dubois has a success rate below 44 percent on the dots, but he said season. The decline started before the team acquired Matt Duchene at that’s not what’s kept him out of the faceoff circles the past two games. the trade deadline. He’s been dealing with an undisclosed injury that has prevented him from In the final 30 regular-season games, Dubois managed six goals and taking draws — but not from playing games. seven assists. No slash, no crosscheck, no Andrew Shaw cheap shot has kept the Some around the league will tell you it’s the veterans, not the youngsters strapping Blue Jackets center out of the lineup during his first few NHL like Dubois, who look most energized in February and March. It’s seasons. And so Monday night in ScotiaBank Arena, the ailing Dubois because they are accustomed to the demands the grueling schedule went into the corner following a Nick Foligno faceoff win, established places on their bodies. strong body position on Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews and drove to the front of the net, where he jammed the puck past Frederik Andersen “You learn what works,” Dubois said. “You learn how to prepare yourself for a goal. for games. I think I’m getting there. I’m not 100 percent there in knowing what works for me. Some games you feel great. Some nights your legs “I always say the best any player is going to feel is their first game in the feel heavy.” NHL,” Foligno said after the Blue Jackets’ 4-3 overtime win. “After that, you’re going to have bumps and bruises (for) the rest of your career if And some nights, you can’t take faceoffs because of pain. you’re playing it the right way. That’s part of being a hockey player and part of being a pro and I think (Dubois) understands that.” Dubois said he’s not worried how he’s perceived in terms of being a No. 1 center in the league. It’s something, he admits, that might have The 6-foot-3, 218-pound forward will appear in his 174th consecutive weighed on him previously. regular-season game Thursday as the Blue Jackets host the Hurricanes. Dubois is the only Columbus draft pick in team history to play all 82 The fact the Blue Jackets traded for Duchene — who left for Nashville in games in his first two seasons. free agency — “wasn’t my call,” Dubois said.

The franchise’s ironman record belongs to R.J. Umberger at 288 games, “You want to prove yourself, you want that role, but at the end of the day a streak that ran from Oct. 10, 2008, to Jan. 10, 2012. you are not making the decision,” he said. “You suck it up and get ready for the next opportunity that comes your way. Dubois, who’s tied with Sammy Pahlsson for seventh on the Blue Jackets’ list, takes pride in being available for his team and coaches. He “I know what I can do out there. I know I can be that guy. … I’m just admits there have been a few close calls, some game-time decisions trying to do everything well and, if I do that, good things will happen.” involving pain management and illness. That includes winning a higher percentage of faceoffs. Once he’s healthy “You have days where you are throwing up (on) the morning of a game,” enough to start taking them again. Dubois said. “A lot of guys deal with that stuff. I’d rather play throwing up than sit in the stands.” The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 What makes his streak most impressive is the way Dubois competes. Let’s just say he’s not in the Kristian Huselius check-of-the-month club. Dubois goes to the net, grinds along the wall and plays with an edge. His size and physicality wear on opponents and lead them to take the occasional run at him.

On Saturday, Dubois was fortunate to escape injury after Shaw blasted him away from the puck, hitting the center in the head on a play that drew only a two-minute minor.

“There’s some luck involved,” Dubois said of his streak. “There’s also trying to play smart and not putting yourself in a position to get injured.”

Some athletes do not like to discuss ongoing streaks for fear of jinxing them. Dubois laughed when that mindset was mentioned.

“Knock on wood, right?” Dubois said tapping himself on the head.

What’s more important to the Blue Jackets is how well Dubois is playing in the season’s opening weeks. He leads the club with four goals, which all have come in the past six games.

After scoring 27 goals last season, some wondered if Dubois’ productivity would dip with the free-agent defection of left winger Artemi Panarin.

We’re dealing with a small sample size, but early returns are encouraging. The Blue Jackets are getting 64.79 percent of all shot attempts at 5-on-5 play when Dubois is on the ice, according to Natural 1109388 Dallas Stars Can’t have one Benn without the other, and Lindell -- behind Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen -- has grown into another budding star along the blue line in Dallas.

Dallas Stars all-decade team: Longevity in Victory Green, young Goalies playmakers fill out roster Kari Lehtonen: Lehtonen gets the nod as top goalie for his longevity between the pipes. Lehtonen appeared in 445 regular season games over nine seasons this decade with the Stars. By Joey Hayden Ben Bishop: Bish closed the decade with one magnificent season in goal 3:43 AM on Oct 24, 2019 for Dallas, a Vezina-worthy one at that.

Head coach

Editor’s note: This is the third of four all-decade teams The Dallas Lindy Ruff: Ruff went 165-122-41 over four seasons (2013-17) behind the Morning News will release this week. Next Monday, we will release the bench. The Stars appeared in the playoffs twice under Ruff, two of the top ten D-FW athletes from 2010-19. team’s three postseason appearances of the entire decade.

What a long, strange trip it’s been for the Dallas Stars this decade.

On the heels of a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2008, the Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.24.2019 Stars kicked off this decade in the midst of a stretch where Dallas missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.

Under the leadership of a freshly-named captain Jamie Benn with a newly-acquired Tyler Seguin, the Stars broke that streak in during the 2013-14 season under head coach Lindy Ruff.

This new wave of Stars hockey peaked when a high-powered offense led the Stars to the Western Conference’s top seed in the 2016 playoffs after racking up 109 points during the regular season. However, the Stars’ run would end in the second round of the playoffs after a seven-game series against the St. Louis Blues.

The Blues would again play the villains this past season as the Stars fell again in the second round of the playoffs, again in seven games (this time in double overtime), under the leadership of new head coach Jim Montgomery.

While the playoff success may not have been there in the form of a Stanley Cup, there were many players to celebrate along the way. With that said, The Dallas Morning News has selected 20 players to form the Dallas Stars all-decade team:

Forward lines

Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov

Why not start with one of the Stars’ most-prolific lines on the past few seasons? While Benn has been in Dallas his entire career and Seguin since 2013, the combined powers of their hockey bromance were infused with an Alexander Radulov addition during the 2017 offseason. In the past three seasons, the trio has combined for 262 goals and 367 assists for 629 total points.

Brenden Morrow-Brad Richards-Jason Spezza

Another captain, another prolific scorer, and another veteran offseason addition.

Loui Eriksson-Cody Eakin-Mike Ribeiro

The line of offensive playmakers who would eventually find homes elsewhere in the NHL as the decade moved on.

Antoine Roussel-Vernon Fiddler-Steve Ott

And a line of fan favorites full of hitting, fighting, some penalties, and maybe a little scoring, too.

Defensive pairings

Alex Goligoski-John Klingberg

A mix of then-and-now as far as this decade of Stars hockey is concerned. The first half of the decade belonged to Goligoski who racked up 187 points in six seasons with Dallas before being traded to Arizona. Then, Klingberg took over as the team’s top defenseman in recent years with 219 points in one less season of play.

Trevor Daley-Stephane Robidas

Daley and Robidas both wore Dallas Stars threads for 11 seasons. While many of those years took place before the decade began, it’d be hard to imagine this roster without them.

Jordie Benn-Esa Lindell 1109389 Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars to reveal Winter Classic jerseys Nov. 6

By Matthew DeFranks

10:01 PM on Oct 23, 2019

FRISCO — Mark your calendars, Stars fans. The team’s Winter Classic jersey will be unveiled Nov. 6, a source told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday afternoon.

The date would be less than two months until the Stars host the Predators at the Cotton Bowl in the southernmost outdoor game in NHL history, and would also mark the 78th anniversary of the first game of the Dallas Texans.

The Texans debuted in the American Hockey Association in 1941 before World War II forced the league’s cancellation until 1945. The Texans played in the United Stars Hockey League after the war, but ceased playing after the 1948-49 season.

The Stars revealed their Winter Classic logo Sept. 27, an homage to the Texans’ logo that featured a large “D” bisected by the word “Stars,” although with a five-sided star replacing the “A.”

The Winter Classic was played at Notre Dame Stadium last year, but this season’s edition in Dallas is expected to be the second-most attended NHL game in history, behind the game held at Michigan Stadium in 2014. The game is scheduled for Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. and is sold out.

Long, lost practice: For just the second time since the regular season began on Oct. 3, the Stars practiced. Because of a condensed schedule that featured 11 games in 19 days, the team had not practiced since Oct. 11.

“It was about playing fast, and making sure we got touches,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “After the schedule we’ve had and the lack of practice time, wanted to make sure we were being crisp with our passes.”

Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak welcomed the team back to practice by shattering a glass pane behind the net in the Comerica Center. The cleanup and repair forced the Stars to move practice to the other ice surface in the building. Oleksiak said it was the first time he’d ever shattered a pane.

Montgomery was asked if he’d ever shattered the glass?

“Have you seen me shoot a puck?” Montgomery said with a laugh. “I just made sure I hit the net and hopefully the goalie made a mistake.”

-- Injured Stars forward Blake Comeau was on the ice before practice began, taking shots on goaltenders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin. Comeau suffered a lower-body injury during the first period of opening night against Boston on Oct. 3.

Montgomery said Comeau was 10-14 days from returning. There was no update on defenseman Roman Polak, who fractured his sternum against Boston after crashing into the corner boards.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109390 Dallas Stars Here’s where things happen quickly. Hintz wins a race to the puck behind the net, and from there, the Stars complete three passes and generate two chances in front of the crease in five seconds. Benn, Hintz and Perry all touch the puck as the Stars threatened. Breaking down the Stars’ new top line of Jamie Benn, Roope Hintz and Corey Perry Of course, Hintz’s goal in Philadelphia came after all three players hounded the Flyers for the puck, and Hintz found open space in the slot to dance a defender and stuff a rebound.

By Matthew DeFranks The in-zone offense is encouraging for the Stars, who struggled to find it early in the season. Of the team’s first 13 goals, 12 of them could be 9:21 PM on Oct 23, 2019 classified as rush goals. Hintz was a big reason why, and his line’s in- zone success hasn’t stopped them from getting chances on the rush.

FRISCO — The question hadn’t even been asked to Roope Hintz before “He’s quick,” Perry said of Hintz. “He’s smart. Every shift, you watch him, he interjected and offered a short but excited response: Roope, I want to he doesn’t take a shift off. He’s on the forecheck, he’s the first guy back, talk to you about your line… battles for pucks and creates a lot of space.”

“Yeah, I really like it,” Hintz said. “I like to play with them a lot.” Perry’s first goal of the season came after Hintz entered the Flyers’ zone, giving Perry enough space to walk in for a top-shelf backhand. Hintz has been the Stars’ best player this season, with six goals in the team’s first 11 games, but has recently discovered chemistry with a new “You look at the goal I scored the other night, he was on the forecheck line that features Jamie Benn on the left wing and Corey Perry on the and created a turnover,” Perry said. “Him and Benn were up the ice and I right. At first glance, it’s a bit of a strange marriage. came in and I was the benefactor. Those are plays that are going to continue to grow as a line.” There is the speedster, Hintz, in his second season in the NHL. Then there are Benn and Perry, both 30-something veterans with a penchant When Montgomery put the line together, he said he liked the way Hintz for hitting, clogging the net-front and needling opponents with post- played with Perry during his debut in Columbus (the other wing was whistle antics. But in the last two games, the hulking line (which averages Mattias Janmark). Then he drew upon Perry and Benn’s time together in 6-3, 212 pounds) has been a force on the forecheck and even on the 2014, when they played on the same line as Canada won an Olympic rush. gold medal.

“You just see natural chemistry,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “It was a hope that it would work, and it really has worked,” Montgomery “They read off each other and they play fast off each other. The puck said. “I think it’s the best line I’ve seen here besides when Rads, Seggy always moves and there’s always a triangle in the offensive zone, a sign and Jamie have been rolling. It’s been the most threatening and constant of three guys that are really reading off each other and playing well.” threat. They build momentum for us every shift.”

In wins over the Flyers and Senators, the Stars had more scoring The 2014 Olympics were almost six years ago, ages ago for physical chances (10-4), high-danger scoring chances (7-2), expected goals players like Benn and Perry, but Benn mentioned that playing with Perry (1.13-0.33) and goals (2-0) than their opponents at 5-on-5 with Benn- previously has helped now in Dallas. Here’s a clip from the gold medal Hintz-Perry on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick. Perry and Hintz game against Sweden, when Benn, Perry and Anaheim center Ryan both scored in Philadelphia and the trio was on the ice for 11 Dallas shot Getzlaf grind the Swedes in their own end. attempts against Ottawa. The Benn-Hintz-Perry line has given the Stars an unlikely top line with a For them, it starts with how tough they are on pucks in the offensive budding star and two veterans looking for bounce-back seasons. It also zone. allows Montgomery the luxury of putting Tyler Seguin and Joe Pavelski on the second line, and even slipping Alexander Radulov onto the third This is their first shift in Philadelphia, an offensive zone faceoff draw that line. Hintz loses. But Benn wins the puck back in the corner, Hintz shovels it to Miro Heiskanen at the point, and his shot rebounds to an area where “You just see [chemistry],” Montgomery said. “You guys see it, we see it. Benn and Perry are in front of the net. You know what I mean? When it looks like people are tripping over themselves and people are running into each other, then you see that Here’s another example from Monday against Ottawa, where Hintz loses there’s no chemistry, right?” an o-zone faceoff but he and Perry don’t allow the Senators to clear. Perry ends up sliding a pass across the crease before Benn and Hintz’s “Good chemistry, good o-zone time, we can make plays together,” Hintz wall battles keep the puck in Ottawa’s end. said. “Just great players.”

When Ottawa (yes, the loss dropped the Senators to 1-6-1 and they are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this season) made Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.24.2019 mistakes Monday night, this line was there to jump on loose pucks.

On the opening shift, Perry intercepted a pass from goaltender Anders Nilsson and tried to set up Hintz.

Later in the game, Benn gathered an errant pass, got a shot on net and set up a rebound opportunity for Hintz. After Hintz and Andrej Sekera kept the puck in at the blue line, Esa Lindell’s point shot dropped for a potential chance for Perry.

Hintz’s speed helps him beat players to pucks, like this one that ended with Benn hitting a post in Philadelphia.

Perry’s savvy helps him win pucks that he’s chasing. Watch him grab Erik Brannstrom on one shoulder and then go the other way to get positioning, setting up zone time and an eventual Hintz chance.

There are two shifts against Ottawa that illustrate the chemistry that Benn-Hintz-Perry has discovered early this season. The first doesn’t result in a prime scoring chance, but watch the passes along the boards to each other. There’s always an option there, and whoever has the puck knows where it is. It’s a thankless shift, but it’s one that keeps possession in the offensive zone where the Stars want it and helps them build momentum. 1109391 Dallas Stars After going scoreless there and in a subsequent loss in Pittsburgh, Perry busted out with a goal and two assists in the Stars’ 4-1 win at Philadelphia on Saturday.

‘There was shock. Sadness’ — As Corey Perry moves on, those who Upon returning home from the road trip, Perry experienced how rough watched him closely in Anaheim share memories weather in Dallas can get. A tornado caused extensive damage within the area near their residence. Homes owned by Bishop and Tyler Seguin were hit hard. Perry lives two exits from the Dallas North Tollway, where roofs torn from homes are visible from the highway, and trees, signs and Eric Stephens light poles are still strewn about. He said his son’s preschool suffered Oct 23, 2019 damage and remains closed for now.

“I was actually at the football game (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington) with a couple buddies,” Perry said. “My wife texted me and said there’s a FRISCO, Texas — The end of a Dallas Stars practice session had tornado coming through. We had no idea. I drove around a little bit arrived and several players engaged in a shooting contest with the yesterday on the day off. It’s pretty tragic. There’s a lot of families without goaltenders. When it came time for Corey Perry’s turn, he swung wide homes right now. I was freaking out (when) I didn’t have power for four from center ice to behind the right circle, then moved back all the way hours. That’s the least of anybody’s worries when you look at homes that across toward the left one, waiting and waiting and waiting for 6-foot-7 are gone.” Ben Bishop to commit to his move before shoveling a rising sharp-angled forehand shot into the top of the net. Two stalls away sat Andrew Cogliano. They are teammates again after being together for 7 ½ years in Anaheim, and Cogliano also will have a Sound familiar? The goal, yes. The team? No, not at all. first reunion with the Ducks, who traded him to the Stars in February. The speedy veteran left wing broke into a big, gap-toothed grin when thinking With that score over the fallen netminder, Perry flung his stick in delight about Thursday’s game. and fired his gloves to the ice in celebration as his Stars teammates hooted and hollered. He had the look of someone completely comfortable “I want to try to get a lick on Getzy if I can for sure,” Cogliano said of in his surroundings, but an ice rink tends to make any player feel at Ryan Getzlaf, his former captain. “That’s one guy I want to get a good home. And he has gotten used to wearing green and black, even if it’s shot on. I can catch him for sure. But knowing him, he’ll be ready.” going to take darn near everyone else longer to reach that point. If ever. Cogliano said he remains very tight with Getzlaf as well as Josh Manson, Fourteen seasons of wearing the Anaheim Ducks’ colors are now behind Rickard Rakell, Nick Ritchie and Cam Fowler. He hasn’t watched much him. Not forgotten. But this isn’t just a new chapter. He has moved on to of the transformed Ducks under first-year coach Dallas Eakins but is a new book after reading from the only one he ever knew in the NHL. happy they’ve had a promising start and thrilled that they’re enjoying The Ducks forced that transition in June, when longtime general manager playing under Eakins’ system. Bob Murray made the call to buy out Perry’s contract in a financial maneuver, one that was not wholly unexpected but still was stunning and What occupies more of his thoughts is that the Stars are beginning to stung. emerge from a dreadful first two weeks. They’ve put together consecutive wins after a 1-7-1 start. He has seen Perry start to become a presence Now the Ducks visit American Airlines Center on Thursday night, and on the ice and within the dressing room. The winger is currently being put Perry will play his first game against the team with whom he built his in a prime role alongside Jamie Benn, his Team Canada linemate from name and reputation, that of a feisty winner and elite scorer who, in the 2014 Olympics, and Roope Hintz, Dallas’s emerging star center. 2011, sat atop the league as the franchise’s only MVP. Ties may be cut but bonds aren’t easily broken. “I’m not worried about Pears,” Cogliano said. “I’ve seen him play in big situations. He’s a resilient guy, to be honest. One of the most resilient Navigating the past and the present began with a planned Wednesday I’ve seen in my career and usually finds a way. I think he’ll just get more night dinner to reminisce. comfortable.”

“We’ll see how the day goes,” Perry said Wednesday after the Stars’ Perry is now in another place, but his mind doesn’t stray too far away. He workout at their suburban training facility. “See how tomorrow goes and keeps tabs on the Ducks. On Tuesday, he flipped channels between their go from there. Obviously it’s different. We’ll catch up tonight and have game in Nashville and the World Series. They’ll reconnect over dinner some laughs and see what’s going on with everybody. But once the and think about the good ‘ol times. And then it’s time to battle. game starts, it’s game on.” “I’m sure they know what I’m all about,” he said, coyly. It will be weird, as he put it. But this was something he looked forward to upon choosing Dallas from among the multitude of teams that looked to The Athletic talked to Perry and reached out to a cross section of people grab the 34-year-old right wing at a cut rate. “It’s a date on the calendar who watched Perry become one of the Ducks’ leading stars for those 14 that I saw when I signed here,” said Perry, who inked a one-year deal seasons to gain their immediate reaction to the buyout and to speak with a $1.5 million base salary and another $1.75 million that can be about the winger’s impact on the franchise. earned in individual and team performance bonuses. Corey Perry Perry has been working at making Dallas home. He has a place with his I knew (about the buyout) a couple weeks before. They told me. I had wife, Blakeny, and their young son, Griffin, within the tony neighboring dinner with my agent. They let my agent know and go from there. And Preston Hollow and University Park sections in the northern part of the Bob called me. We had a good talk. No hard feelings. It’s a business. Metroplex. It is a change from south Orange County. “Google Maps is You move on. Sometimes change is a good thing. I’m facing what I have getting a workout. That’s for sure,” he said, smiling. here. But any move that significant is an adjustment. The couple has built a Obviously, you have to go through the process. You have teams dream home in London, Ontario, and put their Corona del Mar abode on reaching out and talking to everybody. That decision wasn’t easy. the market. But they had built a life in Southern California. There’s a lot of phone calls. A lot of back and forth with the agent. A lot of “My job’s easy,” Perry said. “I come to the rink every day and play talks with my wife, my family. It’s a process. Some guys go through it a hockey. For her, she had to find a routine with the kid. There’s a lot of few times in their career. This is the first time I’ve ever had to do that. things for them that they have to do. She was in Anaheim for eight years You take it all in. Like I said, it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of great with me. She called that home. That’s where she is eight months of the teams that had called and that were on that list. Fortunately, I ended up year. That’s home for her and the kid. One thing that has had to change here. is trying to find all those things here and trying to make it home.” Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks defenseman It already has been an eventful, if not harrowing ride for Perry in Dallas. We were actually on my bachelor party trip. We were on a golf trip (in His debut with the Stars was delayed by a fracture toward the outside of Sea Island, Ga.). It was eight of us there. I could tell that something was his left foot that occurred when he awkwardly landed on a step at his on his mind. Obviously, I didn’t want to pry or anything. It was around that house, which forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason. time when news was coming out in the NHL and everything. We had just The first game with his new club finally came last week in Columbus. got done playing. We were sitting in the cabin there having a beer. Getz and I were there. For some reason, the rest of the guys were out doing and we know they can’t come back.’ He gets that one in the slot and puts something. It was just the three of us. He told us, he ended up telling it home and guaranteed us the Cup. One of the greatest moments ever Getz and I before it was released to the media and whatever. for us and the Ducks.

When you think about the Anaheim Ducks, you associate Getz and When you think of him, you can’t separate him too far from Getzlaf. ‘The Pears. For me, that’s what I do. I grew up watching those guys. He puts Twins.’ They’re one in the same almost. But I think of Corey just being in his heart and soul into the team. So, it was sad. I was happy that I had front of the net. Knocked down. Getting back up. Batting a puck in. And in the chance to spend that weekend with him before things changed. If not, the earlier years, going in the corners and always coming out with the you know how fast life moves. He would go on and I probably wouldn’t puck. Just a tenacious player who was willing to do pretty much anything get a chance to sit down and chat with him. I was happy about that. Still for his team, I always thought. My wife (Debbie) and I were maybe going super sad the way that everything turned out. to go to Dallas because they were going to play Dallas in their 12th game. His 1,000th game. And we talked about going. So when he broke In a way, it was nice because I got to talk to him firsthand. Share the his foot, I’m glad we hadn’t bought our tickets and flights and stuff. As memories that we’d gone through over the years. Shared a lot of laughs you can see, I have a Corey Perry jersey. with everything that we went through. And super sad. But it was nice to share that weekend with him before we went our separate ways. (You) Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks forward try and see a former teammate for dinner maybe the night before (the game). But that’s it. That was cool to have a full weekend. Enjoy my time I remember being on the golf course (Bear Creek Golf Club in Denver) with him. Obviously, things change after that. and seeing it with a bunch of my buddies who play hockey. It’s weird. Being a right winger and you know Corey Perry is — you’re not beating Nick Bonino, Nashville Predators (and former Ducks) center Corey Perry out. What he’s meant to this franchise and everything. All my buddies were like, ‘It’s really good for you. He’s getting bought out.’ I said At the end of the day, it’s a business. You’re surprised and you’re not to them all, ‘I loved that guy.’ It was hard to see him go. surprised. There had been things being said that he might go. It is surprising when you see something like him and Getzlaf playing together I broke my leg and he’s the one that carried me up the stairs to the plane. for 13, 14 years. It’s a long time. He gave a lot to the Ducks. I know just He meant a lot to me right when I got here. I’ll never forget that. It’s playing with him how hard he worked every night. I’m sure it was tough weird. It’s a business and it’s something that affects my position to make for him. He’s got a good city to go to in Dallas. Yeah, it’s always an eye- the team. But for a guy like that, no one wanted to see him go. He meant opener when someone who’s been with a team that long gets moved just so much to the organization. because you can’t really see them anyplace else. Paulo Kome, Honda Center public safety officer Just gritty. He had his highlight-reel goals. He’s scored 50 goals but he’d get so many of them around the net where it’s really hard to go I looked at my phone. My buddy Gordon (told) me, ‘Hey, Corey is no consistently and you take a beating. You got to be tough to do that. longer with you guys.’ I said, ‘For real?’ I miss him a lot. I’m telling you, When I came out of college and I saw him doing it, it is eye-opening for me being here — I was for seven seasons in the visiting locker room because you realize what it takes to score goals in this league. Some and then I moved to the home team — I know him. Getzlaf. Selanne. guys just have that innate ability to do it and he was one of them. This guy — and even his parents. His father came down to see him a lot of times. My job is to make sure they’re OK and they get what they want. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks captain And then all of a sudden Corey left. Corey was my wife’s favorite player. I bought a jersey for my wife (Ina) and I put Corey’s name (on it). She still There’s a lot of emotions that went into that scenario. I kind of knew it wears it every season. And she was going to miss him. My wife said, ‘If was coming. Obviously, I talked to Bob and talked to Pears for that you see Corey, tell him best of luck, best of luck.’ matter on what his approach was. But it still is a lot of shock when it actually comes out and is said out loud. Because there’s a lot of things It’s like a parent. I’m 62 years old and these guys are like a son to me. that get tossed around in our business that don’t ever come to fruition. The hardest part is when you have a good relationship with somebody There was shock. Sadness. I think me and him both cried at some point that much and all of a sudden (he’s) left … not just Corey but any player during our talks. We both got a little emotional at times. It’s not a sense of that leave and retire or play with another team. That’s tough. Whenever I saying goodbye. It’s just kind of the end of a long road that we were on saw him, I’d say, ‘How’s your mom? How’s the family?’ That’s my kind of together through a lot of different things. That part of it is tough. talk to a player because I’m (about) family ties. And every time they, come out or even when I’m busy, they always give me their love. … He was just a gamer. He was a guy that showed up and kind of defied Corey, man. My wife loved him dearly. (She said), ‘Paul, can you see if the odds a little bit. A lot of people didn’t have a lot of faith in him at the you can get me his jersey.’ I said, ‘Do you know how much it cost them?’ start when he came into the league. But somehow he found a way to I’m not going to ask Corey to give me his jersey. So, I went and bought it. make things happen. Throughout his whole career, from the World I bought two, the home and the road. Juniors to the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Olympics, all those kind of things, he was always kind of the underdog, outside kind of guy and he Bryan Rueda, Anaheim Ducks fan just persevered through anything. You saw it in other buildings. Everybody hated him. And those are things that he fed on to build his Devastated. Heartbroken. Depression. Anxiety. Mixed emotions. Hurt. game. When people didn’t like him and people doubted him. Everything. All of the above. I was actually driving home. We have our membership with the Orange Alliance. They had given me a hockey stick Kent Huskins, former Ducks defenseman that was signed by him because he was still, like, in the team. And then next thing you know, we’re at the Fan Fest and my rep is like, ‘Oh, he’s I had heard or seen some rumors. And then just one morning, I read it not with us.’ I was watching my (feed) on Instagram. I texted (my online. It’s just kind of a symptom of the modern-day salary cap era. I girlfriend Stefany). I’m like, ‘Babe, Perry’s not with us. Corey’s not with mean, these things happen. Obviously, he had an amazing career here. I us.’ Then I called my rep. I’m like, ‘Is that serious? He’s not going to be still remember his first camp. I was there. Just the skill level, you could with us anymore?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s leaving. I don’t know what.’ see right away he was a special player. Him and Getzy came down to Portland a little bit and just lit the league up for 10 games. You could tell For a couple of days, I was so mad. I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ It’s the they had something special there. To see the two of them do what they only reason why we joined the Orange Alliance, because I wanted to did over the course of the past few years — it’s been awesome to watch. meet him in person and everything. When I learned that it wasn’t going to happen at the Fan Fest, I was mad. I was sad. Depressed. But we still I know both of those guys are really well-liked by other past teammates. wish him the best of luck. We still support him regardless of what it is. A really self-deprecating kind of humor in the dressing room. They were We’re still going to rep him, still going to rep his number. That’s not going always great chirping each other, too. They were kind of partners in to change. crime. I’m glad he’s landed in Dallas and I hope it goes well for him there. Andrew Cogliano, Dallas Stars (and former Ducks) forward Bill Noyes, Anaheim Ducks fan I was in Cali when I heard about it and then I was out at my cabin in B.C. We got an e-mail from the Ducks or something that they were buying out He called me. I talked to Pears the whole time through it and told him Corey Perry. For myself, I was pretty sad. I thought he should play his what I thought. And told him the fit (with the Stars). I was honest with 1,000th game as a Duck. He meant so much to the team. Scored one of him. The last thing you want to do as a player is sell someone on a the greatest goals in history. When we were in the (Stanley Cup) final situation that you might not think it’s good. When I thought about it and game against Ottawa, we were just sitting there going, ‘One more goal what we needed as a team, I thought it was a good fit for both. So I told him that. I talked to people here about him. Gave them my input in what he’d bring to the team. Things went radio silent there for a bit. We talked and it ended up going silent for a couple of days. And then I ended up texting Benny (Jamie Benn). I said, ‘What about Pears?’ And he said, ‘He’s going to sign.’ That’s when I kind of found out, through him.

Ray Ferraro, TSN broadcaster

Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings president

John Ahlers, Anaheim Ducks play-by-play broadcaster

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109392 Dallas Stars 11:12: Jamie Oleksiak said he was feeling good after a morning workout with Stars strength coach Brad Jellis before practice.

He had proof nine minutes into practice when his shot during the first drill Shattered glass, “feeling swole” and lost bets: What happened when the missed the net and shattered the glass behind Khudobin. Stars finally practiced? “Jelly had us working out this morning, and I was feeling pretty swole out there,” Oleksiak said. “A little snap action there, first drill. I’m not a big warm-up-the-goalie kind of guy.” By Sean Shapiro “I think that’s the first career one ever,” Oleksiak added. “I think it hit (the Oct 23, 2019 glass) right in the corner which is where it usually breaks, it caught it weird.”

Shattered glass isn’t conducive to running a practice, and the rink crew FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars did something rather rare on gets to work to cleaning up the damage. Reese volunteers to help, using Wednesday: They actually practiced. a shovel to clean up the ice. Since opening night the Stars have played 11 games, held eight morning 11:18: While glass cleanup continues on one end, the Stars end up skates, traveled to six different states and practiced just once — before moving to the other end, practiginc and running through lines in the getting a full practice in on Wednesday. offensive zone. “It’s been forever,” John Klingberg said. These are the same lines the team used in a recent win against the Taylor Fedun mentioned that he’d forgotten what it was like to drive up Ottawa Senators. That includes the unit of Jamie Benn, Roope Hintz and the Tollway to Frisco. Corey Perry, which Montgomery refers to as one of the Stars’ best.

“We’ve had stretches like this at the end of the season, but that’s “You just see natural chemistry,” Montgomery said. “They read off each different and you aren’t getting used to things,” Fedun added. “This other, and they play fast off each other. The puck always moves, and stretch like this at the start of the season, it’s tough. You don’t get to there is always a triangle in the offensive zone, a sign of three guys that touch the puck nearly enough when you don’t practice.” are really reading off each other.”

“It’s really important,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “The average “It was a hope that it would work, and it really has worked,” Montgomery guy touches the puck less than 30 seconds a game. So with one practice said. “I think it’s the best line I’ve seen here besides when (Alexander in our first 18 days, it’s hard to get those touches and feel confident with Radulov), (Tyler Seguin) and Jamie have been rolling. It’s been the most the puck.” threatening and constant threat. They build momentum every shift.”

So the Stars got their touches in on Wednesday, and it turned into one of 11:21: The shattered glass that’s still standing in the frame is being the more unique practices with shattered glass, a rink change and a bet shoved into a trash can when the coaching staff makes the decision to over putting away equipment. move practice to the other ice surface in the facility.

10:35 am: Twenty-five minutes before the players were scheduled to take It’s an easy switch; the players have a short walk in their equipment to the ice, goalie coach Jeff Reese and assistant coach Todd Nelson are on the other side, and Nelson starts drawing a new drill with a dry-erase the rink, setting up. marker on the glass once the transfer is complete.

They drag a practice dummy onto the ice, which waited near the boards. 11:34: A dry-erase board has since been delivered to the bench, and To kill time as they wait for players, Nelson and Reese shoot pucks into assistant coach John Stevens is now drawing the drill. the nearby net before the goalie coach turns and fires a full-length shot It’s a full-ice breakout drill aimed to improve entries and exits. The drill into the net on the opposite side. ends with a rush opportunity, where the Stars defenseman are 10:41: Ben Bishop steps onto the ice and starts going through his typical encouraged to pull the trigger. warmup: a couple of laps around the rink, then a few shots into the net Oleksiak has the keynote moment of the drill, picking the top corner on before stretching. While Bishop is stretching, Blake Comeau — who is the rush and getting a congratulatory cheer and stick taps from most of still recovering from a lower-body injury — and Anton Khudobin come out the players on the ice. of the locker room with skills coach Stan Tugolukov. “I was feeling it today,” Oleksiak said. “Day off yesterday, you know? Khudobin goes through his stretching routine while Comeau handles Kind of loosey-goosey out there and feeling good and getting into the pucks and skates a little bit with Tugolukov. This is Comeau’s first time rhythm of things. It’s always nice to get one of those and get the skating at a team activity, and he is still 12 to 14 days from a return, confidence up. It’s been a while, so hopefully, it comes over to the game according to Montgomery. on Thursday.” After stretching, Khubodin and Bishop start to take warm-up shots from 11:43: Offensive possession is an area the Stars want to improve upon, Comeau and Reese. They are simple shots at the pads that let the goalie so there’s a drill drawn up to address that. “feel the puck” before practice gets going. Using the lines that were concocted earlier, the Stars work on a situation 10:52: The dummy, which is is wearing a green Stars home jersey, is outlining what happens when they win the faceoff. The puck goes back to placed in front of the net to work on screen drills for the goalies. Bishop the defenseman, who is then supposed to read the situation and get a and Khubobin rotate, performing a drill in which they look to one side of cycle going. the dummy, then move to the other to make a save. It’s going to be a point of emphasis on Thursday against the Anaheim It’s part of a progression for the goalies during the warm-up, as they Ducks, so it makes sense to close out practice this way. typically spend 20 minutes on the ice before the rest of the team during a typical practice. “It was about playing fast and making sure we got touches,” Montgomery said. “We wanted to make sure we were crisp in our passes.” 11:02: Comeau’s presence gives the Stars a better shooter than the assistant coaches. On one of his last shots, the injured forward picks the The other key is to get as many players touching the puck as possible. corner over Khudobin’s shoulder. As Montgomery said after practice, on average a player likely touches the puck for less than 30 seconds in a game. Khudobin throws his stick in mock — at least I think it’s mock — frustration as the rest of the team leaves the locker room and steps onto “I think it’s good for guys and good for myself, really,” Andrew Cogliano the ice. said. “I think I usually play better with more practice. I think it helps you feel the puck a little bit better, and you’re actually out there on the ice. Klingberg is the first player on the ice. The players have roughly four Sometimes in games, you get so locked in to playing that you forget to minutes before Montgomery calls a meeting at center ice to relay the first feel the game sometimes.” drill. Comeau leaves the ice just before to continue working on his rehab off the ice. “You get to feel the puck a little bit more in practice,” Klingberg said. “It’s a different situation every game. Confidence is something that needs to be fresh. If you have confidence with the puck in your mind, that’s when you’ve been feeling the puck good in practice. So I had a good feeling today.”

11:53: The final drill ends and the Stars stretch around the center-ice circle.

While stretching, Montgomery addresses the team. The practice was a good one, and he mentions how the Stars need to play their game Thursday when Anaheim comes to visit.

This sets off the player-selected portion of the practice, and a bit of competition is injected into the end of the day.

On one end of the ice about a line of seven players is alternating taking breakaways. The last person to score is going to have to pick up the gloves and put them away for everyone else in the locker room.

Alexander Radulov scores first, beating Bishop with a forehand to backhand move, then proceeds to throw his stick and gloves into the air. By the time his gloves finally land, Radulov is already stepping off the ice and headed toward the locker room.

Corey Perry scores perhaps the prettiest goal of the competition, waiting out Bishop and from near the goal line roofing a shot into the top corner. After throwing his gloves to the ice he settles in to watch the end as it comes down to Jamie Benn, Radek Faksa and Roope Hintz in the final three.

Benn scores first. After throwing his gloves, he does a quick skating drill with Perry. They match each other stride-for-stride from red line to blue line.

Soon after Perry and Benn finish that quick skate, Hintz beats Khudobin, who once again throws a stick, leaving Faksa as the loser.

“I’m saving it for tomorrow,” Faksa said. “Don’t waste your bullets.”

It’s noon now, and practice is effectively over. Back on the other ice surface, a new pane of glass has been installed.

In the locker room, the equipment staff drops off a stack of gloves in front of Faksa’s stall. The forward then goes through the task of putting each of the other contestants’ gloves away, at one point complaining that someone was using gloves that weren’t labeled with their name.

“I scored before the drill started,” Faksa points out while putting away a glove. “Should have waited to score.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109393 Dallas Stars to have the eye too, but even if you have the eye, you need the experience of a few years. I don’t think it’s any different than anything else. You are not the man right away.”

Kari Takko was a Minnesota North Stars goaltender. He’s now the key to Takko started to figure it out and soon became a full-time scout with the Stars’ European scouting Dallas. He was named to his current post before the 2009-10 season, one he’s since held under two different general managers.

For as much as the Stars have struggled at drafting and developing By Sean Shapiro prospects, the organization’s European scouts have helped Dallas make some smart selections. John Klingberg turned into a steal of a fifth-round Oct 23, 2019 selection in 2010, and Roope Hintz is looking like one of the early gems of the 2015 draft.

LAHTI, Finland — Finns were still a weird, foreign concept to NHL teams The Klingberg pick came in Takko’s first year in charge of European in the 1980s. scouting, and he’s quick to mention that other teams simply under- scouted the Swedish defender. Some teams scouted Finland, and a few players made it over to North America, but many of that era’s top Finnish players never left home. It “No chance he’d be a fifth-rounder today,” Takko said. “He’d be, like, wasn’t until Teemu Selanne’s landmark 1992-93 rookie season with the maybe a second-round pick. We were lucky that we were trusted from Winnipeg Jets that anyone in the NHL really took notice of Finland as a this side of the water. The amazing thing was that nobody else spoke hockey nation. with him but us. That was amazing. When we heard that we were like, OK. But you still want to make sure that you take him early enough if you So when a 23-year-old Kari Takko went to his first NHL training camp in like him enough. So you didn’t want to wait ’til the sixth and seventh 1985 with the Minnesota North Stars, he was the only Finn in camp. The (rounds) because even though nobody spoke to him, somebody could goalie was an outsider speaking an alien language in Minnesota. His take a flier.” name — well, it led to some interesting interactions. The Klingberg story is a reminder of how inexact a science scouting is. “I didn’t know what the Taco Bell chain was,” Takko said with a laugh Takko was quick to point that out during our conversation. back in August. “So my first training camp some local TV asked me if I have a little time. I said yeah, my (English) was just so-so. First question “A lot turned out to be good decisions, and we are talking about those he asked me was, ‘You are not from Mexico, are you?'” players that were drafted from Europe, and we are talking about the good ones,” Takko said. “But trust me, there are lots of bad ones too.” Takko takes a second to laugh about the question. The Stars, however, do have a higher hit rate when it comes to European “And I said, ‘No, I’m from Finland,'” Takko said, chortling again. “And I prospects. didn’t have any clue until a few months after that, that it was a good joke they did.” Since Takko was promoted to his current role, the Stars have drafted 23 players who played in Europe during their draft-eligible season. Nine Takko would spend parts of six seasons with the North Stars before have played for the Stars. During that same time, the Stars drafted 47 being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1990 for defenseman Bruce Bell. players from North American leagues, and 10 have played NHL games for Dallas. Seriously. “We trust him and the entire group of scouts over there,” Stars general “They called it the Taco Bell trade,” Takko said, laughing again. “How manager Jim Nill said back in September. “We aren’t afraid to go off what great is that?” they see and make a pick because of them. That’s something you have Takko’s NHL playing career ended before the North Stars moved to to be able to do, and it’s been a real asset for us.” Dallas in 1993, but the now-57-year-old Finn has played an integral part Takko is in charge of the European operation, but tracking prospects on in Dallas’ development from afar as the Stars’ Director of European the continent is a group effort. Scouting. Rickard Oquist is considered one of the better Swedish scouts in the Takko retired as a player after the 1999-2000 season in Sweden and industry, while Jiri Hrdina is based in the Czech Republic and Evgueni tried to jump right into management. He was named the general manager Tsybouk is stationed in Russia. Takko said having scouts in those for Assat Pori in 2000 but didn’t even make it a full season in the role. respective countries is enough at this point. In smaller hockey nations — “I tried to be a GM in my hometown, but that was too quickly after I like Germany and Slovakia — the Stars will scout national team played. I should have taken a few years off and seen how things go (in tournaments, and he can make special trips if needed. He also noted that management). I wasn’t ready,” Takko said. “I got fired in early October.” many Swiss prospects end up playing in the CHL, which means they tend to get viewed by the North American amateur scouts. Soon after his dismissal, Takko called Stars Director of Hockey Operations Les Jackson, who had been an assistant coach with the Oquist, Hrdina and Tsybouk each have areas they are responsible for, North Stars during the goalie’s playing days. Takko was considering while Takko serves as the crossover scout who will travel a bit more to coming out of retirement to sign in Sweden, but Jackson asked him if he get a second pair of eyes on a prospect. would be interested in scouting on a part-time basis since the Stars were The Stars start to focus on more specific players after Christmas as lists looking to make a hire in Finland. start to get more refined for the upcoming draft. Stars Director of Amateur Jackson, who has spent more than 30 years with the Stars in various scouting Joe McDonnell, who runs the Dallas draft, will also make the trip roles and is now a special assistant to the GM, recounted that to Europe to view prospects the scouts have identified for further conversation with Takko last month. evaluation.

“We should have known he was going to be a good scout when he “After Christmas, we have January meetings and we start to talk and realized that going back to play was a bad idea,” Jackson said with a focus on certain players, and that’s when Joe starts to come here and we laugh. “He was able to look and say, ‘This goalie really doesn’t have it start to talk way more about a plan,” Takko said. “Last year Moritz Seider, anymore.'” German kid, I called Joe and said, ‘You have to come see him’ early in the season. Those are the kind of things (I communicate) with him during “So in Karjala Cup that year I started as a part-time guy in Finland and the season. He lets me do my thing. If there is something or someone he figured I could start working my way up,” Takko said. wants us to see, we do that, but it doesn’t happen too often. He really There was certainly a learning period. trusts our approach.”

“The first year, you are supposed to watch the player, but the game McDonnell and Takko both said scouting Europe has evolved quite a bit keeps distracting you,” Takko said. “And suddenly you didn’t notice if the in the past two decades. As the NHL has become more of a skill-based guy was on the ice or not … it takes for a while to get used (to scouting). game, the North American and European games have become more You need those experiences before you get there. Of course, you have similar. “It was so physical the game at the time (in the NHL), and you didn’t know because we didn’t have it here, can this guy manage that?” Takko said. “Even if he has pretty good skill and can skate, but can he take that hit or punch to the face or slash to the wrist? Is he going to quit or is he going to play? That was the biggest difference … That’s not present anymore in that game over there (now). There is nothing against Europeans anymore. Now players, if he’s from Russia, Finland, Canada, that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Takko welcomes the change, considering how some European players were treated when he was playing in the NHL.

“I know there were guys in the dressing rooms that would say, ‘Now they are coming here taking our money and our wives,'” Takko said. “You know? They were kind of joking. But when you got to know the person a little bit more, there was a half a truth to it. And Don Cherry didn’t help the case, either. Still doesn’t.”

The Stars now have one of the NHL’s largest European contingents, with half of the 20 players currently on the active roster hailing from that continent. Five of those players are homegrown drafted players whom Takko either scouted directly or in a cross-over capacity.

“It’s all about the players,” Takko said. “Once they get drafted, we don’t have anything to do with them. Hopefully more often they make us look like we know what we are doing over here.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109394 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings lose 6th straight, falling 5-2 to Ottawa Senators

Staff Report

Associated Press

Published 10:47 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019

OTTAWA, Ontario — Anthony Duclair scored twice and the Ottawa Senators beat Detroit 5-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game skid and extend the Red Wings' losing streak to six.

Chris Tierney, Mark Borowiecki and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored to help the Senators improve to 2-6-1. Anders Nilsson made 34 saves for his first victory of the season.

Darren Helm and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for Detroit, and Jonathan Bernier stopped 33 shots. The Red Wings are 3-7-0.

After Detroit scored twice in a 1:40 span early in the second period to take a 2-1 lead, Borowiecki tied it at 3:15 and Pageau made it a two-goal game with a short-handed goal at 5:27. Duclair scored late in the second and added an empty-netter in the third.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109395 Detroit Red Wings

Game thread: Red Wings lose in Ottawa, 5-2

Detroit Free Press staff

Published 6:00 a.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 11:13 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019

Detroit Red Wings (3-5-0, 6 points) vs. Ottawa Senators (1-6-1, 3 points)

When: 7:30 p.m

Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ont.

TV: Fox Sports Detroit Plus.

Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109396 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings assign Jonathan Ericsson to minors, recall Alex Biega

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 12:23 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 2:43 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019

Veteran defenseman Jonathan Ericsson cleared waivers and will remain in the Detroit Red Wings’ organization.

Ericsson, 35, was put on waivers Tuesday and was not claimed by another NHL team by Wednesday’s noon deadline. The Wings assigned Ericsson to the Grand Rapids Griffins, where they hope he can find a role there, as he no longer fits into the Wings' plans.

They also recalled defenseman Alex Biega, who had been assigned to the Griffins Tuesday. Danny DeKeyser left Tuesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks early and there was uncertainty about his status.

Ericsson was hampered by various injuries last season, and in addition to being a healthy scratch a couple of times, played only 52 games. He last played March 28 at Buffalo.

“My message to Jon was, go down and play great hockey and he told me that’s his plan,” Blashill said Tuesday. “Now he gets to go down and play hockey, hopefully play great hockey. He’d be super happy and we’d be super happy if he went down there and played great. Then he’s able to get back in the lineup at some point. But right now it’s go down and play great hockey.”

The top four defense spots are filled by veterans DeKeyser and Mike Green, along with newcomer Patrik Nemeth and Filip Hronek, a 21-year- old from the 2016 draft. Dennis Cholowski, also 21 and dating to the 2016 draft, and veteran Trevor Daley have formed the third pairing.

The Wings drafted Ericsson with the last pick in the 2002 draft. He is in the final year of a contract with a $4.25 million salary-cap hit. Sending him to the minors will yield about $1 million in cap relief.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109397 Detroit Red Wings Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.24.2019

Here is what Detroit Red Wings want to remember when they look back at this stretch

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 6:00 a.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 1:26 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019

The Detroit Red Wings hope that at some point this season they will look back on this stretch as a period of growth.

Their mental toughness is under scrutiny as they head into Ottawa on a five-game losing skid. Nine games into the season, they have one excellent game to their credit — at Montreal — and an opening weekend of back-to-back victories. It was after the Oct. 10 victory against the Canadiens that Dylan Larkin had so much excitement in his young voice as he talked about how the Wings were showing an identity of not going away.

After Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena, he sounded frustrated and exasperated. He believes they can play better. But the evidence is scant.

“We need to come out and play that relentless game,” he said. “We need to play disciplined and play with speed.”

The Wings played well for the first two periods against the Canucks, just as they played well the third period Oct. 19 at Edmonton. But they are not skilled enough to get away with less than a 60-minute effort. Their power play finally showed signs of life, converting on two of the first three opportunities, but their penalty kill, which started 3-for-3, finished 2-for-5.

“We played the right way in the first two periods and then it was a special-teams match and they were on top,” Larkin said.

The Wings were outscored 7-22 during the five-game losing skid. Seven of the goals against have come on the penalty kill.

“When you give up as many goals as we’ve given up, and enough of it has been on the penalty kill, it crushes you,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “So like in Montreal, they score, we come back and score. The momentum in games is such a huge deal when teams are as close as all these teams are. So when you’re getting scored on as many times as we’ve gotten scored on, it’s hard to keep digging back out. It just is. And we don’t score easy.

"So we have to find a way to either get more scoring — I think Lark’s line has done a really good job, but we need more scoring throughout the lineup. Or two, we have to do a better job of giving up less goals. In the two Vancouver games, that comes down to (the) penalty kill.”

Of the 21 goals the Wings scored their first nine games, Anthony Mantha accounted for seven and linemate Tyler Bertuzzi had three. One of the reasons the Wings put Evgeny Svechnikov in Tuesday’s lineup was in the hopes he could help make them look a little more threatening offensively.

But if that doesn't happen, they need to be better defensively. The goaltending has been there — Tuesday’s loss wasn’t on Jimmy Howard, nor the Edmonton loss on Jonathan Bernier — but the skaters haven't.

“We know we can be a good team,” Justin Abdelkader said. “We can’t let it unravel like that in the third period. The power play was good, got us a couple kills. The penalty kill, we have to keep up our end.

“That Montreal game, we played fast, we were above guys, had a lot of chances.”

The Wings had rough patches last season and the one before. They talked in the first week of having the maturity to close out games. Now they need the maturity not to let this stretch derail them.

“We better have mental toughness,” Blashill said. “In the end, the season, it feels like a sprint at times but it’s really a marathon. That doesn’t mean you lack urgency, that’s not the case. But you have to understand there’s going to be some tough moments, and I hope at the end of the year we’re talking about how we grew from this moment.” 1109398 Detroit Red Wings They were 0-for-5 on the power play, and allowed Pageau’s shorthanded goal that broke a 2-2 tie at 5:27 of the second period.

Borowiecki (at 3:15 mark, his first goal) and Pageau (third goal) both beat 'Not a winning recipe': Red Wings allow five goals again, losing streak Bernier with long shots from near the top of the circle off the rush, and reaches six negated the Wings’ explosive second-period start.

“We came out and had some good zone time and got two goals and threw it right away again,” Nielsen said. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News The news gets worse for the Wings. Published 10:33 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 11:42 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 They lost Luke Glendening in the second period to a left hand injury, to which Blashill said Glendening “is going to be out for a little bit.”

Blashill will know about the length of time Glendening will miss by Kanata, Ontario — If not completely off the rails, there’s maybe one Friday’s morning skate. wheel, possibly two, going dangerously off-kilter. Abdelkader took a shot to the leg in the third period but returned to the The Red Wings are on a lengthy losing streak early in the season, and game, and the Wings were also without defenseman Danny DeKeyser, it’s showing no signs of ending. who was injured during Tuesday's loss against Vancouver.

You’d think Wednesday’s game in Ottawa would be a perfect tonic, with the Senators coming into the game with the NHL’s worst record (1-6-1). Detroit News LOADED: 10.24.2019 But you’d be wrong.

The Wings looked like the weaker team most of the evening, and lost 5- 2.

That stretches the Wings’ losing streak to six games, with three tough teams (Buffalo, Stanley Cup champion St. Louis and Edmonton) about to visit Little Caesars Arena.

Fun times, indeed.

“We have to figure it out real soon or it’s going to be another long season again,” forward Frans Nielsen said. “We have to find a way to put a streak together now. We have to start on Friday (against Buffalo), we have to do it one at a time, but we are getting to where we have to win, now.”

The team defense, and allowing goals at a rate they can't match with a largely anemic offense, is continuing to devastate the Wings.

During this six-game losing streak, the Wings (3-7-0) have been outscored 27-9. In five of the six losses, the Wings have given up five goals.

For a team struggling to produce offense, as the Wings are, that is not a recipe for success by any stretch.

“We’re not a team that gives up four or five goals on a nightly basis and win,” forward Justin Abdelkader said. “If we don’t do it the right way, we give up four or five goals a night and that’s not a winning recipe.

“Everyone is frustrated in here, but we have to look at ourselves in the mirror. We’re the only ones that are going to get us out of this hole.”

The Wings weren’t tight defensively for most of the game, and it ultimately cost them.

“You press and press and press and as a result you play worse and that’s what happened for sure tonight,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Tonight was the worst defensively we’ve played in a while. I don’t want to take anything away from Ottawa, they played hard. But we were loose (defensively).

“When you try so hard, you play a little bit dumb at times and give up chances you can’t afford to give up.”

Darren Helm and Tyler Bertuzzi scored 1 minute, 40 seconds apart to open the second period and give the Wings a brief 2-1 lead. But that would be the only offensive highlights for the evening.

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 33 saves.

Chris Tierney, Mark Borowiecki, Jean-Gabriel Pageau (shorthanded) and Anthony Duclair had Ottawa goals. Duclair scored twice, including an empty-net goal to put away the victory.

More: Jonathan Ericsson clears waivers; Red Wings assign him to Grand Rapids

Special teams, as has been most of this opening 10-game block to open the season, again was a negative issue for the Wings. 1109399 Detroit Red Wings Svechnikov played 7:28, with two shots on net, and was involved in several scrums while playing his first NHL game since April 3, 2018.

Svechnikov missed all of last season because of knee surgery. Jonathan Ericsson clears waivers; Red Wings assign him to Grand “Svech played good early and he didn’t play much after that, just the way Rapids the specialty teams went,” Blashill said.

Svechnikov played on the fourth line with Jacob de la Rose and Justin Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Abdelkader, and supplied a dose of grit and physical play on the line, with several pushing and shoving incidents around the net. Published 12:28 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 6:25 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 The Wings haven't been successful killing penalties, but it would help, too, if they took less penalties.

