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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/2/2020 Blackhawks cont'd 1189848 Coyotes prepared to embrace pressure ahead of playoff 1189879 Constable: This octogenarian goalie blocked shots from 2 series with Predators Blackhawk legends, then finally retired 1189880 Blackhawks' Drake Caggiula to have hearing for illegal Bruins check to head on Tyler Ennis 1189849 Brad Marchand, Ondrej Kase back, but Tuukka Rask sits 1189881 How Blackhawks executed plan to upset Oilers in Game 1 as Bruins prepare for first game Sunday of Qualifiers 1189850 Jack Edwards and need time to adjust their 1189882 How Blackhawks' line bested Oilers' strategy calling Bruins games Connor McDavid line in Game 1 1189851 As NHL season restarts, opportunity comes early for 1189883 Blackhawks show they're serious about making noise as Bruins’ Jack Studnicka, Anders Bjork up front No. 12 seed 1189852 Tuukka Rask questionable for Sunday’s opener 1189884 Dominik Kubalik and Jonathan Toews lift Blackhawks over 1189853 Bruins' Tuukka Rask 'not feeling well' after missing Oilers in Game 1 practice, is a question mark vs. Flyers 1189885 Dominik Kubalik breaks Blackhawks rookie record for 1189854 Ondrej Kase finally makes an appearance at Bruins points in a playoff game practice in Toronto 1189886 Blackhawks and Oilers form circle together during National 1189855 Here's why the Bruins are going to win the Stanley Cup Anthem before Game 1 1189856 Ondrej Kase back on ice with Bruins. Now he must catch 1189887 Blackhawks' Corey Crawford to start Game 1 of Stanley up Cup Qualifier vs. Oilers 1189857 Bruins takeaways: Fans will be needed for next NHL 1189888 Oilers beat Blackhawks, win Stanley Cup in EA Sports' season NHL 20 simulation 1189889 Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily: The NHL postseason begins! 1189890 Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew Dumba’s 1189858 Sabres sign forward Brett Murray to two-year, entry-level moment, but is it enough? contract 1189891 Five observations from the Blackhawks’ Game 1 win over 1189859 Former Sabre Dale Hawerchuk's family raising money as the Oilers he battles cancer 1189892 Lazerus: It’s still Jonathan Toews’ team, and it’s still Jonathan Toews’ time 1189860 Flames versus Jets a family rivalry for Calgary couple 1189861 Flames draw first blood 1189893 Avalanche and St. Louis Blues collide in Edmonton for 1189862 Snapshots: Good-flow Gaudreau ready for playoff series rubber match challenge 1189894 Avalanche in Edmonton: 5 things to watch in round-robin 1189863 Flames’ prospect Poolman torn as older brother battles play future teammates 1189895 Chambers: Nazem Kadri stands with Black players. Does 1189864 Who starts Game 1 for Flames? Hours before, Ward still the NHL hear them? not saying 1189896 This is Nazem Kadri’s moment – Avs forward at the center of push for change 1189865 A fluky bounce off a familiar name seals a familiar Hurricanes playoff performance 1189897 Columbus Blue Jackets grateful for another playoff 1189866 Canes use aggressive start, strong killing to top appearance Rangers in series opener 1189898 Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella faces tough decision 1189867 Mirtle: What it was like being in the empty arena for Game on who to start at goalie 1 of the NHL playoffs 1189899 Oliver Bjorkstrand living up to hype that followed him from 1189868 ‘Fired up’ Hurricanes set the tone in Game 1 win over juniors to Blue Jackets Rangers 1189869 Bag of Jerks: Brett Pesce’s bubble entrance, Dougie Hamilton’s timeline 1189900 Stars forward Tyler Seguin expected to return for round- robin opener against Vegas 1189901 How Stars broadcasters are handling the challenge of 1189870 Blackhawks turn back the clock in 6-4 victory, riding an covering games from outside the NHL bubble offensive surge to stun the Oilers in Game 1 of their 1189902 After a week, here is what we know about Stars’ life inside 1189871 After a 143-day pause, the Blackhawks return to the ice the bubble today for Game 1 of their qualifying series against th 1189872 Blackhawks’ power play, rather than penalty kill, neutralizes impact of Oilers’ special teams 1189903 Should Detroit Red Wings pay Seattle Kraken to rid roster 1189873 Blackhawks shock Oilers in Game 1, earn first postseason of underachiever? win since 2016 1189904 COVID-19 challenging how every sports league operates. 1189874 Blackhawks in the playoffs? Chicago’s sports fans might And challenging us as fans, too as well rally around it 1189905 Red Wings boast No. 1-ranked NHL/AHL affiliation since 1189875 Blackhawks-Oilers series preview: Hawks’ hopes rest with Ilitch era Corey Crawford, penalty kill 1189876 Edmonton plays Chicago in game 2 of Western Conference qualifying round 1189877 Blackhawks stun Oilers 6-4 in series opener 1189878 Toews, Kubalik and Co. strike early and often in Hawks' resounding Game 1 victory 1189906 Edmonton Oilers deliver inexplicably weak effort in Game 1189934 Mika Zibanejad calls out Rangers’ brutal power play vs. 1 loss Hurricanes 1189907 JONES: Oilers not prepared to play in Game 1 against 1189935 Henrik Lundqvist enters Rangers uncertainty with prideful Blackhawks performance 1189908 Playoff-savvy Blackhawks make most of second chance in 1189936 Nothing goes right for Rangers in Game 1 loss to qualifier opener Hurricanes 1189909 Blackhawks soar and score leaving Oilers in Game 1 flap 1189937 Henrik Lundqvist gets Rangers start with Igor Shesterkin 1189910 JONES: Remote broadcasts the next best thing for Oilers ‘unfit to play’ voice Jack Michaels 1189938 Rangers vs. Hurricanes: Breaking down matchups and a 1189911 ‘Just not good enough’: The Oilers have a lot to fix after prediction disastrous Game 1 1189939 David Quinn’s young Rangers eyeing a historic run 1189940 Postgame analysis: Young NY Rangers fall short in Game 1 after jittery first period 1189912 Panthers drop playoff opener after slow start. Takeaways 1189941 Henrik Lundqvist to start Game 1 for NY Rangers; Igor from a rocky performance Shesterkin 'unfit to play' 1189913 Panthers reunite Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander 1189942 With Igor Shesterkin inactive, Henrik Lundqvist takes the Barkov on top line to start postseason loss for Rangers in opener against Hurricanes 1189914 Panthers come up short in playoff opener against 1189943 Despite ready-made excuses, Rangers just weren’t good Islanders enough in Game 1 1189915 Jonathan Huberdeau, Panthers’ unassuming star, gets his chance Flyers 1189944 Bruins star winger Brad Marchand ready to face Flyers, Wild but goalie Tuukka Rask may be sidelined 1189916 Wild could benefit from revamped NHL playoff format 1189945 Flyers face Bruins as push to Stanley Cup playoffs begins 1189917 Matt Dumba's speech against racial injustice part of NHL's with teams’ first meaningful game in nearly 5 months return to action in Edmonton bubble 1189946 Flyers excited to finally play a meaningful game 1189918 Props to the NHL and Commissioner Gary Bettman for 1189947 2020 NHL playoffs: 5 things Flyers fans need to know for saving its season round robin 1189919 Series preview: How the Wild and Canucks match up 1189948 NHL playoffs: Gary Bettman shares positives for fans 1189920 Wild vs. Vancouver: Schedule for best-of-five play-in watching at home series 1189949 2020 Stanley Cup odds: Flyers have chance at legit run in 1189921 Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew Dumba’s NHL playoffs moment, but is it enough? 1189950 NHL playoffs Flyers vs. Blue Jackets: Previewing possible 1st-round matchup 1189922 Petry scores OT winner as Habs upset Penguins in Game 1 1189951 Empty Thoughts: Simpler could be better for the Penguins 1189923 We have what we have: Claude Julien’s favourite line 1189952 Tim Benz: Penguins better finish or they’ll be finished a lot takes on new meaning quicker than we thought 1189924 There’s a recipe to beat the Penguins, and the Canadiens 1189953 Penguins’ power play struggles in Game 1 loss had it to Canadiens 1189925 Legendary coach Scotty Bowman talks Penguins vs. 1189955 Penguins to start Matt Murray in Game 1 against Canadiens (now and then) Canadiens 1189926 How Phillip Danault’s line has fared against Pittsburgh’s 1189956 Stick taps, chirps and observations from two-headed monster Penguins-Canadiens Game 1 1189957 Wasted power plays cost the Penguins as Canadiens take Game 1 in Toronto 1189927 NHL bubble diary: Colton Sissons on returning to play, 1189958 And the Penguins' starting goalie for Game 1 vs. Montreal care packages from Mom is... 1189959 We have what we have: Claude Julien’s favourite line takes on new meaning 1189928 How Tom Fitzgerald is handling the Devils’ endless 1189960 Yohe: 10 observations on the Penguins’ Game 1 loss to summer Montreal 1189961 There’s a recipe to beat the Penguins, and the Canadiens had it 1189929 Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk exits game after taking high hit 1189962 Legendary coach Scotty Bowman talks Penguins vs. 1189930 Islanders look reinvigorated in Game 1 win over Panthers Canadiens (now and then) 1189931 Islanders vs. Panthers: Breaking down matchups and a 1189963 Penguins’ player grades: Patric Hornqvist prediction 1189964 How Phillip Danault’s line has fared against Pittsburgh’s 1189932 Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Beauvillier lift Islanders to two-headed monster Game 1 win over Panthers 1189933 Seven takeaways from Islanders’ Game 1 win over Panthers Websites 1189965 Sharks' Evander Kane felt like he couldn't be himself while 1189991 The Athletic / Mirtle: What it was like being in the empty with Jets arena for Game 1 of the NHL playoffs 1189992 The Athletic / Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew St Louis Blues Dumba’s moment, but is it enough? 1189966 In case you've forgotten: A refresher course on the regular 1189993 The Athletic / ‘Actions speak louder’: Black voices have season sent the NHL a united message 1189967 Preview: Blues vs. Avalanche 1189994 The Athletic / The Comeback, No. 39: How one prospect’s 1189968 Opening game of postseason is Blues chance to find return from the brink gripped themselves 1189995 The Athletic / Pronman: NHL prospects to watch in the 1189969 JT's Quarantine Chronicles: Service with a smile 2020 postseason 1189970 McClellan: Through highs and lows, hockey endures 1189996 Sportsnet.ca / In turbulent Jets season, Game 1 injuries could be toughest test yet 1189997 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens show anything is possible in 1189971 Lightning’s Kevin Shattenkirk stands with Hockey Diversity Game 1 win over Penguins Alliance against racism 1189998 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers 'just weren't ready' in lopsided 1189972 ‘Never used FaceTime more in my life’: How the Lightning opening loss to Blackhawks dads communicate home 1189999 Sportsnet.ca / Maurice misguided in suggesting Tkachuk intentionally injured Scheifele 1190000 Sportsnet.ca / Bettman to rule on dispute between 1189973 Maple Leafs ready to show off the defensive project they Coyotes, John Chayka worked on at summer camp 1190001 Sportsnet.ca / NHL's hub cities getting positive reviews 1189974 Frederik Andersen is the Maple Leaf with the most to from players prove in the playoffs 1190002 Sportsnet.ca / Hurricanes earn convincing win vs. Rangers 1189975 The Leafs are built around the speed and skill of players as NHL returns with a bang like Mitch Marner. 1190003 TSN.CA / Sheldon Keefe, John Tortorella ready to ride 1189976 The Maple Leafs say they’re a stronger group. Now’s the Auston Matthews, Seth Jones in Game 1 time to prove it. 1190004 TSN.CA / Maple Leafs bringing 'enhanced focus' to 1189977 ‘We don’t lose to those guys’: Tales from the early 2000s defensive game before facing Columbus in qualifiers Battle of 1190005 TSN.CA / Game On: The NHL is back 1189978 Mirtle and Siegel: Final thoughts on Leafs vs. Blue Jackets 1190006 USA TODAY / 's Matt Dumba kneels before we get going during anthem after giving anti-racism speech 1190007 USA TODAY / NHL back in action: Times, TV as 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament begins 1189990 Patrick Johnston: Toffoli hopes to give Canucks an offensive edge in showdown with Wild Winnipeg Jets 1189986 Jets lose Scheifele, drop 4-1 to Flames in best-of-five Vegas Golden Knights series 1189979 Clearing up the confusion about the NHL’s round-robin 1189987 Jets hit with triple whammy in playoff opener as they lose games to Flames, lose Scheifele and Laine to injury 1189980 Ryan Reaves wanted unity for Golden Knights 1189988 Jets Scheifele leaves with leg injury early in first playoff demonstration game 1189981 Golden Knights plan to bring playoff mentality to seeding 1189989 Jets and Flames finally do battle on memorable day for the games hockey world 1189982 Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba Gives Anti-Racism Speech, SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 Takes Knee During National Anthem Before NHL Western Con 1189983 COVID-19 and Sports: Las Vegas Aviators Prez Logan Says 2 Marlins Players ‘Caused All This Grief’ For MLB’s Mi 1189984 John Carlson practices but Todd Reirden is unsure if he will play against the Lightning 1189985 How a flat cap and Seattle will affect the future of the Capitals 1189848 Arizona Coyotes The Predators also possess a formidable goaltending duo in longtime starter Pekka Rinne and a promising youngster in Juuse Saros. Predators head coach David Hines has not yet named his starter for Coyotes prepared to embrace pressure ahead of playoff series with Game 1, but both netminders were impressive in Nashville's 2-0 Predators exhibition win over the Dallas Stars.

"I though they played a good game, a really good hockey game," Tocchet said. "They looked like a focused hockey club and you can tell they've Richard Morin got veterans who have been there before. They're serious and we expect that."

'Don't shy away' There's wasn't much eating as the Coyotes met for breakfast at the Sutton Hotel in Edmonton on Saturday. Tocchet said another of the team's focal points in practice has been on the importance of embracing the inherent pressure consistent with playoff Instead, the team was fixated on the TV screen, taking in the first hockey. postseason game of the expanded 24-team format between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers. "The game plan is set and it's been set for a while," Tocchet said. "Now it's about execution, focus level, and each individual rising to the "We've been following it," Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse said of the challenge. Whoever dresses, you need everybody. I told the players nonstop NHL action. "Throughout the hotel, there's TVs everywhere with today that there are going to be runs of penalties and runs of power the games on. I know a lot of us were watching that New York-Carolina plays, so some guys might have to sit on the bench for four or five game there and you could feel the intensity from the first shift. A couple minutes. You've got to the ready on that sixth shift. I think some of our big hits, an early , an early fight. older players have been trying to prepare our younger players for that. "I think everyone is excited and has been looking forward to this moment These situations can be uncomfortable. There's not always a flow to for a long time. Just being a professional athlete, I think that's our playoff hockey and you've got to be ready when there's not a flow. That's competitive nature taking over." really what playoff hockey is.

Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet took notice of his team's attention on "It's pressure, right? I believe you have to handle pressure when you take playoff intensity. For Tocchet, who has won two Stanley Cups as a coach pressure on. You want to get to that pressure; don't shy away. It starts and one as a player, it was a good sign for a Coyotes team that is largely with the first shift. Our team has to accept the heat and the pressure. untested when it comes to playoff hockey. That's the best way to relieve the pressure."

"I think it's an individual thing," Tocchet said. "Usually in the playoffs, you How to watch see the atmosphere around it. But we had a team breakfast this morning Coyotes at Predators and everyone is watching the game (between the Rangers and Hurricanes) and nobody is really eating; they're all watching. There was a When: 11 a.m. lot of hitting and you could see the buzz from the guys. The players, they know there's a playoff game tomorrow for us." Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Albert, Canada

Tocchet is hoping his team displays that same buzz when the Coyotes TV: USA Network, NHL Network, FSAZ drop the puck on a best-of-five series against the Nashville Predators on Coyotes projected lineup Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Arizona time. Forwards "For me, this is everything," Tocchet said. "Sure the money is great, but to me this is why you play. It's the competition, Whether as a player or a Taylor Hall—Christian Dvorak—Conor Garland coach, I thrive on the competition. I'm excited about it." Carl Soderberg—Nick Schmaltz*—Phil Kessel The Coyotes have known the identity of their qualifying-round opponent for weeks. As a result, the coaching staff has exhaustively prepared to Lawson Crouse—Derek Stepan—Clayton Keller counter the Predators' tendencies. Vinnie Hinostroza—Brad Richardson—Christian Fischer

With one practice remaining before Game 1, Tocchet wants his players Defensemen to cool down and take it all in. It's a method Tocchet has adopted from his days as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Oliver Ekman-Larsson—Jason Demers

"Just a quick, nice practice," Tocchet said of the plan for Saturday's Jakob Chychrun—Alex Goligoski skate. "Touching the puck, getting shots and touches. There won't be any Jordan Oesterle—Niklas Hjalmarsson system stuff of game-planning. I think we've done enough of that. Now it's just about going out and enjoying a half-hour together before the game and enjoy yourselves. Work on a few things. Darcy Kuemper "I think it calms people down, too. You don't want to think about the game tomorrow today. I think you just want to have a good practice, joke Antti Raanta around and have a good time with your teammates." Notes: Schmaltz* is questionable for Game 1 after he was hit in the head Preparing for Nashville during an exhibition game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Schmaltz was experiencing neck stiffness on Friday and was going to attempt to The Coyotes and Predators come into the series as fairly evenly- practice on Saturday. If Schmaltz is unable to play, it is likely that rookie matched opponents. Still, the Predators possess certain attributes the Barrett Hayton would take his spot in the lineup. Coyotes will have to take seriously. Predators projected lineup The most immediate of those will be the challenge of countering the Predators' top defensive duo of Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis, two of the Forwards top blueliners in the league. Filip Forsberg—Ryan Johansen—Viktor Arvidsson* "I think it's no secret," Crouse said of the Predators' biggest strength. Kyle Turrs—Matt Duchene—Mikael Granlund "Those top two guys take up a lot of their ice time. We need to do everything we can to make it tough on those guys. They both like to jump Rocco Grimaldi—Nick Bonino—Craig Smith up in the play, they like to join the rush. Any chance we have to play the body on them, tire them out, make it difficult on them ... I think that's Calle Jarnkrok—Colton Sissons—Colin Blackwell going to be huge." Defensemen

Roman Josi—Ryan Ellis Mattias Ekholm—Dante Fabbro

Dan Hamhius—Jarred Tinordi

Goaltenders

Juuse Saros

Pekka Rinne

Notes: Arvidsson* collided with a Dallas Stars player in an exhibition game and appeared to injure his knee, but he returned to the ice before the end of the game and is probable for Game 1.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189849 “I respect your question, but I would prefer to not get into specifics about the whole process,” he said, later responding to a different question by adding, “I can’t say too much about everything.”

Brad Marchand, Ondrej Kase back, but Tuukka Rask sits as Bruins When asked about his hockey-related activity over the last month, Kase prepare for first game Sunday said he has “skated twice already.” When Kase returns, Cassidy expects his timing will be off — no surprise there — but that the 24-year-old Czech would have his legs firing. By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated August 1, 2020, 6:25 p.m. “I think so,” Kase said. “I worked pretty hard before I got here. I think I can be [back] quick.”

Tuukka Rask missed Saturday's practice, and his status is in question as Not quicker than his ex-Ducks teammate Ritchie, who believes he could the Bruins face the Flyers on Sunday in Toronto in their first of three be available to face the Lightning on Wednesday. A healthy Ritchie round-robin games before the Stanley Cup playoffs. would leave Cassidy with even more options for Charlie Coyle’s wings on the third line. Sean Kuraly and Anders Bjork have played both sides, and Tuukka Rask missed Saturday's practice, and his status is in question as Karson Kuhlman, a right winger, split reps with Kuraly at No. 3 LW on the Bruins face the Flyers on Sunday in Toronto in their first of three Saturday. Bjork was on the right. round-robin games before the Stanley Cup playoffs.BARRY CHIN/ “I’ve got to skate the last couple days and I’m starting to feel good out GLOBE STAFF We think we know who these Bruins are. They have there,” Ritchie said. “The games are coming and it’s an exciting time.” banked 44 wins, 100 points and a Presidents’ Trophy from the regular season. Outside of New England, gambling types will stay away from this When the Bruins beat the Flyers, 2-0, on March 10, Cassidy was trying club when making Stanley Cup bets. You make your money on long not only to find the best fit for newcomers Kase and Ritchie, but also who shots. is best-suited to play right wing for David Krejci, and the ideal combination(s) of wingers on his third and fourth lines. Bruins coach , outlining his expectations on the eve of the NHL’s first Post-Pause Playoffs, believes his team’s sure-thing habits of “We’re going to have to learn that quickly and on the fly, so there’ll be checking and defending have not gone away. He does not know how some juggling in that regard probably right into the first round of the soon they will cash in offensively, the product of careful decisions with playoffs, and hopefully beyond,” Cassidy said. “That would be the biggest the puck. Immediately, by the end of the round robin, or the middle of the thing we’re going to have to look at, how to best use our personnel … I first round? think it’s a bit of a continuation of where we were at in March.”

“Because that’s what happens when you’ve been off for a while,” he said. In case you forgot, they were rolling along nicely at that time. Their “You practice a lot. You’re making plays all over the ice. You haven’t had absence has made the hockey hearts around here grow fonder, and to deal with tight-checking games. You can simulate it in practice, but …” even more hungry to cash in a Cup-winning ticket.

As the Bruins enter their game with the Flyers (3 p.m. Sunday), the first Boston Globe LOADED: 08.02.2020 of their three-game, round robin warm-up, Cassidy has many of the same questions he did before the pause. A new one emerged at Saturday’s practice: is Tuukka Rask healthy?

The starting netminder, who allowed three goals on 20 shots in Thursday’s 4-1 exhibition loss to the Blue Jackets, was deemed unfit to practice on Saturday.

Rask dealt with a broken finger during Phase 3, but “wasn’t feeling well,” Cassidy said, noting Sunday’s afternoon start time left him fewer hours to recover. “I’ll have to talk to Tuukka later, see where he’s at. If not, Jaro [Halak] will be ready to go.”

For Rask, a missed start would break one of the longest streaks in league history.

Entering Sunday, Rask was eighth on the all-time list of consecutive playoff games started for their team (76). If the Bruins made a long run this postseason, Rask could slide into fourth.

Martin Brodeur (194) and Patrick Roy (133 for Colorado) lead the list. Henrik Lundqvist (128), Pekka Rinne (89), Jonathan Quick (85), Marc- Andre Fleury (79 for Pittsburgh) and Jacques Plante (78 for Montreal) are the only others ahead of Rask.

Good news: No. 1 left winger Brad Marchand, who left the Columbus game with a suspected lower body injury, skated in his usual spot at Saturday’s practice. If he plays Sunday, his load may be lightened, given that the Bruins are a week out from their for-keeps, first-round playoff series against an opponent TBD.

“I would say the reason [Marchand] left the other day won’t preclude him from playing tomorrow. He looked fine,” Cassidy said, again noting the earlier start time as an X-factor. “I’m sure he’ll be ready to go.”