Several players felt that was the major issue Tuesday against Kanata, Ontario — Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson cleared waivers Vancouver, as the Wings gave the Canucks five power plays total, with Wednesday and will be assigned to the Red Wings minor-league affiliate Vancouver converting two early in the third period for goals and getting in Grand Rapids. directly back into the game.

Defenseman Alex Biega was recalled from the Griffins. "We're taking too many penalties to begin with," forward Dylan Larkin said. "We can kill off two or three, but when it gets up to five or six Ericsson, 35, was removed off the injured list Tuesday and put on penalties, it's so hard. We give their best players the puck that long, waivers, in an effort to clear a roster spot and give Ericsson an they're going to making something happen. We have to stay out of the opportunity to get in playing shape. box and stay way more disciplined." Ericsson hasn’t played since March because of back and hip injuries.

The injuries limited Ericsson to only 52 games last season, continuing a Detroit News LOADED: 10.24.2019 decline in the last several years in terms of production.

Ericsson is in the final year of a contract that’ll pay him $4.25 million this season.

A 2002 ninth-round draft choice, Ericsson has played 662 games in his NHL career over 13 seasons.

After Tuesday’s game against Vancouver, coach Jeff Blashill was optimistic Ericsson would go to Grand Rapids and get game action.

“My message to Jon is depending on what happens with waivers, which is something you don’t know what’ll happen, go down (to Grand Rapids) and play great hockey,” Blashill said. “He told me that’s his plan. He just hasn’t played in a long time right now.

“I didn’t have him in the lineup, so if you don’t have him in the lineup and he has to play in order to get his game back, he hasn’t played since March. Now he gets to go down and play hockey, and hopefully play great hockey, and he’d be super happy and we’d be happy if he went down and played great and then he’s able to get back in the lineup at some point. But right now, it’s go down and play great hockey.”

Biega, 31, has appeared in two games with the Wings since being acquired from Vancouver on Oct. 6.

Biega is credited with five shots, one hit and two blocked shots, while playing 15 minutes 52 seconds per game.

DeKeyser out

Defenseman Danny DeKeyser was out of the lineup Wednesday against Ottawa, with Madison Bowey re-entering the lineup, taking DeKeyser’s spot.

DeKeyser didn’t finish Tuesday’s loss against Vancouver, and Blashill didn’t sound optimistic DeKeyser would be ready to go against the Senators.

Blashill said Wednesday DeKeyser was being evaluated in Detroit, and more information on DeKeyser’s availability going forward would be known Friday (the Wings have no practice Thursday).

DeKeyser had played in all eight games with four assists, and an even plus-minus rating. He's been playing close to 20 minutes per game, and losing DeKeyser for any length of time would be a significant jolt to the lineup.

Bowey has been in four games, with one assist, and also an even rating. Bowey has been the seventh defenseman on the roster thus far this season.

Svechnikov debut

Forward Evgeny Svechnikov made his season debut Tuesday after being called up from Grand Rapids earlier in the day. 1109400 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ skid reaches six with loss to Senators

Staff Report

By The Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario — Anthony Duclair scored twice and the Ottawa Senators beat Detroit 5-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game skid and extend the Red Wings’ losing streak to six.

Chris Tierney, Mark Borowiecki and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored to help the Senators improve to 2-6-1. Anders Nilsson made 34 saves for his first victory of the season.

Darren Helm and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for Detroit, and Jonathan Bernier stopped 33 shots. The Red Wings are 3-7-0.

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109401 Detroit Red Wings

Jonathan Ericsson joins Griffins: ‘Just glad I could play’ hockey again

Updated 11:26 PM; Today 10:34 PM

By Peter J. Wallner | [email protected]

GRAND RAPIDS - Jonathan Ericsson’s last game with the Grand Rapids Griffins was a lot longer ago than his last hockey appearance of any kind, though it might not feel that way.

The veteran defenseman, waived Tuesday by the Detroit Red Wings, made his season debut Wednesday in the Griffins’ 3-0 victory against the Milwaukee Admirals. He set a team record of sorts as it marked the longest span between appearances with the Griffins at 10-plus years (3,888 days to be exact).

More importantly, it was the first time on the ice since March 28 of last season for Ericsson, who has dealt with chronic back and hip injuries. The 35-year-old had been on the Red Wings' injured reserve list since the start of the season.

So, now the 6-foot-4, 218-pound blueliner looks to regain his playing form and see what’s next.

Veteran defenseman needs to play games.

“I want to come here and be a good pro and I want to play good, I want to get called up again, obviously,” he said. “But the first thing that comes to my mind after this game just is it’s a lot of fun to play hockey so I was just glad I could play a game. It was a while ago.”

Ericsson, a game-time decision after arriving in Grand Rapids about 4 p.m., was one of five defensemen in the lineup. He was mostly paired with Dylan McIlrath and Moritz Seider and saw time on the penalty kill. He finished plus-one with one shot in about 16 minutes.

“I thought he did a good job not only playing well on the ice but being an influence on the bench and helping the defensemen,” Griffins coach Ben Simon said.

“He wants to play. You never know with a guy like that’s been put on waivers and sent down. I’m sure he’s disappointed. But I played with him in like 05-06 and he’s a good character guy. He’s not going to come down with one toe in the water."

When Ericsson left the Red Wings, coach Jeff Blashill challenged him to "go down and play great hockey."

“It usually takes me a little time to get back in rhythm, I’d say at least three games or so,” Ericsson said. “But it’s always a little bit different in how the games are played.”

In the meantime, Simon likes the addition.

“He hasn’t been in the minor in a long time,” he said. “... It think he’ll be fine. And I think it’s refreshing at times to come down here. This is where he built his career. This is what he started from. It’s not a bad thing to come down here and get a little bit of a refresher.”

The Griffins also play at home Friday and Saturday, and Simon was uncertain if Ericsson would play in both of those.

The last time Ericsson played with the Griffins was in March 2009. He played 176 regular season games from 2006-09 and made the 2008 AHL all-star team.

In 13 years with the Red Wings, Ericsson has appeared in 662 games with 27 goals and 98 assists. He was the last player selected in the 2002 draft (291st overall).

The Griffins (3-2-0-1) got goals from Chris Terry in the first, Ryan Kuffner in the second and Matt Puempel (empty net) in the third, while Calvin Pickard stopped 26 shots for his first shutout.

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109402 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ Jonathan Ericsson clears waivers, assigned to Grand Rapids

Updated Oct 23, 2019; Posted Oct 23, 2019

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson cleared waivers today and was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The club recalled Alex Biega from the Griffins. He’ll be available for tonight’s game at the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit Plus). Danny DeKeyser left Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Vancouver with an injury. No update has been provided yet.

Coach Jeff Blashill indicated after Tuesday’s game that Ericsson, a 12- year NHL veteran, would be headed to the AHL.

“My message to Jon was … go down and play great hockey, and he told me that’s his plan,” Blashill said. “He just hasn’t played in a long time. Right now, I didn’t have him in the lineup. If you don’t have him in the lineup, he’s got to play. In order to get his game back, he’s got to play.”

Ericsson, 35, had been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to back and hip injuries. His chronically bad hip and other ailments limited him to 52 games in 2018-19. He hasn’t played since March 28.

“Now he gets to go down and play hockey, and hopefully play great hockey,” Blashill said. “We’d be super happy, and he’d be super happy if he went down there and played great. Then he’s able to get back in the lineup at some point. But right now, it’s go down and play great hockey.”

Only $1.075 million of Ericsson’s $4.25 million salary comes off the cap. But that’s not really a concern for the Red Wings because they’re not likely to be buyers at the trade deadline.

The Red Wings (3-6-0) will try to snap a five-game losing streak. The Senators are 1-6-1.

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109403 Detroit Red Wings

How to watch, stream and listen to Detroit Red Wings at Ottawa Senators

Posted Oct 23, 2019

By Lauren Williams | [email protected]

The Red Wings travel to Ottawa to take on the Senators after dropping their fifth straight game on Tuesday night. Battling it out at the Canadian Tire Centre Detroit looks to snap their losing streak and get their fourth win of the season.

The Red Wings (3-6) and the Senators are 1-6-1 and will face off at 7:30 p.m.

WATCH

Broadcast: Fox Sports Detroit Plus

Canadian Broadcast: Sportsnet 1 | Sportsnet360

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go | Hulu | PlaystationVue | YouTube TV | fubo (free trial)

LISTEN

Red Wings Affiliates: Detroit (WXYT-97.1 FM/ 1270 AM); Ann Arbor (WTKA-1050 AM); Grand Rapids (WTKG-1230 AM); Kalamazoo (WQLR- 1660 AM); Saginaw (WSGW-790 AM)

Live Stream: TuneIn Radio

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109404 Detroit Red Wings “Svech played good early,” Blashill said. “He didn’t play much after that, just the way the specialty teams went, it’s hard if you’re not on either unit.”

Red Wings’ poor penalty kill proving costly Blashill said Svechnikov suffered a stinger late in the game but should be fine.

He had no update on defenseman Danny DeKeyser, who didn’t finish the Posted Oct 23, 2019 game due to an injury.

By Ansar Khan | [email protected] Blashill said defenseman Jonathan Ericsson has no issues playing for Grand Rapids if he clears waivers at noon Wednesday. The team and

Ericsson both agreed that he needs to play games after missing the end DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings carried the play for two periods of last season and the start of this season due to injuries. Tuesday and were threatening to take a three-goal lead on the power play when they took a penalty with one second remaining in the second period. Michigan Live LOADED: 10.24.2019 It led to a disastrous chain of events in the third period.

Bo Horvat scored a pair of power-play goals early in the period for the Vancouver Canucks, triggering a five-goal outburst that propelled them to a 5-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena, the fifth loss in a row for the Red Wings.

The Red Wings (3-6-0) have been plagued by poor special teams during this slide. They reversed a struggling power play (2 for 21 entering the game) with goals from Anthony Mantha (his seventh at 16:08 of the first) and Dennis Cholowski (his first at 9:19 of the second). But their penalty kill continues to prove costly (21 of 30, 70 percent).

“We’ll work on it, but you can’t give up that many power-play opportunities,” coach Jeff Blashill said.

Tyler Bertuzzi’s tripping penalty on Alexander Edler was a case of a player trying to do too much, not aware there wasn’t enough time to make a play even if he had gained puck possession.

“I know what Bert’s doing, he’s trying to win the puck battle, but you got to know the clock a little bit,” Blashill said. “You can’t want to try so hard that you take a penalty on the power play, can’t do it.”

Horvat, the Canucks captain who capped his first career hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:48, put in a rebound at 1:42 of the third to give his team momentum. Then, with Cholowski off for high-sticking, Horvat tipped in a shot by Quinn Hughes at 3:13 to tie it.

Dylan Larkin called them two “cheap” penalties.

“They didn’t mean to make the mistakes there but one second left and we get a tripping call and then an errant stick and we get a high-sticking,” Larkin said. “Their power play was a factor there.

“I think we’re taking too many penalties to begin with. We can kill off two or three, but when it gets up to five or six penalties, it’s so hard. We give their best players the puck that long, they’re going to make something happen. We have to stay out of the box and stay way more disciplined.”

When they’re not discipled, they must do better on the penalty kill.

“We give them two power-play goals which we can’t allow.” Justin Abdelkader said. “As a penalty killer, I take responsibility. We have to make sure that we’re all sacrificing, blocking shots. That gave them the momentum.

“We know in here when we play the right way, we can be a good team. We can’t let it unravel like that in the third period.”

The Red Wings had plenty of time to regain their composure. Larkin’s line, with Mantha and Bertuzzi, had a couple of good shifts.

But Jake Virtanen snapped the tie at 12:19 and Tim Schaller beat Jimmy Howard at 14:21 putting Vancouver (6-3-0) firmly in control.

The Red Wings have allowed five goals in four of their past five games.

“When you give up as many goals as we’ve given up and enough of it has been on the penalty kill, it crushes you,” Blashill said. “When you’re getting scored on as many times as we’re getting scored on, it’s hard to keep digging back out, and we don’t score easy, so we got to find a way to either get more scoring or we got to do a better job of giving up less goals.”

Evgeny Svechnikov, recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins earlier in the day, logged 7:28 and registered two shots on goal in his first NHL game since April 3, 2018. He missed all of 2018-19 following ACL surgery. 1109405 Edmonton Oilers For fans who have watched the Oilers go on winning streaks here and there during the Decade of Darkness and then allow themselves to let down, suffer a couple of losses, lose all confidence and allow it turn into a couple of weeks of losing, the warning lights are now flashing for the JONES: Which Edmonton Oilers are we going to see this season? first time this season.

If the team returns home where they remain undefeated at 4-0 and is determined to prove that they’re becoming a team of substance and Terry Jones choose to look at the next stretch of games as facing adversity for the October 23, 2019 3:20 PM MDT first time with the intent of triumphing together, then all is well.

The Oilers return home to play Washington on Thursday and Florida on Sunday having completed their first 10-game segment, putting up a 7-2-1 Questions about Connor McDavid & Company's identity arise following record and depositing 15 points in the bank. Do that with the remaining back-to-back shutout losses. 10-game segments, or even anything close to that, and the Oilers will not only be back in the playoffs but with home-ice advantage. The question has changed. Last year, the Oilers were a major mess on the penalty-kill, 30th overall It’s gone from ‘Are The Oilers For Real?’ to ‘Which Team Is Edmonton at 74.8 per cent. After the first 10 games this season, they’re tied for Going To Be?’ fourth at 88.2. Now there’s a danger here of this hockey team — 7-1 to start the season Edmonton finished 2018-19 ninth on the power play at 21.2 per cent. and getting people giddy — coming home from Minnesota to curse their This year, they’re tied for first at 35.7 despite the recent goal drought. fickle fans and critical media for “one bad game and …” Last season, the Oilers were 20th in goals per game at 2.79 and only five But you can’t blame Edmonton’s hockey-savvy fans that have other teams were worse in goals against at 3.30. So far this year, they’re experienced 12 of the last 13 seasons out of the playoffs for watching ninth at 3.0. that 3-0 loss from the State of Hockey and not only holding their noses but thinking “we’ve watched this movie before.” In 2018-19, Edmonton gave up 271 goals against or 3.70. Only six teams were worse. In the first 10 this year, they’ve averaged 2.40. The Oilers have been shut out in their last two games — 152 minutes and 38 seconds in all. They were minus 42 in goals for-against. They came home from Minnesota at plus seven. Connor McDavid has been held pointless in three straight games for only the second time in his career — 201 minutes and 20 seconds in total. The Oilers finished ninth on the power play at 21.2 percent. This year they’re still tied for first at 35.7 despite the recent goal drought. Off the last two games, Edmonton appears back to ‘Stop Leon Draisaitl And Connor McDavid And You Beat The Oilers’ mode. In the faceoff circle, the Oilers finished 25th in the league. They’re currently 20th. The renovations general manager Ken Holland made, allegedly upgrading the bottom six, may have improved the penalty-kill and If they keep those numbers up there, all will indeed be well. But they’re lowered the goals against to this point, but the Oilers are last in the not going to stay up there with what you just watched. league in shots on goal and had the grand total of three scoring chances against the Minnesota Wild. So it’s a fair question.

And where’s the secondary scoring? ‘Which Team Is Edmonton Going To Be?’

Now-injured Joakim Nygard scored his one goal in the Oilers’ second game of the season. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 10.24.2019 Look at the rest of them.

Combined, Gaetan Haas, Marcus Granlund, Riley Sheahan, Josh Archibald, Patrick Russell and Joel Persson have a grand total of no goals. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

Four of them don’t have any assists, either, as is also the case with 0-0-0 veteran Jujhar Khaira.

The Edmonton Oilers are flying high to start the 2019-20 NHL season, but even teams that touch the top of the standings can see their star players fall off a bit as seen in recent games.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl didn’t crowd the scoresheet in a win over Detroit and in a shutout shootout loss to the Jets, which once again underscores the need for the Oilers to conjure goals from their secondary lines.

Host Craig Ellingson talks to hockey beat writer Derek Van Diest about McDavid, Draisaitl and the forwards as well as the team’s continually solid goaltending.

Yes, this is a team that has played six of their last eight games on the road. And yes, until Tuesday, their compete level was excellent.

So give them a pass? Look the other way and pretend that game didn’t happen?

Maybe. But that last game featured the last-place team in the Central Division coming to the rink to play desperate hockey and the Oilers failing to compete at all.

Dave Tippett’s team was outplayed in every single facet of the game. And it wasn’t like goaltender Mike Smith let in a couple of soft ones early. He was their best player. 1109406 Florida Panthers

O.J. McDuffie, Roberto Luongo and Tamara James to be inducted in Broward Sports Hall of Fame

BY C. ISAIAH SMALLS II

OCTOBER 23, 2019 02:44 PM

Tamara James, Roberto Luongo and Otis James “O.J.” McDuffie will be inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame later this month, the committee announced Monday.

Also included in the 2019 class are fisherman Dr. Guy Harvey, soccer player Eddie Rodger and swimmer Jesse Vassallo.

McDuffie, a Plantation resident from central Ohio, spent his entire eight- year career with the Miami Dolphins. Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, the Penn State All-American emerged as one of Dan Marino’s favorite targets in the quarterback’s later years.

The 49-year-old now co-hosts a weekly podcast where guests share untold stories from their time either covering or working for the Fins. McDuffie also founded the Catch 81 Foundation, a nonprofit committed to improving the lives of South Florida youth.

Luongo, 40, played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks during his 20-year career. Known as one of the most successful goalies in NHL history, his 489 career wins rank third all time. After hanging up his cleats in July, the Panthers announced Luongo will be the first player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.

While his two stints in South Florida made him a fan favorite, it might have been his voice off the ice that truly cemented him in the hearts of Panthers fans. In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, Luongo gave an emotional speech to the crowd at a February Panthers game.

James, a Dania Beach native, is the quintessential definition of a South Florida legend. A graduate of South Broward High School, the 35-year- old won three state basketball championships, earning MVP honors in each game. James chose to stay local, continuing her career at the University of Miami where she became the all-time leading scorer for both men and women.

After spending nine years in the WNBA and overseas, James returned home where she was later elected mayor of Dania Beach. She now serves as a city commissioner.

Miami Herald LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109407 Florida Panthers do good things. There’s talk about doing the right things in those situations across the bench as well. I think that’s progression in the mind set and I think for the guys, finding ways to get points is what it’s all about.” The Florida Panthers are gaining momentum. Next up: A pivotal early four-game road trip TRANSACTION NEWS

Shortly after the Panthers’ win on Tuesday, the club announced it traded defenseman Ian McCoshen to the Chicago Blackhawks for forward BY JORDAN MCPHERSON Aleski Saarela.

OCTOBER 23, 2019 11:46 AM Saarela, 22, will report to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Panthers’ American Hockey League affiliate.

The Florida Panthers are finally starting to find their groove. Miami Herald LOADED: 10.24.2019 Following their 4-2 win over the perennial Stanley Cup contender Pittsburgh Penguins — a win in which the Panthers held the offensive- minded Penguins to a season-low 22 shots on goal — Florida has won three of its past four games and has earned points toward its hopeful playoff berth in six consecutive games.

But don’t expect this newfound surge of success to result in complacency.

“We’ve got lots of work ahead of us,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. “The points and win are obviously a big step for confidence and to bring the team together, but on the other hand it’s a long season and we’ve got so much work to do.”

That long season continues with a week-long trip through Canada and the West Coast of the United States.

The itinerary for the four-game, seven-day trip:

▪ Thursday against the 5-5-1 Calgary Flames.

▪ Sunday against the 7-2-1 Edmonton Oilers.

▪ Monday against the 6-3-0 Vancouver Canucks.

▪ Wednesday against the 7-1-1 Colorado Avalanche (who already have a win over the Panthers in their pocket).

The Panthers (4-2-3) get their easiest opponent first against the Flames, who have dropped two of their past three.

But the gantlet will be an uphill battle from there.

The Oilers, Canucks and Avalanche all rank in the top 10 in the league in goals allowed per game, with Vancouver (2.11, third) and Edmonton (2.30, fifth) in the top five.

Colorado is second in the league with an average of four goals per game.

“It’s an important trip for us, and it’s in really tough places, so we want to make sure that we take care of business here at home. That was a real positive coming out of today’s game,” Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said. “Going in there, we’d like to start off on the right foot. Let’s go into this trip knowing, ‘Hey, we want to make sure each and every night we’re going to look to get some points.’”

And the Panthers have done just that over the past two-plus weeks.

They racked up four out of a possible six points on a three-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, rallying from third-period deficits to force shootouts in the first two games and to win the third in regulation.

They picked up three of four points in their most recent back-to-back, dropping a home game in overtime to the Avalanche before traveling to Nashville for a shootout victory.

And then against the Penguins on Tuesday, they took the lead against the Penguins late in the second period on a strong goal from Denis Malgin, added an insurance goal from Jonathan Huberdeau with about six minutes left in regulation and sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Frank Vatrano.

“It’s just good to get some points early,” Huberdeau said. “That’s what we want.”

Now, they will see if they can continue that momentum on the road.

“Guys on the bench are good,” Quenneville said. “I think at critical times late in periods and for sure in the last 10 minutes of a game like [Tuesday], I think we want to be out there. We want the puck. We want to 1109408 Los Angeles Kings

Kings finding benefits of pressure and fast starts

By ANDREW KNOLL

PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 12:05 pm | UPDATED: October 23, 2019 at 12:06 PM

After winning consecutive games for the first time this season, the Kings roll into St. Louis, the home of the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Kings managed yet another domineering start to their 3-2 victory in Winnipeg on Tuesday. At one point in the second period, the Kings held a 31-8 shot advantage. They posted percentages of 69 or better in every major possession stat in the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick.

They have had three first periods with 20 or more shots over nine games, a figure that already eclipsed their total from last season. Recently right wing and former captain Dustin Brown said that while fast starts had been uncharacteristic of the Kings, they were a point of emphasis this season.

On Tuesday, Kings captain Anze Kopitar praised defensive pressure and a direct, shot-first mentality for the Kings’ energetic play at the outset of games.

“Usually when you’re pressing, the other team doesn’t have any juice to go back in the offense. They kind of slip the puck out or some sort and we’re right back at it,” said Kopitar, who leads the Kings with four goals and six assists, to Kings Insider Jon Rosen.

The Kings (4-5-0) got the game-winner from Kopitar, a goal from Austin Wagner (who balanced two first-period scoring chances against two first- period turnovers, with a goal going each way) and the second career goal from defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, which was awarded upon a delayed review. Jonathan Quick had another solid outing, stopping 26 of 28 shots and weathering five Winnipeg power plays.

The Blues (4-2-3) have also made themselves known for fast starts. In last year’s run to the Cup, they scored in the first minute of six playoff games and won all six contests.

They return much of their championship roster with a significant addition being defenseman Justin Faulk, whom they acquired in a trade with Carolina.

St. Louis plays a heavy game, much like Winnipeg, but with a considerably deeper and more experienced defense. Their balanced offense is led by right wing Vladamir Tarasenko, who accumulated 10 points in 9 games. Ryan O’Reilly has continued to be a two-way standout after being honored as both the NHL’s top defensive forward and postseason MVP last season.

Despite a middling start to their campaign, the Blues became the first team to beat the Colorado Avalanche in regulation, earning a 3-1 victory Monday.

“We’ve been piecing things together, but this is the first time (this year) that we played the way wanted to the entire game,” Blues defenseman and captain Alex Pietrangelo told reporters.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109409 Los Angeles Kings

Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar help Kings win in Winnipeg

Staff Report

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |

PUBLISHED: October 22, 2019 at 8:14 pm | UPDATED: October 23, 2019 at 12:15 am

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Kings coach Todd McLellan was all praises for goalie Jonathan Quick after the Kings’ latest win.

Quick finished with 26 saves and helped the Kings shut down all five Winnipeg power plays in a 3-2 victory over the Jets on Tuesday night.

“We saw what we expect to see from him on a nightly basis,” McLellan said. “The best penalty killer is the goaltender and I thought Quickie was that tonight.”

Anze Kopitar scored a power-play goal in the third period for the Kings, who won their second straight after losing the previous three. Austin Wagner and Kurtis MacDermid also scored, and Quick got an assist on Kopitar’s fourth goal of the season.

The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and 2-2 following the second.

Kopitar then turned on the speed to get around Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and took a backhand shot that bounced off goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s arm into the net at 5:52 of the third.

“I don’t understand how the third (goal) goes in,” said Hellebuyck, who made 38 saves. “I played that perfectly in my book so, you know, I guess it’s just an unlucky night.”

Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets, who lost four of five on a homestand.

“We’re a little snake-bit right now,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “Maybe because of that we’re feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves. … We’ve got a young team. I think not just the young players, but even the veteran guys, when it’s not bouncing our way and you’re in the fight, you’re in the fight and you just can’t seem to get it turned around.”

The Kings were outshooting the Jets 11-2 just over seven minutes into the game after Winnipeg took a pair of early penalties.

Wagner’s goal at 10:32 was off a rebound into an open side of the net, but the Hellebuyck was distracted by the stick of teammate Dmitry Kulikov that got tangled in his mask.

Connor beat Quick with a high shot to tie it with just under three minutes left after a Kings turnover in their end. His fourth goal of the season was Winnipeg’s first 5-on-5 goal in 255:20, dating to Oct. 13.

The Kings outshot the Jets 21-5 in the first period and boosted the margin to 32-17 after the second.

“The team did a great job of just trying to prevent as much as possible because they’ve got some guys who can skate and shoot,” Quick said.

The Kings went ahead 2-1 at 4:16 of the second after a review of MacDermid’s shot determined the puck had crossed the goal line before Hellebuyck stopped it with his pad.

Ehlers tied it up after tipping in a point shot by Neal Pionk with 7:32 left.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109410 Los Angeles Kings Check out my virtual coach’s board below for how it’s supposed to look when executed properly:

That’s the technical portion of this piece. Here’s the fun stuff, but before How the Kings’ new forecheck has added speed, purpose, excitement we dive into some more clips, let’s remember the clips I showed above, and more goals of the Kings’ forecheck last season with a lack of speed, purpose, and intensity. This season has been different. Starting with a clip from Saturday’s victory against the Calgary Flames, notice the difference in those aforementioned areas during an important moment of the game By Jordan Samuels-Thomas following a Tyler Toffoli goal. (The shift following a goal is always Oct 23, 2019 important for momentum.)

Alex Iafallo’s pressure forced the Calgary defenseman into a quick decision — a reverse —back to into traffic where Anze Kopitar quickly Todd McLellan signing on as the Kings’ new head coach meant that arrived and was ready to jump the other Calgary defender. Calgary was there would be sweeping changes to L.A.’s special teams, offense, able to advance the puck up the half-wall to a winger, who was met by a defense, transition and almost every area of the game. Essentially they swinging Dustin Brown, who was able to cause a turnover and slow the all needed improvement under McLellan’s direction, and for most areas, Calgary attack. the only direction to go was up. In this next clip Micheal Amadio (F1) did a great job of coming into the The Kings’ forecheck arguably has gone through the greatest forecheck fast and with purpose, forcing the defender to reverse the puck transformation under McLellan. The progress is something that can’t be into traffic. This next part should be encouraging to Kings leadership and measured by analytics or attributed to structure, but rather, speed and fans, as Ilya Kovalchuk is on his toes as F2, forcing the defender to make purpose have been the main ingredients that have made the Kings’ a “hope” puck up the boards. Even better, Kovalchuk finishes his check forecheck far more formidable this season. on the defender and gains inside position in his route toward the goal and is ready to compete for the puck that would eventually make its way to There were times last season – a lot – when it was difficult to pin a the net. Lewis and the strong-side defenseman of the Kings did a great particular forechecking scheme to the Kings, especially toward the end of job working in tandem to complete the turnover, keep the puck in and the season with an interim coach (Willie Desjardins) who the players create offense with a shot toward the goal. knew was on his way out. There were a lot of single-man forechecks, meaning the rest of the players on the ice watched one guy go while they In this final clip of the Kings’ forecheck, Kovalchuk again worked hard — puck-watched on their heels. this time as F1 — forcing the defender to move it up the wall to his partner. Kyle Clifford read the play and met the player at the puck, not In addition to looking disjointed, last season’s forecheck lacked purpose allowing the Buffalo defender to make a play. and intensity. Missed hits, swinging away from pucks and allowing time and space for both the opposing puck carrier and their options made the This play happened fast, and realizing this, the Kings’ defender worked Kings’ forecheck easy to play against. The Kings were an easy breakout his way down the wall and forced the turnover with F3 filling in at the top last season, which meant less time in the offensive zone. in case the puck snuck by.

Look how easy it was for Vegas to breakout against the Kings in a These are three great examples of how suffocating the Kings’ forecheck sequence from last season. can be. A strong forecheck leads to more zone time, and with more zone time come more offensive opportunities. Trevor Lewis worked hard to be first man in and apply pressure to William Karlsson, who was retrieving the puck. Lewis was unable to get a The Kings were ranked 29th in expected goals per/60 last season but good angle on Karlsson and was unable get a piece of Karlsson’s body currently sit first in the same category this season (per Evolving Hockey). to slow him down. The other Kings forwards didn’t take a stride upon The Kings rank 13th in goals per game this season, averaging 3.00, a entering the offensive zone, which left Karlsson’s outlets open for true improvement from last season’s rank of 30th averaging 2.43 goals support. When Karlsson eventually reversed the puck behind the net, all per game. A lot of this has to do with a forecheck that is fast, purposeful three forwards swung away instead of stopping and starting. This and intense. sequence was way too easy for the Golden Knights and a was common occurrence for the Kings in 2018-19. L.A. also has done a much better job this season of dumping the puck in with purpose. They’ve placed dumps in positions where they can win Speed and purpose were missing from the Kings’ forecheck. So was races to the puck, or at the very least put it in a position where they can intensity. However, that was last year. The 2019-20 season brings a new compete for it. philosophy to Los Angeles. Speed, purpose and intensity look to be prerequisites for earning ice time under McLellan, and everyone appears When the Kings’ F1s win the initial race for the puck, they usually play to be held accountable to this standard of playing. the puck away from traffic and to the other side of the net for the F2s, who are waiting and have a bit more time and space than F1 to make a The Kings’ forecheck is simple, and for the most part requires no thought play. When the Kings are successful at recovering the puck on the from the Kings’ forwards. forecheck, they waste no time getting the puck on goal. The Kings’ forwards have worked hard this season in winning races to the net and Forward 1 (F1) — Forecheck the puck with the objective of getting a hit creating net-front traffic. The defensemen have done well in consistently on the opposing player in the battle — usually a defenseman (D1) — getting pucks on goal through traffic. Here is a great example. and/or make them uncomfortable enough to move the puck quickly. Once body contact is made, establish inside position. There’s a lot to like about the Kings’ forecheck under McLellan. The forwards have played disciplined hockey for the most part and have Forward 2 (F2) — Find the other defenseman (D2) and attack him, worked hard to get back into solid defensive position in transition almost as hard as F1 is attacking the puck. If the player F1 is competing situations. The defensemen have played responsibly as well and have against gets to the puck first, the goal is to be right on the top of F1’s first made the right reads more times than not. outlet (D2), and ready to jump D2 if D1 moves him the puck. F2 always finds D2 whether it’s on the weak side of the ice or strong. However, like with any forecheck, there are holes that can be found in this aggressive approach. In order for this forecheck to work, both F1 and Forward 3 (F3) — Supports the forecheck on the strong side of the ice F2 have to be on the same page and do their jobs. If F1 does his job in (Strong side: side of the ice that the puck is on). If the puck moves across successfully separating his man from the puck or forcing his man to the ice, F3 sweeps across and supports F2 on the defensive side of the make a quick, tough play to his partner, he expects and needs F2 to be puck while F1 fills the middle of the ice. If the F1 or F2 is able to stop the there and apply the same pressure in order for the forecheck to be breakout, F3 comes in for close support in case F1 and F2 win their successful. If F2 is late, that takes F3 and the strong-side D out of rhythm battles. because they have to read what the puck-carrier is going to do, because Defensemen — The Kings’ defensemen read off their forwards. There he now has time and space due to F2 not being there quick enough. are times when they are aggressive in coming down the walls and other Or if F1 wins the initial race to the puck and tries to move the point of times they are passive. It all depends on the situation. attack by pushing the puck to the other side, where he expected F2 to be waiting, the forecheck is off and becomes an easy breakout for the opponents.

This happened just the other night, during the second goal of the Kings’ 3-0 loss to Buffalo. Kovalchuk did a great job in winning the race to the puck and moving it behind the net as F1. However, F2 was late, which led to F3 taking a bad angle and the strong-side defenseman stepping up because F3 had to swing away. This series of decisions all started with F2 being a half-second slow to his spot. The result is this 2-on-1 that started from the Kings’ offensive zone.

As always, it’s easy to go through film and find negatives – or positives – of a team or player. But in this case, there’s a lot to like about what McLellan has brought to the Kings in this area of the game. When the Kings are forechecking with this type of intensity and purpose, they are a hard team to play against.

A strong forecheck sets the tone for the game, and usually will be the deciding factor in whether a team is possessing or chasing the puck all night. If the Kings are having a strong game on the forecheck, it should serve as a precursor for success in all the other 5-on-5 areas of the game and serve as a barometer for their overall compete and execution level.

While they might not be as “heavy” as their Stanley Cup-winning teams, the Kings can still overwhelm the opposition with speed, purpose and intensity in their forecheck.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109411 Los Angeles Kings Huge kill, because of a couple of blocked shots – one by Sutter and another by Anderson. That’s crucial for a successful PK. But once again we brought this on ourselves by neutral-zone turnovers, puck ends up in your end and you take a penalty, then the puck goes over the glass for a FINAL – ONTARIO 2, BAKERSFIELD 1 – LUFF, LADUE, STOTHERS second penalty. Both those penalties don’t need to happen if we keep the puck moving north

On Paul LaDue’s play tonight, on the PK and overall ZACH DOOLEY Laddy led our team in total time on ice and five minutes of it was while OCTOBER 23, 2019 shorthanded. He did a hell of a job for us tonight, best game I have seen him play in a long while. The reason it has been so long is because of the injury bug. He has had to battle thru some nagging injuries that are not It was a tale of two Ontario Reign teams tonight. bad enough to keep him out of the line up but annoying enough to affect his play but he has been feeling real good of late and that’s the way I The first team, which started the game, was pinned in their own end, with know Paulie can play. the play of goaltender Cal Petersen keeping the scoreline at a 1-0 game. Ontario was outshot 18-3 in the first period. Then, earlier in the middle On Matt Luff generating chances and getting his first of the season frame, the Reign took a pair of penalties, in a five-second span, that put tonight them shorthanded, two men down, for nearly a full two minutes. Luffer has been shooting the puck, he just wasn’t finding the mark. The unit of Mikey Anderson, Paul LaDue and Brett Sutter killed off the Tonight, with great determination, he scored a big goal for us. He is a majority of the infractions, with a couple of crucial blocks in that sniper and eventually they find a way to produce. He is feeling real good sequence, and the Reign turned things around from there. Ontario got a on the ice right now so I am sure there will be many more to follow. pair of goals, from forward Matt Luff and LaDue less than 30 seconds apart to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage that they would not Cal likes to start practice with about 20 – 30 shots from Luffer before we relinquish down the stretch. officially begin the entire team practice. So we are just carrying it over into the games. Let Cal get a good feel of rubber early and then we wait It wasn’t pretty at times – Ontario went 19:25 without a shot on goal in for him to give us the nod that he’s had enough. We will bring it up again the first period and, as aforementioned, got a stout performance from before the next game Dools, for at least the seventh straight time. Petersen to keep the deficit to just a single goal until things got going. The pair of timely goals were both gritty goals, with Luff’s coming on a third effort in front and LaDue’s coming from a sharp angle from the right LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.24.2019 corner, that forward Carl Grundstrom appeared to help will over the line in front. In the third, Petersen helped slam the door shut as he stopped 35-of-36 in total on the evening, as he moved his personal record, and the Reign’s overall record, to 4-1-1 on the season.

At the end of the day, the Reign have points from five of their first six games, which has them at nine points in the Pacific Division standings. The group knows it’s relied on goaltending too much in the first six games, but has also shown glimpses of a team that can create chances and control the game at times too. Tonight featured both of those teams, and fortunately for the Reign it ended with two points and a second win from two trips to Bakersfield this season.

Ontario is back in action this weekend, with a home-and-home set against San Diego, beginning on Friday evening at Pechanga Arena.

Paul LaDue on the massive 5-on-3 PK in the second period

Yeah, I think that kind of turned things around for us. Obviously we didn’t have the start we wanted, gave up way too many shots and Cal kept us in it. That 5-on-3 kind of gave us the boost we needed and after that, I thought we dominated play and that’s how we need to play going forward.

On if that second half was encouraging, to see how the team can play when on their game

For sure, and we’ve had glimpses of it in the first [six] games, but we haven’t played a full 60 yet. We know how to play, we know we’ve got to get pucks deep and get on our forecheck, but we’ve just got to put it together for a full 60.

On getting his first goal of the season, tonight’s game-winning goal

It’s about time. It was a good play by Kempe, Carl did well up front to distract the goalie I think, but yeah for sure, it feels good.

On if he feels he’s getting his legs under him, after his injuries before the season

I’m feeling better and better each game, so I’ve just got to keep working, keep moving forward and keep getting better.

On Cal Petersen’s play when the team got off to a slow start

It’s incredible, he’s been lights out all season. We’ve got to work on helping him out a little bit, because it’d be tough to keep up what he’s doing for 65 games, but we trust him and he’s been coming up big for us.

Mike Stothers on the 5-on-3 PK in the second period 1109412 Los Angeles Kings this is for my F6 button, it’s much better to be competing from their lofty rates and metrics perch rather than the inverse.

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: OCTOBER 23 LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.24.2019

JON ROSEN

OCTOBER 23, 2019

ADVANCED STATSGAME STORY

The LA Kings played a similar game to those constructed during their most recent home stand, again finding success by executing their forecheck well and funneling pucks and bodies to the net against a decimated blue line that had trouble getting the puck into the hands of their forwards in early stretches. But “the focus in the room isn’t our defensemen, but our defense, our five-man,” Paul Maurice said Tuesday morning, and while the Jets struggled with pressure collapsing around Connor Hellebuyck from all angles, they were eventually able to sustain a forecheck and pushed Los Angeles back during the end of the second period and through the first 14 minutes of the third. Credit Austin Wagner for rebounding from a pair of early-game turnovers, including one on a short dish from Doughty in which he waited a beat too long to make a play and was dispossessed by Kyle Connor, who skated to the slot and scored off a Bryan Little feed. Interestingly, Tuesday’s game was a rollercoaster for several centrally involved figures, such as Wagner, who scored, was forced off the puck on the Connor goal, and then drew the late Neal Pionk penalty after he ticked important seconds off the clock by nearly freezing it twice and then kicking it to Michael Amadio. Ditto for Kurtis MacDermid, whose roughing minor was his fourth minor penalty in his first 26 minutes of the season but hopped out of the box and supplied an important go-ahead goal that allowed the Kings to take the lead on the scoreboard again in a game they were dominating territorially.

Darcy Finley/NHLI

More good hustlin’ from Blake Lizotte. Good energy, good skating, good willingness to go to hard areas against larger players. One thing I was interested to keep an eye on during the game was how Maurice matched lines against Los Angeles with the expectation that Winnipeg’s top guns would probably see time against a 5-foot-7 second line center who has 10 games of NHL experience. But McLellan doesn’t necessarily view Lizotte as a rookie, but rather a player “I want to keep putting him on the ice,” as he shared after the game. The forwards Lizotte saw the most 5×5 ice time against were, in order, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Bryan Little, Mark Scheifele and Patrick Laine. He also tied up Carl Dahlstrom’s stick on an important play in a tied third period in front of a wide-open net. The Lizotte-Carter penalty killing duo did a good job winning boards battles and keeping attempts wide amidst a 5-for-5 performance. “There’s guys that are difficult to play against when they have the puck, and there are some that are difficult to play against when they don’t have the puck,” Todd McLellan said after the game. “He’s both, and I feel comfortable playing him in any situation against any line because I know he’s got a relentless attitude and he drags people into the game. That line’s been a very good line for us, and he plays a huge part of that.”

Darcy Finley/NHLI

Still a few too many penalties being taken, but the Kings have also done a pretty good job in drawing penalties, ranking 11th in total power play time with the 10th most time spent killing penalties. And the penalties on Tuesday were the avoidable stick fouls and the late MacDermid rough, so those will have to be addressed before this develops into a trend that they’ve largely avoided this decade, given their epochal possession tendencies. They were a good even strength team at Winnipeg, outshooting the Jets 29-18 at five-on-five, where they added on another two goals. That actually reduced the Kings’ 5×5 GF/60 rate of 3.01 (!) that ranks fourth in the league (!!) behind Nashville, Colorado and Tampa Bay (!!!). These rates matter little nine games into the season (which may need to be programmed into my F5 button, given the number of times I’ve said that over the last two weeks) but do offer an indication, along with their three 20-shot periods to date, that they’ve graded quite well in executing McLellan’s forecheck. No team is within 2.8 5×5 SOG/60 of Los Angeles, a sorely needed systematic re-buttressing in the aftermath of last year’s structural malaise. It’s not only about the statistics. So many other factors enter into the full team evaluation. But again, and maybe 1109413 Los Angeles Kings

PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ BAKERSFIELD, 10/23

ZACH DOOLEY

OCTOBER 23, 2019

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign begin a three games in four days stretch this evening, with their second trip of the month to Bakersfield. Ontario enters tonight’s action off of a 5-2 victory on Saturday afternoon in San Jose.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign welcomed forward Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot to the lineup on Saturday in San Jose, as both made their AHL season debuts. One lineup alteration to expect is in the goaltending tandem, with Cole Kehler reassigned to Ontario on Monday and Matthew Villalta reassigned to Fort Wayne, though Cal Petersen was first off this morning. Ontario visits Bakersfield for the second time this month, following a 3-2 overtime win for the Reign on Saturday, October 5.

BJORN STAR: Reign defenseman Tobias Bjornfot was impactful in his AHL debut on Saturday, as he scored his first career professional goal, a first-period PPG, and added an assist in the 5-2 win. With his goal, Bjornfot became the first player born in the 21st century to score a goal in the AHL. Earlier this month, Bjornfot became the fifth younger player in Los Angeles franchise history to appear in a game for the Kings, when he made his NHL debut on October 5 in Edmonton.

FRK’N FIVE: Ontario forward Martin Frk collected his first multi-point game of the season on Saturday, which extended his scoring streak to five games to open his first campaign with the Reign. Frk has totaled six points (4-2-6) from five games played, tied with forward Mario Kempe for the Reign lead in points on the season. The Czech Republic native is tied for seventh in the AHL in goals scored and 11th in penalty minutes.

HOME GRUN: Reign forward Carl Grundstrom also collected two points in the win over San Jose, as he scored twice on Saturday. Grundstrom announced his return to the AHL with a first-period tally, followed by a late empty-net goal. Grundstrom skated in 13 games a season ago with Ontario, collecting 10 points (3-7-10) and has totaled seven points (5-2-7) from 16 NHL games with the Kings over this and last season.

THE COLETENDER: The Reign added goaltender Cole Kehler to the roster on Monday, after he began the season with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. Kehler posted a 2-1-0 record with Fort Wayne, along with a 3.37 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Kehler was on the Ontario roster a season ago, as well as the Kings roster, but did not appear in an AHL or NHL game.

INJURY UPDATE: The Reign welcomed defenseman Sean Durzi back to the ice this morning, as he skated with the team for the first time since Opening Night on October 4. Durzi had been deemed “week-to-week” with an upper body injury, which he suffered in the 5-0 victory over San Jose. Durzi skated this morning in a non-contact, red jersey, the next step for the rookie blueliner in returning to the Ontario lineup.

SCOUTING THE CONDORS: Bakersfield has been paced offensively by forward Brad Malone, who leads the team with six points (1-5-6), along with forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Josh Currie, who has each tallied four goals on the season. Forward Tyler Benson, who has five assists from five games played on the season, led all scorers in the Ontario – Bakersfield matchup last season with 15 points (5-10-15) from 10 games played.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109414 Minnesota Wild

Nashville Predators play the Minnesota Wild

Staff Report

By The Associated Press Associated Press

OCTOBER 24, 2019 — 2:10AM

Nashville finished 47-29-6 overall and 27-21-2 in Western Conference action a season ago. The Predators scored 33 power play goals on 255 power play opportunities last season.

Minnesota went 12-10-4 in Central Division games and 21-18-2 on the road during the 2018-19 season. The Wild scored 210 total goals last season, 49 on power plays and five shorthanded.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Predators won the last matchup 5-2.

Predators Injuries: Filip Forsberg: day to day (lower body).

Wild Injuries: Jordan Greenway: day to day (undisclosed), Devan Dubnyk: day to day (upper body).

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109415 Minnesota Wild

Gameday preview: Wild at Nashville

Staff Report

OCTOBER 23, 2019 — 6:51PM

Preview: Coming off its first consecutive victories of the season, the Wild returns to the road, where it plays nine of its 13 games this month. The team started its season in Nashville, losing 5-2, and has a 1-5 record away from home. The Predators have the NHL’s highest-scoring offense (4.22 goals per game) and ended a two-game losing streak Tuesday with a 6-1 victory over Anaheim.

Players to WATCH: Wild G Alex Stalock, who finished off a shutout over Edmonton on Tuesday after Devan Dubnyk was injured, is the likely starter. He is first in the NHL in goals-against average (1.64) and ranks fourth in save percentage (. 942). F Ryan Ellis (one goal, 11 assists) and F Matt Duchene (two goals, nine assists) lead a Predators offense that has scored five or more goals in five of the team’s nine games.

Numbers: The Wild has two shutouts in its past five games, after earning only two shutouts all of last season. Nashville’s penalty kill ranks second- to-last in the league (69%).

Injuries: Wild G Devan Dubnyk (upper body), F Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), F Kevin Fiala (lower body) and D Greg Pateryn (core muscle) are out; F Victor Rask (lower body) is day-to-day. Nashville F Filip Forsberg (lower body) is day-to-day.

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109416 Minnesota Wild Although the group's potential looked bleak when it sat 1-6, Tuesday's outing gave the Wild evidence it can deliver what was missing early on — clutch contributions courtesy of its offensive leaders and stingy work by its defenders. Wild recalls goalie Kaapo Kahkonen ahead of return trip to Nashville "Hopefully going forward this is what we put forth every night," Dumba said.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune

OCTOBER 23, 2019 — 10:45PM Star Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019

Three weeks ago, the Wild took to the ice in Nashville feeling optimistic to begin a new season.

And on Thursday, the team will carry the same positive vibe into its matchup with the Predators at Bridgestone Arena but for a very different reason.

After slumping into the worst start in franchise history — a flop that kicked off with a 5-2 gut punch from Nashville on Oct. 3 — the Wild has shown signs of improving by winning two in a row, momentum that could validate its turnaround as legit if it continues.

"It feels awesome," defenseman Matt Dumba said. "This team is trending in the right direction after falling on some hard times early. This is the team that we know we had."

The most significant endorsement that the Wild (3-6) is recovering came Tuesday when it blanked the Oilers 3-0 at Xcel Energy.

The team's most convincing performance yet came against an Edmonton squad that had been an impressive 7-1-1.

High-flying forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have combined for 33 points so far, were non-factors. McDavid registered only two shots on goal, Draisaitl one.

"Obviously, one of the best players in the league on the other side, and he's off to a pretty good start," center Eric Staal said. "So we had a collective effort between [captain Mikko Koivu's] line and [Luke Kunin's line] and then our defense core. They did a phenomenal job against those guys, limiting their time."

Backup Alex Stalock and starter Devan Dubnyk tag-teamed for the shutout, with Stalock making 16 saves in relief after Dubnyk left in the second period after a collision that sent him falling on his back.

How Dubnyk is feeling is unclear; the team did not practice Wednesday ahead of traveling to Nashville. But the Wild did recall goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen from the American Hockey League under emergency conditions and placed winger Kevin Fiala on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury.

Whether winger Jordan Greenway is better is also a mystery. He left Tuesday's game in the first period after a heavy check from the Oilers' Josh Archibald but before then, Greenway had one of his more memorable showings of the season.

He was involved in the Wild's first two goals, getting the puck to the front of the net for Staal to finish before shrugging off an Oilers player behind the net and passing off to the point in the lead-up to Staal's second tally. Greenway recorded his fourth career multipoint game, and he's accumulated five assists in his past five contests.

"He's in beast mode at that point," coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Greenway wasn't the only one to have a breakout night.

Staal was the showstopper, potting his first two goals of the season in his ninth appearance — the latest he'd scored into a season in his career. The longest it'd taken him before this was his sixth game during his rookie season in 2003-04.

Add in an assist Tuesday, and Staal has four points in his past two games.

"Eventually it was going to happen," Boudreau said. "But I think you could see the elevation in his game even from two games ago to last game to this game. It's just been going skyward, so to me it was a matter of time before he did something."

Now the challenge for the entire team is to keep playing this way. 1109417 Minnesota Wild

Savvy, energy and perseverance are winning formula for Wild against Oilers

By Randy Johnson

OCTOBER 23, 2019 — 8:29AM

They strode into Xcel Energy Center with a 7-1-1 record, the NHL’s best power play and speed to burn. The Edmonton Oilers seemingly had every trait the Wild would want – youth, star power and a hot start that will excite a fan base.

So, of course the team that entered the game with a 2-6 record, a starting goalie with a 4.18 goals-against average and flaws that fostered a skeptical public would skate away with a dominant, 3-0 victory.

Hey, that’s hockey, where the first team to three goals usually wins, and the Wild got to those three in a hurry Tuesday night. In front of 17,189 at Xcel – the second consecutive non-sellout after 251 games in a row of announced full crowds – the Wild used a mix of veteran savvy, youthful energy and perseverance to blank the Oilers.

The savvy came from Eric Staal, who backhanded a pair of shots past Oilers goalie Mike Smith for his first two goals the season during a 1:15 span in the first period. Staal, who’ll turn 35 on Oct. 29, also assisted on Brad Hunt’s power-play goal that made it 3-0 at 16:46 of the first.

“You could see the elevation in his game,’’ coach Bruce Boudreau said. “… It was a matter of time.’’

The youthful energy came in the first period from Jordan Greenway, the 6-6, 225-pound 22-year-old who has five assists in his past five games after setting up both goals by Staal. Greenway was in “beast mode,’’ according to Boudreau, and his strong work with the puck was especially evident on Staal’s second goal, when he fended off Riley Sheahan with one arm while driving around the net and dishing a pass to defenseman Carson Soucy, who fed Staal. Greenway, however, was blasted on a check by Josh Archibald. His lip was bleeding, and he left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Boudreau said Greenway likely would accompany the team for Thursday’s game at Nashville.

“He looked determined and like a guy who wanted to be a difference- maker today,’’ Staal said of Greenway.

And the perseverance came from goalie Alex Stalock, who was thrust into the game when starter Devan Dubnyk was injured in the second period. Stalock entered to a shorthanded situation but quickly snuffed out an Oilers chance and finished with 16 saves to preserve the team shutout.

“It’s a tough place to put the goalie in when the power play is going 38 percent against you,’’ Boudreau said. “… Al made a big save, and that got him into the game right away.’’

First for a night and now for two in a row, the Wild’s formula for winning has come together. Will it last? We’ll see, but the team’s coach came away with some spring in his step, something that hasn’t happened often in this young season.

“That was,’’ Boudreau said, “our most complete game this year.’’

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109418 Minnesota Wild

Toughest job in sports? Wild G Alex Stalock stopped Oiler’s power play cold

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 2:48 pm | UPDATED: October 23, 2019 at 2:48 PM

Alex Stalock had about 30 seconds to mentally prepare.

As soon as Devan Dubnyk hit the ice after being table-topped in the crease, Stalock had an inkling he was probably going to have to relieve him.

Already suited up on the bench, the South St. Paul native shifted his mind into game mode as quickly as possible, readying himself to face the potent Edmonton Oilers attack.

Asked about the process after the game, Stalock downplayed the entire thing. He’s been a backup for most of his career, so he’s learned the art of coming in cold and performing at a high level.

“That’s just the way I am,” Stalock said. “I follow the play (on the bench) and watch. … You watch the tendencies of players. I’ve seen them so many times where I can sit back and say, ‘This guy likes to shoot here.” It’s just kind of tendencies.”

The situation Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center was exacerbated by the fact that the No. 1-ranked Oilers power play was trotting onto the ice as Stalock stepped between the pipes.

“I knew I was going to get shots,” Stalock said. “It’s like “Alright. Let’s go.’ ”

Maybe the trial by fire was the best thing for Stalock. He made a big save right away and parlayed that into a 16-save effort to preserve the shutout as the Wild earned a 3-0 win.

“I thought Al did a great job coming in,” said Eric Staal, who broke out of his slump with two goals. “It’s got to be one of the toughest jobs in sports coming in cold like that and facing the best power play in the league. It was a great job by him.”

Asked specifically about that stretch, coach Bruce Boudreau praised Stalock for being mentally though.

“It was really critical,” Boudreau said. “It’s a tough place to put the goalie when a power play is going at 38 percent.”

It appears Stalock will get the call again Thursday in Nashville. Not surprisingly, Dubnyk (upper-body injury) didn’t make the trip to the Music City and the team listed him as day-to-day.

The Wild recalled Kaapo Kahkonen from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League to serve as backup, and placed winger Kevin Fiala (lower-body injury) on injured reserve to make room.

The trainer’s room is getting crowded with Joel Eriksson Ek (lower-body), Victor Rask (lower-body), and Greg Pateryn (sports hernia) also on the mend.