More good news: Though he may not play in the round robin, Ondrej Kase joined his teammates in Toronto. He arrived Saturday and skated with several teammates after the full-team practice. Fellow trade deadline acquisition Nick Ritchie did the same.

“We’ll make a decision on Wednesday as we get closer to that game,” Cassidy said. “See how they do with us [in] Monday and Tuesday practices.”

When asked, Kase declined to say why he was held out of Phase 3 camp in Boston, why he was late to the bubble in Toronto, or how he traveled there. 1189850 Boston Bruins how slow it is,” said Brickley. “Just that high view of exactly what’s going on at ice level, that viewpoint is missed.”

Edwards said the all-12 camera serves two crucial purposes. Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley need time to adjust their strategy calling Bruins games “For us to see the entire ice so if a team pulls its goalie on a delayed penalty or at the end of the game, we can clearly see it,’' said Edwards. “And to get the game clock on the screen so we can see it.”

By Chad Finn Globe Staff,Updated August 1, 2020, 1:58 p.m. The problem came when the NBC feed panned so far back on the all-12 camera — in order to show the clock on the scoreboard above center ice — that nothing on the ice was as clear as it needed to be. The Bruins began their adjustment to the quirky realities the NHL restart Thursday night with a 4-1 exhibition loss to the Blue Jackets from the General camera angles and a lack of crowd noise made things bubble in Toronto. Considering that the Presidents’ Trophy winner hadn’t interesting for NESN's Jack Edwards during the Bruins' Thursday played a game since March 10, it’s hardly alarming that they looked out exhibition. of practice. “It’s nearly impossible to identify the players from a shot that’s 200 feet They will, however, have to shake the rust off in a hurry since round-robin wide,” said Edwards, who said in one situation he had no idea who was play — yes, one of those new realities — among the top four seeds in on the during a Blue Jackets power play. “For our play-by-play each conference commences Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Flyers. purposes, it has got to be a tighter shot which would require zooming in and losing the stadium clock.” RELATED: The Bruins looked rusty in their first game in 142 days, and other takeaways from a loss to Columbus NBC is expected to be flexible with the requests it receives from regional cable networks about adjusting the feeds to specific needs. And NESN As the NHL reignites its season and soon dives headlong into the can tailor the feed with its own graphics and other visual to Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s not just those playing the games that have make it look as familiar to its audience as a typical Bruins broadcast. adjustments to make. It’s a new world for those calling the games, as well, as NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley experienced Thursday The other big adjustment for Edwards and Brickley is perhaps the most night. obvious: getting used to calling a game without a crowd. The energy at TD Garden during an exciting Bruins playoff game is practically its own Because the NHL is not permitting teams to send their own broadcasters life force. That atmosphere is downright impossible to replicate in a to the two hub cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwards and studio. Brickley, along with reporter Sophia Jurksztowicz, called the exhibition from a “world” feed provided by NBC that they watch on monitors in “That was a major challenge, just to feel the energy of the players and let NESN’s Watertown studios. it come through my voice and my diction,” said Edwards. “That’s going to be a continuing challenge. As the playoffs go deeper, the crowds get They will take the same approach when they call the final two of the three more intense. You naturally raise your volume when the crowd gets round-robin games (Sunday’s opener with the Flyers is exclusive to NBC) louder and you sense that energy.” and the majority of first-round playoff games. Edwards and Brickley have some time to ponder what worked from the NESN's Andy Brickley called Thursday's Bruins game from Watertown, exhibition broadcast and what didn’t. The Bruins’ round-robin opener with not the NHL bubble in Toronto. the Flyerswill air on NBC Sunday at 3 p.m. , , and will have the call from the Toronto bubble. GLOBE STAFF During a conversation with reporters Friday morning, Edwards and Brickley said it was gratifying to be calling hockey games Boston Globe LOADED: 08.02.2020 again, but acknowledged that acclimating to the new protocols for the broadcast is a work in progress.

“It became a little more comfortable as we went on,’' said Edwards, who hadn’t called a hockey game off site since the Bruins played in Prague to open the 2010-11 season. “I was really cautious in the first period not wanting to make an obvious mistake.”

Brickley, with his familiar enthusiasm, said it was “awesome” to be back calling hockey, even if the circumstances require an adjustment. “It was so fun to be back in the saddle and doing hockey . . . and knowing that the postseason is just a matter of days in front of us and to be able to get a few reps in, just as the players, because of this long 4½-month, five- month hiatus. It was necessary for us. We needed a little training camp ourselves.”

Brickley said he watched clips from the broadcast when he got home Thursday night.

“It did have that seamless appearance, maybe to most viewers, but we knew the challenges we were facing,’' he said. “I thought we did a really nice job at our first kick at the can.”

Those challenges include a plexiglass partition between Edwards and Brickley in the NESN studio that the analyst said somewhat alters their interaction.

“It affects our affects our body language and nonverbal communication, when to jump in when to lay out,’' he said.

If they had a larger lament, it’s that the “all-12” camera angle provided by NBC, which purportedly is to allow for a full and clear view of the entire ice, wasn’t of much help.

“When you have that ninth-floor view [the broadcast team’s usual location at TD Garden] of everything , all the moving parts, [you can see] what’s going on on the ice, what’s going on on the benches, whether it’s that kind of communication between the bench and the players when there’s a matchup situation, when there’s a line change, and how smooth it is or 1189851 Boston Bruins it naturally. I think they have it because they continually work at it. I want to follow their lead and constantly work on my offensive abilities.”

Marchand, Bergeron, and Pastrnak are ideal role models in that sense. As NHL season restarts, opportunity comes early for Bruins’ Jack Studnicka, Anders Bjork up front “Exactly what I am trying to emulate,” Bjork said.

Work along the boards and the will to fight down low for primo chances often are the toughest elements for young forwards to incorporate. By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff, Updated August 1, 2020, 11:09 a.m. Adding them to their game can prove the difference between being given a chance to landing a full-time gig and making huge money.

Anders Bjork is set to get some lengthy ice time when the Bruins resume “Definitely, it takes some time,” said Bjork. “You just have to keep at it the season on Sunday against the Flyers. because it can be frustrating at times when you’re not [scoring] and you can get away from it. But persistence is hugely important and sometimes The Bruins have aged down the middle. Top center , a overlooked. Selke Award finalist for the ninth consecutive season, turned 35 on July 24. No. 2 pivot David Krejci, with but one year left on his deal, celebrated “Guys who have high skill and score such pretty goals, the reason they his 34th birthday in April. have that is because they are persistent with it — they keep learning and developing that. Being persistent, learning and growing offensively is Oh, and left winger Brad Marchand turned 32 in May. extremely important.”

COVID-19 may have put a pause on the sports world, but Father Time The front page of the March 30, 1927, edition of the Globe including the keeps his own game clock and it never stops ticking. The Bruins are first-ever Bruins playoff game. getting heavy in the thirtysomethings demo. END OF AN ERA On Sunday afternoon, if coach Bruce Cassidy keeps to the plan he sketched out late in the week, the Bruins will have two of their best young Playoffs pushing on without us forward prospects, Anders Bjork (24 on Wednesday) and Jack Studnicka There will not be a single Boston media member inside Scotiabank Arena (21), logging significant ice time against the Flyers. to chronicle any of the playoff action in Toronto.

It’s the first of the Bruins’ three round-robin games, which will determine The NHL’s coronavirus-related restrictions and regulations did allow for their seeding when they enter the playoffs on Aug. 11 or 12. For the likes media to attend, though the league was adamant that no players, of Bjork and Studnicka, as well as Karson Kuhlman (25 next month), the coaches, or other team personnel would be made available for interviews days ahead in Toronto, and perhaps later in Edmonton, could serve as beyond Zoom access. Not much of an invite. The overwhelming majority the stage for them to play their way into vital offensive roles that their of media members from the cities of the other 18 US-based teams that elders will be forced to surrender. qualified for the 24-team tournament also elected not to attend.

During the club’s recent two-week refresher camp in Brighton, Bjork and For the Globe, Sunday stands to be the first time in the history of the Studnicka looked especially ready and eager to claim significant minutes. Bruins, dating to the club’s first playoff round against the Black Hawks in “I think Jack is clearly a better player than when he left here,” said March 1927, that it won’t have a reporter inside the building to bear Cassidy, who was afforded only a two-game glimpse of Studnicka, in his witness to one of their postseason games. first full year as a pro, during the regular season. “Some of that is RELATED: Cam Neely says watching Bruins play in the bubble ‘was a probably the confidence of going down to [AHL Providence] and getting strange experience' some accolades there, playing well. And four months in the gym. We talked about when he got here that he’d get pushed around [at only 175 There is a real sense of regret in acknowledging that, particularly for your pounds] — you’re not going to build yourself up overnight.” faithful puck chronicler. Everyone here takes pride in the paper’s legacy of covering all of Boston’s teams, and that’s especially true for the many As Cassidy noted, David Pastrnak, now among the game’s elite goal sports staffers who grew up here, living the ups, downs, and sidewayses scorers, needed time to add to his frame. Pastrnak was only 18, with a of these storied franchises. body befitting the average high school senior, when he plugged into the lineup. He has added about 20 pounds, much of it muscle, from his Globe scribe John J. Hallahan was there March 29, 1927, when the freshman season. Bruins, with behind their bench, played their very first playoff game in year No. 3 of their NHL existence. Final: Bruins 6, Hawks 1. “We’re seeing it a bit with [Bjork] as well,” added Cassidy. “His injuries [requiring two shoulder surgeries] have allowed him to be in the gym It was a road game for both clubs, played before a crowd of some 8,000 more. It needs to translate. We’ll see in playoff hockey — he hasn’t had a inside New York’s . A scheduling conflict at the taste of that. We don’t know the answer to that. forced the Hawks to shift their home game some 800 miles east. “I like where both of them have been in camp. I think they’re more assertive in their play and now it’s just a matter of taking it out against Hallahan noted in his gamer how hard it must have been for some NYR good opposing players.” fans to cheer a goal by Eddie Shore, the Bruins’ flamboyant and talented blue liner considered by some as the of his era. The Rangers If Bjork can stay healthy, keep building his game and confidence — the and Bruins already were not, shall we say, kissin’ cousins, despite their two are always related — and develop into a bona fide top-six common bond of being relatively new US-based franchises in a contributor, the new deal he signed last week (three years/$4.8M total) Canadian-based league. could prove a budget bonanza for the Bruins. The Bruins didn’t win a postseason game by a five-goal spread again for Anders Bjork played 12 minutes, 28 seconds in Thursday's exhibition more than 30 years, until a 5-0 thumping of the Rangers in a first-round loss to Columbus in Toronto, registering a lone shot on goal. series in 1958.