“There’s a few guys we’ve got to worry about now,” Stalock said. “Obviously, missing a couple of guys (on Tuesday night), it says a lot for guys to step up and play big minutes.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109419 MontrealCanadiens “I mean, I don’t think it’s going to go all year without scoring,” he said. “But I’m not focused on just scoring a goal and cheating my game elsewhere. It will happen when it happens. I’m just focusing on making sure I do all the little things that lead up to the goal. Not just cheating to Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Paul Byron working hard to find his game try and score one.”

Good things normally happen to hockey players who work hard every shift. Byron is one of those guys, so don’t expect his slump to last much STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE longer. Updated: October 23, 2019

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.24.2019 When the Canadiens claimed Paul Byron off waivers from the Calgary Flames the day before the 2015-16 NHL season started, he couldn’t really imagine himself becoming a leader and a key player on the team.

“No, not really, to be honest,” Byron said about now being an assistant captain. “Whenever you get put on waivers, I don’t think that’s your first thought. I was just trying to come in and fit in and try and seize an opportunity here in Montreal.

“I’m thankful for every opportunity I’ve got from this team, this organization, and I’m extremely lucky and proud to be where I am today,” the 30-year-old added after practice Wednesday at Brossard’s Bell Sports Complex. “Now my focus is on winning … it’s what I want to do here. I think the team’s going in the right direction and it’s the only thing I care about.”

The Canadiens are off to a 4-3-2 start and Byron has two assists but is still looking for his first goal. Last season, Byron scored 15 goals while playing only 56 games because of injuries. He previously recorded seasons of 22 and 20 goals. He’s not playing the way he wants to so far this season.

“There’s nothing I can do to go back and change the nine games,” he said. “I’m certainly disappointed in myself, I’d say, at this point. But there’s still a lot of hockey left in the season to play. That’s the optimistic side of me is focusing on the future games and making sure that I’m better than I was yesterday. That’s my focus right now in practice. Just being a better player every day. Being better on the ice, compete harder and I know good things will come.

“I know my impact on this team,” he added. “I know how important I am when I’m on my game and I need to be at that level to help.”

Byron suffered an upper-body injury during a pre-season game this year and also suffered a concussion during a fight last season with the Florida Panthers’ MacKenzie Weegar, who was looking for revenge after a hit from Byron earlier in the year. Byron served a three-game suspension for his hit.

But even if either of those injuries were affecting him now, Byron is simply not the type of player who makes excuses. He is a standup guy on and off the ice.

“It’s been almost six months since then,” Byron said about the fight. “I never really had any symptoms from the fight. I just had the balance knocked out of me. It’s not in the back of my mind. I’m not worried about going out there and fighting anybody. I know I don’t have to prove myself. I made the hit, I stood up, I fought the guy and, unfortunately, that happened. But right now it has nothing to do with being injured, having a head injury. It’s about competing, it’s about focusing, it’s about battling. I just need to be a bit better than I am right now.

“Adversity is nothing new for me,” Byron added. “I just got to relish the adversity and push to get better. I know our team has a lot better hockey ahead of us and I know I can be a part of the improvement.”

Byron is hoping that improvement starts Thursday night when the San Jose Sharks visit the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Byron has been watching a lot of video — which he says doesn’t lie — to help him get his game back on track while trying to improve every day at practice.

“It’s always little steps at a time,” he said. “The biggest thing for me right now is competing and battling every shift and kind of being a pain in the butt to play against. I know it’s not fun when I’m hounding guys all night and getting in the corners and getting gritty. I think the team really feeds off that. I’m going to try and bring that every shift, every night. I really got to get back to that level.”

Byron thinks he’s close to finding his game and hopes that getting that first goal will get him back on track offensively. 1109420 MontrealCanadiens only twice in the first nine games and Domi is on a six-game point streak with 2-5-7 totals during that span.

Canadiens coach reunites Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin on same line Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.24.2019

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: October 23, 2019

Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin got a nice surprise when he showed up for practice Wednesday morning at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard and discovered he’d be on the same line with Max Domi.

Drouin and Domi started last season playing together and had some early success. But head coach Claude Julien split them up in January and never put them back together.

Drouin struggled down the stretch last season, scoring only one goal in his last 26 games and going pointless in 16 of his last 18. It was surprising that Julien never put Drouin back with Domi at some point down the stretch to try to get Drouin back on track offensively as the Canadiens came up two points short of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Drouin still matched his career high for points last season with 18-35-53 totals, while Domi set career highs in goals, assists and points with 28- 44-72 totals.

When Drouin looked at the board in the locker room Wednesday morning, he saw his name beside Domi’s on the list of lines. Joel Armia, who missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, and rookie Nick Suzuki rotated in at right wing on the line at practice. Drouin has been on a line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Armia most of this season, while Domi has had Lehkonen as his regular left-winger.

“Obviously, it was cool to see,” Drouin said about the lines. “I’ve had chemistry with KK and Army, but we’re trying something new. For us (with Domi), we’ve had chemistry in the past where we’ve played well together. But sometimes it’s me and him just playing together. We’ve got to involve everybody and we’ll have good success if we do.

“I don’t know who’s going to be playing with us, but they’re two very good players,” Drouin added about Suzuki and Armia. “Nick is very smart and, from what I see at his age, he’s poised with the puck. He’s not nervous to make a play. He seems to be making the right decisions. The way Armia’s playing, too, whoever’s on that line I think we’re going to have success and create a lot of offence.”

Armia said after practice that he expects to play Thursday at the Bell Centre against the San Jose Sharks (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). Tomas Tatar left Wednesday’s practice early after taking a shot off his foot and Suzuki filled his spot at left wing on the No. 1 line with Phillip Danault at centre and Brendan Gallagher on right wing.

If Armia and Tatar can’t play Thursday night, the Canadiens will have to call up another forward from the AHL’s Laval Rocket, probably Ryan Poehling.

Julien noted that he didn’t just reunite Domi and Drouin, he put three players together on a line. When asked about the timing of the move, the coach said: “There is no timing. We put them together. We’ve also got other options we’ve been mulling over, different line combinations.

“I don’t think we need to blow up anything,” Julien added. “I don’t think we’ve been outplayed to the point where you say this is definitely a disaster and we need to blow things up. We’re trying things and I could easily go back to old lines. I’m telling you guys right now, get used to it. It’s going to happen all year because we have a lot of depth in our lineup and we have a lot of different combinations. We’re fortunate enough that we’re capable of using it and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Drouin and Domi are close friends off the ice and are hoping that will carry over to their chemistry on the ice.

“We watch hockey, we text each other about hockey and all that stuff,” Drouin said. “We watch plays, we even talk about equipment and all that stuff when we’re together. It’s going to be nice to have a player where you hang out and you spend time with.”

Domi is averaging a point per game this season with 3-6-9 totals, while Drouin has 3-5-8 totals. They have both been held off the scoresheet 1109421 MontrealCanadiens The Canadiens’ Paul Byron is still looking for his first goal this season with only two assists after nine games.

Julien’s not overly concerned about Byron’s play. Canadiens Notebook: Joel Armia hoping to play Thursday vs. Sharks “Paul is definitely not hurting us,” the coach said. “He’s still a player. But I think people are used to seeing him do more, so are we. I guess that’s the part that he’s trying to find right now. I don’t think it’s a big STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE adjustment. When Paul plays the game, you normally notice him. At the end of the night, you say he either had a breakaway with his speed or he Updated: October 23, 2019 threw a big hit or great backcheck or a battle here or there. I think right now in my discussion with him, too, he says at the end of the night: I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished those kind of things. So there’s no doubt The Canadiens had a day off on Monday and Armia didn’t practise with he’s trying to find his game. We know that he’s a very useful and his teammates on Tuesday, but he was back on the ice Wednesday important player on our roster when he’s playing that way. For us it’s morning at Brossard’s Bell Sports Complex. working with him.

Armia missed the last two games with a lower-body injury he said he “The good thing about it is when a guy recognizes and is able to, I guess, suffered during last Thursday’s 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild at the look at his game and understand what he’s not doing or what he’s doing Bell Centre. Armia took part in the pre-game skate Saturday in St. Louis wrong,” Julien added. “And Paul, in my discussion with him, assessed his before deciding he wasn’t able to play in the game, which the Canadiens game perfectly. He says: ‘You know what? I’m out there, not hurting the won 5-2. Armia also sat out Sunday’s 4-3 loss in Minnesota. team, but I don’t think I’m bringing as much as I’m used to bringing.’ I said: ‘You’re absolutely right.’ So we’re on the same page there and it’s “I think if I feel like this, the way I felt today in practice, I should be ready just a matter of working through it. We’ve talked and hopefully he finds to go,” Armia said after Wednesday’s practice about the possibility of his game and brings it to that next level that allows him to make a big facing the Sharks. difference in our team.” Tatar injured at practice Byron has been on the fourth line much of this season, but was bumped Tomas Tatar left Wednesday’s practice early after taking a shot off the up to the third line at practice Wednesday with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and foot. Artturi Lehkonen. Byron will never complain about what line he is on and takes great pride in his ability to move up and down the lineup. “He got hurt just near the end of practice,” coach Claude Julien said. “He took a puck on the foot. I can’t tell you more than that. He’s being “It’s always been my role,” he said after practice. “It’s kind of what’s made examined right now and we’ll hopefully have good news sooner than me unique and given me that kind of niche in this league is the fact that I later. But right now I have nothing more than that.” can play up and down the lineup. Even in any game, I can play up and down. It can be an injury, a guy not playing well, it could be off the power Tatar had 3-4-7 totals in nine games and is plus-2. play, penalty kill, momentum shift swings, those are all areas of my game Juggling lines I think I’ve been really good at in the past and it’s just something I need to focus on going forward. We get scored on, be that guy that wants to go Early in practice, Armia was rotating with Nick Suzuki at right wing on a out there and get the momentum back, be a difference-maker, go drive, line with Max Domi at centre and Jonathan Drouin on left wing. go battle, go get your team some energy and good things will come from that.” After Tatar left the ice, Suzuki changed from a white practice jersey to a red one to take Tatar’s spot at left wing on the No. 1 line with Phillip What’s next? Danault at centre and Brendan Gallagher on right wing. The Canadiens have a morning skate scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Domi and Drouin started last season on the same line, but were broken the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard before facing the Sharks Thursday up by Julien in January and haven’t been back together since. night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio). The Canadiens then have a practice scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday in Brossard “It was great,” Domi said after practice about being runited with Drouin. when they will prepare to face the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night at “We were having fun, for sure. Obviously, we both love playing together. the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, SN1, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio). It was super-exciting. We have fun playing together, we’re very close off the ice … we spend a lot of time together. We think the game very similar as well. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.24.2019 “That being said, even going back to last year we know we can be better as a pair and as a line in our own zone and more responsible,” Domi added. “We want to have that responsibility and we’re trying to grow as a line and as a team. Our kind of role in that is being better in all areas of the ice. Definitely taking a step forward, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement and it’s something we’re both aware of and we’re both going to keep working on.”

As far as who might be the third member of their line, Domi said: “It’s either going to be Suzy or Army — one or the other. Both of them can shoot. Both are pretty big, strong bodies. Either way it will be good.”

Julien told reporters after practice that they should get used to his line juggling because it’s going to be a regular thing this season.

“It’s going to happen all year because we have a lot of depth in our lineup and we have a lot of different combinations,” the coach said. “We’re fortunate enough that we’re capable of using it and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

When asked if the coaching staff bounces around different possibilities for the lines, Julien said: “I don’t know a coaching staff in the league or any leagues that don’t do that. You discuss. I don’t stand there and say: ‘Hey, coaches, by the way these are my lines today.’ We have discussions and we all want our own opinions in there and then at the end of the day we put lines together. The final decision belongs to me, but it doesn’t mean I don’t listen to what they say because they have valid points and those discussions is what creates a good coaching staff.” 1109422 MontrealCanadiens “For example, in Europe, there’s a lot more space and defencemen protect the middle of the ice. So when the play is a little further away, you don’t have to pay as much attention as you would over here, where the style of play dictates a much quicker pace. Rocket Rundown: Otto Leskinen is positioning himself well for an NHL debut this season “One turnover and pow! The puck is in your zone,” said Bouchard while vigorously slamming his fist into his palm.

But despite the lack of comfort and the bevy of information he’s had to By Marc Dumont absorb, Leskinen’s transition to North American hockey is going just about as well as anyone could have predicted, if not better. He leads Oct 23, 2019 Rocket defencemen with four points in seven games, and is tied with Ryan Poehling for second overall in team scoring. He’s been a good quarterback for the power play and can play on either side of the ice. It’s Like everyone else who moves to Montreal from afar, Otto Leskinen had still quite early in the season, but it would be hard to argue that Leskinen heard about poutine and decided to see what all the fuss was about. We doesn’t deserve to be the first player called up once the Canadiens are in regret to report he didn’t much care for it. need of a left-shot on defence.

Canadiens fans probably won’t hold that against him given his recent A big part of his early success comes from his willingness to learn and level of play. work on the details of his game that will allow him to ascend to the next level. Leskinen will never fail to greet you in the Laval Rocket dressing room with a smile and a handshake. Every passing day gives way to a more “What we really liked at the start of the year was how he played with the exuberant hockey player, one who has quickly made his mark in North puck on his stick,” said Bouchard. “I like his skill set and his aptitudes, but America since coming over from Finland as an offseason free agent he definitely had to adjust when it comes to the speed of the game, which signing. goes from offence to defence in a hurry.

At first glance, he doesn’t look like a potential NHL defenceman. His “But he’s been good. He’s invested.” height is listed at 5-foot-11 on the Rocket website; he’s probably closer to the 5-foot-10 listed on his Liiga profile, if not a little shorter. He weighs in That’s the word I had been waiting for. It was the most important word at 185 pounds, though that was likely measured on a full stomach with among the thousands Bouchard delivered on Tuesday morning. nails in his pockets. His youthful appearance – think Cale Fleury but Invested. blond – is only betrayed by his mature play, which, up to this point, has been nothing short of eye-opening. “Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they’ll remember the name on the back” is a line from Arsenal legend Tony Adams, though it He arrived in North America with very little fanfare, though he could be applied directly to Bouchard’s coaching strategy. Spend five immediately stood out at the Rookie Showcase in Belleville due to his minutes with the Rocket head coach and he’ll talk about the importance borderline elite skating ability and puck retrieval skills. of investing in the team-wide philosophy. The “buy-in”, if you will. But impressing while facing rookies is one thing, keeping it up against It’s perhaps an overused spots cliche which rivals “process” in its legitimate professional opponents is another. vagueness, but it’s a legitimate part of the Rocket strategy. If a player Not only did Leskinen not garner the same hype as some of his wants the team to invest in him, he must first invest himself in the team. teammates who spent their junior careers playing in rinks just like CAA The coaching staff will actively work on issues with their players, but they Arena in Belleville, he also had to adapt to a brand new setting in a also want to see them knock on their door when they’re unclear of their situation that’s simply not conducive to creating comfort. directives, something Leskinen has not hesitated to do since arriving in Laval. The life of an AHL player is filled with a constant barrage of white noise and team events on the docket. Whether it’s working out, practising, “He’s here for the right reasons,” said Bouchard. “We really like him. Is consulting the nutritionist, participating in youth hockey events, he perfect? No, but we’re really glad to have an opportunity to work with discussing tactics with the coaches or spending long hours on a bus, let’s him. just say there’s not much time for them to become part of a community. “It’s guys like that who make it in the NHL.” In a sense, they’re living as a tourist in their new home. His play is in fact far from perfect; he could stand to improve his There’s an added challenge for those who come from different countries. defensive positioning, gap control, and most other issues that puck- They’re not just adapting to new rink dimensions, coaches, teammates moving defencemen face in their quest to become well-rounded players. and style of play, they have to adjust to having less contact with family, But Leskinen has been good enough to earn a promotion to the first that feeling of isolation, and culture shock. pairing beside Ouellet.

It’s just missing some of the little things that added so much comfort back “It’s going well,” said Ouellet, who Bouchard uses as hockey’s version of home. a welcome basket for his newly arrived defencemen. “He’s a very good player. He needs to adjust a little, in terms of the size of the ice and the “Loneliness. That’s the risk,” explained Joel Bouchard. “When it comes to North American style of play, but in general, I think he’s doing a good job. hockey, they more or less know what to do, that’s not a big deal, but Now he needs to do it every night, because that’s a big part of being a these guys are far from their families and their loved ones. They’re a little professional.” isolated. That’s the side we often ignore, and it hits for different players at different times. So we must make a concerted effort to keep a close eye While experience surely adds to the potential for more consistency in his on European players to make sure they’re doing OK, that it’s not too game, so does Leskinen’s familiarity with the language spoken on the much to handle.” ice, yet another barrier he must face as he adapts to life in Canada. Much like his play on the ice, his ability to speak in English should be To mitigate the off-ice adjustment, Rocket captain Xavier Ouellet will considered to be quite good all things considered, but it’s not perfect. organize dinners, card games and other outings with a rotating cast of teammates. The goal is to avoid creating cliques in the dressing room, as “It’s getting better every day,” said Ouellet. “Obviously, it’s different. well as offering an opportunity for some of the newcomers to find a Sometimes there are terms that he’s not quite used to employing on the semblance of comfort within the team, and hopefully in their new country. ice, plus it goes so fast that you’re not always able to translate what you Those brief moments allow players to forget about their favourite home- want to say, but it keeps getting better. I do my best to speak to him as cooked meals and connect with those that will become a proxy for their much as possible; on the ice, on the bench and in the locker room.” family while they’re embarking on the next step of their career. Ouellet’s high level of play and his ability to make his teammates feel “We saw it with (Lukas) Vejdemo last year, even if some of these guys welcomed has been a significant boon for the 22-year-old defenceman, play in Europe the previous season there’s an adaptation period,” said though he’s still quite harsh when it comes to assessing his own Bouchard. performance to start the season. “A little bit better compared to the rookie tournament,” said Leskinen. “But we’ve added a lot of things to my game.”

One of the things he’s yet to add to his game is the physical presence he so clearly lacked in Belleville. He can outskate almost any forechecker, but once the play grinds to a halt, he struggles to keep up in the strength department.

“There are still things I need to do better,” he said after I mentioned Ouellet’s encouraging comments. “Part of the defensive game. The battles in front of the net and the corners.”

Time in the gym will solve some of those issues, but Leskinen will never be a hulking defenceman. His strength doesn’t translate into ripped jeans and billion-dollar Marvel movies.

Rather, it translates into an under-the-radar prospect that plays the exact style that teams now desperately seek while scouting potential draft targets, a diamond in the rough that has all the right tools to shine.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109423 Nashville Predators In other words, he's been "on" so far this season.

Tennessean LOADED: 10.24.2019 Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis has turned it 'on' so far this season

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean

Published 5:00 a.m. CT Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 6:00 a.m. CT Oct. 23, 2019

Something looked a bit "off" about Ryan Ellis' last season.

That was the word Predators general manager David Poile used Tuesday to describe his defenseman's game in 2018-19 during an interview with 102.5-FM.

Poile confirmed what many suspected, that Ellis' health wasn't optimal. The nagging ailments didn't stop him from playing in all 82 regular- season games, and six more in the playoffs.

He and Roman Josi were the only Predators to do that.

Didn't stop him from a career-best in points with 41 (seven goals, 34 assists).

Also didn't start him talking about any of those ailments. Ellis' lips were sealed every time it was suggested he played hurt. Predators coach Peter Laviolette followed suit, for the most part.

"It's hockey; it’s a physical game," Laviolette said before this season began. "Everybody probably is dealing with something. Ryan has had some big injuries in the past. He's recovered from those. He's a valuable piece of our back end. It's good he's here and feeling good and ready to play."

Points taken

That big injury, of course, resulted in knee surgery that took six months to heal and cost Ellis the first half of the 2017-18 season.

But if Ellis was "off" last season, still dealing with any lingering effects from that or anything else, he's been "on" this season.

He leads the Predators in points through nine games, with 12, 11 of which have come via the assist.

During Tuesday's 6-1 victory against the Ducks, Ellis tried to become first Predator in team history with five consecutive multipoint games.

Mattias Ekholm (2018-19), Roman Josi (2016-17), Martin Erat (2010-11), Steve Sullivan (2005-06), Kimmo Timonen (2005-06) and Sebastien Bordeleau (1998-99) are the others who have scored in four straight.

Ellis fell short in his bid, collecting an assist Tuesday. The goal post prevented him from recording his second goal of the season during the third period.

Still, he managed to set a personal record with a point in his fifth consecutive game. He has nine assists during that streak and at least one point in seven of the team's nine games.

"Trying my hardest; doing my best," Ellis said. "Trying to do my job on both ends of the ice. Sometimes you get the bounces; sometimes you don’t."

Ellis signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension before the 2018-19 season, not even a year removed from his comeback.

Same old story?

What Laviolette has seen this season is what he's been getting from Ellis every season, he said.

"I don’t really see a difference in the way he’s playing," Laviolette said after Tuesday's victory. "He’s quarterbacking one of the power-play units.

"Although he has always been a power-play guy here, he might be handling the puck a little bit more as he’s on the blue line. But we have always viewed Ryan as an offensive defenseman, somebody we count on to contribute. I can’t say that there is anything different per se that is different to years past. He’s a good offensive player and that is what I see." 1109424 New Jersey Devils

How Devils’ Pavel Zacha has turned into team’s Swiss Army Knife

Updated Oct 23, 6:55 AM; Posted Oct 23, 6:00 AM

By Chris Ryan

Pavel Zacha’s exact role with the Devils wasn’t clear entering the 2019- 20 season.

The fourth-year center player across the lineup early in his career, getting some time on nearly every line while even playing at left wing. He proved to be a strong penalty killer and had experience on the power play.

It turns out Zacha’s role is filling all of those things.

Through eight games, Zacha has been plugged in across the lineup. He started as the team’s fourth-line center, but he’s anchored other lines, and he’s even played games at left wing.

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“We knew coming into the year that Pav was going to be a guy that we could utilize in certain situations, and whether he’s playing wing or center," Devils coach John Hynes said. "I slot him up sometimes with (Taylor) Hall’s line which is good because he’s been good on face-offs, so it’s nice to see him have put a couple games, back-to-back, together, and the big thing with him was we need now we need consistency of being that same guy every night.”

The biggest example of Zacha’s versatility came in the last two games with center Nico Hischier hurt. Jack Hughes moved up to Hischier’s spot on the top line, but in certain game situations, Hynes turned to Zacha. The forward also jumped on the power play in those games.

With Hughes still learning the NHL early in his rookie season, Hynes let Zacha take some of the tougher assignments in recent games, such as defensive-zone face-offs or matchups against other top lines.

“It really comes down to the situations in the game. The last couple of games when I’ve done it, it’s been maybe coming out of the timeout if Hall and Palmieri weren’t on prior to that, or there were a lot of penalty kills and they might have to be the line after the penalty kill,” Hynes said. “Palms and Hallsy aren’t killing penalties right now, so it just depends on what the matchup is and what the flow is, because those guys gotta play.”

And in a fully healthy lineup , Zacha played a bit on Hughes’ left wing on the third line earlier this season. That gave the Devils another option on face-offs if needed, and Zacha brought a solid defensive presence with him.

Since being a healthy scratch in the second game of the season, Zacha has been a staple in the lineup, and he appears to be trending closer to what the Devils want to see, regardless of where he lines up.

“He’s been consistently competitive, which is what we’ve been asking him to be,” Hynes said. “He’s been harder on the pucks, his face-offs are coming, but you trust him in the face-off circle right now. He understands how to play in the defensive zone and he has the physical tools to be able to play against top players.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109425 New Jersey Devils The Binghamton Devils haven’t gotten off to a great start. They have a lot of emerging young talent but a 1-3-2 record to start led the club to form a leadership group of AHL veterans. Ben Street was named captain Wednesday with Julian Melchiori, Dakota Mermis and Chris Connor NJ Devils prospect roundup: Ty Smith off to a hot start in WHL named alternate captains. None were drafted by the Devils. They were all brought in to provide leadership, so it makes sense that they’re in this

position but still, it’s a little surprising there aren’t any homegrown players Abbey Mastracco, NHL writer in this group.

Published 3:39 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 But the homegrown forwards like Joey Anderson, Brett Seney, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian and Marian Studenic are knocking at the door of the NHL. The big club in Newark hasn’t had any injuries up front yet so no reinforcements have been needed anywhere other than the blue line, Ty Smith is back in business in Spokane, the Binghamton Devils’ season and Matt Tennyson filled that spot. is underway and some future Devils are dominating in Ottawa. That said, all of those players are producing offensively. Seney leads the Here’s a roundup of how some of the organization’s top talent is faring in team with seven points and Anderson’s two goals and three assists in six their respective leagues this season. games is a promising start for a player the Devils wanted to see more Western Hockey League offense from.

The reigning WHL Defenseman of the Year is already making a strong case for his title defense. For the second year in a row, Smith, New Bergen Record LOADED: 10.24.2019 Jersey’s first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, was among the last to be cut out of training camp. His late birthday makes him ineligible for the American Hockey League so he was sent back to Spokane for another year of development.

The 19-year-old is not the kind of player to pout and remain angry at his situation. Clearly he hasn’t been, as the captain’s point-per-game clip would indicate.

Does this mean the Devils made a mistake by sending Smith back to his junior team? No, he was inconsistent at best during the preseason and did not show that he was better than Matt Tennyson, Mirco Mueller or Connor Carrick. With all of the defensive problems that have plagued the Devils this season an inexperienced defenseman like Smith would have just been a liability. Instead, Smith has another year to round out his game and become an asset.

SMITH: In light of Devils sending down Ty Smith, should CHL-NHL agreement be changed?

Ontario Hockey League

(Ottawa) C Mitchell Hoelscher: 6 goals, 9 assists (15 points) in 11 games

(Ottawa) RW Graeme Clarke: 7 goals, 2 assists (9 points) in nine games

(Ottawa) D Nikita Okhotyuk: 0 points, 0 assists in 2 games

(Kitchener) D Michael Vukojevic: 0 goals, 4 assists (4 points) in 11 games

The Ottawa 67s have already been struggling offensively and now they’ll be without one of their top forwards in Graeme Clarke, a third-rounder taken by New Jersey this year. Clarke was on pace for 52 goals this season before aggravating a shoulder injury two weeks ago. The torn labrum in his left shoulder will require surgery and he’ll be out for four months or more. Even after missing the last two games, he’s still the 67s’ leading scorer with a team-leading seven goals (nine points).

Hoelscher, who is tied for the team lead with 15 points, will overtake him soon enough.

Okhotyuk, Hoelscher’s roommate last season, missed the first nine games of the season with a broken finger, but the mobile defenseman returned Oct. 15.

Vukojevic, who ended Devils’ development camp with a fancy trick shot that had the crowd roaring, is still putting those fancy moves on OHL opponents.

European Leagues

(SWE) C/LW Nikola Pasic: 3 goals, 7 assists (10 points) in 11 games

Pasic’s early-season production for BIK Karlskoga of Allsvenskan, the second-highest tier in Sweden, could have him promoted to the SHL at some point this season. A spot on the national team roster for the IIHF World Junior Championships could be on the horizon as well.

American Hockey League 1109426 New Jersey Devils Besides creating a script and shooting the players on media day, Broder’s team also has to pick out the highlights for the video. This year’s portion is set to Shinedown’s “Devil” and includes some signature moments, like Taylor Hall’s goal against Ottawa last season after Sami Attention to detail(s): The process behind the Devils’ pregame hype Vatanen’s goal-mouth save at the other end, and Pavel Zacha’s great video, plus notes from extended practice individual effort in the season finale against the Panthers.

It also includes a few clips from this past postseason, like Wayne Simmonds pointing at the Rangers’ Ryan Lidgren after a confrontation By Corey Masisak and Nikita Gusev scoring at Madison Square Garden. The final highlight Oct 23, 2019 of the video is Hughes’ preseason goal against the Rangers at Prudential Center.

“There’s a lot of things left on the cutting room floor, but certain highlights The first email gets sent in mid-June, and what follows is dozens of or certain reactions just totally stick out to you, right?” Broder said. “I meetings, hours of brainstorming, execution and editing and a race to the mean, in that scenario, you probably couldn’t write that one any better as finish line. a Devils fan. That one happened to be the perfect combination of the opponent it was against, it’s a great celebration and the fans going nuts. The end product is a video designed to fire up the crowd and set the It just hit multiple pillars as to why we should choose that highlight.” stage for the Devils’ entrance at Prudential Center. It’s a process that involves a lot of people inside the organization and becomes a signature They also have to build the video in a way that highlights can be added part of the game-day presentation. as the season progresses. Goals like Blake Coleman’s one-handed tally scored on opening night and Hughes’ first official NHL goal against the Ben Broder, vice president of marketing experience for the Devils, Canucks from this past weekend could find their way in. spearheads the team in charge of creating New Jersey’s pregame intro video. But a number of employees across departments play a role in “You have to leave yourself open to be able to do that because you want helping the video go from the first ideas in the middle of the summer to to be in the moment,” Broder said. “You want to be able to capitalize and what Devils fans see just before the team skates onto the ice at The amplify moments that happen throughout the season. We’re ready to Rock. react and get that right into the open on the spot. Because you just have to do that in in today’s market, especially in sports, like people want it “Ben’s job is tough because he’s got this tiny window to sort of set the now.” tone and to amplify the energy, but also to tell the story of a number of sort of different faces that might not be familiar to a lot of the fans that are The Devils have kept the video from last season, with polaroid photos set coming into the building,” said Jillian Frechette, senior marketer for the to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” to start the full pregame Devils’ managing partners, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “And experience. Then there are the staples throughout the game — the Rick he has to squish all of that into however many minutes that video plays. Flair video, the various references to David Puddy’s Devils fandom on We introduce our fans to different players and give them a sense of who “Seinfeld.” they are and what they look like without their masks.” “I think our game-day crew does a great job of getting the fans going,” Broder’s team works with Frechette’s group, hockey operations and an said Hall, whose love of the Flair montage has been incorporated into the outside firm to create an idea based around the team’s marketing short video this season. campaign for the season. The next step is to put together a video that mixes highlights of goals, hits and saves and fits the narrative Broder’s Broder said it’s hard to pick a favorite from the pregame hype videos he’s team wants to tell. worked on, but the video with Ken Daneyko from the 2017-18 season stands out. The marketing campaign for the 2019-20 season is centered around the slogan “We are the ones.” Frechette said the process of landing on a “I really enjoyed that one because of the process of working on it. Just new campaign starts with about a month to go in the season prior. being behind the scenes with him, trying to nail those takes and, like, the passion and energy and emotion he had telling the stories to get to the “That’s a collaborative effort,” she said. “We finalize things in the right energy for what we needed to be on the board,” Broder said. “But summertime. There are many meetings, many discussions. I think the then just the side stories he would tell just about everything that we didn’t piece that was really important is it was multi-dimensional. We had to necessarily know. He was like, ‘You all didn’t know that such and such land on something that you could see from different perspectives. ‘We played this game with a broken leg’ in between takes. That was a fun are the ones’ became really important to us, because we could see it production to put together.” through the lens of alumni, we could see it through the lens of a current fan, we could see it through the lens of a future fan. “Every time I watched the one with (Daneyko), I was ready to run through walls,” team president Jake Reynolds said. “Dano has the ability to do “If it’s an individual shot, if it’s Jack (Hughes), perhaps it is, ‘We’re the that, whether it’s on a video board or on the golf course or in the office. ones that will change the game.’ When you think about it through the lens It’s what makes him ‘Mr. Devil.’ of alumni and it’s Marty (Brodeur), perhaps it’s, ‘We’re the ones that changed the game’ or ‘We’re the ones that hoisted three Cups.’ And then “I think the one thread that you see that goes through all of these is we really love the ones that are aligned with with younger fans that we’re storytelling, I think these two (Broder and Frechette) are the best in the pretty excited about. We’ve got some great Images and we love to use world at what they do in terms of being able to actually tell the story of the the line, ‘We’re the ones that dare to dream big.’ “We are the ones who …” and then be able to tell a story based off of that. … There are key pieces of that, whether it’s social, whether it’s With that marketing idea as the foundation, Broder’s team captured video billboards, or when you come in, it’s the show that is put on in the arena of players saying various phrases that start with “We are the ones.” The and the engagement that we have with our fans. When they sit in their main day of shooting is scheduled for Media Day, when the players suit seat, and they see those videos, they know the show is about to start and up in full gear and the Devils’ practice rink is turned into an on-ice movie it draws them in.” set. The plan for fixing the biggest problems “One of the really important pieces about this campaign is it’s reflective of us in our home,” Frechette said. “We initially had one of our creative The Devils have some extra time this week with no games between this people who is a photographer go out and take a bunch of imagery of past Saturday against the Canucks and Friday against the Coyotes at Newark. I had sent them on this wild goose chase for Images of bricks Prudential Center. That gave the coaching staff time to assess some of because that was really important to me, but they also took a lot of the issues that ailed the club during its slow start and to work on the interesting shots of urban buildings and cement. So our campaign is solutions in practice. grounded with bricks, or a nod to our home, which is Newark. One of the Devils’ biggest problems has been getting the puck cleanly “And then bricks also speaks to what our good friends in hockey out of the defensive zone. Ideally, the Devils would like to leave their operations have built in the last little while. Ray (Shero) and his zone in possession of the puck so they have a better chance of creating colleagues have built this team brick-by-brick.” offense at the other end. But New Jersey has struggled at times to get it out by any means. “We’ll comb through (the breakout clips) and say, ‘OK, is our support “Let’s put it this way: There is a plan that we have, but we’re not setting it where it needs to be in the structure? Are the wings high? Is the center as, ‘OK, this is how many games he needs to play,’” Hynes said. “It’s available? Did the defensemen know what outs are available? What’s the tough to say how many it will be, but we do think he’s in the right place. best play? Is it weak-side rim? Is it not?’ As coaches, you come in and look at the decisions and the structure. If it’s a structural thing, you want “I think he’s a good player. I think he’s a he’s a guy that can continue to to fix that. Then it comes to the decisions. And then you’re educating the get better. We think this is the right environment for him to able to players and saying, ‘These are the habits we need.’ Do we need more continue to grow. Some of that is going to be games. Some of it might support in certain areas of the ice? not be games, but that’s what we feel is best for him right now.”

“Some of that has come back to basic execution where there is an The plan for Taylor Hall opportunity to make a tape-to-tape pass and we don’t. It’s not really one The Devils have been closely monitoring Hall’s early-season progress thing. It’s trying to figure out what it is. Sometimes it is execution. after he missed the second half of last season with a knee injury. He’s Sometimes it could be the attention to detail with the structure and then played in every game and leads the Devils’ forwards in ice time per other times it is our decisions. And … we’ve had some time here now to contest, but the Devils are also giving him days off, or “maintenance really work through all of it.” days,” when they think he needs them.

One area of focus this week at practice has been the team’s play along He took off Monday, the first day of practice this week, and had taken a the boards in its own zone. It hasn’t always been the first pass or first maintenance day in between games last week, as well. decision that has plagued the Devils’ efforts. It’s the second, which often involves a wing player along the wall, that’s been the point of breakdown “We talked prior to the season on (the plan to give him some extra rest) on several occasions. and then I talk to him fairly regularly, but we also have our sports medicine guys and I deal with them all the time, too,” Hynes said. “If I’m “For us, we don’t have big wingers, right?” Hynes said. “So sometimes not around, (Hall) might talk to them. I meet with those guys at the end of when the play is along the wall, we’ve got to do a better job on wall play, every day anyways for an assessment of every player and where we are to either chip it out or come back to the puck a little bit and hit an at going into the next day. For him, it’s a little more of here is what our underneath defenseman or hit our center underneath to be able to come team is going to do and what he may or may not need, and then we just out of the zone with possession.” discuss it.”

Another trouble area has been unforced errors. There will be times when the puck bounces over a player’s stick or rolls at an inopportune time and the pass goes awry. But the Devils have had too many slips despite The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 minimal pressure from the opposition.

“There’s probably been 10-to-12 in almost every game we’ve played in where we’ve had one forechecker on us and had a clear opportunity to make a decision, wheel it out, make a quick-up pass or move and we haven’t done it,” Hynes said. “Those are the ones you have to win. If a team is in a full, structured forecheck, it is hard to get out. It is hard. But there is probably 10-12 where we should be up and out of your zone a lot easier. And some of that is either support or execution.”

All of the problems in the defensive zone have cut down on their time at the other end. They’ve had too many shifts where the forwards have to dump the puck and go for a line change, or fire the puck at the goaltender and head for the bench.

The whole cycle of events has led to the Devils being one of the worst teams in the league in Corsi for percentage — or in the share of total shot attempts — at even strength. It’s also limiting the team’s ability to create great scoring chances.

“We’ve been a lot of one and done,” Hynes said. “We’re a team that we have to play quick and fast and shoot pucks and recover pucks. We’re not going to be a team that’s going to grind it in the corner if you look at our makeup. But we also can’t be in the corner and throw the puck in the slot and take ourselves out of the offense. We’ve got to move it low-to- high to get a shot, use our speed to recover, maybe beat a guy out of the corner, use the back of the net more. We’ve got to get the other team on the run more and a lot of that has been our puck decisions.

“Sometimes I think we want to score right away, and that’s where you’ve got to be able to get in (the zone) and get some shots and make the team defend a bit and that’s when things will open up.”

The plan for Jesper Boqvist

Boqvist has played in only two of the first eight games of the season, but the Devils’ plan — for now, at least — is to keep him with the club for the entire season. He has a contract with Brynas in the Swedish Hockey League, and the only out clause is for him to for New Jersey, so sending him to Binghamton to get some extra game action isn’t currently an option.

“He’s a guy who has played pretty well, and he’s a guy that we think is going to be able to progress,” Hynes said. “This is new for him. He’s in the NHL. He’s on a North American sheet. He’s practicing against these guys. He’s had a couple chances to play. When you talk to him, he says, ‘I’m learning something everyday. When I play, I learn something every shift.’ That’s invaluable.”

Hynes said they would like Boqvist to stick with the Devils, but that it’s not a certainty. He also reiterated that the Devils haven’t set a minimum number of games for Boqvist this season. 1109427 New York Islanders

Isles' Cole Bardreau had a long and winding path to the NHL

By Laura Albanese [email protected] @AlbaneseLaura

Updated October 23, 2019 5:27 PM

Cole Bardreau watched the time waste away at JFK Airport. The Islanders' newest call-up was wearing a borrowed blazer over his sweatpants and had already missed his first flight after taking a car service to Queens from Bridgeport. The next stop had him going to Columbus, Ohio, to meet the big club, and he managed to get there about a half-hour before warm-ups.

Bardreau had waited years for this moment – a lifetime, really, when you consider the neck injury that nearly cost him his career seven years ago. But the hours leading up to his first NHL game felt like an eternity.

“My bags felt like they took forever to come out,” he said Tuesday after practice at Northwell Health Ice Center training facility. “It’s kind of definitely been surreal. It’s one of those things that every hockey player dreams of…but it’s been kind of a bumpy road with all my injuries. I wouldn’t say that I gave up on it, but I was coming to terms with the fact that I might not get my sniff. I’m getting older. I couldn’t really talk when it happened. Words just weren’t coming together.”

Bardreau, 26, a former World Junior gold medalist, missed his shot at the NHL draft after suffering a cervical fracture while playing for Cornell. “I was sort of at the pinnacle of my career” when the injury occurred two weeks after World Juniors, he said. The injury was devastating, though when it comes to neck fractures, Bardreau was actually somewhat fortunate. He was in a neck brace for three months, couldn’t skate for six months. After he returned, he tore his MCL. Twice.

He has had arm and knee injuries, abdominal surgery, and suffered a broken hand while in the AHL. And now, at long last, he’s here – a replacement as Leo Komarov (illness), Casey Cizikas (lower body), and Jordan Eberle (lower body) recuperate. Bardreau made his NHL debut Saturday centering the fourth line and practiced Tuesday with the third line. Tom Kuhnhackl, who missed two prior practices for maintenance, said he didn’t know if he’d be able to rejoin that line Thursday. Bardreau played 8:54, with three hits and went 2-for-6 on faceoffs.

“I always kept believing,” Bardreau said. “But, you know, it’s harder and harder with each injury, each time you get pushed farther behind…I guess you never really know when it’s going to happen.”

Bardreau spent five seasons in the Flyers' organization, having signed as an undrafted free agent, and had 41 goals and 57 assists in 230 AHL games, his last four coming at Bridgeport this season after the Islanders signed him in July to a two-year, two-way contract.

“I kinda really didn’t even have time to think and I was thrown into the action,” he said of his first game. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was 5. I’ve waited 21 years for this moment.”

Notes & quotes. With Eberle’s injury, Josh Bailey joined Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee on the first line. “Bails is such a good player that moving him around a little bit allows us to do different things,” Barry Trotz said. “I just think we can get a little more out of that [line].”… Derick Brassard was moved to left wing with the second line in practice Tuesday. “It’s something we may look at,” Trotz said. “There’s a little of a transitional period [for him]…It’s been a little tough on him but he’s done it with a great attitude.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109428 New York Rangers

David Quinn busts up Rangers’ top line

By Brett Cyrgalis

October 23, 2019 | 11:12PM

There have been countless line shuffles through the Rangers’ 2-4-1 getaway, which includes the five-game winless streak (0-4-1) they bring into Thursday night’s Garden match against the league-leading Sabres.

But coach David Quinn has yet to separate his two best players up-front, keeping Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad as the Bread & Butter duo. But the time has come to see how a separation might work.

In Wednesday’s practice, Quinn had Panarin skate with Ryan Strome and Pavel Buchnevich, while 18-year-old rookie Kaapo Kakko skated with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

“Maybe that’s good, change something,” Panarin said, admirably doing his best to get through an interview in English without an interpreter. “Maybe I need that help for us. So, same team, work for win.”

The Rangers signed Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million deal this summer hoping he could be a key cog. He has four goals and six points through the first seven games, but, like the rest of the team, he evaluated his individual play as inconsistent thus far.

“Sometimes good, sometimes not,” Panarin said. “The first three games, we [don’t] have good timing because of the schedule. Already hard. I’m not happy for my game 100 percent. Maybe 70 [percent].”

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is set to get his fifth start of the season. He and Alexandar Georgiev have alternated the first eight games, besides two in a row Lundqvist played in Washington on Oct. 18 and at home against the Canucks two days later.

Now that the schedule has returned to relative normalcy after a strange start, Quinn is open to one goalie taking the reins if necessary.

“If one gets hot, I’ll go with one,” Quinn said. “But I like both their games right now. … Now that we’re in a rhythm, one guy might play a couple more.”

Lundqvist has a 3.57 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in four games, while Georgiev has a 2.69 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in three.

It seems Micheal Haley will be the scratch for the second straight game, as the fourth line was Brendan Smith, Lias Andersson and Greg McKegg. That left the third line as Brendan Lemieux, Brett Howden and Jesper Fast.

New York Post LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109429 New York Rangers Now it’s just a matter of getting Kakko to believe that, no matter in what language.

“I can be better,” Kakko said, “and hopefully I am better soon.” Kaapo Kakko doubles down on harsh Rangers self-evaluation

New York Post LOADED: 10.24.2019 By Brett Cyrgalis

October 23, 2019 | 6:21pm | Updated

In Finnish or in English, Kaapo Kakko has been hard on himself.

The Rangers’ precocious 18-year-old forward did not walk back any of the things he said in his native tongue this weekend during an interview with a reporter from Finland in which he vented his frustration with how his rookie season in the NHL has started. Instead, the No. 2-overall selection doubled down on the fact he thinks he hasn’t played well enough through his first seven games, making it just as clear in his adopted tongue on Wednesday.

“We’re not playing good right now as a team, and I’m not playing good,” Kakko said in English, as the Rangers prepared to take a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) into Thursday night’s Garden match against the league-leading Sabres.

Asked what he wanted to do better, and Kakko didn’t need to specify.

“Everything,” he said. “I’m playing bad hockey.”

One of the biggest takeaways from his interview in Finnish was that he said “hockey isn’t very much fun for me right now,” with the translation coming from the reporter, Pasi Tuominen. But Kakko, who commendably does interviews in English while still getting a grasp on the language, didn’t back away from that sentiment.

“Of course [it’s not fun] because we are not winning the games right now,” he said. “But, hopefully it’s getting better. Like, next game, maybe I feel better.”

There is not too much coach David Quinn can do to stop Kakko from being so self-flagellating, and there have been attempts to get him going. Quinn has given Kakko occasional shifts with Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, and it seems he is going into Thursday night with Kakko on a full-time line with Chris Kreider and Zibanejad. But Kakko picked up just his first assist during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Coyotes on Tuesday night, and his lone goal came on Oct. 12 against the Oilers.

“He does put a lot of pressure on himself, and he wants to be great right now,” Quinn said. “If we all just put ourselves in his shoes — he’s an 18- year-old kid, playing for the New York Rangers, put in a role where he’s asked to do an awful lot. Rarely does an 18-year-old come in here and storm the league.”

Yet that is exactly what Kakko has said he wants to do, declaring in Finnish: “My goal is to have a leading role. … I want to be the guy who scores goals and wins games right away.”

Having played a key role for Finland’s gold-medal team at the men’s World Championships in May, he also is used to a little more ice time then the season-low 9:51 he got on Tuesday night (his average is 14:34).

“I don’t think ice time has been a big problem for him,” Quinn said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an 18-year-old not playing 14, 15 minutes a night. [Tuesday] was the first time there was a little dip in his ice time, but playing with Mika certainly will give him a chance to get a little more ice time.”

Kakko also is making it clear that he wants to earn the ice time by playing better. He said Quinn didn’t explicitly explain why he ended up playing less on Tuesday, but he did offer a self-evaluation of his play.

“Not so good,” Kakko said. “It’s not the same game like in Finland, so sometimes you need to chip the puck in deep, something like that. It’s not the same game.”

Despite the learning curve, the evaluation for Kakko’s potential has hardly changed.

“His upside is higher than most 18-year-olds that come into this league,” Quinn said. “So it may happen this week, it may happen next month, but it’s going to happen where he’s going to find the consistency in his game and he’s going to be very successful.” 1109430 New York Rangers

New York Rangers projected lineup: Kaapo Kakko gets his chance on the top line

Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL writer

Published 6:00 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2019 | Updated 6:05 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2019

After a game in which Kaapo Kakko described his play as "not so good," the New York Rangers' prized rookie is being given a big chance at redemption.

The second-overall pick in this year's NHL Draft will get his first shot at playing on the top line for Thursday's 7 p.m. home game against the Buffalo Sabres, manning the right wing with Chris Kreider on the left and Mika Zibanejad at center.

"You see Mika Zibanejad as your center, you automatically get a new level of confidence," Rangers coach David Quinn said Wednesday. "It beats playing with me. He’s in a much better position mentally if he sees that Mika Zibanejad is his center and Chris Kreider is his left winger."

Kakko notched the first assist of his NHL career in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes, but Quinn limited his playing time in the latter portion of the game. The 18-year-old finished with a season- low 9:51 time on ice.

"I expect I can play better," Kakko said. "And hopefully I’m better soon."

Not only is Quinn trying to spark Kakko by putting him on the No. 1 line — he's also trying to balance out the lineup.

By moving Kakko and Kreider up to the wings on the top line, Quinn is bumping Artemi Panarin down.

Panarin, who signed with the Rangers (2-4-1) over the summer for $81.5 million over seven years, is second on the team with six points (four goals and two assists). Through the first seven games, he played exclusively with Zibanejad, who leads the Blueshirts with 11 points (four goals and seven assists).

"In our situation, we’re still trying to find combinations, and that’s certainly part of it — splitting them up," Quinn said of Panarin and Zibanejad.

Panarin will play on the left wing of the second line, with Pavel Buchnevich on the right and Ryan Strome getting another shot at being the No. 2 center.

He seems fine with the new role.

"Maybe it's good to change something," Panarin said.

Oct 3, 2019; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) in action against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period at Madison Square Garden.

Recent success: The Rangers have won 15 of their last 19 games against Buffalo, dating back to Apr. 19, 2013 (15-4-0 record over the span). New York has also won six of its last seven games against Buffalo, dating back to Feb. 2, 2017 (6-1-0 record).

All-time leaders: Brian Leetch and Rod Gilbert both registered 41 points against Buffalo in their Rangers tenure, which is tied for the most points any Ranger has tallied against the Sabres in franchise history. Henrik Lundqvist’s 21 career wins against the Sabres are the most any Rangers goaltender has earned against Buffalo in franchise history.

2,000 at MSG: Thursday's contest will be the 2,000th all-time regular- season NHL game at the current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968 (1,999 home games for the Rangers, and one home game for the Flyers against the Oakland Seals on Mar. 3, 1968 due to damage to the roof at The Spectrum).

Bergen Record LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109431 New York Rangers “We’ve had plenty of conversations,” he added. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him today because it’s a turnaround day and we have team meeting stuff and things that we needed to address. Before the (Arizona) game, we had a good conversation. He’s talking to one coach every day, NY Rangers: David Quinn addresses team psyche, ice time for Kaapo repeatedly — whether he’s coming to us or we’re going to him. I think Kakko and Lias Andersson there is a trust factor from his end to go to the coaching staff, and he understands how good we want him to be and we think he can be.”

Kakko indicated in his interview with East Side Media that he’d like an Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL writer opportunity to play on the first line, which Quinn is now giving to him. He Published 4:15 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 | Updated 4:25 p.m. ET Oct. 23, had him on the right wing with Mika Zibanejad at center and Chris 2019 Kreider on the left wing for Wednesday’s practice.

“Playing with Mika will certainly give him the chance to get a little more ice time,” the coach said. TARRYTOWN - The New York Rangers’ locker room was especially quiet following Wednesday’s practice at the MSG Training Center. Lias Andersson 'has to play faster'

Five losses in a row will have that effect on a team. Kakko isn’t the only young player looking for more ice time.

“When you’re struggling the way we are — not only losing, but in the Andersson played 7:34 in the Arizona game — his second-lowest total of fashion that we’re losing — it can really wear on your psyche,” coach the season — and is averaging just 9:42 per game. David Quinn said. “If you ask every player in this room, they want to play as much as Quinn is searching for answers to get his team out of what he called a possible,” he said. “Of course, I want to play as much as I can, but I’m “rut.” not complaining or anything. I’m just hanging in there and try to work hard and be a happy guy every day.” Figuring out the right lineup is part of that, with the Rangers rolling out new lines yet again Wednesday. But the bigger issue may be a crisis of Quinn has consistently kept Andersson, who is pointless is seven games confidence. with a minus-one rating, on the fourth line.

That’s especially true for a team like the Baby Blueshirts, who have eight “Lias has to play faster, from play-to-play,” Quinn said. “He has a players on the roster who are 23 or younger. tendency to kind of stand up after he does something. He doesn’t have a lot of continuation within his play. He knows that. We’ve talked about it. “I do think some of them are lacking confidence,” Quinn said. “But as I’ve Those are the things that he’s going to have to do if he’s going to get said repeatedly, confidence comes from hard work and doing something more minutes and more responsibility.” right.” Andersson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has been used The second-year NHL coach has repeatedly called for more urgency frequently on the penalty kill, but likely needs to show more offensive skill from his team — “It’s your responsibility to be ready to play hard every to move up in the lineup. night,” he said again Wednesday — and the Rangers’ veterans did the same in a players’ meeting before practice. “I’ve just got to keep working and do all the details and make sure (Quinn) trusts me in all the situations out there,” he said. “I feel like I “Everybody in this room wants to win, and we had a good talk today with made progress over the summer and started off the season pretty good, all the guys,” 21-year-old Lias Andersson said. “We’ve got a lot of so just got to keep working and help the team as much as I can.” experienced guys around here that have been around for a long time. We have a leadership group, and they’re doing a great job talking to us. We’re a strong group and we’re all good friends in here, so we’re Bergen Record LOADED: 10.24.2019 definitely gonna turn this around.”

The leadership group starts with Henrik Lundqvist, and extends to alternate captains Marc Staal, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast.

They aired out their thoughts, which was followed by what Quinn said was “absolutely” a good practice.

The true elixir for the Rangers’ woes would be a win against the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

After telling East Side Media that “hockey isn’t very much fun for me right now” in an interview in his native language, Finnish, Kakko attempted to clarify his comments Wednesday.

“We are not playing good right now, our team, and I’m not playing good,” the Rangers’ No. 2 overall draft pick said. “That’s why.”

Kakko indicated his frustration stems from the losing streak and his own lack of production. He has one goal and one assist through his first seven NHL games.

Asked what he needs to improve on, the rookie said, “Everything. I’m playing bad hockey.”

“He does put a lot of pressure on himself,” Quinn said. “He wants to be great right now. If we all just put ourselves in his shoes — he’s an 18- year-old kid playing for the New York Rangers, put in a role where he’s asked to do an awful lot. Rarely does an 18-year-old come in here and storm the league.”

Kakko entered Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes averaging 15:21 time on ice, but he played a season-low 9:51 and spent much of the final period on the bench.

Quinn said the decision not to play Kakko more was “just the flow of the game,” noting, “It was the first time there was a dip in his ice time.” 1109432 New York Rangers

Rookie Kaapo Kakko elevated to Rangers' top line with center Mika Zibanejad

By Brian Heyman

Special to Newsday

Updated October 23, 2019 6:02 PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Kaapo Kakko told a Finnish outlet recently that he wasn’t having fun, that he occasionally felt he could be on the ice a little more often, and that it would be great to skate sometime on the Rangers’ first line. Now the teen forward’s wish is expected to come to life.

David Quinn has been searching for answers to jolt his team out of a skid that has reached five games. So a few eye-opening moves were revealed during practice Wednesday, changes involving Kakko and Artemi Panarin.

Kakko was elevated from right wing on the second line to the first line, so the rookie's ice time should be elevated Thursday night against Buffalo at the Garden, at least to start.