Bjork has been bitten hard by the bad-luck bug, including one bad The Globe’s inimitable Tom Fitzgerald covered that whitewash of the concussion and the pair of shoulder injuries that cut short two seasons. Blueshirts, March 29, 1958, a significant part of his lead detailing the He had only 108 NHL games played, not one of them in the postseason, Black-and-Gold’s great relief that Bronco Horvath, rushed to Carney in three years to take to the bargaining table. Hospital after getting “creased on the head” by the stick of Ranger Formerly of Notre Dame, Bjork has the wheels and shot to aspire to full- defenseman Jack Evans, would be OK for the Game 4 two nights later. time work at wing in the top-six mix. The issue will be maintaining health, Whacks to the head weren’t out of the ordinary in those days. and developing a stronger, more robust presence along the wall and The Carney’s docs determined Bronc was OK, no concussion or down low in the greasy scoring areas. fractured skull. The gash on his head was patched up with eight stitches “The guys that are scoring a lot and being productive that way, they’ve and he was sent back to duty with his Uke Line pals, and found confidence,” observed Bjork. “To me, it’s not like they always have . In 1927, Hallahan was back at MSG the night of April 4 for the 3-1 win Loose pucks that eliminated the Rangers in Round 2 that spring. His report was one of four played across the top of Page 1 in the next morning’s Globe. Page 1 During a Zoom session on Wednesday, a random reference to Bobby was routine placement in the Globe for Bruins game stories whenever Lalonde had Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy telling reporters that he is they reached the postseason in the ’20s, ’30, and ’40s, the days when related to the 5-foot-5-inch ex-Bruins pivot (1979-81). “My cousin, from , hockey, boxing, and horse racing were the main dishes on the my mother’s side,” noted Cassidy, and kiddingly added, “Nice fella, so city’s sports menu. leave him alone.” Cassidy’s mom grew up in Montreal and, of course, loved her Habs. A first-round pick of the Canucks in ’71, Lalonde played Eliminating the Rangers that night, noted Hallahan, set up the Bruins to two years as No. 2 pivot behind Gil Perreault on the OHA’s Montreal face Ottawa for the championship, and “the honor of being the first team Junior Habs . . . During a lengthy NBC Sports phone gab with the media from this side of the border to earn its way into the Stanley Cup series.” last week, ex-NHLer , one of the game’s top-notch TV commentators, noted how important it will be for the 16 teams in the The Sens clinched the Cup in four games, with two victories and a pair of qualifying (play-in) round to come in hot, because they’re playing in a ties, collecting seven of the 10 goals scored. The following year, 1928, best-of-five format. Less room for error. “I’m not going to say [winning the Rangers became the first US-based NHL team to win the Cup, Game 1] is a must,” he said. “But I’m going to say it’s an m-u-s and I am dumping the Montreal Maroons in five. (American teams made the series getting ready to cross the ‘t'. Game 1 will be absolutely pivotal.” Playoff prior to it becoming NHL exclusive, with the Kraken’s forefathers, the history underscores Olczyk’s point. A total of 83 best-of-five series have Seattle Metropolitans, winning it in 1917.) been part of Stanley Cup play, and the team to win the opener has won The Bruins would have to wait until 1929 before their first Cup, 68 series (81.9 percent). Prediction: Play in those eight series will open eliminating the Habs in three games of Round 1, then dismissing the fast, furious, and messy; will and adrenaline will outpace execution. Rangers in two, the knockout punch a 2-1 win at MSG on March 29, Maybe not pretty, but certainly entertaining . . . Doc Emrick, NBC’s 1929. legendary play-by-play announcer/storyteller, will call an ample load of games in the early rounds while working solo from a studio built just for The Globe headline on Hallahan’s story the next day, one of three stories him in the Detroit area. The Michigander could be in Edmonton for the stripped across the top of Page 1, read, “Bruins Clinch World’s Title.” final two rounds there, but it was clear during the network’s conference Harry Oliver and Dr. Bill Carson scored for the Bruins, and Butch Keeling call that it remains undecided . . . The Bruins game on Sunday will be was the lone Ranger to beat Tiny Thompson. followed by the second round-robin tilt Wednesday vs. Tampa and then the closer next Sunday vs. the Caps. We’ll get to see the season’s two Reporters from NHL.com and Canada make up the vast majority in top goal scorers, David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin (48 strikes each), attendance at the league's hub sites for the resumption of the season. square off in what could be a preview of the conference final. The Great Headed into this weekend, the Bruins have been in 653 playoff games, Ovie went 2-1—3, factoring in every goal, in the Capitals’ 3-2 exhibition won six Cup titles, and at least one Globe reporter has been present to tuneup win over the Hurricanes. “The shape he came back after the chronicle it all. pause,” said coach Todd Reirden, “and how he’s been working at practice, the energy he’s had — that doesn’t happen by accident.” Globe accounts of all Bruins games in Toronto will be written here by Reirden, by the way, played four seasons on the back line for Bowling Boston-based staffers monitoring TV and radio broadcasts, some of Green (1990-94), where his bench boss was Jerry York. In the spring of those narrated by NESN and 98.5 announcers (who are also all absent ’94, Reirden launched his pro career, while York headed for the Heights . from Toronto). The paper’s coverage will be augmented by comments . . During their Zoom sessions with media, Bruins players sit at a podium from players and coaching staff provided through Zoom interviews. and hear questions piped into the room. “Voices from the ceiling,” noted Cassidy. Rather than see each reporter’s face on a video screen, players A long way from Hyannis only stare into large monitors that show Images of themselves sitting at Adrian Dater, who grew up in Keene, N.H., is one of just a handful of US- the podium. Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle shared the podium Tuesday, based reporters to make the vigil to the Canadian hubs. Dater, who has and Pastrnak, staring into the screen, flexed his arms slightly and asked covered the Avalanche since Game 1 in Denver in 1995, this weekend which of the two had the bigger biceps. The high-scoring Czech did look finished his two-week quarantine in Edmonton and is ready to get at it. bigger through the chest and arms, but TV can be deceiving. “I think maybe he needs a haircut,” said team captain Zdeno Chara . . . Bruins “Not a bad place,” said Dater, connecting by phone from his two- president Cam Neely, when your faithful puck chronicler asked him bedroom rental in downtown Edmonton. “A whole lot better than my one- Friday if he would have locked arms in solidarity — as the Bruins and room rental in Hyannis, summer of ’86, at Aunt Sara’s Boarding House — Jackets did Thursday — if he had found himself long ago standing next $400 bucks a month, no window, and nothing but a hotplate for a to, say, Claude Lemieux or Ulf Samuelsson: “We might have locked kitchen.” horns — I don’t know about arms.” . . . Late purchase for the NHL’s two bubble sites: Pool skimmers. Arena workers are repurposing them to Dater, now 55, graduated from selling timeshare units near the Hyannis fetch pucks that land on the large tarps that mask the seats in the lower docks to a career in sports journalism. He eventually moved west, bowl of each rink. Still waiting to see the inflatable water wings and the became the first Avs beat man for the Denver Post, and these days owns blow-up . . . wait for it . . . Kraken. and operates coloradohockeynow.com. Boston Globe LOADED: 08.02.2020 “No matter what, it’s a chance for unique storytelling,” he said. “I can go to the games, so that’s good. If the Avs maybe make some guys available off Zoom, for one-on-ones over the phone, then that could help, too, right?”

Dater had the good fortune to be in the Denver Post’s office, answering phones in the sports department, on the summer day in 1995 when a Boston sportswriter called to see if anyone there was aware the Nordiques were packing up in Quebec City to take up residence in Denver. He turned that tip into a Page 1 story the next day, then a full- time staff job and a career that last week had him sitting in an apartment absent air conditioning as muggy Edmonton temps hit the mid-90s.

During his first weekend in quarantine, Dater cooked up a slab of moose meat. When that far north of the border, dine as the locals do.

“Definitely musky kind of aftertaste,” he wrote. “Otherwise, it tasted like a really good lean piece of steak. Except it was moose.

“Am I finally an honorary citizen now, Canada?”

At the moment, even NBC's lead play-by-play man Doc Emrick will be calling NHL playoff games remotely from Detroit, though that decision hasn't been finalized. 1189852 Boston Bruins After leaving Thursday’s game midway through the third period with what appeared to be some sort of core discomfort, Brad Marchand returned to practice and Cassidy expects him to be ready for the Flyers.

Tuukka Rask questionable for Sunday’s opener “I’d say the reason he left the other day won’t preclude him from playing (Sunday),” said Cassidy. “He looked fine. You never know with those 3 o’clock games, how it will shake out. His minutes will be determined more By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: August 1, 2020 at 6:37 p.m. | with how he’s playing. Obviously if there’s a lingering issue with an injury UPDATED: August 1, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. we’ll keep an eye on it. But I think he’s going to be 100%, ready to go and play whatever’s asked of him.” …

Maybe next time Long before the Bruins arrived in Toronto, it was a well-established notion that they — and every other team in the 24-club tournament — Cassidy unsurprisingly declared both Kase and Nick Ritchie out for would need more than one goalie to succeed. Sunday, but Ritchie was hopeful he could be ready for Wednesday’s game against the Lightning. Ritchie, who had missed six consecutive Well, the B’s may be testing that theory much sooner than they’d practices between Boston and Toronto, got back on the ice on Friday and anticipated. participated in both sessions on Saturday. The B’s had one noticeable absence at their practice on Saturday and it “I got to skate a few times and I’m just playing day by day here, see how was goalie Tuukka Rask, who was scheduled to start Sunday’s round- I’m progressing. Things are looking pretty good right now. It’s a possibility robin opener against the Flyers. One missed practice in the middle of a and I’m striving towards something like that,” said Ritchie. normal season would not automatically mean Rask wouldn’t be playing the following day, but these are not normal times. The B’s did not Boston Herald LOADED: 08.02.2020 practice on Friday and they will not have a morning skate before their 3 p.m. contest against the Flyers, meaning the last time he was on skates was Thursday evening, when he gave way to Jaroslav Halak midway through the game in a scheduled change.

“He wasn’t feeling well, so unfit to participate today. Will he start? I’ll have to talk to Tuukka later and see where he’s at. If not, Jaro will be ready to go,” said coach Bruce Cassidy.

Now “he wasn’t feeling well” sets off all sorts of alarms in these coronavirus times, of course. The league has adopted the policy of giving as little information as possible regarding player absences, though the Bruins did get specific in explaining Zdeno Chara‘s one absence in Phase 3 (his test result had not come back on time).

But the fact that Rask’s playing status could be determined by a conversation between the coach and player gives one the sense that it’s not Covid/testing/protocol-related. Rask had broken a finger on his catching hand prior to Phase 3 but said after Thursday’s exhibition that the finger was fine. We shall see. …

On the Kase

The B’s were able to welcome long lost teammate Ondrej Kase into the fold. Kase, who missed all of Phase 3 after he and David Pastrnak had worked out with some local skaters at a Malden rink, arrived in Toronto on Friday.

When asked why he missed that time and then also had to arrive in Toronto nearly a week after his teammates, Kase said he would “prefer not to go into specifics” about that or how he was able to avoid the four- day quarantine that was believed to be required of him if he had flown commercially. Cassidy, who had also been under the impression that the quarantine was required, said “I think there was a mistake somewhere along the line (regarding quarantine). He didn’t have to quarantine here. He did that in Boston. He arrived (Friday).”

How long it takes Kase to be ready for game action remains to be seen. On Saturday, he did not skate with the main group but rather with a second group of extras. With Kase having arrived in Boston at the trade deadline, Cassidy has admitted that he hadn’t had enough time to fully get to know the ins and outs of Kase’s game. The coach isn’t flying totally blind, though.

“He’s high energy, he’ll get on pucks, he’s a good forechecker that way, he’s good being the first guy. Jake (DeBrusk‘s) got good speed, too, so if he ends up with (David) Krejci, Krech can be kind of the high guy and read off those two,” said Cassidy. “(He’s got) a willingness to shoot the puck. He went to the net. The offensive numbers were there and I’m not sure they were for the line in general so I’m not going to put that all on Ondrej. So that’s what I expect out of him. He’s young, he should have his legs. For him, it will be getting the reps, the timing, the execution, getting used to the physical part of the game because he’s been out of practice. Our guys have done obviously more of that and we’ll try to step it up more in practice without risking injury and they’ve got a game under their belt. That’s where Ondrej will have to catch up. We’ll see where he’s at once he gets back at it.” …

Mended Marchand 1189853 Boston Bruins

Bruins' Tuukka Rask 'not feeling well' after missing practice, is a question mark vs. Flyers

By Joe Haggerty August 01, 2020 3:27 PM

The Bruins have their first bit of intrigue for the round-robin portion of the NHL’s Return to Play postseason as Tuukka Rask is a question mark for Sunday afternoon’s opener against the .

Rask missed Saturday afternoon’s practice at the Toronto practice facility after “not feeling very well” and staying behind at the team hotel. There won’t be another team practice between now and the Sunday afternoon matinee against the Flyers, so Bruce Cassidy couldn’t say for sure who’s going to man the pipes against the Broad Street Bullies.

“He wasn’t feeling well, so unfit to participate today,” said Cassidy. “As an afternoon question tomorrow, the natural next question is ‘will he start?’ I’ll have to talk to Tuukka later and see where he’s at. If [Rask can’t play] then Jaro [Halak] will be ready to go.”

Rask had missed a few practices at the beginning of Phase 3 training camp after fracturing one of his fingers on his glove hand, but it doesn’t appear this absence is any way connected with that earlier injury.

Jaroslav Halak practiced fully with the team on Saturday and was expected to start at least one of the round-robin games anyway, so it might be just as easy for the B’s backup to get the nod Sunday after playing half of Thursday night’s exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then again, one would expect the B’s would want to get Rask back into action quickly after he allowed three goals on 20 shots in a “meh” performance against the Blue Jackets earlier this week.

Cassidy indicated that Brad Marchand practiced fully and appears ready to go for Sunday afternoon while Ondrej Kase will not play this weekend after meeting up with the team in Toronto on Friday, and practicing with the extra players on Saturday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189854 Boston Bruins

Ondrej Kase finally makes an appearance at Bruins practice in Toronto

By Joe Haggerty August 01, 2020 1:55 PM

The Bruins are now back to full roster strength at the Eastern Conference Bubble in Toronto as Ondrej Kase has joined the rest of the group ahead of this weekend’s playoff games.

Kase skated with a second group of Bruins players on Saturday afternoon that aren’t expected to play on Sunday night including Trent Frederic, Nick Ritchie, Zach Senyshyn, Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril and Maxime Lagace. The Czech forward missed all of Phase 3 training camp with the Bruins after being deemed “unfit to participate” and didn’t make last weekend’s team flight to Toronto while being held back in Boston.

Kase was expected to quarantine in Toronto after his arrival as well, so it remains to be determined when he actually gained entry into the bubble with the rest of the team prior to Saturday’s practice. Kase isn’t expected to play on Sunday against the Flyers and it may be at least a few games before he gets into the Boston lineup.

Bruce Cassidy said earlier this week he wouldn’t immediately get his right wing spot back if youngsters like Jack Studnicka and Anders Bjork were playing well in front of him, and Kase will need some time to get up speed given all the practices he missed.

Interestingly, Tuukka Rask was missing from the B’s practice group entirely on Saturday and instead Daniel Vladar and Jaroslav Halak were the two goaltenders at the main group practice ahead of Sunday’s round- robin game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The forward lines and D-pairings for Sunday night should be very similar to what they were in Thursday night’s exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, with 21-year-old rookie Jack Studnicka expected to get a look on the B’s second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.

Here are the lines and pairings from practice with no practice expected tomorrow ahead of Sunday’s matinee:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

DeBrusk-Krejci-Studnicka/Ritchie

Kuhlman/Kuraly-Coyle-Bjork

Nordstrom-Lindholm-Wagner

Chara-McAvoy

Krug-Carlo

Grzelcyk-Lauzon

Moore-Clifton

Halak

Vladar

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189855 Boston Bruins The B’s will have their challenges in these playoffs with the biggest one likely the aforementioned head-to-head playoff series against teams like Tampa and Washington that routinely give them trouble. It could very Here's why the Bruins are going to win the Stanley Cup well play out that one of those teams is simply better than the B’s over a seven-game series when push comes to shove. That would shock almost nobody when it comes to a Capitals group that has had Boston’s number for nearly a decade. By Joe Haggerty August 01, 2020 12:37 PM If anything, though, the experience, the leadership and the sheer mental

toughness that a grizzled Bruins group brings into the tournament will be Here’s why the Bruins will win the Stanley Cup this summer in the most a large advantage over the younger hockey clubs. Just think about the unconventional of Stanley Cup playoffs. scenarios we’re seeing now: Empty arenas, living in total isolation for the first five weeks’ worth of games before players can meet up with their It’s all about unfinished business when it comes to the Black and Gold. families in the Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final and pushing on through while players might suddenly be “unfit to participate” due to The Bruins are healthy and rested even if they’re still waiting for a positive COVID-19 test results. complete roster with the absence of Ondrej Kase, who is still “unfit to participate” after being left behind in Boston last weekend. They were the It’s going to be a minefield of challenges and adversity with hockey NHL’s best team when the 2019-20 NHL regular season went on pause players being tested mentally like never before. and they hit the postseason as the clearcut favorites after winning the President’s Trophy. “I think the message for us hasn’t changed in terms of what our ultimate goal is,” said Bruce Cassidy. “Our unfinished business is to be Stanley They finished the regular season top-5 in just about every imaginable, Cup champions. But inside that message will be a lot of the unknown and important team category, they have the NHL’s leading scorer in David how we have to be prepared to deal with that as it comes at us. Pastrnak and he’s healthy this time around in the postseason, and they have a Vezina Trophy finalist in Tuukka Rask having one of his best “That’s going to be the message. I think the mental toughness part is seasons. going to determine who ends up raising that trophy at the end of the day, and that’s where I like our chances.” The Perfection Line is the NHL’s best forward trio and stands highly motivated after falling short when it mattered most against the St. Louis The biggest advantage the Bruins might have this postseason is the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final a year ago. feeling of “unfinished business” that permeates everything they have done for the last 14 months. We’ll begin seeing that play out Sunday Clearly, they are one of the elite hockey teams in the 24-team against the Flyers in round-robin play in this fascinating Stanley Cup postseason tournament, and they are befitted top-seed status as a result. Playoff setting at the bubble in Toronto. But talent and matchup-wise, they will have their challenges with teams like the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning should they meet Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 up in the later rounds of the playoffs. It should make for some fascinating round robin games where the top seeds will be looking to make big statements against each other before presumably meeting in the do-or- die playoffs a few weeks down the line.

But for the Bruins, the motivation is pretty simple: The window is closing for a Bruins core group that’s getting older and there has been a mission all season to right the wrongs of falling short last postseason. The mantra is “unfinished business” for the Black and Gold and that will keep them focused and urgent when so many distractions surround them in a completely unprecedented Stanley Cup Playoff experience.

If the Bruins can win it all this postseason, it will essentially erase the sting of losing all four home games during the Cup Final last year and that dreadful, hollow Game 7 loss against the Blues where the B’s flatly weren’t good enough. That’s been the message all year for a Bruins group that almost completely returned from last season.

“These are all brand new experiences with bubble hockey, but still experience is a big part of the playoffs anytime you’re in a series,” said Jake DeBrusk, in an exclusive zoom call with NBC Sports Boston. “We’re excited to play. We want to finish what we started. To get that close last year, we obviously have a lot to prove in these playoffs and prove that we can do it with a similar group. We want to prove that we have the right group to do it. That’s kind of our mission.

“We’re on a mission where there are going to be a lot of things that are going to happen and there are going to mental challenges than ever before. You have got to be mature enough in a sense to understand what the ultimate goal is, and no matter what it takes…there are always going to be sacrifices [to win].”

Bean: Uncertainty at wing could be B's postseason flaw

Some believe the Bruins might be at a disadvantage because they are the fourth-oldest team (average roster age: 28.5 years old) in the league with key players like Zdeno Chara (43 years old), Patrice Bergeron (34 years old), David Krejci (34 years old), Brad Marchand (32 years old) and Tuukka Rask (33 years old) all on the wrong side of 30 years old. Clearly, as we saw versus Columbus on Thursday, it’s going to take some time for the Bruins engine to get churning with three round-robin games left against the other top East seeds to ready themselves for the gauntlet.

By comparison, teams like the Avalanche, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, the Rangers and Maple Leafs are all at least two years younger on average with young legs that will bounce back more quickly. 1189856 Boston Bruins

Ondrej Kase back on ice with Bruins. Now he must catch up

By Fluto Shinzawa Aug 1, 2020

On Friday, Ondrej Kase traveled to Toronto. The following day, Kase skated with the Bruins for the first time since his one-and-done appearance at Warrior Ice Arena during training camp.

Kase declined to answer why he was declared unfit to participate for all but one day of camp and unable to travel to Toronto with his teammates on July 26.

“I respect the question, but I prefer not to get into specifics of the process,” Kase said.

According to Bruce Cassidy, Kase fulfilled his quarantine in Boston prior to his departure. He was not required to quarantine in Toronto upon arrival.

Kase’s only camp visit to Warrior was on July 15, when he participated in a two-man on-ice session alongside Trent Frederic. It was the same day David Pastrnak participated in his only practice of Phase 3 of the NHL’s return.

Kase and Pastrnak entered quarantine after that. J.P. Barry, Pastrnak’s agent, disclosed that his client had come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Kase and Pastrnak had to fulfill 14-day quarantines before participating in Phase 3 because they had traveled to Boston from Europe. Sometime before reporting to Warrior, Kase and Pastrnak, in full practice gear, posed for an on-ice picture at a local rink with an unidentified player. They were also photographed in the North End. Pastrnak was wearing a mask. Kase was not.

“When we had the date for when camp was started and knew that some may need to quarantine when they get here, you kind of hope they’d get here a little earlier,” team president Cam Neely said during Phase 3 when Kase and Pastrnak were deemed unfit to participate. “But we really didn’t have much say in that. That was really left up to the players. Obviously, with what’s played out and transpired, you certainly would have hoped there’s some different decisions made. But in the long run, I don’t know if it’s really going to affect us. Once we get into Toronto, I think we’ll be fine.”

According to the Bruins, Kase skated on Saturday with Frederic, Nick Ritchie, Zach Senyshyn, Jakub Zboril, Urho Vaakanainen and Maxime Lagace following the main group’s practice. Kase will not play in Sunday’s round-robin opener against the Flyers.

Kase skated in Czech Republic during the shutdown. He did not participate in any of the informal practices or off-ice workouts of Phase 2 at Warrior. The right wing is roughly a month behind some of his teammates.

“I think I can be back up pretty quick,” said Kase.

Even if Kase regains his fitness quickly, he must also relaunch his pre- shutdown integration. Kase appeared in only six games after the Bruins acquired him from Anaheim. He recorded zero goals and one assist.

In his final appearance, Kase rode on the second line with Ritchie and David Krejci. Cassidy has reunited Krejci with Jake DeBrusk. Jack Studnicka did not look out of place as their right wing in Thursday’s exhibition game against Columbus.

“He’s high energy,” Cassidy said of Kase. “He’ll get on pucks. Good forechecker that way. He’s good at being the first guy. Jake’s got good speed too. So if he ends up with Krejci, Krech can kind of be the high guy and read off those two. So he certainly brought that. Willingness to shoot the puck. He went to the net. The offensive numbers weren’t there. Not sure they were for the line in general. Not going to put that all on Ondrej. That’s what I’d expect out of him. He’s young. Should have his legs under him. For him, it’ll be getting the reps, timing, execution, used to the physical part of the game.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189857 Boston Bruins • Brad Marchand was a full participant on Saturday, according to Cassidy, and should be ready to play Sunday. The No. 1 left wing departed Thursday’s exhibition game against Columbus in the third Bruins takeaways: Fans will be needed for next NHL season period after suffering an undisclosed injury while trying to check Zach Werenski.