Quinn also separated Panarin from center Mika Zibanejad on that first line, moving the $81.5 million newcomer to left wing on the second line, alongside Ryan Strome at center and Pavel Buchnevich on right wing. Chris Kreider was installed on the left side of Zibanejad.

“Just a little bit of everything with our situation and we’re still trying to find combinations,” Quinn said of the moves.

Panarin has four goals and two assists in the Rangers' 2-4-1 start, but Kakko only has one goal with one assist and is a minus-6.

After practice, Kakko attributed his lack of fun to a lack of wins. The second overall pick in the 2019 draft said it doesn’t matter what line he’s on.

“We are not playing good right now, our team, and I’m not playing good,” said Kakko, who only played 9:51 in Tuesday night’s 3-2 overtime loss at home to Arizona. “… Of course, I expect that I can play better, and hopefully I’m better soon.”

Quinn thinks the Zibanejad factor will assist Kakko’s cause.

“You see Mika Zibanejad as your center, you’re automatically getting a whole new level of confidence, right?” Quinn said. “It beats playing with me . . .

“(Kakko) does put a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be great right now. If we all just put ourselves in his shoes, he’s an 18-year-old kid playing for the New York Rangers, put in a role where he’s asked to do an awful lot. Rarely does an 18-year-old come in here and storm the league.”

The problems for this young team have extended well beyond him.

“Right now, the confidence is not as high,” Zibanejad said. “You can probably notice that everyone maybe doesn’t really want the puck at all times.”

The Rangers also need to bring more effort early on after being outscored by a combined count of 4-0 and outshot 41-17 in the first period over the last two games.

“When you’re struggling the way we are, not only losing, but in the fashion that we’re losing, it can really wear on your psyche,” Quinn said. “That being said, you’re pro athletes. It’s your responsibility to play hard every night. That’s something we haven’t been doing.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109433 Ottawa Senators Said Borowiecki: “You watch that game and maybe they’re a little tired on the back-to-back but we just kind of smothered them. That’s the type of hockey we have to play to be successful and we’re going to slowly figure that out. GARRIOCH GAME REPORT: Injury-stung Senators soldiering on with impressive win over Wings “If we can bring that kind of effort from everyone, we’re going to put ourselves in a good spot.”

There were no shortage of eyes on Brown because there was plenty of Bruce Garrioch debate when he was sent to Belleville at the end of camp.

October 23, 2019 11:51 PM EDT Dorion and Smith wanted the 21-year-old to have the opportunity to go down there and play big minutes before returning to the NHL. Of course,

the injuries altered that timeline. It was a victory worthy of a salute. “I thought he had a good camp, but we wanted him to play a lot of After learning they’ll be without two of their top centres for an extended minutes,” Smith said before facing the Wings. “To start the year with all period, the Ottawa Senators dug down deep at the Canadian Tire Centre the centres we had, we didn’t see an opportunity for him to play more on Wednesday with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, ending a four- than 10 minutes a night and we didn’t think that was any good for his game winless skid on Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night. development.

Opening a three-game homestand in front of 11,026, the Senators “We’re in a situation where we have two centres down, we were trying to deserved the victory with a solid effort against the Wings. Anthony hold him there as long as possible so he could play and develop. Duclair, Thomas Chabot and Chris Tierney led the way with two-point Fortunately for him, and I guess unfortunately for us, he’s coming up. My efforts while Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Borowiecki chipped in with job is to make sure he gets an opportunity to play. This is about goals to make life difficult for Detroit goalie Jonathan Bernier. development and making sure these young kids are better. My responsibility is to give him an opportunity to succeed and get some Making his second straight start, Anders Nilsson was solid in the club’s development.” first win since Oct. 12 against the Lightning at home. Only Tyler Bertuzzi and Darren Helm were able to reply for the Wings as Nilsson shut the Smith said he has no doubt in his mind that Brown eventually will be in door while Detroit pressed in the third. Duclair put it away with an empty- the NHL for good. netter. “He’s going to be an NHL player. It’s just a matter of when he can handle Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion told reporters before the club’s morning skate the pace of a 60-minute game every night. It’s not just one night,” Smith centre Colin White (hip flexor) is out three to five weeks with a hip flexor said. “If he shows he’s ready to be a full-time NHLer, I see no reason why injury while Artem Anisimov is also gone for at least two weeks with a he can’t be. It’s a hard league and we have lot of young kids in the lower body injury. Both tried to play through the ailments, but have been lineup, so it’s not like he’s going into a veteran team that has the puck the placed on injured reserve. whole game and he can just be on offence.

“We weren’t too pleased with what happened on the road trip and one “He’s going to have to play in his (defensive) zone and he’s not going to point out of six isn’t good enough,” said Duclair. “There’s games where have as many offensive opportunities, but he’ll also be on the power play you’re going to lose, but you’ve got to make sure the effort level is there. and he’ll get some of those chances.” Coming back home, in front of the fans, we wanted to make sure we had Brown and Tkachuk grew up in the St. Louis area together where their a good effort and we had a solid 60 minutes.” respective fathers, Jeff and Keith, both spent part of their careers with the Centre Logan Brown, who played 12:09 with 19 shifts, was summoned Blues. from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville for his seventh NHL game while “We were pretty young,” said Tkachuk. “I think we played together from 8 minor-league forward J.C. Beaudin made his NHL debut. This stretch is to 12 years old so there were some good times and some good going to put the club’s depth to a test and coach D.J. Smith pointed out memories.” that it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up. No, they didn’t think they’d play together in the NHL. “When you say you’re in a rebuild, and you’re starting with a bunch of young guys and a couple of your main cogs get hurt, you’re relying a lot “We had a really good team and (Brown) was always our top player,” on guys that were maybe depth guys to start the year,” Smith said before Tkachuk added. “It’s pretty fun and it’s pretty cool to see the St. Louis facing the Wings. youth hockey really grow.

“Everyone sits in their stall and says: ‘Why not me? Give me my “We were always hanging out together off the ice. On the ice, he was chance.’ So here’s your chance,” Smith said. “If you want to play all the always getting goals and I was always getting the hits. There’s a lot of minutes, you have to prove you deserve them. Now’s the perfect time for good memories.” some guys to say: The good news for Brown is he’s back and he’s looking at this as a ‘Hey, look at me and look what I can do,’ and for guys coming up from chance to cement himself in the NHL. Dorion said Brown wasn’t happy the minors this is their shot. when he was given the news at the end of camp that he was headed back to Belleville. “Everyone wants to play all the minutes and this is a perfect opportunity for our team (to step up).” “That really sucked,” Brown said. “Like I said, my whole life all I’ve dreamed about is to play in the NHL so I really felt this was my year. To And, some of the Senators were able to take advantage in this one. get sent down it hurt, but I used it as motivation and took it as a The second period featured a flurry of action. The two teams combined challenge.” for four goals in a span of 4:32 to start the frame as Duclair’s second of OFF THE GLASS the season at 17:09 gave the Senators a 4-2 lead going into the third. Nobody was more excited to make his debut than Beaudin. Acquired in Pageau scored a beauty shorthanded by firing it past Bernier glove side the deal that sent Max McCormick to the Colorado Avalanche last year, to give the Senators the lead at 5:27. Beaudin, 22, was thrilled to make his debut. His family made the trip from The Senators must have had the book on Bernier because Borowiecki’s Montreal to Dallas on Monday knowing there was a chance he wouldn’t first of the season at 3:15 beat him in the same spot. Borowiecki’s first play if Anisimov was ready. He had no shortage of family and friends in goal in 21 games tied it up 2-2 just when it looked like Ottawa was in the audience. “It’s nice. I’m really excited. I’ve dreamed about this my trouble. whole life so I’m ready and hopefully I’ll get a win with them,” said Beaudin. “It’s close to home so I’ll have some family in town and we’ll “It was really nice to stand back there today and see how hard the guys enjoy it. There’s a lot of hard work behind this so I’m proud of myself and worked in front of me,” said Nilsson, who stopped 34 shots. “We excited. Hopefully I can have a good game and prove myself here.” … outworked them from the first minute to the last. It was a very solid game There was no surprise that Smith decided to stick with Nilsson for a from our point. It was nice to see we got rewarded with the hard work.” second straight start. “They’re going to split a lot of the starts. This is the first time that he’s going to back-to-back and let’s see if he can get into a groove,” said Smith.

THE LAST WORDS

The Senators held their 16th annual Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night on Wednesday.

The club welcomed thousands of members of the Canadian forces and their families to the game and afterwards they went down to the ice to pose for a picture with the team. More than 33,000 members of the forces have attended games since the program started in 2004.

“The annual event is about showing support for the women and men serving our country and giving back to those who protect and preserve our way of life,” said owner Eugene Melnyk in a statement.

“We’re bringing together people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to show their support and respect for the Canadians who protect our rights and freedom.”

General Jonathan Vance, the chief of the defence staff, dropped the puck at centre ice while three members of the Canadian forces sang the national anthem. The players wore special jerseys in the warmup that will be auctioned off online with the proceeds going to Support Our Troops.

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED

1. There’s no doubting Thomas

If you want to see what Thomas Chabot means to this team go watch his perfect pass to set up Anthony Duclair’s goal in the second period.

2. Perfect timing for Borowiecki

Mark Borowiecki doesn’t score a lot but his second period effort was nice because he does a lot of work for Soldier On.

3. Time to step up for Nick Paul

Nick Paul was given more ice time as a result of the injuries and he stepped up with one of his best efforts in the NHL. Now, he has to continue to get it done.

4. Old teammate in town

Chris Tierney and Vladislav Namestnikov were junior teammates in with Detroit’s Andreas Athanasiou with the OHL’s London Knights.

5. Going it alone in warmup

The Senators respected the tradition of letting J.C. Beaudin do a solo lap in the warmup before joining him on the ice. The 22-year-old centre was called up Monday.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109434 Ottawa Senators

Colin White and Artem Anisimov sidelined and Logan Brown recalled by Senators

Bruce Garrioch

October 23, 2019 4:12 PM EDT

There will be plenty of changes to the Ottawa Senators lineup Wednesday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

General manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Wednesday morning that centre Colin White is sidelined three-to-five weeks with a hip flexor injury while Artem Anisimov is out with a lower body injury.

Both tried to play through their ailments but were unable to continue and the decision was made to shut them down. Centre Logan Brown was called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville Wednesday morning and will make his season debut against the Detroit Red Wings as the Senators open a three-game homestand.

Centre J.C. Beaudin, called up Monday in Dallas, will make his NHL debut.

Brown is looking forward to the opportunity to get a chance to play.

“I’m really excited to get a chance to play in the NHL. That’s what I’ve dreamed of my whole life,” Brown said following the club’s morning skate.

He will play with Anthony Duclair and Brady Tkachuk.

Coach D.J. Smith said with the injuries other players have to step up.

“Everyone sits in their stall and says, ‘Why not me? Give me my chance’ so here’s your chance,” Smith said. “If you want to play all the minutes you have to prove you deserve them. Now’s the perfect time for some guys to say, ‘Hey, look at me and look what I can do’ and for guys coming up from the minors this is their shot.

“Everyone wants to play all the minutes and this is a perfect opportunity for our team.”

The Senators are trying to halt a four-game losing skid.

Anders Nilsson will start in the net while it’s expected winger Mikkel Boedker will be a healthy scratch.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109435 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers center Nolan Patrick is making strides in his recovery from migraine disorder

by Sam Carchidi

Nolan Patrick, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from a migraine disorder, took part in the Flyers’ practice Wednesday and continues to make progress.

“It’s slow, but obviously I notice it,” Patrick said. “Obviously it’s getting better, but it’s pretty frustrating” not to be playing.

Alain Vigneault receives updates on Patrick from the Flyers’ medical staff a couple times a week. He liked what he saw from the third-year center at practice.

“Today, he looked real good. He looked smooth,” Vigneault said. “He killed penalties in a couple of instances. He’s week-to-week, and I know he wants to get back. So, we’ll play this by ear and see what the doctors say.”

There still isn’t a timeline for Patrick’s return, but he seems to be inching closer.

Vigneault said Patrick would need more full practices – “more than two or three” – before he can return.

“I think everybody could tell by the way he was skating on the ice, there was some progression,” Vigneault said. “To what extent, I haven’t had my weekly feedback on it yet.”

Patrick has been attending team meetings, “so system-wise, I think he’ll be fine,” Vigneault said. “Once he gets OK, it’s a matter of getting him conditioned. … I don’t think he’s that far behind in that area.”

Patrick, who had 13 goals in each of his first two seasons, said he felt “pretty good” and that he worked out in the summer and had a relatively strong base.

“I wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I wasn’t like I had a complete offseason of nothing,” he said.

Patrick is waiver-exempt, and the Flyers could send him down to the AHL’s Phantoms to get in some work.

“That’s not my decision to make,” he said. “If that does happen, it’s obvious that would help – pop into a game. It depends on when I’m back, what the lineup looks like, if we have guys hurt. I don’t know. It’s not my decision."

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109436 Philadelphia Flyers

Brian Elliott, feeling better than at any point last season, will start again for Flyers

by Sam Carchidi

Brian Elliott, coming off an impressive performance, will get his second straight start Thursday, when the Flyers play Chicago for the second time in the young season.

Elliott stopped 33 of 35 shots in Monday’s 6-2 win over Vegas. In Chicago, he will face a team that dropped a 4-3 decision to the Flyers in the teams’ season opener in Prague on Oct. 4.

“It’s the next opportunity to give your team a chance to win,” said Elliott after Wednesday’s practice in Voorhees. “You can’t take that lightly. They’re a good team; they’re a great team at home. We just have to take the same attitude we have been taking and not let the foot off the gas at any time in the game.”

Health-wise, Elliott, 34, said he feels better than at any point last season.

“Last year was a little bit of a battle,” he said. “It doesn’t change. There’s different battles every time – mental and physical – and you just have to stay on top of it and prepare as best you can. You learn to do that every which way, and I’m feeling good.”

This will be the Flyers’ eighth game of the season, with Elliott (2.55 goals-against average, .925 save percentage) getting three of the starts, and Carter Hart (2.59, .890) getting five.

New coach Alain Vigneault said he was picking his starter “game by game."

“Obviously we’re analyzing the performances of the goaltenders, we’re analyzing the performances of the players,” he said. "That’s why we’re shuffling the deck down there. But with Brian’s last game, there’s no doubt he deserves to come back in goal and give us another good game.”

Vigneault said he knew Elliott was a “competitive individual from playing against him in the past.”

“You always knew you would have a competitive goaltender not giving up on any shots,” he added. "This year, everybody felt good about him, health-wise, and [general manger] Chuck [Fletcher] brought him back, and we have a guy who is willing to fight for ice time, and he’s a good team person.”

Breakaways

The Flyers will use the same lineup that trounced Vegas. … Chicago (2- 3-2), which lost, 2-1, in a shootout to visiting Vegas and Marc-Andre- Fleury on Tuesday, also lost defenseman Connor Murphy to an undisclosed injury. … Patrick Kane has eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games for the Blackhawks, but Jonathan Toews has only two points (goal, assist). … Claude Giroux (four assists) and James van Riemsdyk (0 points) are looking for their first goals. Van Riemsdyk leads the Flyers with 35 shots. … Former Flyers defenseman Eric Desjardins will be among 15 inductees to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 7 at the Sugar House Event Center. For more information, go to phillyhall.org/2019.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109437 Philadelphia Flyers

Will Brian Elliott surprise in Flyers' goalie tandem with Carter Hart?

By Katie Emmer and Jordan Hall

October 23, 2019 7:00 PM

Without a doubt Elliott has earned his spot on the ice and I believe he can bring many surprises to the goalie tandem this year.

Despite coming into 2019-20 with 14 seasons of NHL experience under his belt, "Moose" still had a lot to prove in Philadelphia. After two injury- filled years with the Flyers, it was time the 34-year-old made a strong and healthy comeback.

Through his first three appearances of the season, he has shown he's still got it.

The team needed strong goaltending — Flyers fans knew that. Now, the Flyers have a strong tandem with Carter Hart and Elliott between the pipes. With so many high hopes running on Hart, it’s a relief to know there’s another strong competitor to trust.

Elliott has been surprising already with what he’s brought in the early going. In his first two starts of the season in Calgary and Philadelphia, the veteran backstop was solid from start to finish. Monday night, specifically, was one of his best, as he helped shut down countless scoring opportunities from the Vegas Golden Knights and was greatly admired later for it by Alain Vigneault and teammates.

It’s still early, but the confidence he’s shown in net, as well as his .925 save percentage through three appearances, is a good start for the veteran goaltender.

Time will tell what other surprises Elliott can bring to the tandem but one thing is for certain: the Flyers have two strong goaltenders right now and that is a sight for sore eyes.

We shouldn’t be too surprised by what has transpired in net.

Hart was strong through three games and then had a few subpar performances. That’s OK. He’s 21 years old and is going to have games in which he’s not sharp, which will result in the Flyers turning to Elliott at times.

Elliott hasn’t been surprising because he’s a more than capable goaltender when healthy — and has shown that even through injury- plagued seasons with the Flyers.

In 2017-18, he went 15-5-1 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .912 save percentage from Dec. 4 to Feb. 10 before needing core muscle surgery.

In 2018-19, he went 5-5-0 with a 1.97 goals-against average and .928 save percentage from Oct. 13 to Nov. 15 before suffering a lower-body injury.

For the 34-year-old to truly surprise in the goalie tandem and take away games from Hart, we’ll have to see Elliott keep it up (and stay healthy) as the grind gets tougher. He looks good so far, though, and that’s a major positive.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109438 Philadelphia Flyers for more than a season now and said that Patrick has been hitting him up for advice.

“He’s tried it and has tried different tints,” Gostisbehere said last week. Nolan Patrick has no answers, but feels progress with migraine disorder “He’s in a different boat than me. I did wear one after my concussion, but it wasn’t because of the concussion. The buildings are just too bright these days. If you go into any building besides maybe St. Louis, it’s just so bright and I just needed to dim it down a little bit. He’s teetering. He’s Dave Isaac, NHL writer messing around with different levels of tint. I think more and more guys Published 1:40 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2019 are going to it.”

Whenever Patrick returns to the lineup, it would change the look of the team in a pretty big way. VOORHEES — It wasn’t until a couple weeks before the Flyers opened training camp that Nolan Patrick really thought the start of his season At that point, Claude Giroux probably wouldn’t be playing center was in jeopardy. anymore. The Flyers and their captain prefer him at wing anyway, but Monday against Vegas and in Wednesday’s practice Giroux was in the His offseason was choppy. He worked out for “a good chunk of the middle. Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes would likely be above Patrick summer” and had a base that he was trying to hit and couldn’t. He had on the depth chart, but Scott Laughton potentially centering the fourth headaches and told Flyers general manager and team president Chuck line, or even current call-up Mikhail Vorobyev, would have the Flyers look Fletcher of them back in June but trudged on with his offseason routine. even deeper than they already are at center.

At training camp, the team initially called Patrick’s ailment an “upper-body In order to do that, Patrick may have to play a game or two in the minors. injury.” Several doctors appointments later and trips to see neurologist Typically, injured players can be sent down to the AHL on a two-week Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher from the University of Michigan, they came to the conditioning stint. Patrick’s case is a little different because he’s still conclusion that Patrick has migraine disorder. waiver exempt for nine more NHL games, so they could send him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for longer if they so choose. Fletcher said back in September that rest and medication would be part of the treatment process and that Patrick’s family has a history of “I have no idea. That’s not my decision to make,” Patrick said when migraines, but the 2017 second-overall pick isn’t sure if that’s a factor. asked if a stint in the minors is on the docket for him. “If that does happen, it’s obviously something that will help to just pop into a game “I don’t know. I’m not a doctor,” Patrick said Wednesday after his first full and get going. It obviously depends on when I’m back, what our lineup practice with the team this season. He’s been on the ice for parts of looks like at the time, if we have guys hurt. I don’t know. It’s not my others but left early. He’s still wearing a white jersey, indicating that he decision.” hasn’t been cleared for contact. “I don’t know how it works. I don’t know if it’s from the past or something that happens.

“I can tell what progress is. It’s slow, but obviously I notice it.” Courier-Post LOADED: 10.24.2019 It's also important to note that in his first two seasons, Patrick has had multiple hits to the head. Most recently he was hit in the back of his head on the right side with a shot from New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck last season on March 3.

The Flyers say that Patrick’s timeline is “week-to-week,” which is purposefully vague.

This isn’t as simple as a broken bone which heals one day or even a soft- tissue injury which can have some degree of effectiveness. The next step comes whenever Patrick feels ready for it and when asked how many consecutive good days he’s had, Patrick wouldn’t answer saying, “I’m not gonna give much detail.” The fact that modern medicine doesn’t have many clear answers for ailments of the brain is an extra challenge in his recovery.

“It’s really frustrating,” he said. “You don’t know any timeline. Obviously it’s been getting better but it’s pretty frustrating.”

The last several days the Flyers have practiced, Patrick has been on the ice for at least some of the session.

Coach Alain Vigneault knows Patrick isn’t in his plans yet, but the player has been in meetings and Vigneault thinks he’s grasped the Flyers’ new system.

“A couple of times a week I’ll get feedback from our medical crew on where he is,” Vigneault said. “I do like when I see him on the ice, obviously. Today he looked real good. He looked smooth. He killed penalties in a couple of instances. He’s week-to-week, I think Chuck called it. I know he wants to get back. We’ll see. We’ll play this by ear and see what the doctors say.

“I would say at this stage he’s gonna need full practices, more than two or three (before he returns to the lineup). I can’t give you a timeline. I do know…I think everybody can tell by the way he’s skating on the ice that there’s some progression. To what extent, I haven’t had my weekly feedback yet but I am very pleased when I see him on the ice.”

Patrick looks different in a couple ways. For one, his long hair was cut at some point during training camp and no longer flows out of the back of his helmet. He also looks a bit slimmer and was listed at 203 pounds last season, five heavier than the Flyers list him now.

Another noticeable change is that he’s been wearing a tinted visor since for the last couple weeks. Shayne Gostisbehere has been wearing one 1109439 Pittsburgh Penguins McDonagh disengaged from a goal-mouth battle with Blueger and stuck his left leg out. Meandering towards the cage, Tanev deked to his backhand and lifted a dazzling shot over the left shoulder of Vasilevskiy on the near side. The unassisted score was Tanev’s second of the Empty Thoughts: Lightning 3, Penguins 2 season.

A nine-second sequence led to the Penguins’ first lead of the game late in the second. After Lightning forward Yanni Gourde had a prime scoring SETH RORABAUGH opportunity to the left of the Penguins’ crease but pushed it under the Thursday, October 24, 2019 3:22 a.m. right leg of a sprawling Jarry and off the far post at 18:52 of the period, the Penguins took the puck up ice and attack.

Forward Sidney Crosby chipped the puck up the left wing for forward TAMPA, Fla. — There really isn’t a ton of intrigue to the Penguins’ Dominik Simon to chase down. Battling defenseman Erik Cernak, Simon goaltending situation. tumbled to the ice but distributed a cross-ice pass off the wall to the right circle for Crosby. Taking just a moment to draw in McDonagh, Crosby fed It’s pretty simple to figure out. the puck to trailing Penguins forward Jake Guentzel in the left circle. Matt Murray is the starter. Guentzel leaned down and fired an immediate forehand shot past the blocker of Vasilevskiy for the go-ahead score at the 19:01 mark. It was Tristan Jarry is the backup. Guentzel’s team-leading sixth goal of the season. Crosby and Simon Casey DeSmith is in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton because he makes too much recorded assists. money to be on the NHL roster. The game was tied at 2-2 off a turnover by the Penguins behind their What is curious is how they are using Murray and Jarry in games on own net. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson left a drop pass behind the cage back-to-back nights. No matter who the opponents are, Murray gets the for rookie forward Sam Lafferty who didn’t expect it. That allowed first game and Jarry gets the second game. Lightning forward Luke Witkowski to jump on it. Taking a big hit by Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson, Witkowski fed the puck to above On Tuesday, it was the ho-hum Panthers against Murray. On the left circle where McDonagh whipped a wrister which glanced off Wednesday, it was the electric Lightning (heh) against Jarry. forward Cedric Paquette and squirted through Jarry’s gear. McDonagh and Witkowski netted assists. The Penguins could be playing a dek hockey team with a goaltender who shows up late because of traffic on one night, then the 1972 Soviets on After Guentzel took a hooking penalty on Lightning forward Anthony the next night (with the offsides off). It’s going to be Murray then Jarry no Cirelli at 17:55 of the third, the Lightning struck 1:08 later. Taking a pass matter what. at the center point, defenseman Victor Hedman boomed a one-timer through a heavy screen and past Jarry’s glove hand. Assists went to Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was asked about that dynamic and gave a forwards Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. low-calorie answer. The Penguins mounted a last-second – almost literally – charge on the “We’re just trying to win the game in front of us. At the same time, we’ve Tampa Bay net and a desperate shot by Kris Letang as snatched away got to make sure we manage the workloads and we keep both guys from the net by a sprawling Vasilevskiy. A loooonnnggg review ensued involved. That’s really the criteria we’re trying to use.” but failed to overturn the non-goal call on the ice.

Regardless of what kind of criteria you want to use, it’s becoming pretty Statistically speaking clear that Tristan Jarry has developed into a really good goaltender. -The Lightning led in shots, 48-39. He made a career-high 45 saves against the powerful Lightning and darn near stole this game for his hobbled team. -Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist and Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk each led the game with six shots. It took a one-timer from center point through a forest of bodies to beat Jarry with 57 seconds left in regulation to win this game. He made the -Jack Johnson led the game with 24:46 of ice time on 24 shifts. With the Lightning earn this game. Penguins taking so many penalties, a lot of that came on the penalty kill (4:51). In the process, he’s starting to prove with each game that he plays, that he’s not just on the roster due to the salary cap and DeSmith’s inflated -Hedman led the Lightning with 23:22 of ice time on 26 shifts. cap hit. -The Penguins controlled faceoffs, 35-29 (55 percent). Jarry belongs here. -Crosby was 14 for 20 (70 percent). “I’ve just been trying to get better with every day,” Jarry said. “That’s been my goal since day one, ever since I stepped into the organization. -Stamkos was 11 for 19 (58 percent). It’s just to improve and improve my game as a goalie and as a person. -Penguins defenseman Kris Letang led the game with three blocked That’s been a big step for me coming from last year to his year is just shots. making sure that I’m working on my habits and having a good practice. It will translate to my game.” -Cernak led the Lightning with two blocked shots.

What happened Historically speaking

Tampa Bay struck first at 9:46 of the first period. Taking a pass above the -Guentzel (168 points) surpassed defenseman Doug Bodger (167) for right circle, Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov circled to the high slot and 51st place on the franchise’s career scoring list. whipped a wrister towards the net. Lightning forward Alex Killorn was -Crosby (1,230 points) surpassed Norm Ullman (1,229) for 40th place on sliding through the slot, fending off Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz the NHL’s career scoring list. and deflected the puck downwards through Jarry’s five hole. Assists went to Kucherov and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. -The Penguins had gone a long time since their last regulation loss when leading after two periods: Rookie forward Sam Lafferty came close to scoring the Penguins’ first goal at 15:45 of the first period on a short-handed breakaway but couldn’t -Jarry made 45 saves, a career-high. His previous career-high was 35 in beat goaltender Andrei Vasilevksiy: a 2-1 road loss to the Boston Bruins on Nov 21.

The Penguins’ first goal came from an unlikely source at 14:54 of the Randomly speaking second period. After Penguins forward Teddy Blueger forced a bad pass and lost it, forward Brandon Tanev picked it up in the slot and coasted -Penguins forward Adam Johnson was scratched due to an undisclosed into the left circle lifting a shot off the near side of the cage. Reclaiming injury. He was replaced by defenseman Juuso Riikola who once again the puck behind the net, Tanev emerged from behind the cage in the served as a fourth-line left winger. All three of Riikola’s games this right circle. As he attacked on his forehand, Lightning defenseman Ryan season have seen him play the left wing. -It would be a stretch to say this was Riikola’s best of the three games. Or the worst.

-This game got very chippy early on as the Penguins took objection to the antics of antagonists Patrick Maroon and Paquette. Gudbranson tried to punch Maroon’s face off after he hacked at Jarry in the first period. He appeared to say “punch me” to Maroon.

-Hornqvist got in the act too later in the first when a trio of Lightning players objected to him throwing a big hit on the boards.

-Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese got a rare throwing the stick penalty at 15:19 of the third period when the tried to give his stick to defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who had lost his on a blocked shot.

Publicly speaking

Crosby wasn’t happy with the officiating:

“We were right there. Back-to-back nights, we get a lead. Unfortunately, we’ve got to kill all those penalties. I don’t know if we deserved all of those. Shots are (48-39). It’s not like they dominated and had the puck that much more than we did.”

-The timing of Aston-Reese’s and Guentzel’s penalties was killer for Sullivan:

“It’s tough. You’d hope to gain some momentum down the stretch and you end up trying to kill penalties. I thought for the most part, the penalty kill was terrific for most of the night. We might have given up one chance and it was in the net.”

-Gudbranson on the penalties:

“They have a good power play. The best way to kill penalties against them is to not take any. Obviously, they’re plays that have to happen. If (Guentzel) doesn’t make that, there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to have a clear-cut opportunity. A grade-A scoring chance. It’s just hockey.”

-Crosby wasn’t crazy with how the last-second scramble unfolded:

“I thought (it was in). That might be wishful thinking. But there’s got to be some way they can definitively tell. They’ve got to know for sure. There’s different angles they have that we don’t get to see. But it look likes it’s in his webbing. For a split second, it looks like his webbing is over the line. Maybe they can’t tell based on it being in his glove. I’d like to think there’s some technology out there that can tell you if it’s over the line or not.”

-Sullivan was happy all things considered:

“We played really hard against a team that’s a pretty deep team. This is another game that could have went either way. It didn’t go our way. That’s two nights in a row that we felt like we were right in the hockey game. We generated a fair amount of scoring chances. That team has a lot of firepower offensively. We defended hard and we got saves when we needed to.”

-Tanev broke down his artistic goal:

“Both Zach and Teddy made a good play in coming through the zone and (were) able to free up some space. I tried the initial shot and it didn’t work. I stuck with my rebound and was fortunate to get a bounce there. … Just kind of waited as much as I can and pulled the puck. Was fortunate to get it atop of him.”

-Sullivan spoke about Riikola replacing Adam Johnson:

“He was in the lineup because Adam Johnson was out with an upper- body injury. Jusso has done a good job under difficult circumstances. He can really skate. With each game he plays, he’s getting a little bit more comfortable with playing forward. But certainly, that’s not the easiest predicament that we put players in but he’s really done a good job.”

-Gudbranson felt bad for Jarry:

“It sucks. It sucks but it happens. We played hard. (Jarry) was really, really good. He played a hell of a game. That’s a good team.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109440 Pittsburgh Penguins It was tied again, 2-2, at 7:07 of the third when Gudbranson and Lafferty failed to connect on a passing sequence behind their own net. The turnover resulted in another tip-in by Lightning Cedric Paquette.

Lightning strike late, send Penguins to 3rd straight loss After that, the Lightning claimed victory with its potent power play, 11th- best in the NHL at a conversion rate of 23.8 percent.

“They have a good power play,” said Gudbranson. “The best way to kill SETH RORABAUGH penalties against them is to not take any.”

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 11:06 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.24.2019 TAMPA, Fla. — For all their problems with injuries or a roster imbalance between forwards and defensemen, one of the few maladies the Penguins have had to confront in the early stages of the 2019-20 campaign has been penalties.

Entering Wednesday, they had had averaged 6.8 penalty minutes per game, ninth fewest in the NHL.

Very few of the games they had lost this season were the result of poor discipline.

On Wednesday, the Penguins failed to avoid penalties at key junctures — specifically the third period — and that led to their third consecutive defeat, a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Amalie Arena.

The Penguins, who were without the services of fourth-liner Adam Johnson due to an undisclosed injury, took five penalties, including two in the final period. The last led to the Lightning scoring a last-minute power- play goal which proved to be the difference.

“It’s tough,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “You’d hope to gain some momentum down the stretch and you end up trying to kill penalties. I thought for the most part, the penalty kill was terrific most of the night. We might have given up one chance and it was in the net.”

The one that ended up in the net was a blistering one-timer by Lighting all-star defenseman Victor Hedman with only 57 seconds remaining in regulation. The score was set up by a hooking penalty by Penguins forward Jake Guetnzel 1:08 earlier.

Guentzel’s play wasn’t a particularly egregious transgression as it prevented a potential score by Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.

“If (Guentzel) doesn’t make that, there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to have a clear-cut opportunity,” said Gudbranson. “A grade-A scoring chance. It’s just hockey.”

Earlier in the period, at the 15:19 mark, the Penguins, who had largely avoided stick-related infractions this season, took a very rare penalty which is arguably the truest form of a stick-related foul.

In trying to defend an offensive rush by the Lightning, defenseman Marcus Pettersson broke his stick. In the ensuing chaos, forward Zach Aston-Reese shuffled his stick on the to Pettersson, as forward tend to do to defensemen in such scenarios. Officals ruled Aston-Reese threw his stick and sent him to the penalty box for two minutes.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” Sullivan said. “Did he throw it or drop it? I’m not sure which.”

The Penguins are sure they got a strong effort from backup goaltender Tristan Jarry, who took the loss despite making a career-high 45 saves.

“It sucks,” Gudbranson said. “It sucks, but it happens. We played hard. (Jarry) was really, really good. He played a hell of a game. That’s a good team.”

The Lightning demonstrated its talent by opening the scoring with a redirection goal by forawrd Alex Killorn at 9:46 of the opening period.

A dazzling goal by forward Brandon Tanev tied the game, 1-1, at 5:06 of the second. Collecting a loose puck in the high slot, Tanev lifted a wrister from the left circle off the side of the cage. Collecting the rebound, he scooted behind the net, emerged to the right of a circle, deked past defenseman Ryan McDonagh’s left skate and roofed a sneaky backhander over the left shoudler of goaltender Andrei Vasilevksiy on the near side.

The Penguins took a lead at 19:01 of the third when Guentzel buried his team-leading sixth goal of the campaign off a precise passing sequence with linemates Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon. 1109441 Pittsburgh Penguins “I know that he’s back there,” Letang said. “Sometimes, like if I want to go forward or I want to get a puck, I know that he’s going to be there.”

The player not there is forward Evgeni Malkin. The superstar has been Puck retrievals bring stability to Penguins’ power play sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury Oct. 5. Letang thinks that has led to a more sedulous approach to the power play.

“I think it’s the personnel that we have on right now,” Letang said. “That’s SETH RORABAUGH what happens. We know that we don’t have (Malkin) or (forward) Alex (Galchenyuk). We think that if we simplify things and shoot the puck Wednesday, October 23, 2019 7:11 p.m. more, we have to retrieve it, obviously. A little bit more of a hard-working power play.”

TAMPA, Fla. — The Penguins had one of the NHL’s best power plays The Penguins haven’t been nearly as productive on the power play this last season with a conversion rate of 24.6%. season, with a success rate of 18.2% entering Wednesday’s road game with the Tampa Bay Lightning. And why wouldn’t they? With a handful of scoring champions and All- Stars at their disposal, the Penguins’ power-play was a clear and present But the Penguins have been pleased with their approach, starting with danger to every NHL goaltender. puck retrievals.

Even their own. “The penalty killers these days, they work so hard,” Schultz said. “If you’re not working as hard or harder than them, you’re not going to get Despite all that skill and acumen, the Penguins surrendered a league- the puck. You’re going to be chasing it all the time. Our forwards have high 15 short-handed goals last season. done a really good job of winning those battles and releasing the pressure and getting it up to us (defensemen). If we keep doing that, Coach Mike Sullivan regularly bemoaned the players who composed his we’re going to have success.” top power-play squad, including former forward Phil Kessel, indirectly, for not “recognizing the danger.”

This season, that danger rarely has been seen. Tribune Review LOADED: 10.24.2019 Through the first 10 games of the season, the Penguins only have surrendered one short-handed goal, an empty-netter in a 3-0 loss at home to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Much of that has been because of a stronger commitment to retrieving loose pucks.

“It’s always something you talk about,” forward Sidney Crosby said. “Guys know it’s important. So it’s just a matter of trying to outwork the penalty kill. It’s something you need to constantly remind yourself. If you’re a man up, you try to use your skill, but sometimes it’s just (about) competing and winning those battles, simplifying everything.”

The best example of winning a puck battle this season came from Crosby.

During the late stages of a 7-4 road win against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 12, forward Jake Guentzel fired a slap shot from above the left circle that deflected to the far corner. Crosby and Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon — one of that team’s top players — wrestled to control a puck along the boards. Spurgeon won possession, but Crosby muscled him into a giveaway at the right circle. Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist darted and chopped a pass to the crease, where Guentzel tapped it in for a goal.

“Jake Guentzel’s goal is a perfect example of that,” Sullivan said. “Sid jumps on the puck. (Hornqvist) is a part of it. Everybody is participating in that aspect of the power play. Then when we end up with the puck back, they have the instincts to act on it. That’s something that has helped. The guys on the power play are doing a terrific job. They’re working together. They’re committed. It’s a collective effort. When they work together the way they do, they’re a dangerous power play.”

Working hard for a loose puck isn’t a novel concept. But it is one that needs to be reiterated from time to time.

“It’s something we talk about with our power play a lot. But having said that, we’ve talked about that for a long time. It’s an important aspect of being a good power play. It’s increases your opportunities. Sometimes, you can create scoring chances right off a retrieval because teams are usually not in a defensive posture because they are in a pressure mode. If you can win a puck and make a quick play, usually a Grade-A opportunity presents itself.”

Since Kessel was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, the Penguins have moved from a four forward/one defenseman alignment with their top power-play unit to three forwards and two defensemen, usually with Kris Letang and Justin Schultz on the blue line.

Letang was typically the only defenseman on the top group last season and often was left alone to defend a short-handed offensive attack. With Schultz, Letang suggests he’s more comfortable on the power play. 1109442 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins to start Tristan Jarry against Lightning

SETH RORABAUGH

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 7:03 p.m.

TAMPA, Fla. – Backup goaltender Tristan Jarry will start for the Penguins as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday at Amalie Arena.

Jarry has appeared in two games this season and has a 1-1-0 record along with a 1.51 goals against average and .941 save percentage.

Each of Jarry’s starts have come in the second half of games on back-to- back nights. The Penguins and starter Matt Murray fell to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. on Tuesday, 4-2.

“We’re just trying to win the game in front of us.” Mike Sullivan said when asked about the strategy of playing Jarry in the second contest in back- to-back scenarios. “At the same time, we’ve got to make sure we manage the workloads and we keep both guys involved. That’s really the criteria we’re trying to use.”

Notes:

-Sullivan said he anticipates some of the team’s injured players could return to the lineup by the time they complete their three-game road trip in Dallas on Saturday. He declined to identify any particular players however.

Forwards Nick Bjugstad, Alex Galchenyuk, Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin as well as defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Zach Trotman are on injured reserve. Bjugstad and Rust are the only players out of that group who are traveling with the team.

-Andrei Vasilevksiy is expected to start in net for the Lightning. In six games this season, Vasilievskiy has a 4-2-0 record along with a 3.15 goals against average and .899 save percentage.

-Lightning forward Cedric Paquette, one of the league’s premier antagonists, is expected to make his season debut. He missed the first eight games of the offseason due to an arm injury.

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109443 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins CEO gives ringing endorsement for Pirates hiring Travis Williams as president

KEVIN GORMAN

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 5:49 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Pirates already received one ringing endorsement for their decision to hire Travis Williams to replace Frank Coonelly as team president.

That it’s from the Penguins should come as no surprise.

“We owe a lot of the success we’ve had over the last 10 years or so to Travis,” said Penguins CEO David Morehouse, who worked hand-in- hand with Williams as he rose from the team’s chief legal counsel to chief operating officer. “He was a valuable asset and a good friend, so it’s good that he’s back in Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh. He has a lot of relationships and knows how Pittsburgh runs and how it operates. He’s a class guy.”

The Penguins won three Stanley Cup championships in the 10 years Williams worked for the organization before leaving last November to become president of business operations for the New York Islanders. Williams oversaw the development of PPG Paints Arena, the construction of UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex training center in Cranberry and helped broker the television deal with AT&T SportsNet. He also served as the team’s liaison to building manager AEG Facilities on bringing concerts and major sporting events to the arena.

That Williams already has a working relationship with both city and county officials and corporate partners should allow him to hit the ground running with the Pirates.

“From a relationship perspective, he’s starting at third base,” Morehouse said. “He’s not coming in cold. He’s coming in knowing all the players from the political and sponsorship side and brings the perspective of the fans.

“Travis has a good reputation. He’s well-known and well-liked and has experience working with a successful sports organization. We work with the Steelers and Pirates, so we don’t view them as competitors. We view them as partners. Having Travis there can only enhance the Penguins’ and Pirates’ relationship, and I think that’s good for Pittsburgh.

“This is good for Pittsburgh to have on an executive level. It just enhances the cooperation.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109444 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh took its first lead of the game when Dominik Simon zipped down the left wing and was hauled down. As the referee raised his hand for a delayed penalty, he scooted a cross-ice to Sidney Crosby. The Penguins captain one-touched a pass to Guentzel, who finished off the Penguins fall to Lightning despite Tristan Jarry's strong showing dizzying display of passing by burying his sixth goal of the season.

However, Tampa Bay tied the score at 2 just over seven minutes into the third period. Luke Witkowki absorbed a massive hit below the goal line MIKE DEFABO from Jack Johnson but was able to deliver a pass in front. Ryan Pittsburgh Post-Gazette McDonagh one-timed it and Cedric Paquette provided the deflection to beat Jarry. OCT 23, 2019 11:08 PM That’s when the Penguins committed back-to-back penalties that proved costly.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Penguins entered Wednesday’s game at Tampa The Penguins had one last attempt. With the goalie pulled, Kris Letang Bay as the second-least penalized team in the NHL, forced to kill barely ripped a shot that Vasilevskiy gloved right at the whistle. After a lengthy more than two opposing power plays per game. But they were saddled review, the referees deemed it did not cross the goal line. with a pair of short-handed situations over the final two minutes alone. Crosby said he personally believed the puck crossed the line. So maybe it was irony. Or maybe bad luck. Or maybe water finding its level. “It might be wishful thinking, but there’s got to be some way they can definitely tell,” Crosby said. “You’ve got to know for sure, obviously. Whatever it was, it was the difference, as Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman There’s different angles that they have that we don’t get to see, but it scored the decisive goal with less than a minute remaining to hand looks like it’s in his webbing and for a split second it looks like his Pittsburgh a 3-2 loss. webbing is over the goal line. Maybe they can’t tell based on it being in his glove. I’d like to think there’s some technology out there that could tell The Penguins have now lost three in a row to fall to 6-4 on the young you it’s over the goal-line or not.” season.

Matt Murray makes a save on Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, at PPG Paints Arena. Post Gazette LOADED: 10.24.2019 “It’s tough,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “You’d hope to gain some momentum down the stretch. You end up trying to kill penalties. I thought for the most part the penalty kill was terrific most of the night. We may have given up one chance and it was in the net.”

With the score tied at 2 late in the third, Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson snapped his stick. Forward Zach Aston-Reese tried to get the stick in the hands of his defenseman. However, the referees deemed that he flipped the stick to a teammate, a violation of a very seldom-used rule.

Rule 10.3 states, in part, “A player will be penalized if he throws, tosses, slides or shoots a stick to a teammate on the ice, or if he picks up and plays with an opponent’s stick.”

The Penguins were able to kill of the first penalty. However, Jake Guentzel committed a hooking penalty moments later. This one, Pittsburgh couldn’t kill. Hedman ripped a slap shot from just inside the blue line past goalie Tristan Jarry.

“I saw Steven Stamkos get the puck, then pass it up to Hedman,” Jarry said. “As he was shooting, I was just trying to look through bodies and I just couldn’t find it.”

The untimely penalties spoiled what was a career night for Jarry.

Travis Williams is the former chief operating officer of the Penguins.

Playing on the second half of the back-to-back, Jarry was matched up against one of the premier goaltenders in the league in Andrei Vasilevskiy. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner inked a lucrative eight- year extension this offseason that will pay him $9.5 million per year when it goes into effect next season.

Jarry, who makes $700,000 this year, is nowhere close to Vasilevskiy’s tax bracket. But he proved that he certainly belongs on the same ice. The Penguins backup stopped 45 of 48 shots, including several outstanding Tampa opportunities.

"He was great," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "They had some momentum at different points. He was solid all the way through."

In some ways, Jarry's performance helped keep the Penguins in the game against a potent foe.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead mid-way through the first period. Jarry made a grade-A kick save. However, the Lightning won the puck back to Nikita Kucherov at the point. He fired a shot and Alex Killorn provided the redirection.

The Penguins tied the score at 1 at just over five minutes into the second period. Brandon Tanev used his speed to circle the net and flick a shot over Vasilevskiy's shoulder. 1109445 Pittsburgh Penguins Crosby’s right wing. Recently, however, that trend could be reversing itself — at least a little bit.

Against the Golden Knights and the Panthers, Hornqvist played 5:01 and Penguins' road trip to Florida another reminder of price tag for elite 4:22 of even-strength time with Crosby, most of it late in the second goaltending period and third period. That’s a noticeable bump from the previous three games, when Hornqvist played 1:18, 45 seconds and 36 seconds with Crosby.

MIKE DEFABO Hornqvist took advantage of the opportunity during the Penguins’ 4-2 loss at Florida on Tuesday night, scoring on a one-timer from Jake Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Guentzel. OCT 23, 2019 8:11 PM “Sometimes, depending what a matchup looks like, Patric brings a heavier game,” Sullivan said. “He goes to the net. He may not be the give-and-go player that, say, Dom Simon is. But he brings a different The three-year deal that Matt Murray signed after the 2015-16 Stanley dimension. Cup run is set to expire after this year, which means two things. “The other side of it is whoever plays with Sid plays a lot of minutes. Part One, Murray is scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the season. of it is just managing workloads and who is capable of what. We try to Two, he’s getting really good at turning away questions about his watch all of our guys and see where they’re at. Then we’ll make contract situation as if they’re half-hearted slap shots from the point. adjustments based on what we see.”

“I have an agent that takes care of that,” Murray said when asked by the The Penguins injury issues have been so significant that defenseman Post-Gazette about his contract situation prior to the season. “So I don’t Juuso Riikola has been forced to step in to play left wing. He had to do it have to worry about it.” again on Wednesday night.

While he might not be worrying about his contract, the Penguins’ road trip Adam Johnson, who was recalled from the AHL, was scratched from the through Florida this week made it hard not to think about the price tag for lineup. At game time, it was unclear what prompted the decision. elite goaltending. Two goaltenders signed mega-deals this offseason that, in some ways, reset the market for the position. Injury update

Tristan Jarry makes a diving stop on a shot by the Tampa Bay Lightning Asked if any injured players could rejoin the club for the third and final during the second period Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. game of the road swing, Sullivan said that it’s possible. However, he declined to elaborate on who exactly that might be. The Penguins saw both on back-to-back nights. Bryan Rust figures to be a likely candidate. He’s eligible to come off long- Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky inked a seven-year deal with the Florida term injured reserve in time for Saturday’s game at Dallas. Nick Bjugstad Panthers worth an average annual value of $10 million. The Penguins fell has also been skating and is on the trip with the team. to him, 4-2, on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the Penguins squared off against Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who signed an eight- year extension that will pay him $9.5 million per year once it goes into Post Gazette LOADED: 10.24.2019 effect next season.

“You feel good for them first of all,” Murray said earlier this year. “As players, we definitely have a bond. You want to see other guys succeed and get their payday. … The guys that you’re talking about are unbelievable goalies and guys I really look up to.”

Murray is currently making $3.75 million in the last year of his contract. One way or another, he’s in a for a significant pay raise. How he plays the rest of the season will be one factor that determines how close he’ll get to joining those Floridians.

Speaking of goalies, former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury continued his climb up the NHL all-time wins list on Tuesday. He notched his 446th career victory during the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2-1 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fleury, who recorded 375 of those 446 wins during his 13 seasons in Pittsburgh, is now in sole possession of seventh place on the all-time goaltender wins list, one ahead of Terry Sawchuk.

Travis Williams is the former chief operating officer of the Penguins.

Next up on the list is New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with 450 wins. Since both are active, they could leapfrog each other throughout this season — and beyond.

Long term, how much further can Fleury climb? Well, he’s averaged 29 wins per season in each of his first 15 years. He’ll turn 35 on Nov. 28 and is currently signed with Vegas through the 2021-22 season. Should he play out that string at his current rate, that would give him another 85 to 90 wins, so around 536 in total.

Roberto Luongo is currently third all-time with 489 wins. Fleury could hit that mark by the middle of next season. Patrick Roy is second place with 551 wins. That’s theoretically within reach before Fleury turns 40.

Martin Brodeur is first on the NHL’s all-time wins list with 691 wins. At his current rate, Fleury would need to play about eight more seasons to have a chance to become the NHL’s winningest goalie.

Coach Mike Sullivan shuffled his top line in the second game of the season, replacing Patric Hornqvist with Dominik Simon on Sidney 1109446 Pittsburgh Penguins “This was another one that didn’t go our way,” he said. “It’s two in a row that we felt like we were right in the hockey game. We generated a lot of scoring chances. We defended hard.”

Penguins lose a heartbreaker, but the bigger picture is pretty They did everything but win against the NHL’s best team with a depleted lineup.

That isn’t lost on Sullivan. He doesn’t believe the Penguins will alter the By Josh Yohe good habits they generated despite the three straight losses.

Oct 23, 2019 “I think these guys know how they’re playing,” he said. “We’re generated scoring chances. We just have to stay with it. I told these guys that we’ll

be honest and objective with our assessments. We feel that this team is TAMPA, Fla. — The Penguins won’t come closer to losing out on at least tracking the right way.” one point this season. Ten postgame observations Along the way, they appear to be getting the point. • So, was it a goal or wasn’t it? Crosby seemed to think so. He was at his Kris Letang’s shot was stopped — well, maybe — by a lunging Andrei familiar spot by the right post when Letang’s shot was snagged by Vasilevskiy with under one second remaining to preserve a 3-2 victory for Vasilevskiy’s glove. That the goaltender caught the puck isn’t up for the Lightning against the valiant Penguins, who fell behind on Victor debate. The question is, was the puck across the goal line while inside of Hedman’s power-play goal with 57 seconds remaining. the goaltender’s glove? “I thought (it went in),” Crosby said. “It might be wishful thinking. There has to be some way to definitely tell. It looked like The Penguins were a little salty after the game with the officiating, the it was in his webbing and for a split second it looked like his webbing was Lightning and their own luck. The loss was a punch to the gut. But if one over the line.” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper had a different take, digs a little deeper, it’s easy to see the Penguins are developing some predictably. “They couldn’t tell with HD cameras,” Cooper said. “I strong habits these days, ones that will serve them well down the road definitely couldn’t tell from the bench. But it looked like they got the right when they are finally healthy. call.” The review took more than five minutes, as the game didn’t conclude until 10:55 p.m. because of the 8 p.m. faceoff. When Cooper “I really hope so,” Justin Schultz said. “And yeah, I think that will be the walked into the media room, he started his address by saying, “You are case. It just sucks right now, because we’ve played some pretty good all still here. Just imagine if the puck had crossed the line.” hockey here and haven’t had much to show for it.” • Let’s give Jarry some more credit. It was a simply wonderful The Penguins are now 6-5 and have lost three straight with their next performance. Those weren’t standard saves he was making, either. game Saturday in Dallas. Tampa Bay played a very strong game. The Lightning tested Jarry early Although the Penguins sustained a loss in regulation and permitted 48 and often, forcing him to make a number of athletic saves. He was more shots, Mike Sullivan was pleased with their effort and justifiably so. than up to the challenge. In fact, he’s been very good in all three of his starts this season. His athleticism was on display more Wednesday than Consider the positives: in any of his previous NHL starts. Perhaps that’s because of the • Tristan Jarry will receive the loss in the box score but he was the best opponent he was playing. One way or the other, he was excellent and player against the Lightning. He stopped 45 of 48 shots, many of them the Penguins, I would think, are developing more and more confidence in acrobatic efforts. It marked the most impressive effort of his career. him.