• Ten teams started their do-or-die qualifying round on Saturday. The By Fluto Shinzawa Aug 1, 2020 Bruins and Flyers, meanwhile, are guaranteed first-round inclusion because of their status as two of the top four conference seeds. As such,

their engagement on Sunday may not match those of teams fighting not Cam Neely was one of the few not on skates allowed in Scotiabank to go home. Arena for Thursday’s Bruins exhibition game against Columbus. It was “My guess is that it wouldn’t be as intense as the play-in games, simply not a familiar experience. because there’s not the same at stake,” Cassidy said. “There’s obviously “This is strictly made for TV, that’s for sure,” Neely said on Friday. “I a lot. There’s getting your game in order. It’s getting ramped up to play watched a period and a half when we first got here, and it was a strange playoff hockey. And it’s seeding. But that would just be a guess. Our experience being in the building, watching it live. Then I watched some guys, I expect to play a lot harder than they did against Columbus on games on TV, which felt a little bit more normal, watching on TV. The Thursday night.” biggest thing is the energy you’re going to have to somehow get from The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 within.”

Whether the Bruins and the 30 other clubs can pull the same empty- arena trick for the 2020-21 season is doubtful.

“It’ll be difficult to play many games without fans from a business perspective,” Neely said. “We’ll wait and see when we start next year. We’ll get through this season and see what happens next season. Everybody’s anticipating some kind of spike (with the virus) in the fall. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen. I don’t know if you could play too many games without fans.”

Part of the reason the NHL can lock the doors at Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Place is because the players have already been paid their salaries for this season, save for the postponement of their final checks. They are only due shares of a $32 million postseason pot.

It would be a different story next season. Without fans and the corresponding gate revenue of parking, concessions and apparel, it may be more costly for some clubs to pay their players than remain dark. It is unknown what percentage of arena capacity, if any, teams could expect by Dec. 1, the tentatively scheduled date to open the regular season.

“Everybody’s building out these models — without fans, a third fans, half fans, full buildings,” Neely said. “But it’s all speculation right now what we’re going to see by the time we think we can start next season.”

Test flight for NESN

On Thursday, NESN play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards and analyst Andy Brickley called their first game from their Watertown headquarters instead of being on site with the Bruins. Both reported enjoying being back at work, albeit well distanced from the team they normally cover in person.

“That was a major challenge to feel the energy of the players,” Edwards said. “I had to let it come through my voice, my diction. It’s going to be a continuing challenge as the playoffs get deeper and the crowd usually gets more intense. You naturally raise your volume when the volume gets louder and you sense the energy. By the third period, I felt I was transmitting the energy of the players adequately. I look forward to the first really good, hard exchange between the Bruins and an opponent. I’m looking forward to seeing how I react to that. Brick and I are both trying to bring positive energy to our call. It’s not artificial, but it’s a little bit more difficult to feel it through the monitor than it is to be there.”

The NHL is providing a world feed, produced by NBC, to all local networks. NESN is customizing its feed with its usual graphics and sound.

Edwards, Brickley and reporter Sophia Jurkstowicz will work from Watertown for the entire postseason. NBC will air Sunday’s round-robin opener. NESN will carry Wednesday’s game against the Lightning.

NESN has exclusive rights to most of the first round. NBC and NBCSN take over for the rest of the run.

Practice notes

• Tuukka Rask did not practice on Saturday. He wasn’t feeling well, coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Rask was originally scheduled to start against Philadelphia. Cassidy said he planned to speak with Rask to determine his status. Jaroslav Halak will start if Rask cannot play. 1189858 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres sign forward Brett Murray to two-year, entry-level contract

Lance Lysowski Jul 31, 2020 Updated Jul 31, 2020

Brett Murray scored nine goals during his first season with the .

Kevyn Adams made his first roster move as the Buffalo Sabres’ general manager Friday, signing Brett Murray to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Murray, a 6-foot-5-inch winger, totaled nine goals with 15 assists for 24 points in 55 games with the Rochester Americans this season. The 22- year-old played on an contract after impressing in his audition during the Prospects Challenge last September.

The Sabres’ previous management was working to sign Murray before Jason Botterill and 21 others were fired June 16. Murray, a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, was free to join another organization because he was not under contract before the June 1 deadline.

Murray will now rejoin an Amerks roster that’s currently without a head coach and is expected to be much younger than in recent seasons. He impressed as a rookie in Rochester and slowly earned more responsibility under coach Chris Taylor, who was also fired in June.

It was a marked improvement from what the Sabres observed from Murray in previous development camps and prospect challenges. Last September, former assistant general manager Randy Sexton told The Buffalo News that Murray needed to perform well on the ice and in fitness testing to earn an invitation to Rochester’s training camp.

Murray proceeded to have a camp that illustrated that his 2018-19 season was no fluke. During his final season of junior hockey, Murray totaled 41 goals and 35 assists for 76 points in 62 games for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League.

Murray planned to attend (Ohio), but a coaching change caused him to evaluate his options, and he chose to pursue a professional career with the Sabres.

The Amerks' season will not start until Dec. 4, at the earliest. The roster could include Murray, Mattias Samuelsson, Oskari Laaksonen, Ukko- Pekka Luukkonen and Matej Pekar, among others.

Though Murray was a dynamic scorer in juniors, he carved out a role as a power forward with the Amerks. He improved his play away from the puck and filled a top-six role at times.

However, Murray projects as a checking-line player with upside offensively.

Buffalo News LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189859 Buffalo Sabres

Former Sabre Dale Hawerchuk's family raising money as he battles cancer

Lance Lysowski Jul 31, 2020 Updated Jul 31, 2020

Hockey Hall of Famer and former Buffalo Sabres center Dale Hawerchuk is taking up another fight while battling stomach cancer.

Hawerchuk Strong, a new nonprofit initiative, is selling T-shirts, hats and collectible coins emblazoned with his playing number, 10, to raise money for charities close to his family, hospitals and front-line health care workers. Merchandise can be purchased at hawerchukstrong.com.

Hawerchuk’s son, Eric, revealed Sunday on Twitter that Dale experienced a resurgence of stomach cancer, three months after completing his final round of chemotherapy. In April, Hawerchuk rang the “Bell of Hope” as he exited the hospital in Barrie, Ont., signifying the end of treatment.

Since 2002, Hawerchuk has used his Celebrity Golf Classic charitable events to raise money for causes in Ontario and Manitoba, including Headwater Healthcare Centers, minor sports programs, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Easter Seals Ontario, Manitoba Kidney Foundation and the True North Youth Foundation.

Hawerchuk, 57, totaled 110 goals and 275 assists for 385 points in 342 games across five seasons with the Sabres from 1990-95. He retired following the 1996-97 season before entering coaching. Hawerchuk was head coach of the ’s Barrie Colts from 2010 until his stomach cancer diagnosis in 2019 forced him to take a leave of absence.

Buffalo News LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189860 Calgary Flames

Flames versus Jets a family rivalry for Calgary couple

Author of the article:Daniel Austin

If things get really tense between the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets, Guy Huntingford and Bev Jarvis may watch the games from different rooms in the home they share.

Jarvis gets the big TV, though. There’s no debate there.

A year into their marriage, Huntingford and Jarvis are having fun navigating some tricky waters as the Flames and Jets begin their crucial five-game qualification series this weekend as part of the NHL’s summer restart.

They’ve both been Flames fans for most of their lives. Diehards, even.

But Jarvis’ allegiances changed back in 2013.

That year, her son was drafted by the Jets. His name? That would be Josh Morrissey. Yes, he’s the minutes-eating defenceman with the potential to determine the direction of the Jets’ best-of-five play-in series against the Flames that started Saturday night.

Huntingford’s rooting for Morrissey, too, although as a longtime Flames season ticket holder, his allegiance largely remains with the Calgary crew.

It’s less complicated for Jarvis. She’s got her son’s back, unconditionally, and that means she’s all-in on the Jets.

So how does the couple manage this best-of-five series? Well, they’re going to play it by ear.

“I think we’ll start out watching together. Whether we finish watching together or not, we’ll see,” Jarvis said with a laugh. “When Guy and I first met a number of years ago, we were really thrilled that we had hockey in common and were both hockey fans. Frankly, at the time, we were both Flames fans, but when Josh got drafted, you know, Guy all of a sudden had to have a few conflicted loyalties, maybe.

“I knew he liked me a lot when I was able to convince him to wear a Jets jersey to a Flames game.”

On Saturday night, though, Huntingford’s loyalties were always going to lie with the Flames. He’ll even be wearing a jersey from one side of the couch, while his wife wears her Jets jersey on the other.

“If it gets too out of control, I’ll go watch downstairs,” Huntingford said. “We’ve talked about this, once the series is finished we can both start cheering for the same team, whoever that might be. Obviously, this one is going to be unique. I want Josh to do well, but I’ve been a Flames fan ever since I’ve been in Calgary.”

Huntingford has had his own season tickets to watch the Flames since 2007, but has been going to games since long before then. He’s been the publisher of both the Calgary Sun and Herald, as well as the CEO and president of Winsport and the CEO of BILD Calgary. Throughout it all, he was a regular at the Saddledome.

Jarvis’ association with the Flames is just as deep. She can recall Christmas mornings where both her sons giddily unwrapped Flames jerseys. She even has photos of Morrissey playing on a team called the Jr. Flames back when he was nine and 10 years old. She says he looks like a “Brodie wannabe” in his No. 7 jersey.

But when her son got drafted to the Jets, she became a Jets fan and there won’t be anybody in Calgary, or maybe event Western Canada, cheering as loudly as Jarvis for the Jets when the puck drops.

“I’m trying to be calm. I just finished some yoga, so trying to pace myself,” Jarvis said on Saturday afternoon. “I can tell you, if it’s a heavily competitive series, which I fully expect it to be, I get stressed out. I’m really excited, I’ve been looking forward to this since they announced what the new playoff format was going to be.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189861 Calgary Flames Was Tkachuk up to no good when he hit Scheifele along the boards early in the contest?

On just his third shift of the night, Scheifele had crossed the blue-line into Flames draw first blood enemy territory, dumped the puck into the corner and peeled back, likely looking for a line change.

Wes Gilbertson Tkachuk, who had been in pursuit on the backcheck, efforted to finish his check.

It seemed like an innocent collision, but Scheifele went down in a heap, EDMONTON — It was either “such an accident” or a “filthy, disgusting clutching his left leg. You could even hear somebody ask if a stretcher hit.” was needed.

It depends who you believe. As a trainer raced onto the ice, the Jets immediately were accusing Tkachuk of a dirty deed. The Calgary Flames opened the Stanley Cup qualification round with Saturday’s 4-1 victory, drawing first blood in their best-of-five series While there does appear to be some contact between Tkachuk’s right against the Winnipeg Jets. skate and Scheifele’s left leg on the replays, it certainly doesn’t look like some sort of malicious cheap-shot or intentional attack. Then again, the There is already bad blood, with Jets head coach Paul Maurice taking 22-year-old left-winger has a reputation and past suspensions on his rap- aim at Flames star-in-the-making Matthew Tkachuk in his post-game sheet, so some won’t be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. huff. For what it’s worth, No. 19 wasn’t even penalized on the play, so the You knew Tkachuk would, sooner or later, be the talk of this series, and it officials didn’t see it the same way that Maurice did. didn’t take long. “I don’t expect the referees to find that one,” Maurice said. “You’ve gotta Barely five minutes into Game 1, the Flames’ leading scorer and look at it after, and it’s grotesque.” alternate captain finished his check on Mark Scheifele along the side- boards. Tkachuk explained to reporters via Zoom that he had “a bit of the speed wobbles” and was off-balance on the hit but said he didn’t feel any It seemed like a relatively routine sequence, but the Jets’ first-line centre contact with his skate on Scheifele’s leg. Asked if he thought he played a was suddenly writhing in pain on the ice. role in causing the injury, he replied: “Absolutely not.” In an empty Rogers Place, you could hear Maurice barking at Tkachuk. “He is a top player in the NHL and someone I’ve come to know for the He hadn’t cooled off any after the final buzzer. past few summers, training with Gary Roberts,” Tkachuk said of “Oh, it was intentional. That was a filthy, dirty kick to the back of the leg,” Scheifele. “Such a great guy. Just a top player in the league. It’s not good Maurice fumed. “You can’t see it on the program feed but if you take the for the game when someone like that isn’t in the game. It was very blue-line feed and you zoom in, he went after the back of his leg. He unfortunate and unlucky, such an accident and I feel terrible about it. could have cut his Achilles. He could have ended the man’s career. It’s “When you think about playoff hockey, everybody is finishing their checks an absolutely filthy, disgusting hit.” and it started from the first shift … It was just such an unfortunate play Tkachuk, speaking prior to Winnipeg’s seething skipper, insisted and such an accident. I don’t feel good about it. But I hope that he’s OK otherwise. because he’s a top player in this league and he’s great for the game.”