“He was awesome,” Schultz said. “Really awesome. Deserved to get the • If you’ve watched the Penguins at any point during the past 15 seasons, win, honestly.” you’ve seen Crosby make his share of beautiful feeds that have resulted in goals. He certainly added to his collection late in the second period. • Sure, the Penguins gave up too many shots. But it was an uptempo Dominik Simon made a fine play to find Crosby in the right wing circle. hockey game and it should be noted the Penguins managed 39 shots He skated backward, looking like he was about to release a shot while despite only having one power play. Sidney Crosby’s line combined for pulling Vasilevskiy in his direction. At the perfect moment, Crosby 12 of them and was dominant at various times. Producing offense has feathered a pass to a streaking Jake Guentzel, who notched his sixth been an issue recently, but the opportunities were plentiful against the goal. It was a classic display of Crosby being about two steps ahead of Lightning. everyone else on the ice. Crosby, incidentally, played another fine game, winning 70 percent of his draws and looking dominant throughout the • There was a particular tenacity on display from the Penguins. There is evening. no question Tampa Bay boasts the most talent and the Penguins are without many impactful players. Plus, the Penguins played one night • Brandon Tanev scored on a sensational individual effort in the second earlier while the Lightning last played Saturday. Still, it was Pittsburgh period to even the score. Tanev showcased his speed and tenacity on that looked like the fresher squad in the third period. the play, tracking down a puck and then playing keep away from the Lightning. He was finally able to lift a backhand shot, top shelf, past • It was hardly a perfect performance from the Penguins, and the Vasilevskiy’s short side. It was Tanev’s second goal and it’s doubtful he’ll Lightning managed to sneak forwards behind the defense on a couple of score a prettier one all season. He continues to exceed any reasonable occasions. For the most part, however, the glaring defensive errors that expectations. were rampant last season and in the first few games of this season have been generally eliminated. The Penguins are playing a safer brand of • Late in the third period, Zach Aston-Reese’s rough stretch continued hockey and while Jarry had to make a lot of great saves, the Penguins when he was penalized for throwing his stick to a teammate. A couple of didn’t embarrass themselves with self-inflicted wounds. Penguins players confirmed they are aware of the rule but none had seen it called. Sullivan suggested he dropped the stick rather than “I thought we played pretty well,” Letang said. “It was just a tough way to throwing it, which shouldn’t result in a penalty. Aston-Reese was guilty of lose.” a penalty that led to Vegas’ winner Saturday. Then, Tuesday in Florida, Letang would know. He had the chance to tie the score before he was guilty of two failed clearing attempts on Florida’s winning goal Vasilevskiy’s sprawling save ended the evening. and missed a wide-open net in the third period. Then came the strange penalty. The Penguins were able to kill it off, but Guentzel went to the While it will probably be remembered as one of the more spectacular box and Hedman made them pay. saves of the season, Letang wasn’t really that impressed. Rather, he was unhappy with himself. • I don’t have the impression Erik Gudbranson will be sending holiday wishes to Pat Maroon in December. Gudbranson mistakenly thought “I shot it at him,” Letang said. “It was luck. He was swimming. I have to Maroon was challenging him to a fight in the first period and dropped his put it top shelf.” gloves. Maroon had dropped his stick, which led Gudbranson to believe a fight was on. Gudbranson received the play’s only penalty. He was still The sour attitude that was evident in the locker room didn’t reach fuming about the incident following the game. There’s little question Sullivan. Much like against Florida one night earlier, he was pleased with Gudbranson has been looking to initiate some physical play lately, likely the Penguins’ effort. for two reasons: He wants to remain in the lineup and he has some pent- up frustration after being a healthy scratch multiple times. Maroon gave Jarry a late whack, triggering the confrontation.

• I was impressed with the Penguins’ push in the third period after Cedric Paquette tied the score at 2. Despite the rested Lightning dominating the shot clock most of the evening, the Penguins took it to Tampa Bay during the next few minutes. “I give Pittsburgh a lot of credit,” Cooper said. “They made a push.” Sullivan continues to speak of the Penguins’ resiliency and it was easy to see why in the third period.

• Sam Lafferty’s speed was on display against the Lightning, especially while short-handed. He was stopped on a short-handed breakaway in the first period and had a couple of other good looks while killing penalties. His production has dropped in recent games but I’m not sure his level of play has. I still think he might be a keeper.

• Another player made the injury report for the Penguins. Adam Johnson missed the game with an upper-body injury. Juuso Riikola was forced into the lineup at forward as a result. He handled himself admirably, but the situation remains anything other than ideal.

• In a very impressive pregame ceremony, the Lightning honored 46 of the 70 living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. As pregame ceremonies go, it just doesn’t get any better. Gary Bettman was on hand to witness the gathering of American heroes while Crosby and Steven Stamkos took the time to shake dozens of hands on the ice before the game began. Fabulous stuff.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109447 Pittsburgh Penguins The only thing slowing him down right now is a combination of bad luck and failures to capitalize on his opportunities. He admits to perhaps pressing.

‘Same old story’ as one player is especially frustrated after Penguins loss “A little bit,” he said. “But you have to have more self awareness. You can’t change anything you’re doing too much.”

The truth is, the Penguins need players like Simon and Aston-Reese to By Josh Yohe produce offensively. Look at recent Stanley Cup winners, and you’ll find a collection of players on inexpensive contracts coming through Oct 23, 2019 offensively. Think Bryan Rust in 2016, Guentzel in 2017.

Simon and Aston-Reese represent the most recent crop of young SUNRISE, Fla. — Zach Aston-Reese and Dominic Simon sat in the Penguins on whom the team is counting. They are particularly valuable at corner of the visitor’s locker room at BB&T Center later on Tuesday, the moment, with several important pieces out of the lineup. The duo has heads down, dejected expressions evident. done many things well in the season’s first 10 games, but has only combined for three total goals, with both of Aston-Reese’s coming in one The Penguins had just fallen to the Panthers, 4-2, in a game that was game. evenly played. One team finished its chances, and one didn’t. “I’m getting opportunities right now,” Aston-Reese said. “With that comes Aston-Reese and Simon both had glorious chances to score for the more chances. I just have to put them in.” Penguins but failed. It’s become a theme for both players in the early going of the 2019-20 season and it’s becoming evident that Aston-Reese Ten postgame observations is growing frustrated with himself. • I found Sullivan to be particularly upbeat following this loss. He was “Same old story,” he said in a self-deprecating tone. plenty satisfied with his team’s effort, noting that the game produced an equal amount of scoring opportunities in each direction. This is a fair Aston-Reese was already furious with himself following the Penguins’ 3-0 assessment on his part. Sullivan knows that, with his current roster, goals loss to Vegas on Saturday. The Penguins outplayed the Golden Knights are going to be difficult to come by on some nights. You don’t lose nearly in that game, but weren’t able to beat Marc-Andre Fleury. Aston-Reese half of your top-nine forwards, including a Hall of Fame center, and keep had a couple of wonderful chances, hitting the crossbar on one and manufacturing goals at a consistent, Penguins-like clip. It’s asking a lot. missing the net on another. He also was penalized for goaltender And so, the Penguins’ best bet right now is to keep playing hard and interference, giving the Golden Knights a power play that led to their keep playing a simple game until Malkin and others return. That’s what game-winning goal. they did, thus, the head coach wasn’t terribly unhappy.

It was much of the same Tuesday. • I liked Justin Schultz’s game a lot on Tuesday. He had a slow start in the first couple of games but has really settled nicely alongside Marcus Aston-Reese clanged a shot off the post in the third period when he was Pettersson. Schultz made a couple of excellent defensive plays in the looking at a wide open net. He also twice failed to clear the puck first period and was a steady presence all night. In Schultz and moments before the Panthers took the lead for good in the second Pettersson, the Penguins have themselves a very, very solid second period. pairing that appears to be improving on a nightly basis. “It’s just the same old story, over and over again,” he said. “That second • The Panthers were without Upper St. Clair’s Vince Trocheck, who hurt goal, two failed clears by me. Two. Have a chance to help us tie the his ankle against Nashville on Saturday while blocking a shot. It’s always game, and I hit the post. The effort is there. I just have to stick with it. The unfortunate when a local product such as Trocheck is unable to play frustration is only going to make it worse.” against the Penguins. He’s really turned into a standout during his time Aston-Reese’s coach had his back. with the Panthers organization. Also, Aaron Ekblad, Florida’s best defenseman, was unable to play due to an illness. While the Penguins Mike Sullivan liked many things about his team’s performance, and he don’t figure to be feeling sorry for opposing teams given their own injury had nothing but compliments for his young power forward. problems, these were two substantial losses for the Panthers.

“I think he’s playing hard,” Sullivan said. “He’s playing well. Zach’s a • The first goal that Matt Murray allowed wasn’t so pretty. But give him good player. He’s good in front of the net, good on the wall, good in the credit for accountability. Following the game, after the locker room had battle areas. A good penalty killer. He’s getting chances. Eventually, cleared out, Murray returned to speak with media members about the those chances will go in for him.” goal. Noel Acciari flipped a harmless looking wrist shot at Murray. He The Penguins are hoping the same for Simon. punched at the puck with his blocker, launching the puck into the air. Murray lost track of it at that point, and the puck bounced off his back and It’s no secret that the coaching staff very much likes Simon, and it’s easy into the net. Sullivan called it “a nothing play,” and that’s what it should to see why. He’s a very good hockey player. He just isn’t a good goal have been. “It took a funny bounce off my blocker and I lost it,” Murray scorer, at least not yet. His inability to finish was again on display against said. “That ends up being the difference in the game. That’s on me.” the Panthers. There was a lot of hockey remaining following that goal, but given the lack of firepower in the Penguins’ lineup right now, Murray must be good For the second straight game, Simon was removed from Sidney Crosby’s at all times. He has been so far this season, that goal not withstanding. It right wing in place of Patric Hornqvist. wasn’t one he’d like to remember.

The Penguins’ general inability to finish was beautifully illustrated in the • Crosby recorded an assist to end his two-game pointless skid. He also first period. And make no mistake, everything about the sequence was took a bit of a beating early in the game. While racing into Penguins’ beautiful. The top line of Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Simon controlled the territory to deny an odd-man rush in the first period, Crosby was tripped puck at will in Florida territory and literally drew gasps from the home up by Mike Matheson, crashing awkwardly into the boards. He stayed crowd and the thousands of Penguins fans on hand with a dizzy array of down for a couple of moments, but skated to the bench without any passes. medical attention. The Panthers, who aren’t an overly physical team (let’s Finally, Guentzel delivered the puck to Simon, who appeared to have a be honest, there aren’t many of those left in the NHL), played him with wide open net. But his shot caromed off a Florida defender, thwarting the more of an edge than I recall seeing from Florida in recent years. opportunity. • Kris Letang and John Marino played together for the second straight “It was pretty tight out there,” Crosby said. “There weren’t a lot of game with Brian Dumoulin out of the lineup. They were on the ice for two chances for either team. We’ve just got to bury some more of our goals against, though the first was the fluky goal scored by Acciari, which chances.” hardly was the fault of the defensemen. They were beaten on a two-on- two rush on Florida’s second goal as Jonathan Huberdeau made a nifty Aston-Reese is plenty aware of that. He was playing good hockey on two play to set up Denis Malgin. Marino, in fact, was a minus-3. Still, all occasions last season before injuries slowed him down. things considered, I felt like the Penguins’ top defensive pairing did OK. Marino’s positives continues to outweigh his negatives. Sure, Letang is a great player, and playing with him can naturally augment a defense partner. However, Letang also can be a challenge to play with, simply because he does things that most defensemen can’t or won’t do. It’s a big challenge for a rookie, and I think Marino has passed the test so far. He continues to impress even if this wasn’t a great night statistically.

• Jared McCann returned to the lineup after missing two of the past three games with two separate injuries. He didn’t play poorly, but I didn’t see the same jump from McCann that has been evident during most of this season. I would suggest that he was probably playing at something less than 100 percent. The Penguins need him to stay healthy with so many centers currently out of the lineup.

• That’s five goals in 10 games for Hornqvist. If you’re looking for reasons to feel optimistic through 10 games, this one should rank high on the list. Remember, Hornqvist managed only three goals in his final 39 games of last season, looking like a shadow of himself after sustaining his fifth concussion in as many years. He has skated with more authority this season and looks like the Hornqvist of old. This is a significant development.

• Dominik Kahun continues to search for his first goal as a member of the Penguins. I’ve seen his play improve in recent games. He appears to be skating with more authority, and I think it’s safe to say he’s starting to become more comfortable in a Penguins’ sweater. That said, he needs to produce. At least a little. No goals through 10 games isn’t what the Penguins were looking for.

• Things don’t get easier for the Penguins, as they must face a rested Tampa Bay team on Wednesday night. They’ve faced a lot of back to back nights in Tampa over the past few years, and it often doesn’t go well for the visitors. The Lightning boast one of hockey’s most talented rosters while the Penguins are probably going to deploy their backup goalie and are still playing without many impactful performers. It will be a tall task.

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109448 San Jose Sharks “Our group built on accountability to each other. It’s nothing he wouldn’t say directly to them behind closed doors. It looks like a big deal on the outside, but it’s not a big deal. Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc hope to “come back stronger” after OT gaffe “That kind of accountability is going on in our room on a regular basis.” ▪ DeBoer said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll start Jones or Aaron Dell in goal Thursday. By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group Jones is 8-1-0 with a stellar .937 save percentage in nine career games vs. the Canadiens, but has also been terrific against the Toronto Maple PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 1:00 pm | UPDATED: October 23, Leafs, who the Sharks play Friday. Jones is 7-1-1 with a .932 save 2019 at 1:46 PM percentage in nine games against Toronto. Dell has played one game against both teams, beating the Canadiens on Jan. 2, 2018 and losing to the Leafs on Nov. 28 last season. MONTREAL — Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier haven’t been exiled. They’ll still be in teal and white uniforms Thursday, playing important top six forward roles for the Sharks in their game against the Montreal San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 10.24.2019 Canadiens at Bell Centre. But both players plainly understand that the mistakes they made in overtime of the Sharks’ game against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday simply can’t happen again. An untimely line change by Meier and Labanc — after they both had been on the ice for over a minute — led to an odd man rush the other way and Jack Eichel’s goal with 1:47 left in overtime that gave the Sabres a 4-3 win. “Me and Kevin obviously know that we made a mistake. That’s how it is,” Meier said. “I think we’re (mature) enough to (accept) that. Those things happen and you try and learn from it.” After the game, the unmistakably honest Couture said it was an “inexcusable change,” adding that Meier and Labanc stayed on the ice for too long looking for a scoring chance. “It’s a selfish play that doesn’t need to be a part of this team,” he said. “I don’t take it personally,” Labanc said of Couture’s comments. “He’s being a captain and he’s just holding me accountable, me and Timo. We made a bad change but we just have to learn from it, move on and make sure that down the road we’re not making mistakes like that again. Me and Timo, I think we’re going to come back stronger next game.” “We’ve got 23 big boys in here, so they can handle the criticism like they can handle the accolades,” Sharks center Joe Thornton said when asked about Couture’s comments. “I had no problem with it.” It was the first overtime game of the season for the Sharks, and Meier and Labanc haven’t historically spent a lot of time playing 3-on-3 hockey together. Last season when either of them were on the ice in those situations, they were typically skating with a more experienced forward. Tuesday, Meier and Labanc both came on the ice after Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane came off with just over three minutes left in overtime. There were no shots on goal either way for over a minute before Meier and Labanc headed off the ice for a change as Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt skated back inside his own end. Mittelstadt stopped skating as he saw Meier and Labanc heading off the ice. He then found an open Rasmus Ristolainen with a long pass through the neutral zone. With only Brent Burns back, Ristolainen came in with Eichel on a 2 on 1 and fired a shot on goal that Martin Jones stopped. With the puck still loose under Jones, Eichel skated in and poked it over the goal line for his second goal of the game and his fourth point of the night. “I talked to (Meier and Labanc) before in the dressing room right after the game and I talked to them today” Couture said. “Coaches talked to all of us. We saw it. We saw what happened and those guys will learn from it.” The Sharks liked a lot of things about Tuesday’s game, particularly how they regrouped after Jeff Skinner’s goal early in the third period gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead. Erik Karlsson scored at the 11:27 mark of the third period to tie the game and help the Sharks salvage at least a point. Meier and Labanc each have two goals and two assists in nine games this season. Meier made a nice pass to Patrick Marleau that lead to a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal in the first period against the Sabres and Labanc later set up Karlsson for his third period goal. In Wednesday’s practice, Meier was again on the Sharks’ top line with Couture and Patrick Marleau. DeBoer had Labanc on the second line with Hertl and Kane, moving Noah Gregor to the third line with Thornton and Barclay Goodrow. “I think Logan has always spoken his mind. I don’t have a problem with it,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said of the captain’s postgame comments. 1109449 San Jose Sharks 3. Martin Jones’ early play: The save percentage didn’t look great for Jones after Tuesday’s game, as he stopped 25 of 29 shots. But the Sharks would have been a deep hole early had it not been for Jones, who made solid stops on Skinner and Kyle Okposo in the opening shifts Takeaways: ‘Selfish play’ costs Sharks in OT loss to Sabres after some defensive breakdowns by the skaters in front of him. What needs work By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay 1. The depth at right wing: Labanc has the capability to be a reliable Area News Group player at both ends of the ice, as we saw for most of last season. Noah Gregor may get there one day, but he played just his second NHL game PUBLISHED: October 23, 2019 at 5:01 am | UPDATED: October 23, Tuesday, starting on the second line, and finished with 9:22 of ice time. 2019 at 5:11 am Melker Karlsson is a guy that DeBoer feels comfortable with playing at a variety of spots, but he’s at his best in a checking role. BUFFALO — The Sharks weren’t happy with their 4-3 overtime loss to Labanc had a good game from a possession point of view, finishing with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. They weren’t terribly upset, either. a Corsi-for percentage of 75 in just under 15 minutes of ice time at even strength. Still, if the Sharks to make a move to add another forward, the Just like their meeting with the Sabres on Saturday at SAP Center, the first priority would be bolster the group at right wing. Sharks showed some resiliency in the third period to tie the game as Erik Karlsson scored his first of the season with 8:33 left in regulation time. 2. Tomas Hertl’s consistency: Hertl had a terrific game Saturday against Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead just 45 seconds into the the Sabres, scoring his third of the season and finishing with six shots on third period. goal 23:42 of ice time. He also won 13 of 20 draws. “Right after we gave up the goal right after that first shift, I thought we Tuesday did not poorly, just not as well. Through two periods, he and had a pretty good 10-15 minute span and got rewarded to get a point out linemate Evander Kane had just three shots on goal combined. Hertl took of that one,” Sharks captain Logan Couture said. “So, we’ll take it.” 23 draws, winning 12, and seemed to be more involved in the third period. But the Sharks were also once again done in by one of their own mistakes. With under two minutes left in overtime, after the Sharks got But the Sharks needed a bit more from him and Kane against a quality the puck out of their zone, Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc headed off the opponent like the Sabres. Even strength goals from Sam Reinhart late in ice to make a change after a long shift. the second period and JSkinner early in the third both came with Hertl and Kane on the ice. That allowed the Sabres to quickly transition and enter the Sharks zone on a 2-on-1, and Jack Eichel finished it off with 1:47 left in overtime to 3. Too many penalties: The Sharks, for the fourth straight game, were on give his team a 4-3 overtime victory at KeyBank Center. the penalty kill four times. Sure, the second tripping call Mario Ferraro midway through the second period might have been borderline, but the Both Meier and Labanc were on the ice for well over a minute by the time Sharks are just putting too much stress on Jones and their penalty kill they skated off the ice. Brent Burns was alone trying to defend the 2-on- units. Jones made six saves when the Sharks were down a man 1, and by the time Couture and Joe Thornton raced onto the ice in Tuesday, including a terrific second period stop on Eichel, as the Sharks support, the puck was already near the goal line. went 3-for-4 on the kill. “It’s an inexcusable change. Two guys stayed out for long, looking for “It’s about sticking with it. We do it every once in a while, but we’ve got to offense,” Couture said. “It’s a selfish play that doesn’t need to be a part find a way to do it a little more often,” Karlsson said. “It’s small things out of this team, so we’ll figure that out.” there that win you games, and right now we’re on the wrong side of most of them.” Eichel had four points, with two coming in the second period.

“We’ve got to find a way, even though we’re tired, when it’s everybody’s turn to do something with the puck and put it in a good place,” Karlsson San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 10.24.2019 said. “No matter how tired you are, you have to do it. It ended up costing us the game.” What worked Tuesday 1. The fourth line provides some early energy: When it looked like a few of the Sharks skaters were still finding their legs, the fourth line of Dylan Gambrell, Marcus Sorensen and Melker Karlsson gave the team some positive early shifts. Gambrell was rewarded with his first goal of the season at the 5:46 mark of the first period, setting up in the slot and redirecting a shot from Erik Karlsson past Sabres goalie Carter Hutton. Gambrell then fed Melker Karlsson for another golden scoring opportunity, but Karlsson was unable to get a quality shot on goal. 2. Patrick Marleau: Marleau is being asked to do a little bit more each game as he continues to be the Sharks’ best option at right wing. He finished with two assists in 17:37 of ice time, which included roughly seven minutes between the third period and overtime. His first assist Tuesday showed he still has plenty of awareness, and that the hands haven’t gone anywhere, either. After Burns created a neutral zone turnover by the Sabres, Meier picked up the loose puck with Couture going toward the Buffalo net. Vlasic jumped up in the play to create an odd-man attack just as Meier fed Marleau, who glided toward the net before he backhanded a pass to Vlasic for a tap-in. The assist gave Marleau 1,170 points for his NHL career, tying him with Bobby Hull for 52nd all-tme. Marleau is now nine points back of Sergei Federov for 51st place. “It’s getting there, getting better,” Marleau said. “There’s still some things that timing-wise, can get better. But the legs are starting to feel a lot stronger.” How important was Marleau? In the third period, not only did he skate on Couture’s line, but he also took some shifts alongside Joe Thornton. 1109450 San Jose Sharks While Thornton and Marleau attempt to steer the Sharks better than they did those kayaks, they now have more time to build more memories together. Sharks' Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau committed to keeping things fun "The fun isn’t ending," Thornton said, "that’s for sure." Well, as long as it doesn't keep the old-timers up past their bedtime. By Brian Witt October 23, 2019 2:26 PM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019

Reunited, and it feels so good. The fact that Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are teammates on the Sharks -- for the second time -- is, frankly, just absurd. It's entirely awesome, but yes, absurd. Thornton and Marleau were the No. 1 and 2 picks in the 1997 NHL Draft, respectively, and they're the last two players standing from that draft class. They're both 40 years old. One guy has had major surgery on both knees. The other wasn't signed until four games into the current season. The odds were most definitely against the two future Hall of Famers being reunited in San Jose, but they beat them anyway. And now, they're having a blast together again. That much was readily apparent through a recent Q&A Thornton and Marleau did with The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "Never," Thornton said of if he thought they would ever be teammates in the first place. "We played together for Canada on under-18 so we knew each other before the draft. But going 1-2, I thought he was in the West and I was in the East permanently. Yeah. We’d play together internationally and stuff like that but never on the same NHL team. No." As for being reunited, Thornton was as pleasantly surprised as the rest of us. "Isn’t it great? Who would have seen that!" "Couldn’t stay away from the big guy here," Marleau quipped. Thornton and Marleau had been teammates for the better part of 12 seasons prior to the current one. That's a lot of time together in close quarters, but the two longtime friends have always seemed to enjoy each other's company -- even when they didn't have to. When the NHL returned from the 2012-13 lockout, a rule in the CBA was changed that required all players past their entry-level contracts to get their own hotel room on the road. Thornton and Marleau were both 33 years old at the time. They kept rooming together anyway. "It might have been more than a year," Marleau recalled. "Yeah it might have been like two years," Thornton corrected. Apparently, the choice to remain roommates on the road was a logical one. "Yeah, we always woke up at the same time," Thornton said. "It was just, why change it? It was working out. We were playing good ... "Yeah but it was 9:30 p.m. and shut out the lights (laughs)." Now teammates -- again -- in their 40s, their friendship can be traced back multiple decades. "We’ve had our fun," Thornton said. "But I just think the fact that we’ve had quality time together. We’ve got to know each other’s families. I’ve got to know the Marleau family, which is important. We have a lot of good memories, played on a lot of good teams." "Right from when we were 17 years old," Marleau interjected. "We got in trouble that year (starts laughing)." Oh? (eyes emoji) Do tell. Marleau then proceeded to remind Thornton about some good old- fashioned boyhood fun that went a little overboard -- literally -- back while they were playing on Canada's under-18 national team. "We wrecked a couple of kayaks," Marleau recalled. "We had rented a couple of kayaks one day and somehow ran into each other. "A couple of us jumped off and went swimming a little bit." "So we had to pay for the damages," Thornton remembered. "They said, ‘You owe us money!’" 1109451 San Jose Sharks Thornton: I can’t remember. Was the iPad out back then? Marleau: I think you probably had the remote.

Thornton: Yeah but it was 9:30 p.m. and shut out the lights (laughs). LeBrun: Q&A with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on reuniting with the Sharks and savoring what’s left Patrick, when you left for Toronto two years ago, that was such an interesting time for both of you. You’re best friends, you’re both UFA at the same time, you’re both getting calls from Toronto, we know that the By Pierre LeBrun Leafs wanted both of you. You’re having to work all this out on your own but also on some level you’re tracking through all that together, right? Oct 23, 2019 Marleau: Yeah we were talking through that …

Thornton: I was at a different stage. I just came off knee surgery. I just BUFFALO, N.Y. — They are the last two standing from the 1997 NHL wanted to do a one-year deal to see if the knee came back. He was in a Draft. totally different situation. He had a great year, his body felt good, I was just strictly about one year and see if I could get through that one year. “With Lou gone it’s just us, eh Patty?” Joe Thornton says as we sit down So we were in totally different paths at that point, yeah. this week. Stressful time, right? Yes, with Roberto Luongo retired, the ’97 draft class has two players still going, the guys who went 1-2 overall more than 22 years ago in Thornton Marleau: I thought that was stress until (this year) when I miss training and Patrick Marleau. camp and I’m trying to find a team (laughs). The pair of 40-year-olds still love the game so much. And I think Thornton: That’s a different level! appreciate each game they play more than ever. Yes it certainly didn’t go like you would have envisioned this summer, They’re back together again, Marleau signing with the Sharks four games Patrick. What was that like, you’re skating with the Sharks players all into the season after a stressful summer wondering if the day would ever summer but waiting for the phone to ring … come. Marleau: I’m skating with the guys and they all have their (Sharks) Marleau’s exit from San Jose to Toronto as a free agent in July 2017 jerseys on and I have a different jersey … You just don’t really feel part of seemingly ended his long run as teammates with Thornton, although the it until you’re actually part of it again. Now it’s about trying to get more Maple Leafs tried to lure both that summer, but here they are riding side- comfortable back in it. by-side once more. Thornton: We needed him back and it couldn’t come at a better time, I’ve interviewed both players countless times, but never at the same time. man. I sat down with Thornton and Marleau in Buffalo this week. That ovation from the Sharks crowd in the Calgary game, Patrick, you’re I think you will enjoy this. not a guy that during your career has worn your emotion on your sleeve. Is that fair? I’ve talked to players who have played a long time and they always say how quick it goes. Is that true for you guys? Marleau: Oh yeah. I’m like a duck, calm on the surface but the wheels are turning inside (both players laugh). Marleau: Oh yeah. Thornton: That’s very true. Thornton: Flies by. I’d do it all over again, eh (looking at Marleau)? Marleau: But that was a great moment. It was very humbling. It was Marleau: Oh yeah for sure. pretty special. Thornton: It’s incredible, though. So I texted you, Joe, around the NHL Awards in June when I saw he had Marleau: It’s tough remembering how there’s so much good stuff. It’s only come out and said he was coming back to play and he texted me saying when you start talking and reminiscing that you start to realize it … ‘Yeah, five more years!’ I can’t even tell if you’re joking. Thornton: I was 25 when I was traded to San Jose. I’m 40 now! Like, it Thornton: I’m at the point where I’m week to week, Pierre. I’m week to flew by. week (laughter from both). So we’ll see if I have a good week and we’ll go from there. And you played your first game as a Shark here in Buffalo (in December 2005). I think back to that 1997 draft, you guys obviously spent time But you have to love the game. I remember talking to Daniel Alfredsson together there as the top prospects. But you’re probably thinking then once about that decision late in a player’s career and what it takes to get that you would never, ever be teammates in the NHL? your body ready in the offseason workouts to ramp up for another season … it’s a grind, right? Once you’re playing in the season again that’s the Thornton: Never. We played together for Canada on under-18 so we fun part. But the summer preparation that’s such a grind, right? knew each other before the draft. But going 1-2, I thought he was in the West and I was in the East permanently. Yeah. We’d play together Thornton: For sure, yeah. internationally and stuff like that but never on the same NHL team. No. Marleau: You got to love it. You got to love that part of it, too. And there And now you’re back together again. are going to be tough days in the summer. But you’re always looking at the fact it’s going to lead to something better. If you want to play, you got Thornton: Isn’t it great? Who would have seen that! to do it. Marleau (smiling): Couldn’t stay away from the big guy here. Thornton: I think that’s when you’ll know when it’s time, when you don’t enjoy the grind. And right now, I love the grind. I love putting in the work (Thornton laughing uncontrollably like only he can.) every day. It’s enjoyable, right Patty? I love the story that after the last lockout back in 2012-13 there’s a new Marleau: Yes. rule in the CBA about veteran players getting their own hotel rooms and if you’re a veteran you no longer have to bunk with a teammate. But then Thornton: We enjoy it. you two guys who had long been hotel roommates just kept on sharing a room anyway for like a whole year? You are both fathers. Not every NHL player gets the chance to have their kids realize in real time that their dad is an NHLer and get to watch dad Marleau: It might have been more than a year. play. Often players start their families in retirement. What’s it like to still be playing and have your kids be self-aware of what’s happening? Thornton: Yeah it might have been like two years! Marleau: They love it. They’re into it now. The older ones obviously have Marleau: They ended up separating us, otherwise we might have just a bigger grasp of it. When they’re younger they just want to go in the kept staying together (laughing). But we were on the same schedule. locker room and get gum or Gatorade. Thornton: Yeah, we always woke up at the same time. It was just, why Thornton: Yes the Gatorade! My youngest is 6, he just wants the change it? It was working out. We were playing good … Gatorade or the gum. They don’t care about meeting Patrick Marleau or Who had the remote control in that hotel room? Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns. They just want to come in and get their Thornton: Slender. That Gucci body build. gum and get out. But they enjoy it, yeah. (Marleau chuckles). That’s probably the hardest part of still playing is being on the road and not with them, like right now. You guys have played in these physical Western Conference series over the years, I used to call it Big Boy hockey, which a lot of people made fun Marleau: Oh yeah for sure. There’s always life going on (at home) when of me for. But I covered a lot of those series. The Kings, the Ducks, you you’re on the road. guys, just the type of hockey that was so demanding. It still ramps up come playoff time but it’s different now, right? Thornton: Today I should be playing basketball at home (with his kids). That’s the tough part, they’re just getting done school right now as we Thornton: But you still have your teams that way, St. Louis was a beast, speak and we’re in Buffalo. But there’s a good balance. You have to Vegas is a beast team, the Bruins, there are still some teams that follow have a good support system at home and I think we both have that. that mold that are great teams. So I don’t think that concept is dying. I think it’s still there in some teams. Marleau: Yes. Marleau: It comes out more in playoffs. It’s not run and gun, it’s about Thornton: And technology makes it easier. You FaceTime. We’re lucky in puck possession and playing down low in the offensive zone. that aspect. All right we’re getting toward the end of this chat here. When you guys Joe, I know you hate looking too far ahead. You’ve always told me that. look back at your careers and your time together, what will you recall as But let me say this: the last two Cup champions have been Washington some of the best moments the two of you have had together? Maybe and St. Louis, two teams that had knocked at the door forever. Playoffs things that make you laugh? after playoffs, good teams after good teams, and then it actually happened frankly when neither team I think saw it coming. I’m a believer Marleau: Well, there’s no shortage of that (big smile). that perhaps things sometimes happen in threes … Thornton: Yeah, we’ve had our fun. … But I just think the fact that we’ve Thornton: So we’re next? We’ll take it, yup (smiling). had quality time together. We’ve got to know each other’s families. I’ve got to know the Marleau family, which is important. We have a lot of good But seriously, who has knocked at the door more than you guys? Good memories, played on a lot of good teams … teams for such a long time. Marleau: Right from when we were 17 years old. We got in trouble that Thornton: Yes. But I know myself I can’t look past tomorrow. And I don’t year (starts laughing). think as players in general, we don’t look too, too far. Thornton: That was in Nelson, B.C.? Marleau: The more you play, for me anyways, you realize that there is a process and the process starts over every year. It goes throughout the Marleau: Yes. The under-18s. whole season and then it’s whoever gets hot at the right time. Thornton: What happened again? Thornton: Yeah. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been knocking at the door for 10 years. A new year starts, there’s 31 teams chasing it. It doesn’t matter Marleau: We wrecked a couple of kayaks. We had rented a couple of what you did in the past. kayaks one day and somehow ran into each other. You have both worn the ‘C’ for this franchise. Now it’s Logan Couture. Thornton: Oh yeah. How do you help Logan out? You’ve known him since he was kid Marleau: A couple of us jumped off and went swimming a little bit. entering the league, obviously. Thornton: So we had to pay for the damages. Thornton: He does fine. We’ve been leadership by committee in San Jose, and I think most teams around the league, for years. Patty wore the Marleau: I remember my parents getting a phone call a couple of weeks ‘C’, I’ve worn the ‘C’, Pavs (Joe Pavelski) was captain, now Logan is, Erik later … (Karlsson) has worn the ‘C’ in the past, there’s a lot of different guys. Thornton: They said, ‘You owe us money!’ Marleau: It’s by committee, yeah. Well, I guess you still have time here to add a few more chapters Thornton: Pete (DeBoer) has a good pulse on the team, and I think Doug together. (Wilson) does, too. But Logan is going to do great. We’ve seen him mature so much over the last … I think it’s been 10 years since he’s been Thornton: The fun isn’t ending, that’s for sure. playing? It’s amazing. He’s a very capable guy to do this. Marleau, with a serious tone now, pointing at Thornton: I’m just a huge Marleau: I sent Logan a text right away (when he was named captain). I fan of his. Everything he does, everything he brings. When he came to told him he’d be great. You want your leaders and captains to play the this team, it made me a better professional. I thought I was doing pretty system to the T and play hard and play the right way. He fits that. good and doing things right but he just came and showed me a whole other level that you can get to. The biggest thing if I could take from him, Patrick, you told me in June you thought you still had a few years left to I’d want to take the mental game that he has, it’s off the charts. play … Thornton: You know I want him to get 600 goals. When he was in Thornton, interjecting: Well he’s still the fastest skater on the ice every Toronto, I’d text him, ‘All right, let’s keep ‘er going.’ We root for each night! (Marleau chuckles). Even the guys this summer we’re like, this guy other. … I want him to do good. can skate! He’s got legs for years still, I’m a big believer in that. He has that body type that can just go on forever, like that Mark Messier body Thanks guys, this was fun. type. He just has that big solid frame that can just skate. He doesn’t have a problem with this new age hockey, you know? The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 I was talking to Joe about this before you got here, Patrick, the game has changed so much since I started covering it 25 years ago. So many players used to bench press like crazy. Marleau: I remember growing up and getting all the hockey cards and reading about everybody and it was always about, ‘Are you big enough?’ Thornton: Yup, you got to put weight on! Marleau: I would measure myself, I was small at the time, I’d look at the small players and say well they made it. Maybe I got a shot. Then I was able to spurt up, but that was a thing, you had to be big enough. Thornton: You had to put weight on. Every summer it was you got to put weight on. Marleau: That was the ultimate grind. Now all the young players have Tour de France bodies. Lean and mean. 1109452 St Louis Blues “The power play in the third period, I would expect to see more killer instinct, to be honest with you,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “You get a chance like that, you have a team down 3-1, you could make it 4-1. It’s just about being assertive and moving the puck quick and attacking, just Gordo: No need for soul searching as Blues get back to winning being on your toes a little more I thought.” When the Blues have Carl Gunnarsson healthy and Jay Bouwmeester playing well, they can pair three right-shooting defensemen with three Jeff Gordon lefties and balance up their minutes on the blue line. But when Gunnarsson is injured and a struggling Bouwmeester is Having a well-established team identity is helpful in the NHL. It makes relegated to the third pairing with Robert Bortuzzo at even-strength, the relocating your game so much easier. Blues are not as airtight in the zone. The Blues proved that point after suffering an ugly 5-2 loss to the Up front, Berube is still seeking better chemistry and more consistency. Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon. The top forward line with Brayden Schenn flanked by Tarasenko and Schwartz has been terrific this season, but the other three lines have When the Blues sat down to discuss their downturn among themselves, remained fluid and inconsistent. there was no need for navel-gazing and deep reflection. There was no reason to ask: “Who are we?” or “What are we doing here?” So, as Berube frequently points out, there’s work to do. The Blues have survived an uneven season start with a 4-2-3 record, but they are still They endured that self-exploration last season, through a head coaching working to gain traction. change and a difficult transition period. They completed the journey with a late-season push and an epic playoff run. “It’s only one game, you know. We won one game,” Tarasenko said. “It’s really important how we react and hopefully we’ll move on and win more These days the Blues just have to take a good hard look in the mirror to games after.” find themselves. They did so after their winless streak reached four games — then they responded with their impressive 3-1 victory over the The Blues know who they are, so they know how it’s done. Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. “We’ve been piecing things together but this is the first time, so far this St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 year, that we played the way we wanted to the entire game,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. “That was a really big game for us, especially after the last couple of games,” winger Vladimir Tarasenko said. “We needed to bounce back, especially against a division opponent. A really good test. That was the game plan, try to stay tight, don’t let them get some speed because they have really high-skilled players there.” The free-wheeling Avalanche rolled into town with a 7-0-1 record. They won three of their previous four games on their road trip — and they scored 17 goals in those victories. The Blues stayed tenacious on their forecheck, limiting Avalanche breakouts and preventing them from building speed through the neutral zone. That job got somewhat easier when Colorado lost explosive winger Mikko Rantanen to a left leg injury during the game. “They were the hungrier team,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar surmised afterward. “When they’re on the puck first and with their numbers all the time, it just makes it difficult if you don’t have the legs. “They check hard and they’re heavy on the puck. Our counter to that is our speed and we didn’t have it tonight.” At the back end, the Blues blocked 14 shots and allowed just 17 to get through to goaltender Jordan Binnington. Just 10 of those shots came at even strength and the only Avalanche goal came on a 5-on-3 advantage. The Blues finished their checks, notably when straight-line checker MacKenzie MacEachern paved Avalanche forward Andre Burakovsky to trigger a giant scrum. “We were aggressive,” Pietrangelo said. “From our own zone all the way to their end, neutral zone and everything, (we were) just being more aggressive. That’s pretty much how we played the whole game. We were confident in our routes, we were confident in the plays we made and they had a tough time with it.” The Blues won 63% of their faceoffs, maintained strong puck possession and earned lots of offensive zone time. “We played without the puck the whole night,” Bednar said. “We never really had the puck.” The Blues’ effort was far from perfect. There was plenty of nit to pick. Once again the Blues took too many penalties, such as the interference call on Alexander Steen off an offensive zone faceoff. They weren’t always in sync on their breakouts, as Justin Faulk reminded us by firing a pass into the skates of Jaden Schwartz, leading to a quick Avalanche counterattack and a tripping penalty on Schwartz. Sometimes they forgot to play north-south, like when Sammy Blais blindly threw a clearing attempt into the middle of the ice or when MacEachern ignored a shooting lane to make a doomed lateral pass in the middle of the offensive zone. Sometimes their power play broke down, most notably in the third period when the wheels came off completely during one ugly sequence. 1109453 St Louis Blues “I had to put my cup on because it holds your socks up,” Thorburn said. “You never know in that pile what’s going to happen with a flying knee or elbow.” Behind the scenes at Game 7: A nervous wait for Blues' extras “Oh yeah, I can’t skate without a cup,” Butler said. “It feels foreign without a jock and the whole nine yards.”

Not that all the equipment lasted long. The players brought their gloves By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch for the sole purpose of being able to throw them in the air when they hit the ice. Oct 23, 2019 “The last time I did that I think I was in mini-mites, throwing the gloves,” MacEachern said. “It brought me back to my young days for sure.” When the Blues stormed on to the ice after winning Game 7 of the The toughest challenge was for Husso, who got on his full goalie gear, Stanley Cup Final in Boston, you may have noticed something: Not long with his chest protector and leg pads. “He is a slow, slow, slow dresser,” after the players began piling up at one end of the rink, other players Butler said. started showing up almost immediately, players who hadn’t been in the game. In a couple cases, players who hadn’t played a game for the Blues Husso had a different concern. the whole season. And they were in uniform, joining the party. “I hadn’t played in a game,” Husso said, “I asked Chris Thorburn, ‘do you Those players, Robert Bortuzzo, Robby Fabbri, Robert Thomas, Chris think it’s fine (to go out?)’ He said of course, it’s a once in a lifetime Thorburn, Chris Butler, Mackenzie MacEachern, Michael Del Zotto, moment. So I said all right.” Jordan Nolan, Mitch Reinke and Ville Husso, many of whom never got in a playoff game but were on hand just in case, had been sitting in the While the players sat watching and waiting, the room began to be Blues dressing room — the same one the team will be in Saturday when prepared for the celebration to come. they make their first trip back to Boston — for about the last five minutes “We’re putting all of our gear on,” Butler said, “and while we’re doing that, of the game, in full uniform, right down to their protective cups, waiting for they’re wheeling in cases and cases and cases of beer and champagne. that moment. We’re finally dressed with three minutes left and grabbing beers. But And while the players on the ice had a game in front of them to worry anything can still happen. A couple guys cracked open a beer and took a about, those 10 were sitting not far from the ice, along with some sip, but some were more superstitious and they stopped and put the beer members of the medical, training and equipment staffs, watching the down. Then we lined up in the hallway in time for pure joy and game on television, sometimes uneasily, sometimes exuberantly, like so excitement.” many other Blues fans, only with actual jerseys, rooting for the clock to As they waited in the hallway from the dressing room to the bench, just move faster. out of camera range, the players moved Thorburn to the front of the line “We’re sitting in stalls,” said Butler, who knew at that point that he would so the veteran forward could be the first on the ice. be retiring after the season, “putting our gear on still. Trying to find socks. “The way I was treated in the whole process, to be the first guy out of the Do I take my gloves out? I look like a loser if I skate out with no pads. extra guys, was super cool,” he said. Tape my shin pads? Not tape my shin pads?” And then the celebration began. “We put our skates on but didn’t tie them,” said MacEachern. “Everyone was, slow down, slow down. Then they scored one with three minutes left “(Alexander Steen) said it halfway through the year,” MacEachern said. and everyone stopped. No one finished tying their skates. It was a pretty “It’s not going to be a 23-man roster to win it. It’s going to be a 30-man nerve-racking moment. We weren’t playing but — I can only imagine out roster. I think that was part of it. Everyone in the group had a there — it was pretty nerve racking for us too. We didn’t want to jinx it.” contribution.” Potentially jinxing things had been on their minds before they even went And everyone in the group got to celebrate. downstairs.

“Now that everything worked out, it was super exciting,” said Thorburn, who hasn’t retired from the NHL but also isn’t with any team now. “Me St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 and Bortuzzo, he missed a couple games with injury, and every time we left (the press box) early to go downstairs, the other team scored, so we made a pact to stay until the game was final. That game, we didn’t wait, just in case. Me and Bobbo ended up leaving, not that it was close, so we could be down there and not rushing to get dressed. Already my hand was shaking. You really never know what can happen. It was like a black-out moment, the reality of what was happening.” “I’m normally fairly calm watching a game,” Butler said, “but sitting next to Thorbs, he must have punched my shoulder 50 times that game.” The player organizing it all was Nolan, who had been in a similar situation with the Kings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2014. He was a healthy scratch in Game 5 of the final series with the New York Rangers. (No one had apparently asked Oskar Sundqvist, who went through the same situation in Pittsburgh.) Nolan worked with the Blues equipment staff to be sure the players had access to all of their gear in the third period. “We won in overtime in ‘14,” Nolan said. “We were sitting in the dressing room watching the game on TV in full gear and when you see (the winning goal) happen, you sprint out there. If you don’t (score), you get undressed real quick. … I’ve done that twice now. Thank God we won both times. I haven’t experienced where you get dressed and you lose. I don’t know what that would feel like, but I’m sure it’s not a good one.” The only bit of gear the players didn’t put on was their helmets. Other than that, they got dressed like it was any other game. “Some guys didn’t want to throw on certain things,” Nolan said. “Some guys didn’t want to get fully dressed. I think it’s good to get fully dressed and experience it like any other player would.” Which included players putting on their protective cups. 1109454 St Louis Blues

Blais' status uncertain for Blues-Kings game

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Blues wing Sammy Blais wasn't a very active participant in practice on Wednesday, sitting out most of the rushes as the team got ready for their game with the Kings on Thursday. Blais took a slash to his left hand in the Colorado game on Monday and while he finished the game, he spent a lot of time talking with trainer Ray Barile during practice with tape around his left thumb. At one point in practice, Blais was doing drills using only his right hand. "We'll see tomorrow how he is," coach Craig Berube said. Zach Sanford took Blais' spot on a line with Tyler Bozak and Robert Thomas. Berube said that either Sanford or Robby Fabbri could move into that spot if Blais couldn't go. Back on the ice on Wednesday was defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who had missed the previous two games with a lower-body injury. While Gunnarsson probably won't play on Thursday, Berube said he was well enough to play if needed. The lines and pairings were otherwise the same as against Colorado, with Mackenzie MacEachern skating on the fourth line. AWARDS Blues radio play-by-play announcer Chris Kerber is among the recipients of this year's Musial Awards for sportsmanship. Kerber gave up his broadcast spot to Fox Sports Midwest colleague John Kelly for the second period of each game in the Stanley Cup final so that Kelly, who wouldn't have been working the games otherwise since the TV broadcasts were entirely national at that point, could take part. Laila Anderson is receiving the Musial Award for extraordinary character.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109455 St Louis Blues

Blues host the Kings in Western Conference battle

Staff Report

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OCTOBER 24, 2019 02:05 AM

Los Angeles Kings (4-5-0, seventh in the Pacific Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (4-2-3, third in the Central Division) St. Louis; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles travels to St. Louis in Western Conference action. St. Louis went 45-28-9 overall and 25-18-7 in Western Conference play a season ago. The Blues scored 244 total goals last season while collecting 416 assists. Los Angeles went 22-23-5 in Western Conference play and 14-21-6 on the road during the 2018-19 season. Goalies for the Kings compiled a .900 save percentage while giving up 3.0 goals on 31.2 shots per game last season. The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. Blues Injuries: None listed. Kings Injuries: None listed.

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109456 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s struggling power play, Andrei Vasilevskiy come through in the clutch

By Diana C. Nearhos Published Earlier today Updated 6 hours ago

TAMPA — It came down to a sprawling glove grab by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and some very high-definition video in New York. The Lightning’s win wasn’t sealed until six minutes after the Tesla strike sparked. The video replay team at the NHL’s league office took that long to review Vasilevskiy’s buzzer-beating save. Finally, referee Tim Peel announced — to a nearly silent arena — “it has been determined the puck never crossed the goal line.” The Tesla sparked all over again as three-quarters of the crowd erupted and the Lightning secured a 3-2 win over the Penguins. (Those in black and gold were less than thrilled). “You have to really make sure,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said of the long wait. “But the longer it took, the more confident I got that it wasn’t in. It’s tough to go along and all of a sudden find a goal.” Vasilevskiy said it was worth the wait. “There was a big scramble and I just tried to seal the bottom of the net,” he said. “He just shot it into my glove. It’s a kind of never-give-up play. It works sometimes. Not every time, though.” The save was made as desperation devolved into a mess in the crease. The Penguins just threw the puck on net repeatedly in the final seconds. Ryan McDonagh collapsed in the crease, blocking a shot, then Erik Cernak joined him and Vasilevskiy. Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang got off one more shot with one second left. Vasilevskiy threw out his glove and grabbed the puck. But the puck’s momentum carried the glove backward unknown fractions of an inch. It came very close to the goal line. Vasilevskiy saw Letang prepare to take the shot and just tried to seal off the openings. The play happened too fast to know if his glove passed the line. Even as the crowd erupted with the sound of the final buzzer, the Lightning and Penguins looked around with uncertainty. Sure enough, the officials huddled up for a review, and everyone waited. The Lightning had only taken the lead 57 seconds before, as the struggling power play came through in the clutch, on its second opportunity in the final five minutes of the game. “We tried to improve on our power play and haven’t really been having the success we had last year,” Hedman said. “So it was a big one for us.” First, Zach Aston-Reese sat for throwing his stick to a teammate who’d broken his own. The Lightning had nothing going on that power play, as they had on the two previous. But they got another chance when Jake Guentzel went to the box for hooking Anthony Cirelli. The Lightning cycled the puck as fans, too used to the team’s over- passing ways, called for someone to shoot. Finally, Hedman found his opening. He ripped a one-timer from the center point, a few feet off the blue line, that sailed past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. Even to Hedman it felt like the first shot on the power-play in a while (they didn’t put a shot on net on the previous advantage). He said he needs to be more of a threat to shoot the puck. “It goes in spurts," Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said. “When you’re hot, you’re hot. When you’re not, it feels like nothing is going to go in. The more you shoot, the better the chances. Heddy let’s one rip and it goes in. It’s a huge moment for us and hopefully that can open the floodgates a little bit."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109457 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning welcome 46 Medal of Honor recipients

By Ryan Kolakowski Published Earlier today

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning hosted 46 of the 70 living Medal of Honor recipients on Wednesday night, saluting the armed forces veterans before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena. The recipients, donning their medals and customized black Lightning jerseys, appeared at center ice during the national anthem. Corporal Hershel W. “Woody” Williams, a 96-year-old World War II veteran of the United States Marine Corps, participated in the ceremonial puck drop with Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. Williams, the the lone World War II veteran present on Wednesday night, received the medal for his service against Japanese forces at Iwo Jima. The 46 attendees include nine veterans from the War on Terrorism, 34 from the Vietnam War, two from the Korean War and one from World War II. Tonight, we were privileged to honor and recognize 46 of the 70 living recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. “These are the nations truest heroes from the battlefield” said Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation President and CEO Karl Horst. “The city of Tampa have been wonderful hosts.” The Medal of Honor Society hosts an annual convention for recipients, and this year’s event is being held in the Tampa Bay area. When Lightning owner Jeff Vinik first heard from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, he quickly jumped at the chance to host the armed service veterans. “What these gentlemen have accomplished and what they’ve given to our country is unbelievable,” Vinik said. “This isn’t just the Lightning and Amalie Arena hosting these heroes here. This is the entire community who’s made them feel at home.” Vinik, who has owned the Lightning since 2010, said Wednesday night’s pregame festivities were a highlight of his ownership tenure. “This is my favorite moment since being an owner here,” Vinik said. “When we win the Stanley Cup, that moment will be right up with this moment.” Gary Beikirch, a 72-year-old veteran of the Vietnam War and 1973 Medal of Honor recipient, is very familiar with the Tampa Bay community. The U.S. Army veteran has participated in two ceremonial puck drops at Lightning games, and he regularly visits schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties to talk to students about his experiences. “To be together is a chance to be reaffirmed, inspired and encouraged to keep on doing what we’re doing,” Beikirch said. “Whenever we come to a community like Tampa, the love we receive from the community just reaffirms why we did what we did." Beikirch earned his medal moving “unhesitatingly through the withering enemy fire to his fallen comrades,” according to his medal citation. But Beikirch, like other medal of honor recipients, chose not to talk about heroics but about the lessons learned. After his military service, Beikirch spent 33 years as a middle school counselor. “What I try to do is share a message that each of us were created for a purpose, we have a reason to live,” Beikirch told Jeremy Roenick during the NBC Sports Network broadcast. "If we can help somebody find that reason of why I am here, what that will do is provide motivation, inspiration — it will provide a hope for you, and all of us need a hope to go on living.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109458 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Cedric Paquette scores in his debut against the Penguins

By Diana C. Nearhos Published Yesterday Updated 4 hours ago

TAMPA — Jon Cooper called Cedric Paquette one of those players you don’t know how much you’ll miss until he’s gone. The center demonstrated just what he can do for the Lightning on Wednesday. Making his debut in the ninth game of the year, Paquette sparked the team’s comeback in the third period. His forecheck started the play in the offensive zone. Then Luke Witkowski dug the puck of the corner and fired off a centering pass. Ryan McDonagh one-timed the puck and Paquette tipped it in. “He is an extremely important player for us," Cooper said after the Lightning 3-2 win over Pittsburgh. “He just brings an identity to his line, and I thought they spent a lot of the night in the offensive zone, and they were banging and he was the one leading the charge.” That goal didn’t exactly shift the whole momentum of the game, but it did give the Lightning a boost. And that’s not even where the team expected Paquette to have an impact (he called it a bonus). The anticipated impact was the physicality. He came out with a couple of big hits right off the bat. “I wanted to get that out of the way right away, see how the body feels,” Paquette said. “And it felt great.” Last year, Paquette played a big role on the penalty kill (when he wasn’t in the box himself) and proved that the fourth line could be trusted in defensive zone faceoff opportunities against good lines. Paquette missed time during training camp and then was hurt again in the preseason finale. He was upended and came down shoulder first. Paquette threw down his gloves and held his arm as he skated off. It was especially hard for Paquette to watch games he couldn’t play in to start the season. He got back on the ice after only about 10 days, but not consistently at first. He has been practicing for two weeks now and got back on a line this week.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109459 Tampa Bay Lightning

A guide to Tampa Bay sports this weekend

By Peter Couture Published Yesterday

LIGHTNING: PREDATORS OR PREY? Inconsistent play continues to hinder the Tampa Bay Lightning early in the season. On Saturday they’ll face the Nashville Predators. The game is one where the home team will wear its black “Disrupt the Night” alternate jerseys. (The Bolts will wear them at every weekend home game this season.) Let’s hope the Bolts can disrupt the Preds. Ticket prices vary. 7 p.m. Saturday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. (813) 301-6500. ticketmaster.com. TV/radio: Fox Sports Sun; 970-AM. CAR SHOWS: A VROOM FOR EVERY TASTE If brands like Triumph, Jaguar, MG and Austin-Healey get your motor running, then check out more than 200 vintage and new cars at the All British Car Show. There also will be live entertainment and awards. Free. 9 a.m. Saturday. 750 Main St., Safety Harbor. (727) 724-1555. cityofsafetyharbor.com. If that show is a little too refined for your tastes, then maybe the Hell on Wheels Car Show is more your speed. It features more than 200 classic, exotic and custom cars and motorcycles set against Ybor’s historic brick buildings. Benefits veterans charities. Spectators free, $20 to $30 to show a vehicle. 11 a.m. Sunday. Bad Monkey, 1717 E Seventh Ave., Tampa. (813) 280-9971. FITNESS XFit Games: Pull together a team of five or more for a day of field events that include tug-of-war, an obstacle course and a three-legged race. The event benefits cancer research at Moffitt Cancer Center. $175-$250. 9 a.m. Saturday. University of South Florida Fowler Fields, 11600 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa. (813) 442-0421. drivenfit.com. Buddy Walk: The 5K fun run-walk includes a race shirt, finisher medals, overall and age-division awards, plus a postrace party and meet and greets with movie and superhero characters. Benefits F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Down Syndrome West Florida. $20-$35, 11 and younger free. 7 a.m. Saturday. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 245-2782. ds-stride.org/fdswfbuddywalk. Bolt Run: Choose from a 5-mile, 5K or family fun run-walk. Benefits the Advent Health Care 360° Transportation Care Program via the Lightning Foundation. $30-$65. 7 a.m. Sunday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. (813) 301-6623.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109460 Toronto Maple Leafs Trevor Moore: Seems to fit on any line, seems to fit any role, never seems to wear out his welcome. Any more like him? Grade: B

Nic Petan: The frequent healthy scratch has a lot of believers out there. This isn’t the report card most Maple Leafs wanted to bring home to their Babcock doesn’t appear to be one of them. Neither was Paul Maurice in parents Winnipeg. But he shows flashes of playmaking ability and fourth-line grit. The Leafs have him signed beyond this year. Hockey Night In Canada reported the Leafs would be interested in moving him to a team that would give him more of a chance. Grade: C By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... Wed., Oct. 23, 2019 Nick Shore: No one has more five-on-five defensive zone starts than Shore (49), and has a 60 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle. The Maple Leafs are 11 games into the NHL season, and a 5-4-2 record Offence isn’t his thing (one goal, no assists). The GM wants a fourth line is not what they planned. that can score (think Jason Spezza). The coach wants one that can hold the other team even. Shore is helping do that. Yet to be on the ice for a The Leafs are 2-4-2 against teams that managed at least 96 points last short-handed goal against. Grade: B year. They have key injuries and have faced a particularly tough schedule. But every team faces adversity, and so far the Leafs aren’t Jason Spezza: Not sure how the veteran ended up in Babcock’s facing it well. doghouse so quickly. He is the epitome of the kind of player hockey promotes: kind, funny, approachable, gentlemanly. But one assist in five They take too many penalties, they trail too often, they’re weak in the games. Grade: C third period. They don’t earn enough power plays — just 2.8 a game (the league average is 3.3) — where their top stars could shine. Dmytro Timashov: No complaints about Timashov, who adds energy, puck-protection ability and decent playmaking to the fourth line. Grade: B The Leafs’ best players have not been at their best. Their depth players have been pulling their weight. Frederik Gauthier: The Goat has won over the skeptics and earned the trust of the coach, who used him as third-line centre Tuesday. He has Help may well be on the way. Both Travis Dermott (shoulder) and Zach two goals, and given his (lack of) hands, that might be it for the season. Hyman (knee) are eligible to come off long-term injured reserve as early But he’s a trusted presence. Don’t be fooled by his possession numbers as Friday’s game against San Jose. Given the coach’s recent comments (46 per cent). He has started 46 times in the defensive zone, compared and how they’ve been practising, Dermott is more likely to return than to twice in the offensive zone. He gets the puck moving the other way. Hyman. Grade: B Here are the individual report cards. DEFENCE FORWARDS Morgan Rielly: Has made a number of uncustomary foolish plays. Has looked out of sorts defensively, and — outside of a four-point second Auston Matthews: He focused on developing a one-timer over the period — hasn’t contributed the offence required. He is far and away the summer to add to his offensive arsenal. And no one is complaining about team’s minutes leader (25:01). Grade: C eight goals. We might quibble over three assists. We’ll certainly quibble about indifferent play in his own zone. He wants to be the best player in Tyson Barrie: Perhaps playing second fiddle to Rielly (who’s on the first the league. His possession numbers are great (58 per cent), but he power play) is hurting the offensive numbers expected. The key player in mainly starts in the offensive zone, so he surrenders territory. He has the Kadri trade hasn’t lived up to the hype but is far from being the taken far too many shots (34 of 41) from beyond 15 feet. Grade: C problem. Grade: B YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN... Jake Muzzin: Brings his A-game every night. Gets beat occasionally, sure. But he plays with passion. He knows what it takes to win. Hopefully John Tavares: He was injured (broken finger) just as his game was he’s telling his teammates. And hopefully, they’re listening. Grade: A rounding into form. And his injury has coincided with the team’s recent slide (1-1-1). So perhaps he escapes the recency bias, but a better start Cody Ceci: Little was expected. Came with a bad reputation. Has would have helped. When things go bad, that’s when a captain is needed exceeded expectations and earned Babcock’s trust. There might not be the most. Hoping for a speedy return. Grade: B much more to his game than has been evidenced. The issue of the Rielly-Ceci pairing is more Rielly’s issue than Ceci’s. Leads the team with Mitch Marner: He’s shooting more. Why? He is the best playmaker on the 25 blocked shots. Grade: B team and can make others around him better when he dishes the puck. He has three points in five-on-five situations, and is tied for a team-worst Justin Holl: Emerging as a nice surprise. Still has a limited role, but is minus-5. His shooting percentage is at 5.33, worst on the team. He doing what Frankie Corrado and others who were in healthy-scratch doesn’t have a great shot. He continues to use it. He does a lot of other purgatory could never do: free himself. He’s plus-4, while averaging things well, including killing penalties. But he has yet to be so dangerous 12:54 of ice time. Grade: C that an opponent has needed to trip, hook or hold him. Grade: B Martin Marincin: The defenceman with nine lives may finally be wearing William Nylander: Remember he was going to dominate the NHL? Those out his welcome. Decent in short spurts, but not a reliable every day were his words. That was his prediction. Now, he’s got a good stick and, NHLer. Grade: C oh my, those zone entries. But, really, he has to be more of a presence. He gets credit for leading the team in even-strength shots from 15 feet or GOALTENDING closer (eight). He’s not close to the player he says he wants to be. Frederik Andersen: Slow start, as usual, but he’s been the best Leaf Grade: C lately, the reason they’ve earned points. Have we gone from wanting to Alexander Kerfoot: Early returns suggest the Leafs got two better players manage his load to wondering if he can play every game? Grade: B than the one they gave up in the Nazem Kadri trade. Kerfoot has four Michael Hutchinson: Like Garret Sparks before him, he’s no Curtis goals, three assists, speed and more grit than Mike Babcock was McElhinney. Grade: D expecting. He should take fewer penalties, though. Grade: B COACH Andreas Johnsson: He really hasn’t taken off offensively, even playing regularly with Matthews. And he’s hurt the team a great deal, taking silly Mike Babcock: Are they listening? Are they doing what you tell them to penalties in the neutral and offensive zones. He leads the team with 12 do? Is your system working? Credit for moving guys around, for giving penalty minutes, and has yet to score a five-on-five goal. Grade: D the Matthews-Marner pairing a go, and for having a fresh look at Holl. Grade: C Kasperi Kapanen: A bad start, perhaps he is ill-fitted to left wing. Kapanen has thrived on Kerfoot’s right side, scoring short-handed (a godsend for a team that takes too many penalties). His work ethic is not a problem, and he uses his speed wisely. Grade: B Toronto Star LOADED: 10.24.2019 Ilya Mikheyev: Soup Man to the rescue. Big, fast, skilled and can score. A real find. No matter that the player he essentially replaced — Par Lindholm, now with the Bruins — scored a dagger against Toronto on Tuesday. Kills penalties, but maybe not as well as he could. He’s been on the ice for four short-handed goals against. Grade: B 1109461 Toronto Maple Leafs these guys for three years: heavy hockey, competitive bite, good habits, grind away. He said earlier this year Matthews had a chance to be the best two-way centre in hockey. Is he? Is he close? Maple Leafs’ losses are in the details, like their best players not playing So which part is the player, and which the coach? When the Bruins came their best to town coach Bruce Cassidy talked about how even after going to Game 7 of the Cup final last year, Bergeron and Marchand were two of the engines that revved this team back up — every practice, every game. It’s one reason they had home ice in Game 7 of the first round. By Bruce Arthur Sports Columnist

Wed., Oct. 23, 2019 Toronto Star LOADED: 10.24.2019

There are lots of ways and directions to point fingers, and on Tuesday night David Pastrnak busted out a familiar one: the Auston Matthews-like finger wag at the net to signal that’s a goal, right there. Pastrnak reliably kills the Leafs: He has 13 goals in his last 14 games against Toronto, plus seven in 14 playoff games. Point all you want, kid. Matthews apportioned blame after the Leafs’ 4-2 loss, including a finger pointed at himself, which may be to the good. The loss in Boston dropped Toronto to 5-4-2 in the first 11 games of the season; that’s an 89-point pace. There’s plenty of time to change that, of course. But this team hasn’t looked great for long all season, and some things clearly need to change. “I think it’s just not good enough,” Matthews said. “I think we need to be better. I think it comes from the leadership group. I need to be better. We just need to look each other in the eye and hold each other accountable.” Indeed, for all the glittering talent assembled here, this team hasn’t put together very many games against good teams where you felt like they were hitting the gas the whole game long. The slow start version is a popular one: Toronto field-tested it a lot in the second half of last season. Monday night in a loss to Columbus, the Leafs took penalties and had defensive and discipline lapses that cost them, including one by Matthews that resulted in a goal; against Boston they took more penalties, were pummelled territorially for the second straight game against the Bruins, and didn’t have much in the way of a push in the third period with the score tied 2-2. In the wider picture, this team has good underlying numbers, and still hasn’t often looked like a contender for more than five minutes at a time unless they’re playing a tomato can. You can say Tuesday’s loss came on the second night of a back-to-back against a rested opponent, the fourth back-to-back of the year. You can point out they’ve played 11 games in 21 days with new defence pairs and blended forward lines. You can say the Leafs aren’t getting enough goaltending, and that’s oxygen in hockey. All true, and the last one especially matters. But you can also say this team has lapses defensively, lets details slip, and that the stars carrying the biggest contracts set a big part of that tone. Matthews took his turn in the barrel Tuesday, after Boston’s sublime top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Pastrnak outplayed Matthews, Mitch Marner and Andreas Johnsson. Which can happen to anyone. “They’re playing against the good line, so which part is the good line, and which part is them?” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “We’ve talked about this a number of times over the years, who should play with who, but in the end your dominant players have to be dominant players.” Pressure weighs on fractures, and this might just be a fracture, if not a break. Babcock has never loved Matthews and Marner together, but he’s trying it with centre John Tavares sidelined with a broken finger. Matthews has eight goals and 11 points in 11 games; his puck possession numbers are excellent, juiced by a concerted effort to start him in the offensive zone as much as possible. Still, his numbers have improved over comparable situational use last year. But what we’re seeing in this stretch is one reason Babcock decided Tavares was the No. 1 centre last season. Watch the first goal Boston scored, which was later disallowed on an offside review: Matthews stands flat-footed in front of the Toronto net as Marchand chases a puck out from between Matthews, Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci and feeds Pastrnak for the goal. Rewatching the games, you see these things repeat. So which part is the good line, and which part is them? Boston’s big boys hunt the puck, all the time. On that play, Matthews watched life happen, which he sometimes does. But Marchand’s demon feet never stopped. Toronto’s best players don’t always operate at that level, and not getting their usual excellent to elite goaltending is exposing that. Kyle Dubas’s theory of skill-based hockey is predicated on guys that hound the puck and get it back, and Babcock has been asking for the same things from 1109462 Toronto Maple Leafs Go do it, then. Back up the words. If the work matches the talent, Babcock just might see the season

through. It's on the Maple Leafs' stars to lead, and past due that the effort Michael Hutchinson hasn’t been getting much help from his Maple Leafs matched the talent teammates. The Leafs’ backup goalie has faced an average of 37.7 shots a game in Terry Koshan his three starts, while No. 1 netminder Frederik Andersen has faced an average of 31.6 shots a game in his eight starts. October 23, 2019 6:04 PM EDT Granted, each time Hutchinson has started has come in the second game of back-to-back sets, but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse for the discrepancy. A few weeks ago — the morning of the Maple Leafs’ second home game, to be precise — coach Mike Babcock discussed the importance of depth While the Leafs mostly have lauded Hutchinson’s play when he has been on the roster. in the crease — against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, Hutchinson had to make several difficult saves — the 29-year-old, like the rest of the men “The more depth you have and the deeper you are down your lineup and wearing the Leafs’ colours, has to be better. the more people you can roll out night after night, you can win night after night,” Babcock said on Oct. 5, hours before the Leafs played host to the A save percentage of .890, which Hutchinson sports, isn’t good enough. Montreal Canadiens and lost in a shootout. “If you only have a few stars, Not that Andersen has sparkled, posting a save percentage of .901. you can’t win night after night. Now they get points, but you go home disappointed a lot. You need team depth.” A gaffe on Hutchinson’s part helped lead to the second Bruins goal in a 4-2 Toronto loss, and afterward, the goalie acknowledged the tests that We can presume that Babcock figured then that his stars, specifically come in playing with new Leafs defencemen. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, captain John Tavares, William Nylander and defenceman Morgan Rielly, would shine. Ditto for those who occupy “It’s always a bit of a challenge at the start of the year,” Hutchinson said. the next level, including Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. “(We’re) continuing to work on it and communicate off the ice, after games, in between stoppages, trying to sort it out as quickly as possible.” Through 11 games, most of this group has recorded the points Babcock was talking about. Marner has 12 points. Matthews and Rielly have 11, Coach Mike Babcock put his support behind Hutchinson (0-2-1) on and Matthews’ eight goals were third-most in the National Hockey Tuesday night. League prior to games on Wednesday. “We needed to get another (goal) for him,” Babcock said. “It’s unfortunate It’s all a bit hollow though, eh? that we haven’t been able to help him get a win. He’s been in a situation with these back-to-back (games), we haven’t given him a real good The Leafs head into a home game against the San Jose Sharks (with opportunity.” whom Patrick Marleau is making a difference, ironically, after not doing that for Toronto last season) on Friday night with a mediocre record of 5- 4-2. Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.24.2019 Of those losses, four have been by one goal, including the shootout loss to the Canadiens and the fall in overtime against Columbus on Monday. The Leafs haven’t been held back in the win column because they lack depth. They have plenty of solid role players. No one who has watched Toronto through the first three weeks would argue that players such as Alex Kerfoot, Ilya Mikheyev, Trevor Moore, Frederik Gauthier and Dmytro Timashov have mailed in many shifts. Some of what Babcock says has the tendency to drive segments of Leafs Nation up the wall — such as insisting after the loss in Boston that he liked the team’s effort — and with each loss, there is increased braying for his firing. But when Babcock said in Boston that the Leafs’ dominant players have to be the dominant players, those in the group of reporters nodded in agreement. The Leafs haven’t been getting that kind of consistency from players such as Marner, the highest-paid performer in the NHL this season with a salary of $16-million US, or from Matthews, tied with Tavares for the second-highest paid at $15.9-million. There shouldn’t be any extra motivation when the money is rolling in at the age of 22, like it is for Marner and Matthews. As much as it’s on Babcock to get the most out of a roster that has an abundance of talent, there’s absolutely no reason for Marner and Matthews to not be completely invested every time they go over the boards. The absences of Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott to injury have hurt, and losing Tavares for a stretch is painful. Hyman is vital with Tavares and Marner, leaving a hole that has not been properly filled. With Dermott out, the Leafs have had an unsettled third pair, not that the top four of Rielly-Cody Ceci and Jake Muzzin-Tyson Barrie has been spectacular. We understand that a team that has as many new players as the Leafs will take some time to learn who fits best where, etc. This is a club that could help itself immediately, however, with full determination every time the puck is dropped. That starts with the Leafs’ stars. It’s great that Matthews, who has spoken more like a captain this season than he has in his previous three years in the NHL, said on Tuesday night that everyone, including himself, has to be better. 1109463 Toronto Maple Leafs Putting Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner together on the same line is supposed to lead to more goals. But according to Bruins defenceman Charlie McAvoy, it also prevents opponents from scoring. “Those guys are special,” said McAvoy. “They play the game responsibly. I think the TRAIK-EOTOMY: Being 'just OK' nowhere close to good enough for two of them have good sticks defensively, too, so I think that’s something Leafs that maybe sets them apart from other elite players” … Buffalo’s 24-year- old Victor Olofsson leads all rookies with six goals. But keep an eye on Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, who has a league-best .943 save Michael Traikos percentage after three games and is trying to become the first goalie since Steve Mason in 2009 to win the Calder Trophy … Could the 3-5-1 October 23, 2019 8:46 PM EDT Sharks, who rank last in the Pacific Division, turn things around like the Blues did last season? Yes, but like St. Louis, it’s probably going to cost them a head coach in the process … Seattle has narrowed down its The Toronto Maple Leafs have played 11 games so far this season and search for a team name to five finalists, with Sockeyes reportedly being won five of them. one of them. But if they want a fish theme, I’d choose Kraken. After all, I never heard a story of a salmon ever sinking a ship. To borrow a phrase from Randy Carlyle, they’ve been “just OK.” Toronto is 0-3 when back-up goalie Michael Hutchinson starts in the That might be good enough to temporarily hold down a playoff spot in the second night of back-to-back games, which might have more to do with crowded East. But it’s not good enough for this team and where it should his teammates’ energy level and the strength of the opponent than his be headed. actual play. It’s why San Jose’s Peter DeBoer sometimes plays his backup goalie on the first night and saves his starter for the harder game that Regardless of the injuries to John Tavares, as well as Zach Hyman and comes afterwards. “We’re going to split them in back-to-backs this year,” Travis Dermott, you don’t pay Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner a said DeBoer. “Who starts what end of it, a lot of things go into that.” … combined $22 million for “just OK.” Nor do you pay Mike Babcock the Jack Eichel probably isn’t ever going to make Sabres fans happy that highest salary in the NHL for those kinds of results. they lost the 2015 draft lottery and a chance at selecting Connor McDavid with the No. 1 pick. But with six goals and 14 points in 10 It’s early, but this team should be better. A lot better. And if it doesn’t get games for the best team in the NHL, Eichel is putting to rest the idea that better, changes could be coming. Buffalo might have been better off with either Marner (fourth overall) or The easy target right now is Babcock, who still hasn’t gotten the team to Mikko Rantanen (10th) … The Jets have lost four of their past five play team defence or to “start on time.” But the person who should be games. Even more troubling is that they scored just seven goals in that shouldering the blame along with him is GM Kyle Dubas, who seems to span, all but one of which came from Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle have constructed a roster where the pieces still don’t seem to fit quite as Connor … Patrik Laine has 12 points in 11 games, but I bet head coach right as he might have hoped. Paul Maurice liked the winger a lot more when 75% of his offensive production wasn’t coming from assists. The Leafs have given up the first goal in eight of their 11 games. To make matters worse, they have also been outscored 15-10 in the third It’s always dangerous to base end-of-year predictions on the first few period. And while they are ranked sixth in goals per game (3.64) and weeks of the season. But I feel pretty confident in saying that Pastrnak, have the eighth-best power play, they are also giving up the fifth-most who ranks first in goals (10) and is tied for second in points (17) after just shots per game and allowing eighth-most goals per game. nine games, will remain among the top five in both categories when all is said and done. A lot of that is on the coach. But it’s also on the personnel. That is, as long as he stays healthy and continues to play alongside Dubas took away Nazem Kadri and Ron Hainsey — and before that, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on what is otherwise known as the allowed Leo Komarov and Matt Martin to walk — but didn’t provide best line in the NHL. Babcock with suitable replacements. This team still isn’t heavy enough. Two years ago, Pastrnak had 35 goals and 80 points. Last season, It doesn’t have defencemen who can protect leads or play below the despite missing 16 games with a thumb injury that affected his shot, he dots. When the game gets slowed down and physical — and that’s the finished with 81 points in 66 games. That’s a 47-goal and 100-point pace scouting report on how to beat the Leafs right now — Toronto has little for a player who is only 23 years old. answer for the likes of St. Louis, Washington, Boston or even Columbus. And it’s not like they’re going in off his butt. That has to be troubling for a team that is probably looking at another first-round match up against the Bruins. Pastrnak went through his legs to score a power-play goal against Toronto on Tuesday night. But it’s his one-timer, which might be up there So what the do the Leafs do? Well, they can wait around and hope that with Alex Ovechkin’s and Steven Stamkos’, where he’s found the most things will change when Tavares, Hyman and Dermott are all healthy. If success. that doesn’t work, they can replace Babcock with Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe and hope for better results. “It seems like he’s hitting it cleaner this year than at the end of last year,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “I talked about his injury and Or they can look at moving Kasperi Kapanen, who has eight points in 11 maybe that affected it. I don’t know, I think missing five weeks at the end games and an attractive $3.2-million cap hit, for someone with a little bit of the year, his timing was a little bit off more than his hand injury. He’s more sandpaper. had time to work on that and get that back.” Something has to give. If not, this team won’t get out of the first round. With 10 goals on 32 shots, it’s safe to assume that Pastrnak will not be able to sustain a 31.3 shooting percentage and finish with 91 goals. But And no one in Toronto will be OK with that. 50 goals is more than possible. After all, ever since Bauer changed the With David Pastrnak leading all players with 10 goals in nine games, colour of his trusty Nexus stick from blue to gold this year, he has been here’s another reminder that the Bruins forward is earning $6.66 million the NHL’s version of The Man with the Golden Stick. this year. Along with Winnipeg’s Mark Scheiefele ($6.125 million) and “I think last year he was on track for that. He would have been a guy that Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3 million), he remains one of the best was butting up against 50 if he had kept his production up, if Marchy and bargains in the NHL … The worst bargain? Vancouver’s Loui Eriksson is Bergy had stayed healthy,” said Cassidy. “Some of it has to do with him on the books for a team-high $6 million. That’s a lot for a player who’s staying healthy and his linemates staying healthy. So yes, I think he was been a healthy scratch in eight of nine games this year … Patrick close last year and this year it looks like he’s on the same path.” Marleau will play in his 1,500th game with the Sharks on Friday. On its own, playing that amount of hockey is pretty rare. That he’s done it with Victor Olofsson couldn’t tell you how many power-play goals he scored the same team is almost unheard of in today’s salary cap world. “It’s last year. That’s because it never used to matter. incredible,” said teammate Joe Thornton. “You’re not going to see that too, too often anymore” … Flames fans won’t like to hear that goalie Mike Of course, that changed this season when he scored his first six goals Smith (ranked 10th in the NHL with a 2.15 GAA) has much better with the man advantage. numbers in Edmonton than Cam Talbot (ranked 18th with a 2.46 GAA) Suddenly, the player whom Buffalo Sabres fans have started to call has in Calgary. What’s even worse is that David Rittich is ranked 33rd “Goal-ofsson” became an NHL record-holder. Of course, it’s a record that with a 2.85 GAA … Would anyone be opposed if the Flames and Kings Olofsson isn’t exactly bragging about. While he’s happy to be tied for the played each other once a week? At the very least, can Drew Doughty team lead in goals, the fact that none have come at even-strength is a and Mathhew Tkachuk please be voted to the All-Star Game — and sign that the 24-year-old rookie can only score when the opponent is forced to play on opposite teams? short-handed. “It’s a little mixed emotions,” said Olofsson, who has a rookie-leading six goals and 10 points in 10 games. “You usually don’t look at how many power play goals you have and how many five-on-five goals you have, but now it’s been a main focus. Obviously, it’s fun to have a record. At the same time, I want to get that five-on-five goal.” Olofsson, who is also tied with Edmonton’s James Neal for the most power-play goals this season, might not look like the typical special teams expert. For one, he’s a rookie. Not only that, but he was drafted in the seventh round, a place where most never make it to the NHL. The ones that do tend to become fourth-line grinders or penalty-kill specialists. So how did Olofsson earn the coach’s trust so early? Well, you can credit the Sabres for that. Unlike former first-round draft pick Alex Nylander, who left Sweden for the OHL as a 17-year-old and was then rushed to the AHL immediately after being drafted, the Sabres left Olofsson in his home country for four years before finally bringing him over. By then, he was a complete player. He had played meaningful minutes on the power play alongside Toronto’s William Nylander and Los Angeles’ Adrian Kempe with MODO and also enjoyed a breakout year by scoring 27 goals with Frolunda in 2017-18. “I just think when I played in Sweden, I had a lot of time on the first power-play unit. That helped me a lot,” said Olofsson. “It’s kind of similar (to the NHL). Obviously, in Sweden you want to come off the wall a little bit so you come closer to the net. It’s not that big of a difference.” In his first season in North America, Olofsson led the Rochester Americans with 63 points and ranked among the top 10 in the AHL with 30 goals. In case you’re wondering, only nine came on the power play.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109464 Vegas Golden Knights LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.24.2019

Golden Knights rookie Cody Glass adjusts to life on road in NHL

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal October 23, 2019 - 6:39 PM

Cody Glass experienced his share of long road trips while playing in the major-junior Western Hockey League. But several bus rides through the Pacific Northwest and Canada over the past few years didn’t completely prepare the Golden Knights rookie forward for the rigors of an NHL roadie. Glass found that out the past few days. “It’s a little bit different, especially just going through time changes and stuff like that,” Glass said prior to Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout win at Chicago. “But I feel like I’m doing a good job of getting my recovery, getting my rest. I think just with the games and everything, obviously it’s a very hard schedule that we have right now.” The Knights were off Wednesday following a road trip that hit two time zones and featured three games in four days. That completed a stretch in which they played seven games in 11 days, including two back-to-backs. Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 draft, has produced two goals and four assists in 11 games. Entering Wednesday, he was tied for fourth in rookie scoring with Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes. “We’re real happy with his progress. We like what he’s doing for us,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “Both ends of the rink, he’s played good. He’s worked hard. He’s created some real good plays.” Glass, a natural center, made a relatively smooth transition to right wing and will be tough to supplant from the third line, even when injured wing Alex Tuch returns. Wing Valentin Zykov is serving a 20-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. His future with the club remains in doubt. Brandon Pirri, who is visibly pressing, has one assist in eight games. Glass said he is getting more comfortable. “But, then again, (being sent to the minors is) kind of always in the back of your head.You never really know. Just try to play hard every night and just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get.” Making moves The Knights reassigned goaltender Oscar Dansk to the American Hockey League and recalled goaltender Garret Sparks. Dansk allowed six goals on 37 shots in Monday’s 6-2 loss at Philadelphia. Sparks had 39 saves in the Chicago Wolves’ 3-2 win over Texas on Wednesday and owns a 2-2-1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. Defenseman Nic Hague also was assigned to the AHL to play in the Wolves’ game and was recalled by the Knights afterward. The 20-year-old rookie was a healthy scratch for all three games on the road trip that finished Tuesday. VR experience opens The Knights said VGK VR, a virtual-reality experience located inside City National Arena, will open Thursday. The technology from international VR company Sense Arena allows participants of all skill levels to practice shooting, passing and overall hockey awareness. “We’re excited for VGK VR to be the latest addition to City National Arena,” team president Kerry Bubolz said in a statement. “Sense Arena’s cutting-edge technology will provide hockey players of all skill levels with an innovative way to develop their skills, while giving fans a perspective like never before.” VGK VR will run from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. It also will be open this Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. before beginning its regular operating hours next week. Cost is $10 for two games, $20 for five games or $40 for 20-minute diagnostic testing, which includes an account that remembers participants’ skill level for future games. 1109465 Vegas Golden Knights

Looking to buy a Golden Knights Fleury patch? Good luck

By Rochelle Richards Las Vegas Review-Journal October 23, 2019 - 1:16 PM

Those looking to add a Marc-Andre Fleury patch to their Golden Knights collection might be out of luck. The third patch in the five-player collection went on sale Wednesday morning at Smith’s locations in the Las Vegas Valley, but fans are reaching out via email and on social media saying the patch is already sold out. One reader wrote she checked five Smith’s locations, all of which were sold out of the patch. Many fans who were able to get their hands on the patch are now reselling it on Ebay for upwards of $50. Multiple calls to local Smith’s were unanswered.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109466 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights reassign goaltender Oscar Dansk, recall Garret Sparks

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal October 23, 2019 - 9:30 am Updated October 23, 2019 - 4:38 PM

The Golden Knights reassigned goaltender Oscar Dansk to the American Hockey League on Wednesday and recalled goaltender Garret Sparks. Dansk allowed six goals on 37 shots in Monday’s 6-2 loss at Philadelphia. Sparks had 39 saves in the Chicago Wolves’ 3-2 win over Texas on Wednesday and owns a 2-2-1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. Defenseman Nic Hague also was assigned to the AHL to play in the Wolves’ game and was recalled by the Knights afterward. The 20-year-old rookie was a healthy scratch for all three games on the road trip that finished Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109467 Vegas Golden Knights William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault are about the same with fewer actual goals.

Smith’s career-high in goals is 25, so it’s not as if the scoring has come 11 games in, a look at where the Golden Knights are shining out of nowhere. But he has one assist this year and has never had more goals than assists. The line has been tremendous, but expect Smith to start distributing and for Karlsson and Marchessault’s totals to increase. By Justin Emerson Last year, the Golden Knights levied 2,268 hits, or 27.7 per game. Led by Ryan Reaves and William Carrier, that hasn’t changed this season. Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 | 2 a.m. Through 11 games they have 313 hits, or 28.5 per game. The culprits are predictable. A year after leading the league in the The Golden Knights defense was exposed Monday when the Flyers had category, Reaves is right back at the top this season with 51, 4.6 per six goals on 37 shots against backup Oscar Dansk, showing once again game. Carrier was last year’s leader in hits per game and is fourth in total how subpar the defense has been to open the season. hits. Brayden McNabb is seventh. Seven times in 11 games have the Golden Knights surrendered at least The Golden Knights have had a steady mix of speed and skill at the top 35 shots to rank eighth in the league in most shots allowed per game. of their lineup and brute force at the bottom. It’s served them well through the first two years of their existence, and that doesn’t appear to be But the Golden Knights (7-4-0 record) have survived their poor defense changing anytime soon. for a few reasons, especially with the Vegas offense pumping shots on the other net at an even higher rate, 34.9 shots for per game, fourth-best in the league. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 10.24.2019 Vegas is also winning the special-teams battles, killing off 90.9% of its penalties (best in the league) while converting on 25.0% of its power-play chances (tied for eighth in the league). Then, of course, Vegas has one of the league’s best goalies in Marc- Andre Fleury. Here are some observations from the initial 11 games: Any superlative you have in mind to describe Fleury is probably accurate. He’s sporting a .937 save percentage and 2.04 goals-against average that satiates the crowd of easily digestible stats, but the advanced numbers paint an even rosier picture. Fleury leads the NHL with 5.07 goals saves above expected, according to Evolving Hockey, which measures the quality of shots faced and produces the number of goals that player has prevented. To compare it to the league average, Fleury also tops that, where his 8.06 goals saved above average is more than two goals better than the second-place goalie. Fleury has kept the Golden Knights in games. He hasnâ€™t had a bad game yet this year, with the 29-save shutout on Saturday the crowning achievement. But the four goals allowed on 73 shots on back-to-back nights to the Flames and Kings is perhaps just as impressive. Stone’s point output after the trade last year was maybe disappointing for those who expected a world-beater to come in and dominate right away. He wasn’t bad — 11 points in 18 regular season games — and turned it on in the playoffs. This year though, he’s been producing points at an elite rate. Stone has 14 points in 11 games, good for sixth in the league and third among wingers. That’s a 104-point pace, which would shatter his career-high of 73 set last season. What’s interesting is that Stone’s on-ice possession numbers have not been good yet. The Golden Knights are just barely on the plus in Corsi, expected goals and scoring chances with Stone on the ice at 5-on-5 (and were on the negative side before a strong game Tuesday in Chicago). Considering Stone has been strongly positive in all those metrics every year of his career, it’s fair to expect some positive regression the rest of the way. The question is how hard his point total regresses in the remaining 70 games as well. There was a belief this offseason that Shea Theodore would take a big step forward this year, stemming in part from the idea that he would get even more power-play time than last year. He not only has gotten more time, he’s played more relative time on the power play than almost anyone in the league. As the Athletic pointed out before Tuesday’s game against Chicago, Theodore’s share of time on the ice with an extra man is sixth in the league, including an Oilers team whose power play runs through three players. And the results are coming for Theodore. He has three points in 45:44 of power-play time, a rate of 3.9 points per 60 minutes. Last year he had 2.8 points per 60 minutes on the power play. Reilly Smith won’t finish this season with 52 goals. Smith’s start has been a lot of fun to watch, and he netted another one Monday night on the breakaway. None of his goals has been flukes, it’s just that Smith isn’t the type of player likely to continue that pace. He’s been good for 3.86 expected goals in all situations, and his linemates 1109468 Vegas Golden Knights chances but couldn’t bury one. So it’s a little frustrating, but like I said you have to keep trying.”

Karlsson’s offensive creation has actually been better this season than it Expect the goals to come soon for Golden Knights’ William Karlsson was during his unbelievable run in 2017-18. His shots, individual Corsi for, scoring chances, high danger chances and expected goals per 60 minutes are all higher. By Jesse Granger “I think (our line) has been a little better this year in the open ice,” Karlsson said. “The opponents, in some games, have shut us down but Oct 23, 2019 we’ve made a lot of plays on the rush. We have to get it deep and work down low, and then we try to play fast too. Hopefully me and (Jonathan Marchessault) can start getting some goals, because Reilly (Smith) has CHICAGO — Through the first 11 games of the season, Golden Knights done a good job.” center William Karlsson found the net once – and even that was into an empty net. Even without the goals, Karlsson has been far from unproductive. He’s currently tied for the team lead with eight assists. If he continued at his current scoring rate, Karlsson is on pace to finish the season with seven goals. Smith is tied for fourth in the NHL with seven goals, with six of them coming off assists by Karlsson. Still, Marchessault and Karlsson have But that’s about to change in a big way. At least, that’s what the analytics only three goals between them, and that has to change. say. “You try to keep doing the same thing, but at the end of the day, guys like His lonely goal paints a picture of a star forward struggling out of the us need to find the back of the net,” Marchessault said. “It’s probably why gates after signing an eight-year, $47.2 million contract this summer. But we’re struggling 5-on-5 right now, because he and I can’t find our the underlying numbers in Karlsson’s start paint something very different. offense. The NHL is a hard league but you have to find a way.” If one were to paint an actual picture with Karlsson’s analytics, it would Perhaps because the trio has been so successful creating chances, it be a gorgeous landscape of the Hoover Dam just down the road from began looking for too “pretty” of passes instead of making the vertical Las Vegas. The colossal concrete embankment would be bursting at the passes that brought them their success in the first place. seams. Iron rivets popping loose under pressure, with a giant crack splitting down the center, held together by a Band-Aid. “We have to keep it simple and not turn the puck over too much,” Marchessault said. “Try to make the right play at the right time. But it’s The 10 trillion gallons of water held by the dam represent the insanely hard, honestly. You have to stay positive but it’s hard when you need to high number of goals Karlsson should have scored this season. The generate more 5-on-5.” Band-Aid represents the sheer dumb luck (and lapses in execution) that have prevented Karlsson from being amongst the NHL’s leaders in goals As for the analytics that say they’re playing well despite the lack of goals, this season. Marchessault wants nothing to do with them. Despite not having a single 5-on-5 goal this season, Karlsson leads the “I’m sure there’s a lot of stats out there that we don’t know about, that say NHL in expected goals at even strength with 3.3, according to that we’re good, but at the end of the day we need to be reliable,” he MoneyPuck.com. said. Expected goals are calculated by the quantity of shots on goal, but more The good news for Vegas is they’re winning without the production, for importantly, the quality of shots, using distance, angle, type, whether now. Vegas edged the Blackhawks 2-1 in a shootout Tuesday night in they’re directly off a rebound and if they’re on the players off-wing. Chicago and ended the three-game road trip with four of a possible six Expected goals are a much better predictor for future scoring than shots, points despite struggling mightily on the offensive end. Corsi or even goals. Over the past 176:54 (nearly three entire games) of 5-on-5 action, the That’s good news for the Golden Knights because Karlsson has Golden Knights scored only one goal. Even that goal — late Tuesday absolutely dominated expected goals for this season. For perspective, night by Nick Holden — came with an extra attacker on the ice after here are Karlsson’s expected goals numbers compared to the NHL’s top Gerard Gallant pulled Marc-Andre Fleury. So while it technically counts scorers this season. as a 5-on-5 goal according to the NHL score sheet, it doesn’t inspire much confidence in the team’s ability to score at even strength. Karlsson’s expected goals are through the roof. There’s only one other player in the entire NHL with more than three, and that’s Alex Ovechkin Fleury has been fantastic, which is a huge reason the Golden Knights at 3.1. And that isn’t the only number proving Karlsson’s offensive have a solid 7-4-0 record. But if Karlsson can start scoring the way he chances have been there. should be, it would make these wins a lot easier to come by. Out of 665 eligible skaters in the NHL, Karlsson ranks third in high The underlying numbers say the goals will come. And when that dam danger scoring chances with 13 on the season, according to Natural Stat finally breaks, they could come in bunches. Trick. The only two players with more — Ovechkin and Jeff Skinner — “That’s what I hope,” Karlsson said. “I’m going to keep trying.” have nine even strength goals between them.

Karlsson also ranks ninth in the NHL in scoring chances with 27, and 30th in shots on goal with 21. The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 It’s difficult to find a number that doesn’t point toward an avalanche of goals coming from Karlsson in the near future. So why hasn’t he scored to this point? “I’ve been a little off on the shots,” Karlsson said. “The aim isn’t there. I have to be accurate, and that’s up to me.” Karlsson has been an accurate shooter over his career. During his first season in Vegas, when he went off for 43 goals, he shot a sky-high 23.4 percent, which obviously wasn’t sustainable. But he shot a respectable 14.2 percent the following season. This season Karlsson’s shooting percentage plummeted to 3.4 percent. Without the empty net goal, it would be zero. But just as his insanely high shooting percentage in 2017-18 was destined to return to the mean, so will this insanely low shooting percentage. Especially for a player as talented as Karlsson. “We create chances and when you do that it’s bound to go your way eventually,” Karlsson said. “So keep shooting, keep trying and hopefully they come. Today (against Chicago) wasn’t my best game, but I think in other games I’ve played well. Philadelphia, for example, I had a lot of 1109469 Washington Capitals “I’ve seen some pretty hot starts, but I’ve never seen something like this,” Giordano said. “Really impressive. He’s always been a guy that puts up numbers, and he is right up there offensively year in and year out.” John Carlson has 20 points in October. His teammates are starting his Carlson’s play has been crucial to the Capitals’ recent success. Norris Trophy campaign. Washington is on a four-game winning streak after taking the first two games of a five-game trip that continues Thursday against Edmonton.

“I think he took a step forward obviously in his game, and his confidence Samantha Pell is really high,” Ovechkin said. “That’s why I said, ‘Johnny for Norris!’ ” October 23, 2019 at 11:59 AM EDT Washington Post LOADED: 10.24.2019 CALGARY — Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin couldn’t help but yell over the scrum of reporters headed toward John Carlson after the team’s 5-3 win Tuesday over the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. “Johnny for Norris!” Ovechkin hollered, cracking a grin. Just 11 games into the season, it might be a little premature for Carlson’s teammates to be talking about his worthiness for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s best defenseman, but Ovechkin made sure to announce it a few more times just for good measure. “It seems like anything he wants, it goes in — passes, shots, plays — and it is good for us,” Ovechkin said. As of Wednesday morning, Carlson led the league in points with 20 (five goals, 15 assists) after scoring twice Tuesday against the Flames. The 29-year-old extended his point streak to eight games, matching his career high. He became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 20-plus points in October and is the fastest defenseman to 20 since Paul Coffey did it in 10 games in 1988-89. Carlson is the third defenseman to lead the league in scoring through the first 20 days of the season (Baldy Northcott, 1932-33; Bobby Orr, 1969-70 and 1974-75). Asked how it felt to be in the company of players such as Orr and Coffey, Carlson responded, “Yeah, that they are a lot better players than me. But it’s pretty cool, obviously great players in that list, and you know I’m just happy to be among them.” Carlson insists some of his points were “lucky,” repeatedly calling scoring for defensemen “streaky” and he just needs to “take it when he can get it.” Carlson’s first goal Tuesday was a hopeful shot that seemed to catch Calgary goaltender Cam Talbot by surprise as it went into the short side for the goal. His empty-netter late in the game was a bouncer that found the net. And while any player needs a couple of bounces to go his way during the season, goaltender Braden Holtby said Carlson’s overall game Tuesday, especially in the defensive zone alongside Michal Kempny, was “phenomenal.” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said Carlson continues to earn all the praise sent his way over the first three weeks of the season. “He’s our main guy back there, that’s for sure,” Reirden said. Over the past two seasons, Carlson has been in the Norris discussion, finishing in the top five in voting both years but never among the top three. Last season, one in which he earned an all-star nod for the first time, Carlson was fourth after tallying 70 points (13 goals, 57 assists). The year before, Carlson finished fifth after leading all defensemen with 68 points. While Carlson chooses to remain humble, his teammates will gladly do the talking for him. Ovechkin always will be one of the first to promote Carlson, as will Nicklas Backstrom, who over the past few years has been outspoken about Carlson not getting enough recognition around the league. Carlson also was chosen as an alternate captain this season, taking over a role played by Brooks Orpik. Carlson is being relied on more than ever before to be the leader on the blue line, and so far, he has done that and more. “He’s a terrific player first of all, and to see him dominant the way he does it is pretty incredible,” Backstrom said. “He is not really chasing points, either. He is a really good defenseman, plays really solid back there. Points are just going his way, I think, and I’m happy for him.” Carlson is impressing his opponents, too. Calgary captain Mark Giordano said he equates Carlson to a high-powered forward, having to account for him on the ice at all times and making sure to take away time and space. 1109470 Washington Capitals

John Carlson scores twice to help Capitals beat Flames

Staff Report

By Associated Press - Associated Press Wednesday, October 23, 2019

CALGARY, Alberta — Alex Ovechkin is starting an early-season campaign for teammate John Carlson to win this season’s Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. “Johnny for Norris. That’s a hashtag right now,” the Capitals captain said after Carlson’s two goals helped the Washington Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Carlson scored and added an empty-netter for an NHL-leading 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 11 games. The 29-year-old American is the fourth different defenseman in NHL history to register 20 points or more in October joining Paul Coffey (1981, 1988), Al MacInnis (1988) and Brian Leetch (1990). “It’s a great thing obviously. I don’t know what to say,” Carlson said. He has three games remaining this month to better the high of 25 points in 13 games set by MacInnis when he was with Calgary. Ovechkin had a goal and an assist and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington. Chandler Stephenson got the credit on an own-goal by the Flames. Braden Holtby finished with 32 saves. “We’re a dangerous team when we’re doing the right things,” Carlson said. Elias Lindholm, Tobias Rieder and Austin Czarnik scored for the Flames. Cam Talbot stopped 25 shots in his second straight start. “For good stretches of the game I felt we played well and carried the game, but ultimately it doesn’t matter,” Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “We still didn’t get any points tonight. … They’re a good hockey team, probably the best we’ve played this year. That was a good measuring-stick team.” Wilson pushed Washington’s lead to 4-2 on a feed from Lars Eller to beat Talbot under his left pad with 7:26 left in the third period. Carlson’s empty-netter with 1:45 remaining maid it a three-goal game before Rieder capped the scoring with 16 seconds to go. Ten seconds after Czarnik pulled the Flames even at 2-2 in the second, Ovechkin quieted the Saddledome with a go-ahead goal with 3:25 left in the period. The Capitals‘ captain took a backhand pass from Nicklas Backstrom on a 2-on-1 and wired the puck home for his seventh of the season. Czarnik scored his first by pouncing on a loose puck and sweeping it past Holtby during a goal-mouth scramble for a T.J. Brodie rebound. Talbot mishandled Carlson’s off-speed shot from the boards for Washington’s first goal of the game 35 seconds into the second period. “Pretty lucky,” Carlson said. “I’ve had some good fortune this month.” Stephenson’s centering pass from behind Calgary’s net deflected off Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and in at 2:41 to make it 2-0. Lindholm halved the deficit with a power-play goal at 3:19, his team-high sixth goal. The Swede wristed a cross-ice feed from Johnny Gaudreau over Holtby’s glove. Calgary outshot the Caps 15-9 in a scoreless first period.

Washington Times LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109471 Washington Capitals a lot of it's been our mindset. Yeah, there's been some tweaks and some different things there, but it's something that we're able to do this year. ... I think we've kept pucks alive a lot more in the offensive zone and our D are in a spot where they're able to help with keeping those pucks alive." A more aggressive Caps team is looking for more offense from the defense This philosophy is not without risk. Whenever a defenseman moves up it can leave the team more vulnerable to a quick breakout or counter attack. The players have to be in constant communication so the forwards know when someone has to move back to the blue line in order By J.J. Regan to compensate for a defenseman moving up. October 23, 2019 11:45 AM "We have to have a forward back to cover for them," Reirden said. "I think our forwards have done a really good job of, when our D have been active, of covering for them. It's not perfect yet, but it's something that In the 2017-18 season, the Washington Capitals finished dead last in the we're working on. We've obviously given up a couple goals along the way NHL in shots on goal. While the modern wave of analytics stressed through the learning process of trying to be a little bit more aggressive in possession as measured by shot attempts, the Caps bucked that trend that way, but I think the benefits for me outweigh the negatives right and elected to focus more on generating high-quality shots even if it now." meant shooting less. The result was a lot of frustrated fans, but 3.12 goals per game -- good for 9th in the NHL -- and a Stanley Cup. The Caps’ began to shift their philosophy last season with more shots on goal. This year, they incorporated a larger offensive role for the defense, Since the 2017-18 season, however, the offensive mindset in one that meshes well with the team’s more aggressive mindset. Washington has changed and that is evident by how much the defense has been involved in the offense this season. Just 11 games into the season, it seems to be working. “When you get more pucks on net, it's more chances you're going to get Washington ranks third in the league with 3.73 goals per game while to score,” Dmitry Orlov said. Carlson leads the entire NHL with 20 points. That represents a significant mindset change from the team just one year "We're really playing on our toes more, we're using our skating to be ago. more of a factor keeping pucks alive in the offensive zone," Reirden said, "And then whenever we're able to convert on them, that's always a “It doesn't make a ton of sense for me to take a wrist shot from the blue bonus." line if there's not a screen,” Matt Niskanen said in October 2018. “Maybe one out of 300, 400 is going in, especially with my shot. You can shoot to create if there's traffic around and stuff, but just in general, shooting just Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 to shoot isn't a good philosophy I don't think. That kind of gets lost in the analytics crowd. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to just waste it." But an offensive philosophy that places such a high degree of emphasis on high-danger opportunities limits the offensive role of the defense since defensemen are much less likely to find themselves in those high-danger areas of the ice. Most shots from defensemen are going to be the type Niskanen was referring to. The team has gradually softened its stance since then which has led to more involvement from the defense and more shots. In the 2017-18 season, Washington ranked 30th in the NHL with 3,607 shot attempts at 5-on-5. In 2018-19, the team improved to 17th with 3,713 5-on-5 shot attempts. It may be a small sample size just 11 games into the season, but the Caps currently rank 16th in the league in 5-on-5 shot attempts per game (38.3). One difference is more perimeter shots including from the blue line. "We're switching more to shooting the puck whenever you have a chance or a lane," Jonas Siegenthaler said. "A couple years ago, you were always looking for the next play or a green shot." While Niskanen seemed not to be a fan, the defensemen seem to enjoy the opportunity to try to contribute offensively. "I like that more, personally," Siegenthaler said. "Pretty sure the guys like it too. If the D gets the puck up on the blue line, if he sees the lane he shoots, we have two guys in front of the net. I think the forwards they like that too. It's never a bad play." But the main tweak to the offense this season is the emphasis on the defensemen to pinch in the offensive zone. Basically the defensemen are encouraged to move up deeper into the zone and join the attack if they have an opening to do so. "Our style of defense is taking time and space, be hard on people," Michal Kempny said. "You can now short in on the short side, like pinching. It's kind of a little change instead of least season, but I think we are getting more and more comfortable every game and just keep it up." This change led to Kempny, a player who previously had scored only 11 goals in his NHL career, scoring a goal in his first game after returning from injury. It also is a factor in John Carlson’s offensive surge to start the season. Even a player like Siegenthaler can often be found deep in the zone joining the attack. "The whole system is more aggressive," Siegenthaler said. "I think somehow it kind of translates to the D-men. You're always moving so you're not afraid to join the rush or go up to the play with the forwards." "It's a little bit of our aggressive mindset that you've heard me discuss from the beginning of the year," head coach Todd Reirden said at practice Saturday. "As opposed to major, major systematic adjustments, 1109472 Washington Capitals

The next great hashtag, give props to Stephenson and Carlson can't stop scoring

By J.J. Regan October 23, 2019 6:00 AM

Game 1 of the World Series was completely overshadowed by the big matchup in Calgary between the Capitals and Flames...OK, so that’s not entirely true, but while the Nationals were battling in Game 1, the Caps extended their win streak to four games including two wins to start their five-game road trip. Here is everything you need to know from Tuesday's 5-3 win. Observations from the win Another big-game for Carlson The NHL points leader scored another two goals to give him 20 points in his first 11 games. He now has a career-high eight-game point streak. Yawn. Seen it. It's all routine at this point. All kidding aside, if you’re not on the Carlson hype train, get on board. This is quickly turning from a great start to a special one. Reirden is showing a lot of trust in his fourth line Brendan Leipsic, Chandler Stephenson and Nic Dowd only played about 6:45 together as a line on Tuesday, but the vast majority of that time came in the third period when the Caps when it really mattered and with the Caps protecting a lead. Six minor penalties in the first two periods limited their ice-time to less than seven minutes. You may look at that as a sign of distrust, but if you dig deeper and see that the fourth line took six shifts in the third period alone, you start to realize it’s not how much they were used but when that really matters. Big props to Stephenson At no point in the offseason did I think Stephenson would be a regular in the Caps’ lineup this year. That’s not just me, the Caps essentially broadcast that they were not satisfied with his play when they signed him to a contract just under the maximum cap hit that can be buried in the AHL. At that point, I thought he should have started packing his bags for Hershey. Instead, he worked his butt off, had a great training camp and has stuck on the roster ever since. Stephenson’s goal was not just pure luck. No, I don’t mean he meant to bank the puck off Rasmus Andersson. What I mean is he followed the puck on a dump-in, sped in to steal it from Cam Talbot behind the net and then banked it in. He didn’t give up on the play and created a goal out of nothing. There are times I think Reirden shows Stephenson a little bit too much faith as I think Dowd should not be scratched as much as he is, but it is hard to argue with Stephenson continuing to play a fourth-line role considering how much he continues to work for it. Give credit to Vrana Tom Wilson scored the game-winner on a goal that was assisted by Lars Eller and Michal Kempny. But do not discount the role Jakub Vrana played on that goal.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109473 Washington Capitals

Carlson's two goals lead Capitals to sloppy 5-3 win over Calgary

By J.J. Regan October 22, 2019 11:39 PM

The Capitals are a perfect 2-0 to start their five-game road trip after a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. It was a sleepy game for the Caps who were largely outplayed through the first two periods. A few short bursts of brilliance, however, were enough to ensure Washington never trailed. Here is how the Caps won. A gift for Carlson John Carlson entered the game as the NHL’s leader in points. He is arguably the hottest player in the league. He doesn’t need gifts, but he was gifted a goal by Calgary goalie Cam Talbot early in the second. After a sleepy first period, the Caps’ came out swinging in the second and Alex Ovechkin nearly connected with Nicklas Backstrom on a pretty passing play on the backdoor. The puck curled around the boards and Carlson stepped up and just fired a hopeful shot on net that seemed to catch Talbot by surprise as it hit the short-side for the goal. That is a horrific goal that Talbot just should not have given up. If you watch, he actually shifts a little backward after the initial play missed. Perhaps Talbot misjudged where he was in net, but that is an angle he should have been able to easily cut off based on the position of the puck. Instead, he backed up, left the near-side open and Carlson hit it. The goal extended Carlson’s point streak to a career-high eight games. He would add an empty-net goal to give him 20 points on the season. Bank shot! Just over two minutes after Carlson put the Caps on the board, Chandler Stephenson extended the lead to 2-0 with a great play behind the net to pickpocket Talbot. Talbot went behind the net to corral a dump-in from Brendan Leipsic, but Stephenson never gave up on the play and zipped in behind the net after Talbot. He stole the puck away from Talbot. He was boxed in by the Flames’ netminder and two more Flames skaters so he attempted to center the puck, but it bounced off of defenseman Rasmus Andersson and into the net. A 10-second response Overall, this was not a great game for the Caps. They looked sleepy and out of sync, missing numerous easy passes in the offensive zone that ended their offensive opportunities. Two early goals in the second spotted them a 2-0 lead, but Calgary took control and Austin Czarnik tied the game at 2 late in the period. That briefly woke up the Caps and Ovechkin put Washington back on top just 10 seconds after the game was tied. Calgary won the faceoff after the goal, but Radko Gudas forced a turnover that Backstrom picked up. Two forwards had gone past him in anticipation of entering the offensive zone, a third player was on the ice after getting hit by Gudas, one defenseman stepped to the boards to give T.J. Oshie a shove, but could not recover to stop Backstrom and suddenly Backstrom was in behind four players for a 2-on-1 with Ovechkin. He made the simple backhand pass on the rush and Ovechkin fired the one-timer into the net. Jakub Vrana’s drive to the net Michal Kempny fired a stretch pass to launch a breakout. It looked like Travis Hamonic could have grabbed the puck, but he couldn’t control it and left it out for Lars Eller to continue the attack. As Eller took the puck, Jakub Vrana drove hard to the net bringing Noah Hanifin with him and that left Tom Wilson wide open. Eller passed to Wilson who netted the knockout punch.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109474 Winnipeg Jets "That’s a play where they’d been running the drop all night. Obviously, he swung with a lot of speed. I’m not sure — I haven’t watched all the penalty kill — but up to that point, I don’t think they ran that fake-the-drop and used just that quick play. But I have to be more in that lane to try to Jets bolster defence with Sbisa discourage that pass from going there," Morrissey said. "I wasn’t anticipating it going there, it caught me off guard.