“It was such an accident,” he said of his collision with Scheifele. “I felt Tkachuk, who led his team with 61 points this past winter, scrapped with terrible.” opposing captain Blake Wheeler shortly after Scheifele was injured.

Tkachuk and the Flames won Saturday’s Game 1 — and in impressive So call it settled? Doubtful. fashion. The Jets can’t afford to be side-tracked seeking some sort of revenge. Worse than their 1-0 series deficit, the Jets may have lost a pair of key They now need to win three of four to advance. pieces. The Flames will be reminded that they looked like world-beaters in their Scheifele, who tied for his team scoring lead during the truncated regular playoff opener last spring. They stunk for the next four en route to a swift season, wasn’t putting any weight on his left leg as he was helped to the see-ya. locker-room and never did return. Patrik Laine, the big-shot on their top This is another strong start, though. power-play, also made an early exit. Andrew Copp put the first ink on Saturday’s scoresheet, going glove-side According to Maurice, both will see specialists Sunday. With little with a one-timer, but the Flames took charge in the middle stanza. separating these two teams on paper, a significant injury — or worse, a pair of them — would be tough for the Jets to overcome. “I thought the second period was one of our most dominant periods in recent memory,” Tkachuk said. There were plenty of questions for the Flames heading into the NHL’s summer restart, and several were answered — at least, in part — in their With Nathan Beaulieu serving a two-minute sentence for slashing, first meaningful battle in the bubble in Edmonton. Gaudreau managed to corral a bouncing pass from his BFF, Sean Monahan, near the right post and gained control just in time to shovel it Who would be between the pipes as Calgary’s go-to goalie? Cam Talbot past Hellebuyck. earned that nod, and the 33-year-old spared his coach any second- guessing with a 17-save performance behind a solid defensive showing. For Johnny Hockey, it was his first post-season snipe since 2015. He jumped into Tkachuk’s arms to celebrate. One goal won’t silence the Would Johnny Gaudreau, endlessly criticized for his failure to produce in naysayers, but it’s absolutely a step in the right direction. his past two trips to the playoffs, be a factor when it mattered most? He was, tucking the tying tally during a second-period power-play. “He came into camp prepared, in shape, really looking forward to getting back going, and I think you can see that’s enjoying playing the game Could the Flames find a way to put a few pucks behind Vezina Trophy again. He’s dynamic,” said Flames interim coach Geoff Ward of frontrunner Connor Hellebuyck? They did. Three times, before a late Gaudreau. “So for him, I think to be able to score in the first game is a big empty-netter. thing. But he’s picked up where he left off, and that’s a real good sign for Tobias Rieder and Mikael Backlund also fooled the stalwart netminder, our hockey club. Hopefully, he continues to trend in the direction that he’s who still finished with 30 stops on a busy night. going. I thought their line was effective for us.”

One question, of course, will be bandied about for the next 24-plus hours, Calgary’s special-teamers struck again less than six minutes after with Game 2 being a Monday matinee (12:30 p.m. MT, Gaudreau’s man-advantage marker … but not one of the guys you’d be Sportsnet/Sportsnet 960 The Fan). expecting. Rieder escaped on a shorthanded breakaway — a clearing attempt had squeaked past Josh Morrissey as he tried to hold the blue-line — and cashed on a dandy deke to his backhand.

Before the end of the middle frame, which saw the Flames pepper Hellebuyck with 18 shots, Backlund picked the top corner on the blocker- side for another power-play potting.

Andrew Mangiapane sealed the Game 1 victory with an empty-netter.

“It’s a quick series, so you can’t start out flat-footed,” Gaudreau said. “I thought we did a great job tonight. A little bit slow in the first but after that, ending the first and in the second and third, I thought we were really great. I thought this was a perfect game for us to set up for the series. I’m just really proud of the team.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189862 Calgary Flames “Obviously traffic and getting in his eyes, that’s something that is difficult for most goalies,” pointed out Gaudreau. “That’s a big point there, getting bodies in front of him, get out secondary chances on rebounds … and I Snapshots: Good-flow Gaudreau ready for playoff challenge think we’ll be successful.”

Flames teammate Milan Lucic agreed.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia “You’ve gotta make him work,” Lucic said. “Those second and third shots, those are the ones that end up being big goals, especially in the playoffs, by making a goalie work. Getting in his eyes, making him feel uncomfortable. He’s obviously a big part of their team — probably the Johnny Gaudreau arrived at Rogers Place in flip-flops, a protective mask Vezina winner this year. and his unruly dark curls cascading around his face. “So, that’s going to be one of our biggest challenges this series.” Unruly, being the operative word. HIGH “No barber shops in the bubble,” said the 26-year-old who was spotted earlier in the week on the NHL’s Zoom calls, wearing a bun in his hair It’s officially on. (although he wasn’t alone as linemate Sean Monahan was also sporting a bun). “I mean, we’re expecting to be here for two months. So at some That is, a wager between Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Winnipeg point during those two months, I’m going to need some scissors, so I’ll Mayor Brian Bowman which would see the winning mayor take over the need one of my teammates to chop a little off for me because it’s getting losing mayor’s Twitter account for 12 hours. a little bit outrageous here. Plus, the loser must change their profile pic to one wearing a “That’s the story of my hair over the past six months.” Saskatchewan Roughriders mask.

Thankfully, there is actual hockey to talk about now as the Flames and “We’ll see how your @NHLFlames handle a #WPGWhiteOut Mayor .. the Jets hit the ice on Saturday night in the NHL’s late game of the GO @NHLJets GO!” tweeted Mayor Bowman. Stanley Cup qualifiers, with the Flames earning the Game 1 victory 4-1 at Mayor Nenshi (@nenshi) tweeted back: “Well @Mayor_Bowman, the Rogers Place in Edmonton. @NHLFlames will have your white out seeing red. I accept your stakes. I Gaudreau did seem in a jovial mood following the team’s morning skate, hope the @NHLJets and their fans love seeing Flames facts for 12 hours which are closed — league-wide — to the media and public. straight! #GoFlamesGo #CofRed”

And perhaps being relaxed is a key for the Flames’ star winger, who is OBSERVATIONS under an immense amount of pressure and scrutiny in this series and Tobias Rieder came to the Flames from the Edmonton Oilers, looking to beyond. It has been well-documented how little Gaudreau contributed in regain his confidence. last year’s post-season, a five-game dispatching at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. Early on, the 27-year-old from Landshut, Germany, impressed with his speed and was able to generate breakaways because of it. He hit the scoresheet in the second period on a power play, finding some room from a sharp angle to knot the action 1-1. It was his first playoff And evidence of how far he’s come was Rieder’s second-period shortie, goal in 10 games, scoring his last one on May 10, 2015. which gave the Flames a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Earlier in the day, when one reporter asked about how Gaudreau can Speaking of confidence in the second period, it won’t show on the contribute to the energy factor, which is somewhat absent due to fans not scoresheet, but Dillon Dube — an NHL playoff rookie — made a big being allowed in the NHL’s ‘bubble,’ he deadpanned with a sly grin: “I impact. The 22-year-old Cochrane native absorbed a massive hit from mean … don’t put it past me — I can throw a big check out there.” Nathan Beaulieu along the boards and was able to dish the puck to Milan Lucic, who connected with Andrew Mangiapane. The media was muted on the call but chuckled at his quick-witted response. Lucic, in turn, fed Mikael Backlund who connected on the power play to take a 3-1 lead. Truth be told, Gaudreau said the right things about making an impact and backed it up during Saturday’s first game of the series. They won the game but took seven penalties in the process and, by all accounts, weren’t overly sharp out of the gates. Flames head coach At this time of the year, it’s the little things — which is what he rattled off. Geoff Ward won’t be too happy about those aspects to Game 1, but it’s “Backcheck, being smart with the puck at the bluelines, being smart in certainly a start. your own zone … ” Gaudreau said. “And when that offence does come, AROUND THE BOARDS try and find the net and get the guys going with a goal or a nice play. I think those are the little things I can do.” For the duration of the 2020 Stanley Cup qualifiers and playoffs, the Flames will be wearing the initials of long-time president and CEO Ken But there’s no secret. Gaudreau’s production was nowhere close to his King who passed away on March 11. The team released a photo of the career campaign of 2018-19 which saw him rattle off 99 points and 36 helmet decal and cufflinks on its Twitter account Saturday … The goals in 82 games. In 70 games this year, he notched 18 goals and 40 Calgary Flames Foundation will be selling 50/50 tickets online throughout assists. the duration of the Flames post-season, available for purchase on the Of course, it’s what he does from here on out that matters. team’s website … After much media speculation, the Flames sat forward Mark Jankowski for Game 1 and inserted Zac Rinaldo into the lineup. “Just looking back at my game throughout the year, there was a little bit Jankowski was benched for much of the third period during Tuesday’s of a downfall in my production there,” Gaudreau said. “But we’re in the exhibition game against the Oilers, which gave some indication on the Stanley Cup qualifiers right now, and we’re competing for a Stanley Cup. coaching staff’s decision … Sportsnet dug into the archives to find some You put that season behind you, and we’re a team here now, and I’m old pictures of Calgary native Josh Morrissey who grew up a Flames fan. excited to be here with the guys, and we have a great opportunity as a He and his brother, Jake, posed for a picture with former Flames goalie team to do something special in this crazy 2020 year. Roman Turek. There was also one of Morrissey as a junior skater at a Flames game when he was young. “I’m just really looking forward to being part of that group with our guys.” Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 HECKUVA YEAR FOR HELLEBYUCK

It’s no secret that this series will go through Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

But with a netminder that good — Vezina Trophy-winning good — it’ll be an art even for the NHL’s best marksmen to try and get the puck past him. 1189863 Calgary Flames “He was definitely the big guy and I was the freshman out of junior,” Colton recalled. “He has some really good offensive capabilities. He has a really good shot. That’s something I want to improve on. I think he kind Flames’ prospect Poolman torn as older brother battles future teammates of sets himself apart with a really good one-timer and shot, and that’s something I want to get towards.