"But when you’re maybe a half-step off it, just from not having that energy By: Jason Bell level in our game like we saw (Tuesday), that’s when those kind of things Posted: 10/23/2019 10:58 PM | Comments: 0 can happen." Kopitar is two points shy of 900 for his career. He hit the 1,000-game mark — all with the Kings — late last season. Defenceman Luca Sbisa (right) was signed by the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and claimed off waivers by the Jets the following morning. While the Jets and Edmonton Oilers spent a long Sunday night together, Jets winger Mathieu Perreault played just a fraction of it. NHL journeyman Luca Sbisa has been added to a Winnipeg Jets blue- line group in an interminable state of flux. Perreault clocked in with just seven minutes, 26 seconds of ice time on the fourth line in the Jets’ 1-0 shootout victory over the visiting Oilers. The former Ducks, Islanders, Golden Knights, Canucks and Flyers That’s his fewest minutes since last October, when he dipped under eight defenceman was picked up on waivers by the Jets on Wednesday minutes in a pair of games. morning. He played just over 12 minutes in the loss to L.A. on Tuesday, and that He joins the Central Division team at a time when it requires warm, total was bolstered by 21/2 minutes on the team’s second power-play healthy skaters that defend — even just adequately — for a living. unit. Nathan Beaulieu (upper body) is still on injured reserve and Tucker Poolman (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day, while Anthony Bitetto Perreault has averaged around 15 minutes a game over five-plus (lower body) only returned to the lineup Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to the Los seasons in Winnipeg as he plays behind several skilled, young forwards. Angeles Kings. So a major boost in ice time only happens if injury or illness strikes. Meanwhile, the Dustin Byfuglien saga continues to drag on, as the Or, as in the case of Tuesday, the club trails late in the game and hulking defenceman mulls his hockey future. Jets brass must also still Maurice is looking for some added offensive punch, so he tosses out the decide whether they keep rookie Ville Heinola for more than the nine veteran puck hound. games allowed before the first season of his entry-level contract gets "I’m used to this the last couple of years. (Maurice) plugs me in at certain burned. situations, like when we are down a goal and he feels like I can help. But "We need some depth. We need some guys who’ve got some games in, he comes and talks to me and makes sure I’m OK with it. I always try and and he’s got a great reputation as a real solid team guy. I had him at the stay positive on the bench, encouraging the guys," said Perreault, who World Cup (in 2016 for Team Europe) and I think he can add something has a pair of goals and an assist in 11 games. "Every time I step on the to our room," head coach Paul Maurice said of Sbisa following practice ice, I try to work as hard, to lead the guys in that kind of way. Maybe I Wednesday. play seven, eight minutes, but I go all out every time." "We’ve got players that we like, and they’re working hard. But we’re one Perreault is in the third season of a four-year, US$16.5-million contract, or two injuries away from really (being thin), and we’ve got injuries (with with an average annual value of US$4.125 million. He’s a pricey fourth- the Manitoba Moose) now, too." liner, skating lately with centre David Gustafsson and winger Gabriel Bourque. Sbisa has yet to play this season. He was signed by the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday on a one-year, two-way US$750,000 deal, but he had to be "Sometimes, it’s hard to just sit and watch, especially when we lose exposed on waivers before beginning a second tour of duty in California. games. When we win, I’m going home (happy) that we got two points and that’s all that matters," he said. "When you sit there and we’re losing, it Winnipeg claimed the left-shooting former first-round draft pick (2008, gets harder on me. But I try to be positive. I feel lucky to put on an NHL Philadelphia), who has 504 NHL games under his belt, scoring 18 goals jersey every night." and setting up 85 others since debuting with the Flyers 11 years ago.

Maurice said it was too early to project if Sbisa will play in the Heritage Classic in Regina on Saturday night. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.24.2019 "Some of the time, it’s about experience. He’s got 500 games in the NHL and it’s a basic game, and sometimes there’s a lot of good in just that," Maurice said. "He’s not a headhunter. But he’ll finish checks, he’ll clear the front of the net, he’s killed some penalties. He’s had 32 playoffs games, so he’s had some time in the league and he’s a pro." In just nine games last season with the New York Islanders, Sbisa had a lone assist. At 6-3, 204 pounds, he has size and mobility but isn’t known as a bruising defender. Sbisa, who played for Switzerland at the 2010 Winter Olympics, battled for third-pairing ice time during the 2017-18 campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights. Three seasons ago, he played all 82 games in Vancouver. Earlier this month, the Jets plucked Carl Dahlstrom off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. He has yet to register a point in eight games, while averaging 18 minutes of ice time. When even the best guy on a defensive corps built on quicksand gets stuck in the gunk, it’s a particularly dreadful night. No one liked the Kings’ winning goal less than Josh Morrissey, who was caught flat-footed by Anze Kopitar in the third period and then chased from behind as the veteran forward’s backhand shot hit goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s arm, rolled up and over him and into the net at the 5:52 mark. L.A. switched up its power-play breakout on the play and it fooled even the heady, steady Morrissey. Drew Doughty had control in the neutral zone and, instead of dropping the puck to Adrian Kempe, threw it up to Kopitar along the right wall. The two-time Selke Trophy winner did the rest, scoring his fourth goal of the season and 316th of his stellar career. 1109475 Winnipeg Jets bemoaned how slow his squad looked against the Kings, a refrain that’s been heard a few times already this season.

Wheeler killed a last-chance rush on Tuesday night by going offside with Are the Wheels falling off? about five seconds left in the game and the Jets on a six-on-four advantage, courtesy of a Kings penalty and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker. By: Mike McIntyre Wheeler has three goals and three assists, but those all came during the first six games at even strength, when the Jets got off to a surprising 4-2- Posted: 10/23/2019 7:00 PM 0 start. Since then, he’s gone five straight without a point as the Jets struggle to generate offence. Winnipeg went 1-4-0 in those five games, all at Bell MTS Place. Win or lose, Blake Wheeler is always there to face the music. That’s the longest point drought Wheeler has had since a six-game span It’s part of the job description when you’re the captain of a sports team, near the end of the 2012-13 season. especially in a hockey-mad market such as Winnipeg. And the 33-year- old, who took over the "C" from Andrew Ladd at the start of the 2016-17 Wheeler is tied for 107th in NHL scoring and on pace for 44 points, which season, plays the part well and typically puts on a brave public face no would be his lowest total since 2009-10 when he had 38 points in 82 matter how bleak things might look. games with the Boston Bruins in his second full season in the league. Never let them see you sweat, right? For recent reference, Wheeler had 91 points (20 goals, 71 assists) and finished 14th in NHL scoring last year. He wears his heart on his sleeve, doesn’t suffer fools and expects everyone around him to share the same commitment and dedication to He’s already minus-five on this season. Previously, his worst season in their craft as he does. It can be both inspiring and intimidating, depending that department was a minus-four in the 2009-10 campaign. on your perspective and preparedness. To make a bad night even worse Tuesday, Wheeler was bumped off the Wheeler routinely comes off as confident, perhaps even cocky, and top line with Scheifele and Laine. That’s no small development, occasionally rubs people the wrong way with a direct, pointed approach. considering he and Scheifele have seemingly been joined at the hip for Of course, he not only talks the talk, but backs it up with his strong on-ice the past few seasons and have always been kept together even when play, which has set a high bar around these parts in recent years and Maurice breaks out the line blender. made him one of the elite right-wingers in the game. Maurice had clearly seen enough and moved Nikolaj Ehlers into All of which is why Tuesday night at Bell MTS Place was so surprising. Wheeler’s spot. The new-look top unit clicked almost immediately, with Ehlers scoring what was the tying goal at the time. As the doors opened to media just moments after a 3-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings, I fully expected to see Wheeler in his usual position: Whether that lasts for long is another question, as Wheeler was skating standing in front of his stall in an otherwise empty room, ready to tackle with Scheifele and Ehlers at Wednesday’s practice. But there’s no all questions about the latest poor outing from his squad, likely with a bit question his play has left plenty to be desired, even if the work ethic is as of a scowl and a snarl. strong as ever. Instead, Wheeler was still seated at his locker. He was bent over, head "I’m sure he is (down). He wears it. He wants to produce. You don’t have resting in his hands. A brief snapshot in time, sure, but a revealing any video to show a guy about you got to work harder," Maurice said of glimpse at a frustrated leader who displayed a vulnerability we rarely see. his captain. As he got up to speak, there was no bravado. Instead, it was a kinder, Wheeler has often talked about this group trying to search for its identity softer Wheeler, who seemed more defeated than defiant. In a young but you have to wonder if he’s also referencing himself. Is the current season already filled with plenty of tough games, this one clearly stood version we’re seeing the new reality? out. And it was obviously taking a heavy toll. He’s not getting any younger. Quite the opposite, in fact, including in his "I think not just the young players but even the veteran guys, when it’s own room with players such as 18-year-old Ville Heinola and 19-year-old not bouncing our way and you’re in the fight, you’re in the fight and you David Gustafsson on the roster. And the game certainly isn’t slowing just can’t seem to get it turned around. It’s certainly frustrating. That’s a down. pretty lame excuse but it’s the truth," said Wheeler, who admitted he General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff made the right call in extending doesn’t have any answers right now. Wheeler prior to the start of last season, and both the term and average "I don’t know. There’s certain times in this game where it feels real annual value made sense based on Wheeler’s production and the tough." market. He might have even made more as a pending unrestricted free agent. As he got up to speak, there was no bravado. Instead, it was a kinder, softer Wheeler, who seemed more defeated than defiant. The Jets were a legitimate Stanley Cup contender then, coming off a run to the Western Conference final, and going into the final year of his As the face and voice of the team, Wheeler will always be a focal point contract with a lame-duck status would only serve as a needless for critics. The fact he’s the highest-paid player on the roster, in the first distraction. Locking him up sent the right message. year of a five-year extension that pays him US $8.25 million per season, is only going to increase that scrutiny going forward. There’s no question there was risk involved. And now, with Wheeler struggling to find his form, you wonder if this is just an out-of-character There’s plenty of cause for concern. slump, one he will rebound from? Or is it the start of an inevitable decline, the kind that hits all athletes sooner or later? The power play, which essentially runs through Wheeler and has been among the NHL’s best the past few seasons, went 0-for-5 Tuesday, I wouldn’t bet against Wheeler, who is one of the most focused players falling to 23rd in the 31-team league. On a night when a goal might have I’ve ever met and will do everything in his power to get his game back on made all the difference, the Jets came up empty. Again. track. But it’s important to remember that when it comes to sports, Father Time remains the undisputed champion. Through 11 games, Wheeler has yet to register a point on the power play. That’s remarkable, considering 237 players around the league already had at least one power-play point heading into action Wednesday night. Wheeler had 33 of them last season, which was tied Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.24.2019 for 10th in the NHL. Few of his seam passes are working, the kind that often set up Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele for goals. And his puck management has been baffling at times, such as the two errant passes he made in Sunday night’s game against Edmonton Oilers, which weren’t even close to a teammate and went back into his own zone, allowing opponents to get in a line change. He’s not skating anywhere close to what we’ve seen in the past, although he’s not alone in that department. Jets head coach Paul Maurice 1109476 Winnipeg Jets

Jets add to blue-line depth with Sbisa

By: Jason Bell Posted: 10/23/2019 1:42 PM

He joins the Jets at a time when Nathan Beaulieu (lower body) is still on injured reserve and Tucker Poolman (undisclosed) is considered day to day. Dustin Bufuglien remains on a personal leave. Meanwhile, Winnipeg has a decision to make on rookie Ville Heinola, who has suited up for eight games. If he plays one more, the first year of his entry-level contract goes into effect. Sbisa has yet to play a game this season and was signed by Anaheim Tuesday on a one-year $750,000 deal but had to clear waivers before beginning a second tour of duty in California. Winnipeg claimed the left-shooting former first-round draft pick (2008, Philadelphia), who has 504 NHL games under his belt, scoring 18 goals and setting up 85 others since debuting with the Flyers 11 years ago. In just nine games last year with the New York Islanders, he had a lone assist.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.24.2019 1109477 Winnipeg Jets “We have to get to going as fast as we possibly can. With the speed that we have and with the bodies we have up front, how we’re built, if we don’t have a speed element to our game, the reads get harder to make and everything gets slow, and that was last night’s game. Jets trying too hard to do the simple things Maurice said he’s still not worried about those stick-squeezing moments — the nets his team has missed in some of their slot chances, for instance. Scott Billeck “It’s the other parts of our game that have our focus now,” he said. October 23, 2019 6:42 PM CDT The only thing that could have upped the ante further during Wednesday’s practice would have been a bag skate to end it off on. The cliche that gets thrown around when it’s just not working for a hockey It probably wasn’t needed, given the pace the practice ran at. team is that, perhaps, the players are gripping their sticks a bit too hard. “It was a great practice getting that intensity back up,” Morrissey said. It’s the sort of blanket phrase that can be used to describe the quite literal — gripping the stick too tight as to negatively impact a shot — and the “In that Edmonton game when we had our intensity going and when we not-so-quite literal, where players are simply trying too hard to turn had our game going, we weren’t rewarded with the goals, necessarily, around their misfortunes and it’s only making things worse. but we had our chances and we held a pretty great offensive team to nothing against. If Josh Morrissey is to look back at Tuesday’s game, he’d explain the same sort of phenomenon in a slightly different way. “That’s got to be sort of the starting point for our team and I think the offence will come.” “It’s funny, when things aren’t going your way, I know for me, you’re trying harder to make the simplest plays and it just seems like you’re Morrissey, who was the victim of being caught off guard by Anze Kopitar working harder to do something smaller,” Morrissey said Wednesday on the power play in the third period, spoke about the goal that ended up after Winnipeg’s practice at BellMTS Iceplex. “And then you end up being being the game-winner. in the wrong position or something like that, almost in no man’s land sometimes.” “That’s a play where they had been running the drop all night,” Morrissey said. “Obviously, he swung with a lot of speed. I don’t think they had ran No man’s land is where the Jets found themselves for big chunks on that fake the drop… but I have to be more in that lane to discourage that Tuesday night as they fell for the fourth time in their past five games, 3-2 pass from going there. I wasn’t anticipating it going there. It kind of to the Los Angeles Kings. caught me off guard. “It’s the truth of the National Hockey League and maybe pro sports — “Again, when you’re maybe a half step off it from not having that energy when you’re not winning, you think you’re working twice as hard as you level in our game like we saw last night, that’s when those types of things are and when you come off a win it doesn’t feel like you worked hard at can happen.” all but you really did,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said.

From getting outshot 21-5 in the first period to their penalty killing letting them down once again at the worst possible time, the Jets were a Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.24.2019 different team than the one that stifled the Edmonton Oilers two days earlier. One part Jekyll, another part Hyde, to borrow another cliche “I don’t know how to explain it really, we just kind of came out flat,” Mathieu Perreault said. Blake Wheeler, who’s now riding a five-game pointless streak, said he felt the team was a little snakebitten. “Maybe because of that we’re feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves,” he said post-game. “We’ve got a young team. I think not just the young players but even the veteran guys, when it’s not bouncing our way and you’re in the fight, you’re in the fight and you just can’t seem to get it turned around. It’s certainly frustrating. “That’s a pretty lame excuse but it’s the truth.” Maurice compared Tuesday’s game to one that took place just over two years earlier on Oct. 17, 2017. It was another home game. Another loss, too. The Columbus Blue Jackets were in town and put 39 shots up on the Jets, winning 5-2 in a game that looked something akin to Tuesday’s effort. Maurice was far from pleased with his team’s performance after that one, either. “The game is really simple and it’s really hard,” he said at the time. “And if you’re not going to play it simply, then you really got to play it hard. And if you don’t do either, then you’re going to have a night that looks just like that.” And like Tuesday’s effort, the Jets didn’t skate against the Blue Jackets either. “If you don’t skate then you don’t play,” Maurice said then. The Jets were spectators at times on both nights. The skating portion was addressed in Wednesday’s practice, one that was of the high speed, low drag variety. “That was practice today,” Maurice said. “We simplified all our drills to get up and down the ice as simply as we possibly could, at the highest rate of speed. 1109478 Winnipeg Jets same goes for Poolman, who hasn’t been cleared to play yet despite practising.

It would seem that any decision on Dustin Byfuglien’s playing future may JETS NOTEBOOK: Jets claim defenceman Sbisa off waivers still be some time away. The Jets hit the practice ice Tuesday sans two forwards. Scott Billeck Both Adam Lowry and David Gustafsson were absentees for the 45- minutes skate. October 23, 2019 4:09 PM CDT “Gustafsson had to get a passport issue taken care of,” Maurice said. “(Lowry) got some tests but we expect him to be fine and in the lineup.” The Winnipeg Jets have added another defenceman to the fold, claiming There was also a bit of a scare late in practice when Mathieu Perreault Luca Sbisa off the waiver wire on Wednesday. and Nikolaj Ehlers collided awkwardly. Sbisa was signed by the Anaheim Ducks to a one-year, $750,000 deal The result was Ehlers working his way slowly off the ice before sitting on Tuesday but needed to clear waivers prior to linking up with the team down with a trainer on the bench. Ehlers wouldn’t return but the practice the Jets will face next Tuesday in California. ended at the same time. Instead, the Jets nabbed the 29-year-old Italian-born Swiss rearguard. The Jets ran line rushes during Wednesday’s practice and they weren’t the same as when the final horn sounded on Tuesday’s loss. “We need some depth. We really do,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday. “We need some guys who’ve got some games in and he’s Part of that, of course, was the absence of both Lowry and Gustafsson — got a great reputation as a real solid team guy. I had him at the World the team’s third- and fourth-line centres, respectively. Cup (of Hockey) briefly. I think he can add something to our room. We have players that we like and they’re working hard but we are one or two But with no ailments on the top two lines, Mark Scheifele and Blake injuries away… we don’t want to be going out on the road the way we are Wheeler were brought back together after getting split apart onto different — thin. lines on Tuesday. Sbisa has played 504 NHL games and has 18 goals and 85 assists Winnipeg’s top-six looked like this in Wednesday’s skate: during his career. Nikolaj Ehlers-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler Maurice said sometimes teams need just a basic game, and he feels Kyle Connor-Bryan Little-Patrik Laine. Sbisa brings that. The Jets have a day off on Thursday and won’t practice until Friday “Sometimes there’s a lot of good in just that,” Maurice said. “He’ll finish evening on the outdoor ice at Mosiac Stadium — which will likely be a — he’s not a headhunter — but he’ll finish checks, he’ll clear the front of friendly skate around more than anything. So Saturday’s expected lines the net, he’s killed some penalties. He’s just got some time in the league. may not be fully known until Saturday morning. He’s a pro.” What is known, however, is the struggles both Laine and Little have had He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall in the 2008 NHL Draft playing together in the past. Philadelphia Flyers.

Since then, Sbisa’s played for the Ducks, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights prior to his cup of coffee last year on Long Island, Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.24.2019 featuring in just nine games. “There’s an interesting case of a guy who spent an entire year in the NHL but not playing a lot of games,” Maurice said. “There’s a reason for it: He’s a real hard-working guy in practice and a real positive spirit. He’s going to need some practice time with us to get up because we run something a little bit different than (the Islanders), but not much.” A report by TSN’s Darren Dreger on Tuesday suggested the Jets had been trying to sign Sbisa for a while. Still, there’s some curiosity about the waiver pick up. Nathan Beaulieu began light skating on Tuesday, the same day the Jets announced that Tucker Poolman was set to miss their game against the Los Angeles Kings with an undisclosed minor injury. Poolman practiced in full on Wednesday, however, and should be good to go for the Heritage Classic. There’s also the question of Ville Heinola’s future. He played his eighth game of the season on Tuesday. He can play a maximum of one more before the Jets would have to either burn a year of his entry-level contract or send him down to the Manitoba Moose or back to Liiga in Finland. Maurice wouldn’t show his hand Wednesday regarding Heinola. Genuinely, there still needs to be a decision made on whether his contributions to the team, specifically winning, outweigh sending him down. “Those would be completely separate things,” Maurice said about Heniola and the Sbisa claim. There’s a pretty good argument for keeping here, despite what it means down the road. And with the nine-game maximum looming, Maurice didn’t think that was the driver of any decision to be made anyhow. “The question is, is it the right thing to do for the young man and the Jets at the same time?” Maurice said. Maurice also noted that the team still isn’t greenlighted on Anthony Bitetto playing Saturday, despite his inclusion in Tuesday’s loss. The 1109479 Vancouver Canucks Calder conversation this year and, if he stays healthy, could be the greatest offensive defenceman in Canucks history.

Hughes went to Michigan. The pick before he was selected by the Just look at those Canucks draft picks. For once, you don’t have to wince Canucks the Detroit Red Wings took winger Filip Zadina, who has scored one goal in five games for Grand Rapids in the AHL.

Detroit, we know your pain. ED WILLES There’s also more to Benning’s work than a couple of home-run draft October 23, 2019 5:20 PM PDT picks. Between trades and free agency, he upgraded four positions on the Canucks’ roster this off-season with J.T. Miller, Tyler Myers, Jordie Benn and Michael Ferland. Utica is off to a 5-0 start and scoring goals by If you’re a devout member of the Vancouver Canucks’ congregation, the bucket-full. There’s another wave of prospects coming. you’ve likely played this game over the years. Add it all up and it’s hard to believe this is the same GM who was calling First, you look at the player the Canucks drafted. Then you look at the the shots when the Canucks occupied a permanent place in the NHL’s player or players the Canucks could have drafted. Then you curl into a root cellar. A lot of people were calling for Benning’s head in those years. fetal position and weep silently. A lot of people thought he was overmatched. This, sadly, has been the franchise’s defining storyline over its 50-year It’s hard to reconcile that guy with what we’re seeing now. We’ll offer the existence; the single greatest reason why, with a few exceptions, the standard caveat and concede this can still go a lot of ways. But there’s Canucks have wallowed in abject mediocrity. just too much here — too many good young players, too much goaltending, too much depth — to make you think the bottom will fall out In the 1970s they picked in the top five seven times, a position that of this season. should yield, at best, a hall-of-famer. At worst, a legitimate impact player. Just look at those draft picks. For once, you don’t have to wince. Then there are the Canucks. The best player they drafted in that era was Rick Vaive, who played 47 games in Vancouver before he was traded to Toronto along with Bill Derlago, another top-five pick, for 4 1/2 seasons Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.24.2019 of Tiger Williams. Vaive strung together three 50-goal seasons for the Maple Leafs. Williams had one 35-goal season in his Canucks’ career, and three more when he failed to hit 20 in a goal-happy league. But he was good in the room. The 1980s weren’t much better, although the decade did yield Trevor Linden in ’88 and, through a process far too complicated to explain here, Pavel Bure. It was a similar story from 1990-98 before the Sedins were drafted in ’99. Dave Nonis actually had a decent run in his short term as Canucks general manager before he gave way to Mike Gillis, who went oh-fer in five straight drafts before hitting on Bo Horvat in 2013. It goes without saying that Gillis was fired the next season. And this brings us to Jim Benning. Benning, for most of his five-plus seasons as the Canucks’ GM, has been a polarizing figure. The team’s record has been abysmal under his watch. His trades and free-agent signings haven’t delivered. His early drafts featured some notable misses. In short, he’s taken a lot of criticism in his time here and most of it has been justified. But something seems to be happening with the Canucks this season; something that makes you rethink your opinion of Jimbo. Yes, it’s hard to trust when you’ve been fooled so many times in the past, but you just have to look at Benning’s draft record to understand the Canucks are laying a foundation that will last longer than the first month of this season. There are a couple of reasons for this, but the most important one is that finally it’s the other teams looking at the Canucks’ draft picks and asking, “How did we miss that guy?” If you were to redo the 2017 NHL Draft, for example, Elias Pettersson would be the first player off the board. Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar, the two defenceman taken immediately before Pettersson, might have something to say about that in future. But there’s also something about the totality of the slender Swede Pettersson’s game — his skill, his smarts, his compete level — that makes you believe he’ll be a franchise centre for the next decade in Vancouver. In that draft, Benning was looking at a group of five centres. Pettersson had spent the season in the Swedish second division. He was built like a one-iron. The player who went immediately after the Canucks’ pick was Cody Glass, a size-and-skill Western Leaguer from Winnipeg who seemed to tick all the Canucks’ boxes. But the Canucks had decided they were going to take a playmaking centre and believed Pettersson was the most skilled pivot on the board. Two years and a Calder Trophy later, it’s hard to argue that point. The next year, the hockey gods served up Quinn Hughes. Again, Benning had his choice of a group of defencemen and, again, he didn’t make the safe choice. But he made the right choice, landing a player who, at 20, can quarterback an NHL power play, figures to be in the 1109480 Vancouver Canucks One of the young players who will benefit from exposure to a pair of players with NHL experience is Kole Lind. From a results perspective, his first pro season was a difficult one: He had scored at every level but last season managed just five goals in 51 games for the Comets. It was a Patrick Johnston: Canucks see veteran-laden Comets as a good thing for surprise to see a player who many scouts and analysts thought was a the kids strong dark horse in the Canucks’ prospect stable struggle so much. Through five games this season he already has seven points. In training camp, he stood out. He appeared to have regained confidence in his own PATRICK JOHNSTON game, in his ability to do what he’d done so well in junior: Winning pucks, October 23, 2019 5:28 PM PDT making plays and creating scoring chances. “We challenged him last spring,” Johnson said. “Come in to training camp ready to compete and show that he belongs. He’s done the work, he’s The Utica Comets are off to a hot start. improved his overall strength, his skating. It’s showed, he is a different player, he’s more confident. He’s let his skill set shine.” Before the Utica Comets faced the reality of squeezing a pair of wingers into the lineup with solid NHL experience, the AHL squad was already Like just about every other young player, Lind’s story, Johnson said, facing a tricky question: How to fit three goalies into a rotation that would wasn’t just a case of getting stronger. He’d needed to have better keep everyone happy? technique to compete for pucks, to stand out from his peers. The Comets have a pair of veteran netminders in Zane McIntyre and “The game has changed so much, the pace of the game and player. The Richard Bachman, plus a face of the future in Mike DiPietro. way the pace of the game has changed, you have to be able to win those pucks,” he said. “It’s not just, ‘When he gets strong enough he’ll be The Comets are now five games into their AHL schedule and have ready,’ there’s a lot of dialogue about how he enters (into puck battles), managed to hand McIntyre a trio of starts and DiPietro two. Bachman that makes a difference. It’s not a focal point at the junior or college level, has dressed as a backup but has yet to actually appear in a game, but so because you can get away with it. far so good, Comets general manager Ryan Johnson said over the phone. “Watch a player like J.T. Miller, he makes plays because he wins pucks, because he takes good angles to get there. You recognize the natural “Everybody understands the situation,” he said. “With our schedule being skill sets, but … you have to find ways to get the puck on your stick.” light we wanted to get Zane up and going. And the plan was to get Mikey his first start, he made some saves when had to, didn’t face a ton of shots, was very composed.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.24.2019 DiPietro’s transition to his first full season of pro hockey has been far smoother than his actual pro debut last year, when he made an emergency recall start against the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks lost 7- 0 on that night — the young goalie saying it was as big a learning opportunity as he could have imagined. “This is very minimal compared to last year,” Johnson said, with a tone that implied a grin and the acknowledgment of just how unconventional DiPietro’s first NHL game was. “He’s got a maturity to him. Mikey wants to learn, he’s a sponge to everything thrown at him and has been since we drafted him. He’s got such a positive outlook on anything and everything.” And he doesn’t lack for support around him. “Between Zane, Richard, (goalie coach) Curtis Sanford, he’s got a lot of good people around him,” he noted. It’s a similar story with the Comets’ forwards. The team was already going to have to juggle things some before both Sven Baertschi and Nikolay Goldobin were reassigned to the Comets. Baertschi has played 285 NHL games in his career; Goldobin has skated in 124. Both have been making an impact since moving back down to the AHL. They missed the season opener Oct. 5 while waiting for their U.S. work permits to be approved, but have feasted on the opposition in the four games since: Goldobin has nine points, Baertschi eight. Their professionalism has spoken volumes to their young teammates, Johnson believes. Side note: This is the youngest group the Canucks have ever placed in Utica, N.Y. The average age is 24.6 years old, a full year younger than last season’s roster. A large driver of this is the young defence corps. This year’s @UticaComets roster is currently the youngest since their inception. From Elite Prospects pic.twitter.com/6qwPYIjoJ5— Comets Cory (@CoryHergott) October 20, 2019 “One thing that was very important that I talked with Sven and Goldy about is we’ve spent a lot of time on our culture here,” he said. “It was important for me that I discuss with them what they were walking into. Obviously we were very sympathetic to them, understood they might be disappointed. ‘We need the buy in from you for us to help you get back to where you want to be,’ I told them. “Both players have experience here and know us … and they’ve been nothing but excellent. It’s a great example for all of our group: that in the face of adversity, that there might be displeasure, but that they’re handling it so well.” “It’s been a similar message to our entire group, we want everyone, players and staff, to elevate from the American League,” he said. “That means buying in, not just Friday at seven o’clock, that’s Monday morning at practice, it’s off-ice during the week, doing your workouts, what you’re doing away from the rink.” 1109481 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks re-assign Ashton Sautner

PATRICK JOHNSTON October 23, 2019 1:05 PM PDT

Oscar Fantenberg is obviously feeling healthy again. The Canucks are back at nearly full health. Depth defenceman Ashton Sautner was officially re-assigned Wednesday to the Utica Comets, the NHL team’s American Hockey League affiliate. Sautner was recalled just over a week ago, ahead of the Canucks’ recent four-game road trip, because Oscar Fantenberg — the team’s seventh defenceman — was placed on the injured reserve list. Fantenberg had been said to be ill in the days before being moved to IR. He has apparently recovered from his ailment. Other than Fantenberg’s absence over the past week, it has been a relatively healthy start to the season for the Canucks: the only other players to spend time on IR have been Tyler Motte, who was dealing with an undisclosed upper body injury over the season’s first two weeks, and Antoine Roussel, who is still working his way back from ACL surgery and still has to meet with a specialist in a month’s time before his return date can be determined. Sautner did not appear in any games during his recall stint.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109482 Websites But for this event, the where matters far more than the when. Because here in Saskatchewan, the temperatures still get cold enough

for the ice to freeze on its own – and then stay frozen for long stretches The Athletic / Duhatschek: How the Heritage Classic in Saskatchewan is of winter. bringing outdoor hockey back to its roots “There’s an old Saskatchewan expression that maybe reflects a little bit of old-school thinking is, but it’s true: You can’t love the game of hockey until you freeze your toes a little bit,” King said. “I would compare the By Eric Duhatschek outdoor hockey tradition in Saskatchewan to the kids that played inner- city basketball in the United States. It’s a pick-up game. No referees, no Oct 24, 2019 rules really. You can do what you want to do. And you’d see that in hockey in Saskatchewan. REGINA — Ask Dave King about what hockey means to his home “On a Sunday afternoon, you’d play down at the rink – with grown-ups. province and the former NHL coach talks you through a guided tour of You might be 10 or 11, and you’d be playing pick-up hockey with people some of Saskatchewan’s lesser-known parts. who are way older than you, and way better than you. So, if you wanted the puck, you had to really work hard to get it; and when you had it, you “It goes beyond just Gordie Howe,” the former NHL coach and member had to work really hard to keep it. of the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame said. “If you drive through Saskatchewan and get to Foam Lake, there’ll be a sign that says: ‘Home “Often, you’d have to clear the rink of snow before you could play. And of Bernie Federko.’ When you go through Val Marie, the sign says: on a snowy night, you’d sometimes have to stop the game to scrape the ‘Home of Bryan Trottier.’ Some towns have got three or four players, and ice a little – and then you’d go back and play again.” they’ll list those players’ names on a billboard outside of town. It was the same for . Federko is one of the dozens of Hockey Hall of “We’ve had a romance with the game for a long time.” Famers who began playing hockey, both indoors and outdoors, in a small Saskatchewan town. Many are known for their toughness and grit. Saskatchewan may not be the birthplace of hockey, but the game’s roots Federko had that too – but also an uncommon skill level that eventually are firmly embedded here — in the geography and the climate, in the helped him score 1,130 points in 1,000 NHL career games. For years people and the land. If a sport can have a beating pulse, you can hear it now, Federko has been a television analyst for the St. Louis Blues, a thump, thump, thumping here. team that had three Saskatchewan-born players on its 2019 Stanley Cup team. Area-wise, the province is almost four times the size of New England, but its population is less than a quarter of Boston’s. Federko described his upbringing in Foam Lake as “pretty typical” for a small Saskatchewan town. Geographically, it is located smack dab in the And yet, Saskatchewan has produced an outsized amount of hockey middle of the Prairies, with all the surrounding land dead flat. The only talent. The greatest female player of all time, Hayley Wickenheiser is trees that grew were the ones the townspeople planted. In the summer, from Shaunavon; and yes, Mr. Hockey was from Floral. the weather got hot and windy. In winters, cold and windy. To King’s point, it doesn’t stop there. The generations of players, “A town in Saskatchewan is judged by how many grain elevators it had,” coaches and managers born and raised in Saskatchewan, who explained Federko. “We had seven or eight, so that made us a big town, eventually left their mark on the hockey world reads like a who’s who of one of the bigger towns on the Yellowhead highway.” the game’s greatest legends. There was Elmer Lach and the Bentley brothers, Doug and Max. Emile Francis and Sid Abel. Johnny Bower and The original rink in Foam Lake was across the street from where the Glenn Hall. Trottier and Wendel Clark, Federko and Red Berenson. The Federkos lived, but it burned down when Bernie was five or six years old. McCrimmon boys, Brad and Kelly. The Odeleins, Lyle and Selmar. Other When they built the new recreation centre, they moved it to the edge of hard-knock guys: Joey Kocur, Dave Manson, Tiger Williams and Kelly town, by the railroad tracks. That eventually became the main hangout Chase. Current NHLers: Patrick Marleau, Ryan Getzlaf and Jordan for Federko, his brothers and his friends. But once winter socked in, they Eberle. Pivotal administrators: Charles and Bill Hay. The expansive didn’t have to go very far to play. coaching tree: King, Mike Babcock, Todd McLellan. Berenson qualifies in that category too. “Dad used to flood the garden for us,” Federko said. “By Halloween, it was cold enough to freeze, and so we had outdoor ice, usually from the Long before Shattuck St. Mary’s became the must-attend preparatory end of October until about mid-March. The snow would get so high that school for teenage players in North America, Saskatchewan had Notre sometimes it would be six or eight feet high around the boards because Dame College, in Wilcox, run by Father Athol Murray. Today, it would be you’d be shovelling it all winter. There’d be only one way in eventually, described as an academy, perhaps even an incubator. In those days, it and the puck would almost never go out of the rink because the was a barebones boarding school in a tiny Prairie town that grew into a snowbanks were so high.” national feeder institution. Part of the challenge of growing up in a small town in that era was In addition to all its homegrown talent, Saskatchewan has also drawn avoiding boredom, Federko said. Keeping busy was a priority. players from all over the world so they could hone their craft in their formative years. Mike Modano left a comfortable middle-class Detroit “As kids, because there was only one channel on the TV, you grew up suburb to play in Prince Albert. So did Leon Draisaitl (of Cologne, finding things to do,” Federko said. “We played baseball, cricket, kick the Germany). So did Josh Morrissey (of Calgary, Alberta). Future Tampa can, rode our bikes – anything to pass the time. Bay Lightning teammates (and Stanley Cup champions) Brad Richards “We lived a block away from the high school, where my uncle was the and Vincent Lecavalier landed in Wilcox. Every other punchline in the caretaker. So, we used to go to the gym and shoot hoops – help him movie “Slap Shot” is seemingly peppered with references to the province; sweep up and clean the chalkboards and that let us spend some time in to Eddie Shore (of the Cupar Canucks) and to old-time hockey. the gym. It was a town of 1,200 people; so, you knew everybody and Saskatchewan hockey. everybody knew you; and you could come and go as you please.” This weekend, the NHL has found Saskatchewan again in a splashy, According to Federko, everyone in his circle shared the same essential visible way. During the era of the “neutral” site games, the NHL values – and knew early on in life that the only way to prosper was previously played six regular-season games in Saskatoon, all at through hard work. Eventually, to make their way in the world, they also SaskPlace. knew they had to leave their small towns behind. It didn’t mean you But the 2019 edition of the Heritage Classic will bring the NHL’s first-ever couldn’t come back – because most still do, to pay the debt forward. But regular-season outdoor game to the province. It will take place Saturday when once you were out there, pursuing your dreams in the larger world, night – live on Hockey Night In Canada — at Mosaic Field, home of the your roots gave you stability and structure. CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The game will feature the two NHL “When I think back to my entry into the game and my brothers’ entry and teams from neighbouring provinces – the Calgary Flames and the my friends, here’s what I would tell you: In Saskatchewan, we’re given Winnipeg Jets. The long-range forecast calls for moderate temperatures, and then we earn,” said McLellan, the Los Angeles Kings’ head coach. with the snow not expected to fall until Sunday. “Our parents would go out and get us all our equipment and take us to In some ways, scheduling the game for January might have been a truer the rink, and put us out there. That’s given to us. reflection of what outdoor hockey really looks like in Saskatchewan, “From there, they made us earn it. For example, for us to continue to play because by then, winter will have genuinely and forcefully sunk in. A the game, school was important. School came first. My parents also night in late-October should be a comparative skate in the park by the stressed proper etiquette at home; respect for elders; being on time; local standard — no extra layer of long underwear required. participating in a team environment; work ethic. There was never a lot of systems stuff when we played. It was ‘put your work boots on and go to Among current NHL players from Regina, the New York Islanders’ work.’” Jordan Eberle has perhaps the deepest connection. He was born in Regina in 1990, played his novice for the Regina tier-1 Kings and moved McLellan is listed in his NHL biography as being from Melville, but he to Wilcox to play one year of bantam as a 14-year-old at Notre Dame. grew up in Goodsoil, listed on Wikipedia as the “central gateway to Meadow Lake provincial park.” Current population: 281. It is also home to He was drafted in the seventh round by the Regina Pats, his hometown former Ranger Ron Greschner, whom McLellan describes as “the NHL Western Hockey League team, and after spending one year playing guy that we all knew.” In Goodsoil, the only paved street was the midget hockey in Calgary for the AAA Buffaloes, he spent the next four highway. seasons with the Pats — culminating in 2010, when he was named the Canadian Hockey League player of the year. Eberle, who grew up as a “But every other street, the snow just got so packed down that when I fan of the Oilers, eventually started his NHL career in Edmonton but says was younger, I remember sometimes skating to school,” McLellan said. a lot of the rural hockey experiences of his peers were also mirrored in Almost always, they would bring their hockey sticks along. his upbringing in the (comparatively) big city. “If you took a hockey stick to school now, they’d probably view it as a “In summer, we’d use the community rink for ball hockey, and in winter, weapon,” McLellan said, “but back then, we would put them in our they’d flood it when it got cold enough,” Eberle said. “That was close to lockers and as soon as the bell rang, you’d go outside and play hockey. where I lived so I would say the majority of the outdoor hockey I played Every school had an outdoor rink and there could be four different games was there. But we also had a backyard rink. going on at the same time. After school, you didn’t go home. You went “There was something you could buy at Canadian Tire – an inflatable thin out on the rink. Some kids played in their boots, some in their skates. plastic sheet that you could fill with water, and then it would freeze and Instinctually, that gave us a lot of creativity in the game. It wasn’t at all you would peel the plastic off and that was your outdoor rink. My dad did structured. It was just fun.” that for us every year. I mean, it was tiny – just enough that you could If there is a further common thread linking players and officials from take five strides and make a play and shoot. I skated on that thing small-town Saskatchewan, it is that focus on community. hundreds of times with my brothers and sisters. For years, every social interaction was filtered through the local hockey Eberle’s parents now live in Calgary in the lake community of Auburn or curling rink, said King. Bay, and back in his Oiler days, he would drive down the highway to spend Christmas with his family. Part of the tradition was playing shinny “It’s changing quite a bit now, but in the past, the curling rink or the – but this was a completely different outdoor experience than his youth. hockey rink usually had a concession stand so in the mornings, people would gather there to have a coffee,” King said. “It gave people a place to “They have their own Zamboni and the ice is pristine,” Eberle said. “The socialize. Now that’s been replaced a little bit by Tim Horton’s. weather there was pretty nice too, so you’d be out there, just in a track suit and gloves — and it was awesome. “But when I was a little guy, everyone went to the rink. I lived in Battleford, a little town right across the river from North Battleford, so we “But when I was outdoor playing as a kid in Regina, it could get to minus- – all of us as kids – you had a game either Friday or Saturday in your 40 – and I’d still be out there playing. Even playing in indoor rinks, as a community and we’d all go. There wasn’t TV like there is now, where you kid, I remember the air would flow through them, and you literally had to could compare the product, so we thought our level of hockey was the wear mini-mitts under your hockey gloves, because it was so cold and best. We thought our players were like NHL players.” your hands would freeze.” And if something ever happened to the rink, it could be disastrous for the This past summer, the Blues’ Saskatchewan trio – of Tyler Bozak, town. Former NHLer Gord Sherven – one of 48 members of Notre Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz — brought the Stanley Cup to Dame’s Wall of Honor – grew up in Mankota, a small community, where Mosaic Field to celebrate the championship during a CFL game between he says he had his own key to the rink. the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders. The trio wore their Blues jerseys, but at an appropriate moment in the ceremony, “Everybody went to the rink in winter because there was nowhere else to stripped them off to reveal Rider jerseys. The place went wild. go,” Sherven said. “That was the heartbeat of the community. People would go there in the mornings and just sit and watch a hockey game. Spending a day with the Stanley Cup is now both a long-standing tradition and a worldwide phenomenon, but according to Federko, it “In 2002, the rink in Mankota was condemned – the Centennial Arena, didn’t change the fact that its appearance at a ‘Rider game really built in 1967 – and they couldn’t get it insured anymore, so they had to resonated with the people of Saskatchewan. tear it down. “Maybe it’s just our upbringing that makes you never forget where you “All of a sudden, boom, it seemed like the heart and the pulse of the come from,” Federko said. “The neat thing about the Saskatchewan boys community was gone. They still had the curling rink, but it wasn’t the is they wanted to bring it back to where it all started. It’s important – same. My brother was still living there at the time and said, ‘We will never where you came from, and to show your thankfulness to the people who be the same town without the arena.’ I mean, they still had an outdoor supported you early in our lives.” sheet, but the kids had to go and play for teams in other towns. It was just not the same after they lost the rink.” According to King, that tradition – of thankfulness — dates back generations in Saskatchewan. Some of those Saskatchewan communities were so tiny they had to combine forces with other towns to ice a proper team. In his bantam “As a young player, I played for Vic Lynn,” King said. “Lynn played for the year, Federko says Foam Lake combined with Kelvington to form a team Toronto Maple Leafs and he won the Stanley Cup (three times: in 1947, that played in the provincial B division – which was designed for towns 1948 and 1949). His nickname was Bear – because he was a big, thick, with populations under 2,000. strong guy, a real competitor and he was one of the greatest guys to play for because you always knew where you stood with him. He’d played in “Even with the towns combined, we were still under 2,000,” Federko said. the NHL. He lived in some big cities down east. But he never lost touch “It’s where I got to know Barry Melrose really well. We played together on with his Saskatchewan roots. He was a real bread-and-butter kind of a the same teams and actually won the provincials when I was 13 – our guy. He was just so humble, a straight-forward, honest man. first taste of playing (province-wide).” “I’ve met so many hockey people like him, who never lost that flavour of Hailing from a too-small town actually helped some players progress Saskatchewan, even though they made it to the big time and made big faster through the ranks, according to King. bucks by the standards of those days. Gordie Howe used to come back in the summertime to Waskesiu, him and Johnny Bower. Johnny had the “If a young guy was 12 or 13, and wanted to play competitively, one of hamburger place and used to flip hamburgers and hot dogs; and Gordie two things usually happened,” King said. “Either he might have to go to worked at the golf course, cutting the greens. They had to do that to another community because there might not be enough 12- or 13-year- supplement their salaries. Even now, our NHL players who are making olds in your community to form a team. Or failing that, you would play up, big money still come back to Saskatchewan. at a higher age level. Perhaps the best example of hockey’s humble Saskatchewan origins is “So, you’d enter a team in a 14-year-old league, but fill out the roster with the presence of Notre Dame College, officially known as Athol Murray a lot of 12- and 13-year-olds. For a lot of our young players, that’s how College of Notre Dame. Founded in 1920 by The Sisters of Charity of St. they got so good – because they were playing above their heads, at a Louis as a residential elementary and high school for boys and girls, its young age. That gave them a real kick start, in their development.” motto reflects ingrained Saskatchewan values: “Struggle and emerge.” Its current mission statement: “To develop young men and women to If there is such a thing as an urban hockey tradition in a mostly rural become purposeful leaders, with virtuous character.” province, it is focused on two cities – Saskatoon (current population 246,376) and Regina (236,481). In the beginning, Notre Dame had no running water or central heating. “They got old railroad boxcars and that’s what they converted into hometown kid for the Pats, the community got behind me 100 percent. I dormitories,” King said. “They would glue newspapers to the walls to remember my final game – standing ovation. Regina’s always had the keep the breeze from going through too quickly. At Notre Dame, you Pats and the Riders. The new stadium there, it’s so nice. I went to a went to school and you played hockey. That’s basically all there was. game there this summer. With the way the weather should shape up, it should be an awesome, awesome outdoor game.” In addition to Richards, Lecavalier and Clark, Notre Dame’s alumni also includes Eberle, Gord Kluzak and both Jaden and Mandy Schwartz. McLellan too believes the game “will be well-supported, a big celebration. Three current NHL coaches (Barry Trotz, Jon Cooper and Rod It’s the halfway point between the two rival teams that are going to play. Brind’Amour) are all grads — as is current Alberta premier Jason There’s going to be Jet fans and Flame fans there, wearing their colours. Kenney. Sherven was recruited to Notre Dame by Martin Kenney, Jason’s father, who was the school president for 17 years (1975-1992). “But more importantly, there’s going to be hockey fans there too, who will appreciate the 40 players on the rink – and I guarantee you, there will a “Back in the day, it’d be minus 20 or minus 30 degrees out and they froze lot of conversations, in the stands, or near the concessions, talking about in those dorms,” Sherven said. “They would put a coal stove in the back when we played outdoors in Rosthern or Wakaw or wherever. of a cloth-covered truck, and the players would all pile in the back and that’s how they went to hockey games. “It will take people back in history — to a lot of their own outdoor hockey experiences.” Sherven was recruited to play on the Notre Dame bantam team when he was 14 and remembers how “the first month was tough. I was in Grade 10. It was a very hard school – the old boy/new boy system. You’d listen The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 to what the old boys did and there were consequences when you didn’t. But within a month, the hockey started. I loved it. Terry O’Malley was my first coach. Arguably, Terry along with Barry McKenzie, were the two best coaches for development anywhere in Canada. They’d just left Father Bauer and the national program; from a development standpoint, it couldn’t have been better.” In the WHL’s current 22-team incarnation, five franchises are based in Saskatchewan: The Pats, the Saskatoon Blades, the Prince Albert Raiders, the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Swift Current Broncos. In 1986, four players on the Broncos died in a bus crash on the Trans- Canada highway bound for a game in Regina. The survivors included Joe Sakic, the future Hall of Famer; and Sheldon Kennedy, a former NHLer who became an activist for players’ rights. Eighteen months ago, a second bus tragedy befell the province, when the Humboldt Broncos bus, heading to a Saskatchewan Junior League playoff game in Nipawin, was hit by a tractor-trailer truck. That collision took 15 lives. In its immediate aftermath, the NHL’s Saskatchewan community rallied behind the community, offering assistance however they could. McLellan, then the Oilers’ coach, and his Calgary counterpart at the time, Glen Gulutzan, joined forces and went to Humboldt immediately, distributing team gear, but mostly just to let the families of the victims and survivors know the hockey community had their collective backs. The memory of the tragedy is still fresh in people’s minds, says King, who spends his summers in Saskatchewan’s lake country. “Even now, you can hardly drive down the street without seeing a car with a bumper sticker that reads ‘Humboldt Strong,’” King said. “I worked in Yaroslavl, the city which had the plane crash that killed 37 people, and that’s never going to go away. It’s similar in Humboldt. For all of us in Saskatchewan, we know what it’s like to travel those rural roads, to go to hockey games. We had the Swift Current bus tragedy. People don’t like to talk about it a lot, but it is still very much on people’s minds. “I know for me, I go on Hockeydb.com every morning because I can see the results of games from around the world and I almost always end by going to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League results to see how Humboldt is doing. It’s made you very aware – that it’s a special team now and a special situation – and it’s always going to be that way. In 1983, during Federko’s seventh NHL season in St. Louis, the Blues were tentatively sold by Ralston Purina to (Wild) Bill Hunter, a smooth- talking promoter and a Notre Dame grad himself, who had plans to relocate the team to Saskatoon. In the end, the NHL’s board of governors vetoed the idea, on the grounds that Saskatoon was too small a city to sustain an NHL franchise long term. The Blues had two important Saskatchewan connections then – Emile Francis, the team’s GM, and Federko, most of whose family was living in Saskatoon by then. “The one thing that’s bad about Saskatchewan is that the two biggest cities aren’t big enough to support NHL teams,” Federko said. “When there was all that talk about St. Louis moving to Saskatoon, deep down, you knew there was no way they could support that – especially now when payrolls are $80 million. “So, I think it’s great that they’re doing this outdoor game for Saskatchewan because there are so many kids that have gone through there and played in the NHL – and people want to see the real thing. They want to see real players and a real game and they deserve it. For Saskatchewan to have a game, out in the open air, it’s just great.” Knowing Regina the way he does, Eberle predicts the event will be a rousing success. “I grew up in Regina, played my junior hockey in Regina. Regina’s always been home to me,” Eberle said. “When I played there as a 1109483 Websites It’s not too far of a leap to envision some of those players – born in China and now training with pro-level coaches in Toronto – eventually getting opportunities in the NHL. The Athletic / Mirtle: Why the NBA’s issues in China could soon become The NBA’s path to the level of popularity it has in China really only the NHL’s problem started in earnest 17 years ago when Yao Ming was drafted first overall. That led to further partnerships, more games on television and, ultimately, the huge revenue windfall. By James Mirtle Now, hockey is a more “foreign” sport and has higher barriers to entry, so it will likely never achieve basketball’s level of prominence in China. Oct 23, 2019 The question now facing the league, however, is should it even try to, given the moral and ethical compromises involved? What lessons can It was only two months ago, in the heart of hockey’s offseason, that the NHL learn from the NBA? And how can they proceed differently, China was a key focal point for the NHL. short of backing out of the market entirely? And deputy commissioner Bill Daly excitedly talked about the NHL It’s a situation that Richard Peddie – who spent 15 years at the helm of becoming a much larger business partner with the country in the years to both the Maple Leafs and Raptors as the president of parent company come, including more preseason games played there every fall. MLSE before retiring in 2011 – has been watching with interest. “Hopefully we continue to develop and deepen our ties in China, and that He pointed out that there is a lot of overlap between ownership groups in means more games, more players, more teams, more league activities in the NHL and NBA, including in Toronto, where ownership has become China,” Daly said on the league’s website. more influential than ever at the board level. Any backlash over what’s happening with China experienced by one group of league governors Asked in recent days by The Athletic if the NHL had rethought that could easily affect how they proceed in the future in other situations. stance, in light of the recent firestorm involving the NBA, Daly said no. “This is an interesting time (in pro sports),” Peddie said. “I would love to Not yet, anyway. be in the NBA board of governors’ meeting these days and see which way (MLSE minority owner) Larry Tanenbaum is voting. Because Larry’s “We are obviously monitoring with interest,” Daly said. “But, no, there has the chairman of the league. been no thought given to changing course at this point in time.” “I’m a big vision and values guy. I’ve said this all the time: A value is It may seem like a leap, comparing the NBA’s situation in China with the really not an authentic value unless you’re prepared for it to cost you NHL’s, given the stakes involved. The NBA’s TV deal in China alone something. It’s like Jon Stewart said: ‘If you don’t stick to your values drives $1.5-billion in revenue, more annually than the NHL receives from when they’re being tested, they’re not values: They’re hobbies.’ its U.S. partner, NBC. “I’m a big fan of Coach Kerr and Popovich and Adam Silver. I think (the The implications for NBA revenue streams could be dramatic if China NBA has) got some wonderful people. They are decent guys and they pulled its business relationships with the league. The NHL, meanwhile, is are value-driven. But boy this would test my saying ‘Oh I’m prepared for it generating a relative pittance – not just in China, but internationally in to cost me money because it’s one of our values.’ Like, holy shit, it’s big. general. Wow. But this never came up back (when I was there).” That, to some extent, would insulate hockey from potential fallout if NHL Peddie’s advice for the NHL, as an outside observer who was involved executives or players suddenly started to speak out against the when the NBA was making China-related decisions more than a decade communist regime and its many human rights abuses. The NHL could ago? make a principled stand and walk away without taking the financial hit that the NBA is clearly concerned about. Be careful what you bargain for. But what’s interesting is that the NHL’s dogged pursuit of the Chinese “It’s a billion and a half people,” Peddie said. “They’re getting a middle market the past several years is beginning to bear fruit. With Beijing set class that’s prepared to spend money and still loves U.S. culture. It’s very to host the Winter Olympics in 2022, more sponsors are signing on and tempting. But you know that story about carrying the scorpion over the more revenue is coming in. The NHL also now has a multi-million-dollar water? commitment to play exhibition games there in six of the next seven seasons, after the Canucks, Kings, Bruins and Flames went in 2017 and “You get stung at the end.” 2018. And the Chinese government has poured billions into winter-sports The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 infrastructure, funding that is making an impact in hockey programs at all levels in the country. More rinks are being built. More kids are playing than ever. And more and more North American coaches and hockey executives are being asked to spend time in China helping grassroots development take off. What those folks see there is fertile ground for something unexpected: China becoming capable of producing pro-level hockey players and making an impact in the international game, perhaps even in the medium term. There are a variety of factors aligning to make that possible. An obvious one is China’s enormous population base, with nearly 20 percent of the world’s population concentrated in one country. But there are socioeconomic and cultural shifts happening which are even more important. The rise of a new class of wealthy Chinese families has exploded participation in “Western” sports in general, especially those which may later open doors for their children to attend elite prep schools or even Ivy League institutions. Hockey is, increasingly, on that list. It’s a trend that is starting to make an impact in North American youth leagues like the Greater Toronto Hockey League, as some children born in China are now moving to Canada at later ages to continue their development in the largest player-producing region in the world. Once old enough, they then compete for China on the international stage. 1109484 Websites After the Flames defender spilled Connor McDavid into the net in Game 82 last winter, he hunted down the injured superstar in the Saddledome corridor so he could say sorry. The Athletic / When is it acceptable to reach out to an opponent? “You know in your gut if you should reach out,” Giordano said on Postgame text made public stirs debate among players Tuesday morning. “Nobody ever wants to see anyone lying on the ice and not being able to get up and not be able to continue to play.

“We all love the battle, the competitiveness, that comes with our sport, By Scott Cruickshank but you also respect that we’re all men with families who have people who care about us off the ice.” Oct 23, 2019 Which is what made the weekend words between Pospisil and Cave so compelling. A thoughtful gesture, a brief but meaningful conversation, Don’t get Brian McGrattan wrong. He appreciates the sentiment. He bad blood cooled, in the aftermath of an ugly scene. understands the concern. He gets it. “I think Cave did the right thing,” Brandon Davidson said, a rearguard for It’s just nothing he would have done. Like, ever. Stockton. “He showed his true colours. I thought he did a great job with the whole situation.” While the rest of the hockey world got a charge out of the touching postgame exchange between Colby Cave and Martin Pospisil — the former Postgame, when Pospisil had picked up his phone, he discovered a pile had knocked out the latter during a first-period fight in AHL action — of texts, people checking in to see if he was OK. One of those notes was McGrattan maintained his non-negotiable, old-school stance. from, of all people, the man who had just punched him squarely in the face. “For sure, I was surprised,” the Slovak said on Monday. “It was nice The idea of reaching out for a warm how-do-you-do after one of his bare- of him. Very cool.” knuckled bouts in the NHL? It never crossed his mind. Pospisil was blown away by Cave’s class — and even felt a little bad for “If I ever got beat, I wasn’t expecting a phone call or an apology that the 24-year-old. “I haven’t watched the replay … but it was probably night,” McGrattan said, the former hockey heavyweight and a current scary for him. Probably, it was tough for him. member of the Calgary Flames’ player development staff. “To be honest, I’m not a big fan of it. I don’t believe in apologizing for things that happen “So it was nice when I got the message. I texted him back right away.” on the ice and are part of the game. And Cave weighed in one more time. “I kind of think of the apologizing stuff as …” He catches himself. “I’m not It was an instant hit, with fans being given the chance for a rare peek a fan of it.” inside hockey’s brotherhood. “Did I expect that people were going to like The big man is not done. that?” Pospisil said. “It was just like we respect each other.” “Even with hits,” McGrattan continued. “The game moves at such a high The reaction was largely positive — “This is why hockey is the best sport speed, my timing could be a little bit off and I could catch you high or you in the world,” read one comment — and the post has drawn more than could catch me high with an elbow … so an awkward play, right? But it’s 500 retweets and 3,500 likes. (All of the players interviewed for this story part of the game, man. No apologies for that stuff.” had seen it.) Not that McGrattan is some sort of hard-hearted ogre. “It was a great exchange between the two,” Davidson said. “I don’t think there’s any harm the way they did it, at all. I understand why people Quite the opposite, in fact. Pospisil, a gritty prospect stationed in AHL would want to do that privately … but in this scenario, it came to be Stockton this season, happens to be one of his favourites. harmless anyway.” When McGrattan saw footage of Saturday’s incident in Bakersfield — the For Tom Wilson, one of the league’s most fierce punishers, that’s what 19-year-old being laid flat by Cave’s uppercut — he knew what he had to raised his eyebrows — that Pospisil pulled a conversation out of the do. He got busy compiling a video of his one-sided losses — “Every personal realm and shoved it into the spotlight. single time I’ve been knocked down or knocked out” — and emailed the works to Pospisil. Admitting that he himself has written a few of those notes, Wilson politely refused to disclose any further details. Not how many. Nor to whom they “I’ve had some good dialogue with Posp — I sent him a real long note,” were issued. McGrattan said. “It’s part of it, a learning lesson for him. The process now is the (concussion) recovery and making sure he’s OK.” “If I feel the need to send one out, I’m not glorifying it. I’m sending it because I think it’s the right thing to do,” the Washington Capitals’ Which, of course, had been Cave’s motivation all along. Tracking down seventh-year winger said, who’s collected 1,377 hits — many of them the rookie’s digits. Bucking him up. Wishing him well. Moving on. heavy. “Obviously in the day of social media, nothing’s a secret anymore. Those are two young players. Social media seems to be amplified a little This practice is commonplace. bit, but it’s just not my style to talk about it. Last season when Michael Frolik sent Devils defender Mirco Mueller “I think the guy reaching out had good intentions. But I don’t think he crashing headfirst into the boards in New Jersey, he was rattled. “It’s that would’ve known that it would have been brought to life, either. The text feeling, ‘Oh my god. This is really, really bad,'” the Flames winger said. “I isn’t sent to go on Twitter. The text is sent for good intentions and well didn’t mean it at all.” wishes. He decided to wait a day — assuming, correctly, that Mueller would be in “To each their own. I’m not going to judge another situation. That’s just hospital overnight — before firing off a get-well note. nowadays. That’s what happens — it gets on Twitter and gains traction. It “He responded right away,” Frolik recalled. “He said, ‘No worries. Those was a bit of a strange exchange, but it is what it is.” things happen. Thanks for the text.’ It’s just respect.” But if the communication can be kept away from prying eyes, Wilson is When Frolik’s own jaw was broken by Brent Burns’ shot in December all for it — given the right time and right place. 2017, the San Jose Sharks blueliner — and his coach Peter DeBoer — “There’s a lot of different things that go into it. Is the guy OK? Is he not passed along best wishes. OK?” Wilson said. “I think hockey’s one of those sports where you’re able “It was nice to get a text from them, for sure,” Frolik said. “We respect to kind of move past it. There’s a good camaraderie around the league of each other as opponents and you don’t want to see something happen to guys wanting to be able to see each other off the ice. That’s a guy on the other side. It’s a scary thing.” sportsmanlike — reach out, make sure he’s OK, end things there, make sure there’s no hard feelings.” Following a knee-on-knee collision with Mikko Koivu — a December 2018 incident that sidelined the Minnesota Wild captain — Mark According to Wilson, it’s important, too, to ensure the content strikes the Giordano actually tried to apologize on the ice. Later, in-game, he even appropriate note, that the tone is sincere. Even then, the taker isn’t asked Ryan Suter to tell Koivu that it was an accident. Afterward, always thrilled to hear from the giver. Giordano said to reporters: “We’ll run into each other, I’m sure. If not by For instance, in light of a severe injury, how much does a quick text text or phone, then next time we play them I’ll reach out to him, for sure.” resonate? Or, in the middle of a playoff round, a reach-out of that nature might feel misplaced. “I’ve heard of a few instances where it may not have been that well received,” Wilson said. “But most guys know it’s out of a (genuine) position. Guys aren’t sending a text to add fuel to the fire. They’re trying to make amends a little bit. “You’ve got to feel it out and see what your gut tells you.” The Condors declined to make Cave available for an interview, but if his well-meaning act didn’t speak loudly enough, others, on his behalf, stood up. Garnet Hathaway, who worked out with Cave this past summer in Foxborough, Mass., declares him to be a solid dude. “It probably wasn’t an easy text for Colby to write. It probably wasn’t an easy text to receive, either,” Hathaway said, a former Flames winger skating these days for Washington. “He was just trying to wish him the best in recovery, which is the kind of guy he is. Colby probably reached out how he would hope to be reached out to if he was on the other side of it.” Tyler Lewington — who’s played against Cave and even fought him in the WHL (while both were rookies in 2011-12) — says the Battleford, Sask., native’s reputation is sound. “Nice job by Cave to reach out,” Lewington said, defenceman of the Capitals. “It was a cool little exchange you don’t see to often.” Which is what gave legs to the combatants’ e-chat — a rare glance at the inner workings of the puck-chasing fraternity. “The thing is, when you step in there (to fight) you know it’s a possibility … and there’s a possibility of it happening to you,” Hathaway said of being knocked cold. “When you get down to it, nobody wants anyone to be injured. It’s a scary situation, especially with how much everyone’s learning about brain injuries. “I think guys have the respect of knowing there’s life outside of hockey — and life after hockey.”

The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109485 Websites Marleau: I think you probably had the remote. Thornton: Yeah but it was 9:30 p.m. and shut out the lights (laughs).

Patrick, when you left for Toronto two years ago, that was such an The Athletic / LeBrun: Q&A with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on interesting time for both of you. You’re best friends, you’re both UFA at reuniting with the Sharks and savoring what’s left the same time, you’re both getting calls from Toronto, we know that the Leafs wanted both of you. You’re having to work all this out on your own but also on some level you’re tracking through all that together, right? By Pierre LeBrun Marleau: Yeah we were talking through that … Oct 23, 2019 Thornton: I was at a different stage. I just came off knee surgery. I just wanted to do a one-year deal to see if the knee came back. He was in a totally different situation. He had a great year, his body felt good, I was BUFFALO, N.Y. — They are the last two standing from the 1997 NHL just strictly about one year and see if I could get through that one year. Draft. So we were in totally different paths at that point, yeah. “With Lou gone it’s just us, eh Patty?” Joe Thornton says as we sit down Stressful time, right? this week. Marleau: I thought that was stress until (this year) when I miss training Yes, with Roberto Luongo retired, the ’97 draft class has two players still camp and I’m trying to find a team (laughs). going, the guys who went 1-2 overall more than 22 years ago in Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Thornton: That’s a different level! The pair of 40-year-olds still love the game so much. And I think Yes it certainly didn’t go like you would have envisioned this summer, appreciate each game they play more than ever. Patrick. What was that like, you’re skating with the Sharks players all summer but waiting for the phone to ring … They’re back together again, Marleau signing with the Sharks four games into the season after a stressful summer wondering if the day would ever Marleau: I’m skating with the guys and they all have their (Sharks) come. jerseys on and I have a different jersey … You just don’t really feel part of it until you’re actually part of it again. Now it’s about trying to get more Marleau’s exit from San Jose to Toronto as a free agent in July 2017 comfortable back in it. seemingly ended his long run as teammates with Thornton, although the Maple Leafs tried to lure both that summer, but here they are riding side- Thornton: We needed him back and it couldn’t come at a better time, by-side once more. man. I’ve interviewed both players countless times, but never at the same time. That ovation from the Sharks crowd in the Calgary game, Patrick, you’re I sat down with Thornton and Marleau in Buffalo this week. not a guy that during your career has worn your emotion on your sleeve. Is that fair? I think you will enjoy this. Marleau: Oh yeah. I’m like a duck, calm on the surface but the wheels I’ve talked to players who have played a long time and they always say are turning inside (both players laugh). how quick it goes. Is that true for you guys? Thornton: That’s very true. Marleau: Oh yeah. Marleau: But that was a great moment. It was very humbling. It was Thornton: Flies by. I’d do it all over again, eh (looking at Marleau)? pretty special. Marleau: Oh yeah for sure. So I texted you, Joe, around the NHL Awards in June when I saw he had Thornton: It’s incredible, though. come out and said he was coming back to play and he texted me saying ‘Yeah, five more years!’ I can’t even tell if you’re joking. Marleau: It’s tough remembering how there’s so much good stuff. It’s only when you start talking and reminiscing that you start to realize it … Thornton: I’m at the point where I’m week to week, Pierre. I’m week to week (laughter from both). So we’ll see if I have a good week and we’ll Thornton: I was 25 when I was traded to San Jose. I’m 40 now! Like, it go from there. flew by. But you have to love the game. I remember talking to Daniel Alfredsson And you played your first game as a Shark here in Buffalo (in December once about that decision late in a player’s career and what it takes to get 2005). I think back to that 1997 draft, you guys obviously spent time your body ready in the offseason workouts to ramp up for another season together there as the top prospects. But you’re probably thinking then … it’s a grind, right? Once you’re playing in the season again that’s the that you would never, ever be teammates in the NHL? fun part. But the summer preparation that’s such a grind, right? Thornton: Never. We played together for Canada on under-18 so we Thornton: For sure, yeah. knew each other before the draft. But going 1-2, I thought he was in the West and I was in the East permanently. Yeah. We’d play together Marleau: You got to love it. You got to love that part of it, too. And there internationally and stuff like that but never on the same NHL team. No. are going to be tough days in the summer. But you’re always looking at the fact it’s going to lead to something better. If you want to play, you got And now you’re back together again. to do it. Thornton: Isn’t it great? Who would have seen that! Thornton: I think that’s when you’ll know when it’s time, when you don’t enjoy the grind. And right now, I love the grind. I love putting in the work Marleau (smiling): Couldn’t stay away from the big guy here. every day. It’s enjoyable, right Patty? I love the story that after the last lockout back in 2012-13 there’s a new Marleau: Yes. rule in the CBA about veteran players getting their own hotel rooms and if you’re a veteran you no longer have to bunk with a teammate. But then Thornton: We enjoy it. you two guys who had long been hotel roommates just kept on sharing a room anyway for like a whole year? You are both fathers. Not every NHL player gets the chance to have their kids realize in real time that their dad is an NHLer and get to watch dad Marleau: It might have been more than a year. play. Often players start their families in retirement. What’s it like to still be playing and have your kids be self-aware of what’s happening? Thornton: Yeah it might have been like two years! Marleau: They love it. They’re into it now. The older ones obviously have Marleau: They ended up separating us, otherwise we might have just a bigger grasp of it. When they’re younger they just want to go in the kept staying together (laughing). But we were on the same schedule. locker room and get gum or Gatorade. Thornton: Yeah, we always woke up at the same time. It was just, why Thornton: Yes the Gatorade! My youngest is 6, he just wants the change it? It was working out. We were playing good … Gatorade or the gum. They don’t care about meeting Patrick Marleau or Who had the remote control in that hotel room? Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns. They just want to come in and get their gum and get out. But they enjoy it, yeah. Thornton: I can’t remember. Was the iPad out back then? That’s probably the hardest part of still playing is being on the road and You guys have played in these physical Western Conference series over not with them, like right now. the years, I used to call it Big Boy hockey, which a lot of people made fun of me for. But I covered a lot of those series. The Kings, the Ducks, you Marleau: Oh yeah for sure. There’s always life going on (at home) when guys, just the type of hockey that was so demanding. It still ramps up you’re on the road. come playoff time but it’s different now, right? Thornton: Today I should be playing basketball at home (with his kids). Thornton: But you still have your teams that way, St. Louis was a beast, That’s the tough part, they’re just getting done school right now as we Vegas is a beast team, the Bruins, there are still some teams that follow speak and we’re in Buffalo. But there’s a good balance. You have to that mold that are great teams. So I don’t think that concept is dying. I have a good support system at home and I think we both have that. think it’s still there in some teams. Marleau: Yes. Marleau: It comes out more in playoffs. It’s not run and gun, it’s about Thornton: And technology makes it easier. You FaceTime. We’re lucky in puck possession and playing down low in the offensive zone. that aspect. All right we’re getting toward the end of this chat here. When you guys Joe, I know you hate looking too far ahead. You’ve always told me that. look back at your careers and your time together, what will you recall as But let me say this: the last two Cup champions have been Washington some of the best moments the two of you have had together? Maybe and St. Louis, two teams that had knocked at the door forever. Playoffs things that make you laugh? after playoffs, good teams after good teams, and then it actually Marleau: Well, there’s no shortage of that (big smile). happened frankly when neither team I think saw it coming. I’m a believer that perhaps things sometimes happen in threes … Thornton: Yeah, we’ve had our fun. … But I just think the fact that we’ve had quality time together. We’ve got to know each other’s families. I’ve Thornton: So we’re next? We’ll take it, yup (smiling). got to know the Marleau family, which is important. We have a lot of good But seriously, who has knocked at the door more than you guys? Good memories, played on a lot of good teams … teams for such a long time. Marleau: Right from when we were 17 years old. We got in trouble that Thornton: Yes. But I know myself I can’t look past tomorrow. And I don’t year (starts laughing). think as players in general, we don’t look too, too far. Thornton: That was in Nelson, B.C.? Marleau: The more you play, for me anyways, you realize that there is a Marleau: Yes. The under-18s. process and the process starts over every year. It goes throughout the whole season and then it’s whoever gets hot at the right time. Thornton: What happened again? Thornton: Yeah. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been knocking at the door for Marleau: We wrecked a couple of kayaks. We had rented a couple of 10 years. A new year starts, there’s 31 teams chasing it. It doesn’t matter kayaks one day and somehow ran into each other. what you did in the past. Thornton: Oh yeah. You have both worn the ‘C’ for this franchise. Now it’s Logan Couture. How do you help Logan out? You’ve known him since he was kid Marleau: A couple of us jumped off and went swimming a little bit. entering the league, obviously. Thornton: So we had to pay for the damages. Thornton: He does fine. We’ve been leadership by committee in San Marleau: I remember my parents getting a phone call a couple of weeks Jose, and I think most teams around the league, for years. Patty wore the later … ‘C’, I’ve worn the ‘C’, Pavs (Joe Pavelski) was captain, now Logan is, Erik (Karlsson) has worn the ‘C’ in the past, there’s a lot of different guys. Thornton: They said, ‘You owe us money!’ Marleau: It’s by committee, yeah. Well, I guess you still have time here to add a few more chapters together. Thornton: Pete (DeBoer) has a good pulse on the team, and I think Doug (Wilson) does, too. But Logan is going to do great. We’ve seen him Thornton: The fun isn’t ending, that’s for sure. mature so much over the last … I think it’s been 10 years since he’s been playing? It’s amazing. He’s a very capable guy to do this. Marleau, with a serious tone now, pointing at Thornton: I’m just a huge fan of his. Everything he does, everything he brings. When he came to Marleau: I sent Logan a text right away (when he was named captain). I this team, it made me a better professional. I thought I was doing pretty told him he’d be great. You want your leaders and captains to play the good and doing things right but he just came and showed me a whole system to the T and play hard and play the right way. He fits that. other level that you can get to. The biggest thing if I could take from him, I’d want to take the mental game that he has, it’s off the charts. Patrick, you told me in June you thought you still had a few years left to play … Thornton: You know I want him to get 600 goals. When he was in Toronto, I’d text him, ‘All right, let’s keep ‘er going.’ We root for each Thornton, interjecting: Well he’s still the fastest skater on the ice every other. … I want him to do good. night! (Marleau chuckles). Even the guys this summer we’re like, this guy can skate! He’s got legs for years still, I’m a big believer in that. He has Thanks guys, this was fun. that body type that can just go on forever, like that Mark Messier body type. He just has that big solid frame that can just skate. He doesn’t have a problem with this new age hockey, you know? The Athletic LOADED: 10.24.2019 I was talking to Joe about this before you got here, Patrick, the game has changed so much since I started covering it 25 years ago. So many players used to bench press like crazy. Marleau: I remember growing up and getting all the hockey cards and reading about everybody and it was always about, ‘Are you big enough?’ Thornton: Yup, you got to put weight on! Marleau: I would measure myself, I was small at the time, I’d look at the small players and say well they made it. Maybe I got a shot. Then I was able to spurt up, but that was a thing, you had to be big enough. Thornton: You had to put weight on. Every summer it was you got to put weight on. Marleau: That was the ultimate grind. Now all the young players have Tour de France bodies. Lean and mean. Thornton: Slender. That Gucci body build. (Marleau chuckles). 1109486 Websites 31 THOUGHTS 1. With Artem Anisimov and Colin White down to injury, Ottawa is trying

hard to add a forward. Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Pressure mounting on the Toronto Maple 2. It’s not a trade that will get a ton of attention, but Tuesday’s Ian Leafs McCoshen/Aleksi Saarela deal between Chicago and Florida is notable for one reason: it features two players who wanted a change; two prospects of whom much was once expected. Elliotte Friedman The Panthers, who believed their defensive play needed big-time October 23, 2019, 1:45 PM improvement, lost faith in McCoshen’s ability to provide that. The first pick of the second round in 2013 was at AHL Springfield after playing just 19 games in Florida last year. He wanted a new start and gets it, at AHL Moments after Jack Eichel scored in overtime to give Buffalo a 4-3 win Rockford to begin. Saarela is a fascinating case study. A third-round over San Jose on Tuesday night, the Sabres walked back into their selection by the Rangers in 2015, he went to the Hurricanes in the Eric dressing room as the No. 1 team in the NHL. Their 17 points is one up on Staal trade, to the Blackhawks with Calvin de Haan and now to the Washington, two on Colorado and Edmonton. Panthers just four months later. So, how crazy was it in there? There is no doubting his talent — one former teammate said he has an absolute bomb of a shot, but “there’s a reason he’s been traded so many “Actually, it was pretty casual,” answered winning goaltender Carter times.” He blasted Carolina on his way out, with the organization Hutton. “We learned our lesson last year, after our 10-game winning responding that he didn’t do the work expected of him and didn’t care to streak. We got too comfortable playing with fire. (Head coach Ralph change that. He was not playing much at Rockford and didn’t like it. This Krueger) has us focussed on the process, sticking with what we do right. is probably his final North American stop. Two guys with something to If we give up good chances, we’re going to pay.” prove, two teams willing to gamble. Down 2-0 after one to the Sharks, the group emphasized staying true to 3. It is tense in Toronto. You could see the organization was curious how the plan. things would transpire without an injured John Tavares and his calming influence. They are 1-1-1, but it simply doesn’t look right. In last year’s “We have a lot of trust in the system,” Sam Reinhart told reporters post- playoff, during the three games in Toronto, Patrice Bergeron had 35 game. even-strength minutes and saw Tavares for 31 of them. Coach Mike “Maybe the younger Jack gets frustrated,” Hutton said. “Now, we always Babcock gave us something fun last Saturday at home against the Bruins talk about the grind of it, how you have to stick with things instead of — a solid taste of the Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews combo, the getting down. But guys feed off him. If he stays right, we follow.” second-most ice-time of Matthews’ career, and 11:24 against Bergeron at even-strength (in the re-match Tuesday in Boston, Bruins coach Bruce Four Eichel points later, the Sabres won. This hasn’t been the only Cassidy showed he wasn’t afraid of keeping it that way). example in 2019-20. Two nights after his giveaway led to the winner in an overtime loss to Columbus, the captain had another four-point game I loved that Babcock made the challenge, but you can see he’s not ready in a win over Montreal. They blew a 2-0 lead in Anaheim to start their to trust this full-time — especially when riddled with the kinds of mistakes West Coast swing, but recovered to shutout Los Angeles and beat the that came Monday at home against Columbus. As of Wednesday, Sharks in an absolute roller-coaster ride in San Jose. Matthews has taken just 17 defensive-zone draws (winning 29 per cent of them), one of which led directly to a Blue Jackets goal on Monday On a 31 Thoughts podcast, Eichel said Krueger won him over during night. The improving Frederik Gauthier has taken 66, Nick Shore 62 — their first dinner together — at last year’s World Championships. Hutton and both are over 60 per cent. said a similar thing happened when the coach invited him for dinner with teammates Zach Bogosian and Kyle Okposo. Hockey only came up at You can understand why Babcock is doing it this way, he’s got to win the end, after Krueger made sure to know about them and their families. games in a much tighter division, and he believes prime time is earned, not given. That’s not wrong, but I wonder if these times call for something He’s made other changes. Hutton says he doesn’t think the Sabres have different. In Winnipeg, Patrik Laine clamoured for more responsibility, used their video room once. Meetings are in the dressing room, “short and the Jets made him a deal: “Fine, but we will take it away if you don’t and sweet.” Smaller groups, not necessarily everyone. compete hard enough to make it work.” Laine got the message, and the early season difference is noticeable. In Edmonton, the ice time for Leon “We’ve got a lot of younger players, and it is not as easy for a 19-year-old Draisaitl and Connor McDavid is probably unsustainable, but the two to speak up in front of everyone. They think they are stepping on toes.” have accepted a challenge and it is a big reason the start of their season This makes it more comfortable for them, as does the arrival of 600- feels so much more promising. game veteran Marcus Johansson — especially for the Sabres’ Swedes. “He is their voice breaking that ice. (Rasmus Ristolainen) is not as Toronto’s cap situation means their top players have to be the drivers, as outgoing, he just likes to focus on playing. Plus, he’s a Finn. Marcus has both Babcock and Matthews indicated after the Boston loss. Is it time to become the leader of that group. He’s been huge for us.” fully unleash them and challenge them to make the necessary improvements without sheltering? When I ran into Hutton last season, he said he learned things about being a No. 1 goalie that he hoped to put into place for this year. San 4. As the pressure mounts, there will be plenty of talk about Babcock’s Jose’s first goal ended a career-long personal shutout string that reached future. One thing everyone should remember: he takes a lot of the heat. 134 minutes. He didn’t change the way he prepared in the summer, but A lot of it. What I respect about him is that he recognizes it as part of the did alter his mental approach. job. Where does it go if he’s gone? “You have to manage the highs and lows. It is very hard to be so 5. Kind of a weird thing, but heading into the Columbus game, Frederik emotionally attached to 50 games a year. You’re going to burn out, it’s Andersen allowed eight goals (38 per cent of his total) through the five- hard to play with that fire. You have to stay even-keeled. I’m also hole. According to Sportlogiq, the league average for goalies was 11 per managing my output in practice.” cent at the time. Boston was looking for it. So were the Blue Jackets. Andersen made some nice saves on those attempts, so he’s working on What about games? What has changed in front of you? it. “Predictability,” he replies, and refers to a 4-0 shutout of Dallas last 6. This may interest only me, but I thought it was interesting to watch Monday. “I only had to make two or three solid saves. We’re doing a referee Tom Chmielewski Monday in Toronto. In the first period, watch good job of allowing the chances we want to give.” him making the call on Ryan Murray. He thinks about a penalty shot, hesitates a bit, but doesn’t call one. You can’t win the Stanley Cup in October. But you sure can lose it then. It’s early, but the Sabres seem better prepared to handle it. They have to Then, in the overtime, he makes the call. I know some people didn’t like be. it, but the goal is to promote offence and entertainment. “We’re not fooling anyone anymore,” Hutton says. “We’re getting 7. Detroit tried to move Jonathan Ericsson before waiving him on everyone’s best.” Tuesday. If this is the end of his NHL career — and life has a funny way of making things turn out like no one expects — respect to a last-overall Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey draft choice who played 662 games. That is beating the odds. world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. 8. With Buffalo tight to the ceiling and Ristolainen seeming very happy, only to set up Carlson at the last second. Seriously, what’s a goalie the talk has turned to Marco Scandella. He’s in the final season of his supposed to do with that? contract, playing 17:51 per night. Cap hit is $4 million. The only bad thing about Carlson winning the Norris is that it would make 9. Two wins in a row for Minnesota after Jason Zucker’s outburst in David Amber right. He’ll be impossible to deal with. Montreal. While it made a ton of noise because Zucker mentioned Bruce Boudreau by name, it sure sounds internally that everyone recognized 19. One scout who has seen Dallas a few times: “The way they grind what the player was trying to do. Boudreau himself wasn’t fuming, you, they are built for the playoffs. That’s why they gave St. Louis so especially since Zucker went to him on the plane that night to apologize. much trouble. The problem is, you have to get there. The regular season (I would bet that if he ever does it again, he’ll leave the coach out of it.) is not like that.” As a media member, the only thing I hate about stories like this is we 20. Jack Hughes is going to be a great player, but he took a unique route can’t stand cliches, then we rip people for being honest. They were losing to the top of the draft: right from the Under-18 US National Development and he was frustrated. team to the NHL. Go through the history — from Auston Matthews to 10. One thing about the Wild other teams are noticing: they really show Matthew Tkachuk to everyone in between, there was another stop that frustration on the ice against each other. Whether it is for holding the between there and the big league. That was big-time culture shock for puck too long on the power play, or passes not on the tape or dumb Hughes. He dominated the puck at that level, but is learning that’s not penalties, there are some obvious (and heated) conversations. Winning going to be so easy now. I counted 17 games against universities last cures everything. season and 18 this year, but will Hughes be the last one to go this way? 11. GM Bill Guerin does not see the need for a quick fix. “I’m getting 21. Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno was rolling in his pre-game scrum calls,” he said last weekend, “but I’m not going to do anything just for the Monday in Toronto. The team knows that it has to be more careful sake of it, or because things are emotional. Still evaluating.” defensively in the post-Bobrovsky era. The Blue Jackets still grind you when structured, but used to take a lot more chances. Some players — 12. Philadelphia is going to be interesting. The Joel Farabee call-up was like Seth Jones and Zach Werenski — still have that green light, others sooner than expected, but it indicates how important getting back into the need to be more aware. playoffs is for this franchise. They sent down Carsen Twarynski, but there is certainly a feeling he was the pick because they could send him down, “The difference now is that before, all of us would go up ice, see the puck not because they wanted to send him down. They liked how he played go the other way, and say, ‘Good luck, Bob. We sold the farm,’” Foligno and he doesn’t need waivers. The young guys are pushing the veterans. laughed. “Now, we know we have to do a better job.” Joonas Korpisalo was very good that night against Toronto. 13. The Flyers, by the way, may have found another one. There are good reviews for WHL Calgary defenceman Egor Zamula, who they signed last 22. Head coach John Tortorella said he spent a lot of time in the summer season as a free agent. reminding himself that this was going to be a very different group, and he had to be more patient. I asked Foligno if this was happening, and he got 14. It looks like Edmonton is going to dip its toe into the Darnell Nurse this big smile on his face. “There have been moments this season I contract waters in the near future. He and Oscar Klefbom are taking big- thought it was coming, and it didn’t,” he said. Tortorella loves an time blue line responsibility. Nurse’s contract is up, he’s two years away underdog. And this is one. from unrestricted free agency. Here’s another important part of the conversation: You can see his passion for the team, his want for it to do Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it well. It’s not easy for the Oilers to attract players, you’ve got one who 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, likes it there. they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game. 15. Chris Johnston reported that other clubs are assuming Konstantin Okulov of KHL CSKA Moscow is picking between Montreal and Toronto. 23. Waiting outside the Columbus dressing room that morning was The Canadiens, in particular, lusted after him a year ago. Michael Laurence. Laurence, from Ontario, is the goalie coach at HC Lugano in Switzerland. His prized pupil of recent seasons was Elvis 16. I do not doubt Braden Holtby, who’s won three straight after getting Merzlikins, now in the NHL. The Jackets have high hopes here. He lost pulled against Colorado and watching Ilya Samsonov receive a prime- his first game 7-2 to Pittsburgh and his second 3-2 to Chicago in time test against Toronto. He’s proven many times he can handle ups overtime on a fluke bounce. Interestingly, Tortorella said he didn’t want to and downs, especially when he didn’t begin the 2018 Stanley Cup pull the rookie against the Penguins, because a) he didn’t want to championship run as the Capitals’ starter. But, uncertainty can cloud the embarrass him and b) he thinks Merzlikins is competitive and wanted to strongest minds, so I asked GM Brian MacLellan if not having a contract fight through it. was affecting Holtby. Laurence sent a text to the young goalie after that game, saying, “Do you “I don’t think so,” he replied. “We spoke at the beginning of the year, so want to be remembered for this, or for your career? Pick up your lip and we could communicate about contract, about team situation, about cap get moving.” He agreed that Merzlikins is a competitor. “He will be fine. situation. It might be affecting him, but my interpretation is it is not. He He’s in good hands here.” What’s his best attribute? “His feet. He has goes through some periods where he gets a little off. He’s trying to elite feet.” improve his game and he’s trying certain things, maybe they don’t work as quick as possible. He always seems to be able to recover and we 24. Speaking of good goalies, a scouting buddy was raving last week anticipate him playing at a high level soon.” Looks like he’s getting there. about Florida first-rounder Spencer Knight: “His team may not be that good, but he is.” 17. One of the reasons for his struggles was Washington’s new system. The Capitals are trying to be more aggressive, similar to what Carolina 25. Kirby Dach has not played organized hockey with his brother, Colton, does. It got them trapped down-ice a few times against Colorado and who is now with the WHL Saskatoon Blades as a 16-year-old. If Kirby Toronto, leading to some ridiculous highlight-reel goals against. gets sent back, it would be special for the family. But, after watching him against Vegas, I don’t know that I’m betting on it. They look like they are sorting it out. MacLellan had an interesting comment about the Capitals from last year to this year: “Part of it, I think 26. Your ECHL champion Newfoundland Growlers held their ring we labelled as fatigue, ran out of gas,” he said, referring to the 2018-19 ceremony last Friday and added a nice touch. The homegrown team. “And probably another part of it is the hunger. The hunger to go players/staff had their rings presented to them by their families. It’s a through it all again. It’s a long grind and I would not say that we had 20 small thing, but a big thing. It was very emotional and a source of pride guys with the will to win it the second time, and consequently we made for that crowd and that province to see it. some choices and some changes in our lineup.” This is not a group 27. The NHL is fixing an issue with its stats system that was uncovered satisfied with one Cup. by the smart @evolvingwild Twitter account. Individual shot locations 18. Early-season sensation John Carlson is averaging 1.82 points per were off, creating mayhem of expected goal calculations. (An expected game, something no defenceman has ever done over the course of a full goal tries to determine the likelihood that someone scores on a particular season. Bobby Orr holds the record of .1.78 in 1970-71; only he and Paul attempt. It’s an interesting idea.) As you may know, the league will be Coffey have reached 1.5. If you watch Carlson, it’s so impressive to see adopting puck tracking at some point this season, and a new computer the little things he does so well. See how he quickly glances to find system is part of that. The screens are larger than they used to be, and Alexander Ovechkin as the puck is coming to him in Chicago. That’s not the scale was off. So shots were being “recorded” farther than they really a slow-moving puck, either. Seconds later: goal. were. A “fix” was in place last Wednesday and all previous games are being corrected. Against Toronto, watch how he looks off the super-smart Tavares, opening up the lane for a lethal one-timer. The last one is just obscene, 28. Craig MacTavish was fired after just eight games (3-5) into KHL with Ovechkin leaving the zone, gaining speed to set up his own blast, Lokomotiv’s season. His replacement, Alexander Ardashev, won five of 10, but decided to return to his job as the manager. Now running the bench is Mike Pelino, a true survivor of that league’s coaching rollercoaster. Pelino, who was leading Brock University back when I covered post-secondary hockey in 1989, lost his first game, 2-1 to Traktor Chelyabinsk. This is his seventh straight season in the KHL. 29. Sadly, I missed one of my favourite nights on the calendar Monday night. Working Columbus/Toronto prevented me from attending the NHL Alumni Awards Gala Celebration. It is always emotional, always classy, always full of great speeches and stories. Ray Bourque was named the Keith Magnuson Man of the Year; Laila Anderson received the Keith McCreary 7th Teammate Award; Cliff Koroll the Outstanding Alumni Award; Captain Charles Scot-Brown — credited with firing the first shots in the D-Day Invasion — was named an honorary member. Chris Joseph, whose son, Jaxon, died in the Humboldt bus crash, received the Ace Bailey Award of Courage. I heard his speech was so beautiful, I asked for a copy of it. “I can’t give it to you, because I ad-libbed it,” he said in a phone call. “The only time I’ve ever written a speech was the funeral, I was so worried I’d never get through it. (Monday night), Ray was sitting next to me, and I was joking with him that his notes were even worse than mine. He had five things in chicken scratch on his paper. I guess doing interviews in hockey trains you.” At the microphone, Joseph apologized to Bourque for cheering for the Blues to win the Stanley Cup. His family is very tight with the Paraykos as Colton’s oldest sister, Kendra, babysat the Joseph children. “You ever see those families, they raise their kids and you say, ‘That’s just how it should be done?’ They’re the model. All their kids are fantastic, the parents are fantastic.” Then he adds, “Actually, I felt bad for Louie DeBrusk, too. He and I are close.” 30. Joseph said he and the other parents “chat with each other all the time, although we’re obviously closer to the St. Albert families. We’re a strong group, and we kind of do group counselling…pick up the phone, bitch to each other and we vent. If you are having one of those days, we will unconditionally support you. We just listen, we’re here for you.” He is coaching a midget double-A team and loves it. Asked if he reminds himself of any of his coaches, he thinks for a few minutes, then names Terry Crisp and Wayne Cashman. “Passionate, fun and loud, although Wayne wasn’t as loud as Terry. Hockey is one big family, it does feel that way for me. Since (the crash), we have received so much love and support. Hall of Famers, players I never played with texting and calling. Kelly Chase organized the ‘Country Thunder’ benefit concert. Forty alumni showed up. Shea Weber, Paul Coffey, Joe Sakic. Sakic sat with eight or nine Broncos boys, telling them about the 1986 Swift Current bus crash. A guy I grew up with, a pure and classy guy, spending that moment with the boys, little things like that.” Joseph continues to push for mandatory entry-level training for Class 1 truck drivers. Some provinces (Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan) are very good, but others aren’t. Joseph recently met with Alberta’s Minister of Transportation after there were discussions of a rollback on the requirements due to a backlog. But what he really wants is this to become a federally mandated issue. “You have to police 10 provinces and three territories, there should be a national standard for Class 1. Even if you’re based in Alberta, you have to go to Saskatchewan. There’s a big difference between driving through flat areas in the summer and the Rockies in the winter. Air, rail, marine travel in Canada is national, this should be too. What we are asking for isn’t extreme, isn’t contentious, the only people who don’t want this care about money first. This is also about abusing new Canadian workers, and we don’t want that. It is a big immigrant workforce, they should be trained well, not pressured to be driving a truck they don’t want to drive.” I hope people are listening. 31. I had someone along the way, I can’t remember if it was a teacher or a University professor, but someone who ran a classroom. And he banned the phrase ‘unskilled labour.’ He would say to us “If you think it’s so unskilled, I would like to see you try it.” I loved that philosophy. I was reminded of this when I saw that Donald Brashear story about working in Tim Hortons. Life is a challenge. It’s supposed to be fun, but it’s a grind. All we try to do is make it better for ourselves and our families. Nobody should be made fun of for that.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.24.2019 1109487 Websites SN: You are a leader of a movement yourself. What does that mean to you?

JH: That’s what this is all about. The sporting accomplishments are Sportsnet.ca / Q&A: Jayna Hefford on the slow fight for equality and the wonderful and obviously, if you’re an athlete, you’re trying to excel and Dream Gap Tour win. But to be recognized for trying to make the sport better or trying to make our country better (matters). Sport unites people in a way that nothing else can. I see that no more vividly than the Toronto Raptors last (season). They united a city and country in a powerful way. To try to David Singh | @ByDavidSingh facilitate and better sport in Canada, that’s a huge honour to be able to October 23, 2019, 6:25 PM be a part of that. SN: What exactly does your role entail with the PWHPA? TORONTO — Billie Jean King has been through this fight before. The JH: As the operations consultant, (I have) the lead role in the day-to-day. legendary tennis star was a pioneer in the push for equal pay in her sport I work with Billie Jean’s group, I work with the player board. I’m sort of in over 40 years ago, so she has a clear understanding of what women in charge of the showcases, making sure our strategic plans (are in order). pro hockey are going through at the moment. What direction we are going, where do we want to go from here, facilitating conversations with the NHL. Just sort of that overall leadership However, while the desire for change may burn intensely, Jean King is role. also quick to point out reality. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey “When you live history, it’s very slow,” says Jayna Hefford of the advice world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what she received from the tennis star and equity crusader. “And when you they think about it. read it, it’s very fast.” SN: What stood out to you so far from the Dream Gap Tour stops? Hefford, a five-time Canadian Olympic medallist and Hockey Hall of Famer, is trying to accomplish for her sport what Jean King did for tennis. JH: The biggest thing is the response. We’ve sold out three events in a She’s among the leading advocates in the #ForTheGame women’s row. We’re getting a response from fans, better than we’ve ever had. The hockey movement. overall thing that I walk away with is the feeling at those events. All the players would agree that when they see the people there, there’s this The 42-year-old Hefford, who retired from competition in 2015, is an energy in the building and it’s about being there for a purpose as operations consultant with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players opposed to being there to watch a hockey game. It’s quite evident when Association (PWHPA), which recently staged its third successful you’re in the building. The players salute the crowd. Everybody’s showcase of female talent. Known as the Dream Gap Tour, the event standing for what they’re standing for and that’s very clear and it’s a was formed after some 170 women’s players pledged to sit out this pretty cool thing to be part of. season of pro hockey in North America because they want a league that pays a living wage. To be honest, it gives you goosebumps. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it right now just because you see all these young girls — I “The purpose is to shrink the ‘Dream Gap,’” Hefford says. “For me, as a have daughters myself — and the opportunity to talk about what this is young girl playing hockey, I wanted to play in the NHL. That’s all I could really about. My daughter has already said, ‘Why do only boys play see. How do we get to the point where a young girl who wants to play football?’ That’s the only thing she’s seen and she is six years old. So, hockey sees it as a viable option? We always talk about keeping girls in it’s a great conversation starter around opportunity and allowing people sport longer. Girls are smart enough at the age of 10 or 11 that if they to dream, to be what they want to be and supporting those dreams. It’s don’t see a future in the sport, they leave the sport. incredibly powerful when I feel that energy in our buildings. I’m proud of what the women are standing up for. “How do we get to a point where every young girl and every young boy in this country can have the same dream, whatever that is?” SN: After witnessing three events now, how do you evaluate its progress or impact? Hefford: It was incredible. Having a chance to meet someone like Billie Jean, who is really just a legend, an icon, someone who has such an JH: I think we’ve made a great impact. Three sold-out events is a huge incredible story of advocacy and fighting for what she believed in. She is accomplishment for us. It’s not just one game in these events, its four very much on our side in women’s hockey and trying to push the sport games over the weekend. That’s huge. I think the talk we’re creating forward and create some positive conversation around the game. It’s online, social awareness is growing, our sponsorship portfolio is probably certainly a moment that I’ll remember for a long time. bigger than what it was in the CWHL in four-to-five short months. I think we’re really seeing the conversation change. That was the first step: To Editor’s note: Billie Jean King Enterprises, a company founded by the get people to understand where the game was at. The need for tennis star, is providing pro bono support and advice to the PWHPA. something bigger and more sustainable. I think we’re down that road. We SN: What did the two of you talk about? don’t expect this to be easy or short. But we do expect that we’re going to keep moving forward and we’re pretty happy with the progress that’s JH: She’s been an adviser to the PWHPA. She’s very much about, ‘You been made to date. gotta fight … It’s really about staying the course. It’s about standing up for what you believe in. It’s about creating a united voice.’ That’s what SN: The schedule for the Dream Gap Tour is now over. What’s next? we’re trying to do to create change in this sport. She was very much a JH: We’re going to have a number of new events for 2020. This will be leader and someone who comes and lifts us up with those powerful the end for 2019. We (will spend) the next five-to-six weeks doing some words and wisdom. other training within the regions, but we’ll be announcing some new The other thing she kept coming back to was that we stand on the events in the new year. shoulders of the people who came before us. That’s a big thing for us, as well. For me, I look back at Angela James, Vicky Sunohara, those people that started to grow the game. When I played, I always felt like I Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.24.2019 represented them. And now, the young players feel like they can carry on this tradition and they represent my generation and there’s going to be more to come. SN: You tweeted that meeting Jean King “energized you.” What did you mean by that? JH: She is a 75-year-old woman who has this excitement and drive in everything she says. She comes into the room and she brings this energy that we should have at age 30 or 40. It was energizing to see someone who has done so much work for her sport and now she’s coming here and putting all of this behind hockey now. To me, if she can do that and this isn’t her sport, but she believes in what we’re trying to do, that can give us the energy to keep fighting. It’s not an easy fight, but it’s one that we are going to keep down this road and try to create change. 1109488 Websites the place. Their ‘D’ get active and it’s really hard to defend and they obviously do a good job of finding each other.”

The truth of the matter is this was probably a schedule loss as much as Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews calls out team after Bruins anything, but the frustrating has started to build from earlier loss performances. The Leafs are built with a Stanley Cup push in mind and yet they haven’t dominated to the degree they’d like despite some improved underlying numbers. Chris Johnston | @reporterchris Some of that falls on goaltending — although No. 2 Michael Hutchinson, with 35 saves, shouldn’t be blamed for what happened here in Boston — October 22, 2019, 9:51 PM and some of it is on correctable mistakes like their ghastly penalty differential. BOSTON — There is no joy in Leafland right now. Sign up for NHL newsletters Losing is always hard on a NHL team, particularly when you blow a third- Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to period lead on home ice one night and then get churned up in a grindfest your inbox! with your biggest rival the next one. “It’s just been the same thing kind of over and over for us,” said Still, even in that context, there seems to be an undeniable strain on the Matthews. “We haven’t been disciplined. We’re taking ourselves out of Toronto Maple Leafs after going 5-4-2 through a brutal 11-games-in-21- the game with penalties and, I mean, it’s costing us. It’s taking us out of nights stretch to open the regular season. our rhythm so I think that’s on us. FANTASY POOL ALERT! “We have to hold each other accountable and obviously do a better job of staying out of the box and when we do get power plays, capitalize on Play the Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey Pool presented by RAM for your them.” chance to drive away with a 2020 RAM 1500 Sport or win cash prizes! It's FREE and easy to play! They won’t find relief in the schedule. A lot of long faces. Tough words, too. After a day off Wednesday and practice Thursday, they host San Jose on Friday and visit Montreal on Saturday. “It’s just not good enough,” Auston Matthews said after Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. “We need to be better and I think it comes from That doesn’t look like a fun stretch either. the leadership group. I need to be better. All of us need to be better. “I think we just need to look each other in the eye and hold each other Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 10.24.2019 accountable and put this game aside and take a couple steps forward and just be better for one another.” Some uncomfortable themes are developing. The Leafs have shown a profound lack of discipline in the last four games — giving opponents 17 power plays, including a pair to the Bruins courtesy of Andreas Johnsson in a perplexing 52-second stretch that allowed Boston to take a 1-0 lead on Tuesday. They’ve also demonstrated an inability to negotiate tight moments and squeeze out victories. This was a 2-2 game with 20 minutes to play and there wasn’t much push, especially after Brett Ritchie scored off a broken play at 6:35. “We need to find a way,” said Matthews. “Going into it, we knew we’d need to grind it out. Keeping it simple was probably the play for us and I think at times we did that and at times we didn’t, but we were in a good spot going to the third period and obviously they got a big goal there and we couldn’t climb our way back.” What stands out most is how little fun everyone seems to be having. Whether that’s a product of the sky-high expectations, of the hectic schedule, of all the new faces still searching for a niche — or some combination of those factors — only those on the inside can truly know. But there was an undeniable heaviness in the air as the Leafs packed up their bags and headed home. “Tough building, tough team,” Jake Muzzin said of the Bruins. “You always want to start the season off well,” said Kasperi Kapanen, who had a strong night with a goal and an assist. “I think our team hasn’t got off to the start that we’ve quite wanted. A lot of games that we’ve been losing by a goal or in overtime.” As for this loss itself, it went down in a predictable manner. The Perfection Line pinballed their way around the offensive zone and produced highlight-reel goals from David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. They also kept Matthews and Mitch Marner at bay by forcing them to chase the puck around their own end. “They’re playing against a good line,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “So which part’s the good line and which part’s them? We’ve talked about this a number of times over the years, who should play with who. “In the end, your dominant players got to be dominant players for you.” Matthews agreed with that assessment. “They kind of do things differently,” he said of Marchand, Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. “For us, [the coaches] kind of preach a guy in the slot, a guy on the net and then a guy in the corner, but they’re kind of all over 1109489 Websites Brown collected three goals and seven points in his first five games of the season.

“I was more pleased with my start down there. I really found my legs and TSN.CA / Childhood friends Logan Brown and Brady Tkachuk reunite on my game. I remembered how to be a complete 200-foot player in both Ottawa Senators’ top line ends,” said Brown. When Brown has been with the Senators in the past – either in training camp or for his six previous NHL regular-season games – he’s seen Ian Mendes limited ice time with less-skilled players. In two games with the Senators this past February, for example, he never even reached the 12-minute plateau, playing 9:32 and 11:30 respectively. Logan Brown will have a familiar face on his left wing when he suits up On Wednesday night, he will centre Ottawa’s top unit with Tkachuk and for his season debut with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday evening. Anthony Duclair and should see his ice time fall somewhere between 15 Growing up in St. Louis, Brown and Brady Tkachuk were teammates for and 20 minutes. several seasons in minor hockey on a team that often featured Logan’s “I get a chance to play with two skilled wingers and guys who have dad, Jeff, as the head coach and Brady’s father, Keith, as an assistant. scored goals in this league. It would be good to get some offence going,” So chemistry shouldn’t be an issue on Wednesday night, as a couple of said Brown. childhood friends get the opportunity to reunite on Ottawa’s top line The Senators could desperately use an injection of skill and creativity against the Detroit Red Wings. right now – both of which are part of Brown’s arsenal. Ottawa currently “We were always hanging out with one another – off the ice and on the ranks dead last in offence in the NHL this season, with only 17 goals ice. He was always getting the goals and I was always getting the hits,” scored through eight games. Tkachuk said of their time as minor hockey linemates. In particular, the club’s power play has looked anemic and unimaginative For his part, Brown said it is going to be “pretty cool” to line up alongside while connecting for a single goal in 25 opportunities in this young Tkachuk on home ice. And he knows that if he gets into any trouble season. It might be a lot of pressure for Brown, but it seems like he could against the Red Wings, Tkachuk will be there to defend him – just like he be the only one to salvage the power play at this point. was in their minor hockey days. “Logan Brown probably has the most skill of any forward on the ice “He was a year younger, playing up with us. He’s always been the same tonight on the power play,” Smith said emphatically on Wednesday, when as he is now. He’s not afraid out there,” Brown said. “I got hit from behind asked how Brown could help his ailing unit. “He’s the best passer. He’s a and he ran in there and started pushing the guy and tried to fight him. big guy. He’s got great vision. So he’s certainly going to help our power And we were like 12 years old.” play. I suspect he’ll be our best power-play guy here tonight.” “I don’t remember that specific time,” Tkachuk said with a laugh. “But he Whether or not this is just an audition for Brown or a full-time promotion was one of our best players in youth hockey and he was a good friend, remains to be seen. However, Smith and the front office are making it so I guess I didn’t like what I saw.” perfectly clear that if Brown can seize this opportunity, they won’t be sending him back to Belleville anytime soon. The Senators are hoping they like what they see in Brown, who was recalled on Wednesday morning after the club announced significant “If he shows that he’s ready to be a full time NHLer, I see no reason why injuries to two of their centres. Colin White will be sidelined for about a he can’t be,” added Smith. “Hopefully it’s now. If not, we’ll keep month with a hip flexor injury, while Artem Anisimov is expected to miss a developing him.” couple of weeks with a lower-body injury. The Senators wanted to take a more cautious and patient approach with TSN.CA LOADED: 10.24.2019 Brown, but the injuries have left them with no choice but to thrust the 2016 first-round pick into the NHL lineup. Ottawa Senators head coach DJ Smith meets the media following the morning skate ahead of hosting the Red Wings tonight. “We wanted him to play a lot of minutes. And to start the year with all the centres we had, we didn’t see an opportunity for him to play more than 10 minutes a night and we didn’t think that was any good for his development,” explained head coach D.J. Smith. “We’re in a situation now where we have two centres down. I think we were trying to hold him there for as long as possible so he could develop. Fortunately for him – and unfortunately for us – with the injuries, he’s coming up. My job is to make sure he gets an opportunity to play.” Brown’s camp certainly voiced their displeasure with the Senators decision to send him to Belleville at the end of training camp. Less than three weeks ago, his agent, Andy Scott, had some very pointed comments about the Senators’ handling of his client. “I can say with full confidence that I’ve really never seen another player met with such resistance by the team that drafted them early in the first round,” said Brown’s agent Andy Scott, in a TSN 1200 radio interview on Oct. 3. “But, from 10,000 feet, when I look at this situation, I see a team that is in the throes of a rebuild and just driving around Ottawa you see the slogan for this season is ‘The Kids are Alright,’ and if the kids are alright, then play the kids. Why is Logan Brown not being groomed to be the next first- or second-line centre?” Brown admitted Wednesday morning that the training camp demotion to Belleville was hurtful, but he tried his best to take a positive approach to the situation. He was certainly less direct in his wording than his agent. “That really sucked. I really felt like this was my year, so to get sent down, it hurt. But I used it as motivation and took it as a challenge,” said Brown. “I did everything I could down there. Worked hard and worked on all the things they wanted me to improve on to get an opportunity back up here.” Instead of sulking, Brown was an offensive force in the first two weeks of the regular season with Belleville. Placed on a line with Drake Batherson,