“But I think we’re both pretty defensively strong and very simple in how Wes Gilbertson we play. He’s got me in the height and weight, for sure, but I think I play a competitive style just like he does. So I think we’re kind of similar in that

respect. EDMONTON — Colton Poolman can’t lose. “He is definitely someone that I try to model my game after. He has some Or can’t win. offensive stuff that I have to work on, but defensively I think we’re very tight, and that’s something I try to pride myself on.” Or maybe it’s both. Colton, listed at 6-foot-1 and 198 lb., is already several months into his For the past few seasons, Poolman has been a supporter of the off-season training and although he wishes he could have headed Winnipeg Jets. Makes sense — his brother, Tucker, patrols the blue-line straight to Calgary after scribbling his name on that contract, he’ll still be for the Winnipeggers. waiting quite some time for a first opportunity to impress his new employers. Except that Colton, after completing his senior season as captain of the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, inked an entry-level contract Both the NHL and American Hockey League are currently targeting early with the Calgary Flames. He hasn’t met the boys yet, but these are his December for the start of the 2020-21 schedule. future teammates. Colton will likely need some minor-league seasoning, but he is motivated And, it just so happens, the Flames are facing the Jets in a won-or-done to join Tucker, now 27, on the big stage. Perhaps, if there’s a future qualification series as part of the NHL’s summer restart. playoff series between the Flames and Jets, the Poolman family will really be divided. “It’s going to be … weird,” Colton admitted in the build-up to Saturday’s Game 1 between his brother and soon-to-be buds. “It’s definitely a “Having him kind of pave the way … He’s the guy that made it first and I different situation, the whole win-lose sorta thing. You have your brother give him so much credit and respect how hard that he works,” Colton on one side, and obviously you want him to do well. But you’ve signed said of his older brother. “It’s a good thing for me to try to hold onto and with a team and you want them to go far and make a good push. So it’s say, ‘Yeah, he did it,’ and I’m going to try to make the most of my really hard to know who to cheer for at the moment. opportunity and hopefully try to see what I can do to make that dream come true for myself. “I would guess my family, because Tucker is playing, they’d maybe lean toward his side. I watched (Wednesday’s exhibition against the “Obviously, there is plenty of work to be done, but I’m very lucky and it’s Vancouver Canucks) and he scored a goal, so that was very cool. They a great opportunity to have a brother who has went through it all and is were excited about that. But I don’t know what’s going to happen on currently playing. I can bounce questions off him or have an out, have a Saturday. talk with him. He gets it. He knows.”

“It’ll be a lot of fun, obviously, but it’s going to be a little stressful, just Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 having a foot in each camp … It would be good for both teams to win, I guess. I don’t know how else to put it.”

At home in Grand Forks, N.D., Colton Poolman was planning to watch Saturday’s late date between the Flames and Jets with family and perhaps a few close friends.

The 24-year-old defenceman just finished a biology/pre-health sciences degree, but these summer showdowns will serve as a sort of continuing education.

He will, of course, be keeping tabs on Tucker, who wears No. 3 on his back and skates on the Jets’ third pairing. But the Flames’ college free- agent signing — it’s a one-year, two-way deal for the 2020-21 season — will also be studying the likes of Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie.

“I watch my brother’s game whenever I get a chance and just notice the little things he does and things I want to implement in my own game,” said Colton, who notched four goals and 13 assists in 31 outings in his final NCAA campaign but is more heralded for his handiwork in his own zone. “And it’s not even just my brother, but just watching different NHLers and seeing how they operate during the games and the type of style they’re trying to bring and what they can and can’t do, you want to just be a student and learn what you can.

“And this, the summertime, is kind of the time to have fun with things, try new things and see if you can’t implement them in the winter. So it’s cool to get this sort of hockey in the summer because you’re seeing it live and then you go try it out. And it’s also cool to have a brother right there, so it’s kind of close to home.”

These blue-line brothers — both right-handed shots — stayed close to home to star at the University of North Dakota, where their father Mark is a football alum and the longtime athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach for the men’s hockey program.

Tucker, who has two-and-a-half years and one inch on his younger sibling, was a fifth-round selection in the 2013 NHL Draft.

The Jets were willing to turn him pro after two collegiate seasons, but he wanted to stick around for one more. After all, Colton was just arriving on campus. 1189864 Calgary Flames

Who starts Game 1 for Flames? Hours before, Ward still not saying

Todd Saelhof

EDMONTON — Geoff Ward has picked a starting puck-stopper.

He’s informed both David Rittich and Cam Talbot of his decision.

The Calgary Flames interim coach just isn’t ready to tell everyone else who will be between the pipes for Saturday’s Game 1 of their best-of-five play-in series against the Winnipeg Jets in an empty Rogers Place.

“We’ve narrowed it down to two,” Ward said after Saturday’s morning skate. “And it’s not (Jon) Gillies or (Artyom) Zagidulin, I can tell you that.”

We knew that already, although those Stockton Heat sidekicks are both bubbled with the Flames as emergency options.

Rittich was Calgary’s clear-cut starter for the first half of the season, even representing his club at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, but Talbot was the better of the two backstops in the weeks leading up to the pandemic pause.

They split the crease in Tuesday’s tuneup against the Edmonton Oilers, each surrendering two goals in that contest.

If Talbot is tending twine for this 8:30 p.m. MT clash, his past playoff experience may have tipped the scales in his favour. The 33-year-old has made 13 career starts on this stage and also advanced to the 2014 Stanley Cup final as a rookie backup with the New York Rangers.

Rittich, 27, is the guy who is signed beyond this season. Big Save Dave was just a spectator last spring, so a Game 1 start could be an important show of faith from the organization.

Ward shared the news with both masked men on Friday night.

“With us, it’s almost like we have two No. 1s instead of a No. 1 and a 2,” Ward said. “So for them, they both know that our team trusts them when they’re in. Our team has confidence playing in front of both guys. And they both know that both of them could see time in this series and throughout the playoffs.

“So it’s important that they feel a part of it. It’s important that they know that they could be called on and that everybody has confidence in them. And then it’s just a matter of figuring out how things are going to fall based on what happens in games. But we feel like both our guys are ready to go. We like where our head-space is, both of them.

“And I think we’re just going to get a lot of support from that position. When one is not in, he supports the other one extremely well … These guys have been great with it, both of them.”

With Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck at the opposite end, the Flames might need great goaltending to get past the Jets in this best-of- five set.

Ward’s refusal to reveal his starter is just a little show of gamesmanship, a ploy to make the opposing coaches do a little extra prep.

“The reason for not divulging it, quite frankly, is now they’re going to have to do some work on both guys, not knowing who is going to be in for Game 1,” Ward said. “So it leaves a little bit of uncertainty in their mind. I don’t think it’s going to be huge but it may turn out to be a little bit of a factor, and we have to work all angles that we possibly can to gain little advantages where we can.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189865 Carolina Hurricanes

A fluky bounce off a familiar name seals a familiar Hurricanes playoff performance

BY LUKE DECOCK

So much of this is drastically different, from the empty arena to the month on the calendar to the circumstances outside the building to the entirely new playoff round, so it’s a refreshing bit of continuity to have a Staal brother score a critical playoff goal for the Carolina Hurricanes.

If it was New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal accidentally deflecting Martin Necas’ third-period shot past Henrik Lundqvist, well those are just details, right?

Funny. Fifteen years after then-Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford desperately wanted to draft the second Staal brother but felt he couldn’t pass up on Jack Johnson with the No. 3 pick, the only one of the four who hasn’t played for the Hurricanes gets his skate boot in the way and seals the Hurricanes’ 3-2 win in the first game of this best-of-five qualifying round series Saturday.

It was one of those little coincidences, of hockey and history, that always seem to stand out in sharp relief in the playoffs, even these very odd playoffs — even before Staal evened his account with a goal of his own short-handed in the tense final minutes.

But there was nothing coincidental about where it fit in the of the game, one the Hurricanes dominated almost entirely throughout, from an opening three minutes where the Hurricanes hit everything in sight, right down to Brady Skjei knocking former teammate Jesper Fast out of the game and Justin Williams bloodying Ryan Strome’s nose, and struck first through Jaccob Slavin a mere 61 seconds into the playoffs, on the Hurricanes’ first shot.

“Those three things were huge for us,” Sebastian Aho said. “It started with (Skjei’s) hit. That set the tone for us.”

If the deflection off Staal’s skate was a lucky break — if Necas’ shot had gotten through, Vincent Trocheck was standing ready at the far post — it was one the Hurricanes earned. With the exception of a second-period lull, they were by far the better team at five-on-five and the penalty kill was both busy and excellent. The power play looked great, converted early, then fell asleep on the Staal goal with 1:55 to go.

Rod Brind’Amour talked about picking up where the Hurricanes left off in March, and the difficulty thereof, but the Hurricanes made it look like they’d had a week off, not four months. Even in this fanless Toronto bubble, the intensity was there from both teams, but the Hurricanes were able to channel it into the grinding, forechecking style that is the epitome of their identity when they’re at their best.

It wasn’t a perfect performance — Brind’Amour will have to look long and hard at getting Trevor van Riemsdyk, a healthy scratch, into the lineup to address some defensive inconsistencies on a blue line still missing Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce — but it was classic playoff hockey in the most novel of conditions and most novel of complaints.

“I didn’t really care for — aren’t we the home team? — when their goal song came on after they scored,” Williams said. “I didn’t care for that.”

And they did it against Lundqvist, their bete noire, the old veteran starting unexpectedly after Igor Shesterkin was “unfit to play” in the new NHL verbiage, although he was in the building so it wasn’t a positive COVID test but an “upper body” or “lower body” injury in the old NHL verbiage.

It was still a vintage Lundqvist performance, the Hurricanes peppering him with shots without much to show for it, and it took a funky, fluky deflection from the one Staal brother who hasn’t worn a Hurricanes jersey to beat him.

News Observer LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189866 Carolina Hurricanes “When you play a team you’ve had success against they’re going to come out with a little more hunger, piss and vinegar and they’re certainly did,” Quinn said.

Canes use aggressive start, strong penalty killing to top Rangers in While the Canes were the aggressors, they couldn’t stay out of the series opener penalty box. The referees, perhaps with pent-up cabin fever, called it close, sending players from both teams to the penalty box at a rapid rate — 16 penalties called in the first two periods and 18 in the game. BY CHIP ALEXANDER At times there was precious little 5-on-5 play as both teams had to turn to their penalty killers.

Brady Skjei got in the first blow, a big one. Aho’s goal came on a tip in the low slot, Aho redirecting Andrei Svechnikov’s shot past Lundqvist. But Zibanejad answered with a tip and Jaccob Slavin scored the first goal on the first shot, also a big one. score of his own to make it a 2-1 game. And Justin Williams won the first fight of the postseason, dropping the Necas’ goal made it 3-1, Canes, the rookie scoring on a blast from the gloves to throw some 38-year-old fists. left circle. The Carolina Hurricanes came into Game 1 of their NHL qualifying series With Hamilton out, Brind’Amour decided to put defenseman Haydn Saturday against the New York Rangers in a combative, intense mood, Fleury in the lineup and scratch Trevor van Riemsdyk. He also made ready to fight, skate, compete and do whatever it took to win a forward Ryan Dzingel a healthy scratch as rookie Morgan Geekie played. postseason game unlike any other in NHL history. “Both teams had a lot of intensity,” Williams said. “We won the first game The Canes outlasted the Rangers 3-2, using some timely goals, but that only means we’re up 1-0. That’s totally it. We’ll pick up and we’ll aggressive penalty killing and strong-enough play in net from goalie Petr move on and try to make it two.” Mrazek to gain the early edge in the best-of-five series at Scotiabank Arena. News Observer LOADED: 08.02.2020 “I’m happy with the way we came ready to play, no doubt about it,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said in his postgame media call.

Brind’Amour elected to start Mrazek ahead of James Reimer while the Rangers’ starter was the Canes’ old nemesis, Henrik Lundqvist. Rangers rookie Igor Shesterkin was ruled “unfit to play,” an unexpected twist, but was at the arena and could be available for Game 2 on Monday.

Slavin scored just 1:01 into the game and Sebastian Aho, who assisted on Slavin’s goal, gave the Canes a 2-0 lead in the second period with a power-play score. Martin Necas scored in the third period — his shot glancing off the skate of Rangers defenseman Marc Staal — for a 3-1 lead.

Mika Zibanejad, another player who has tormented the Canes, scored the Rangers’ first goal and Staal’s shorthanded goal in the third pulled New York within 3-2 with 1:55 left in regulation. The Rangers pulled Lundqvist in the final minute but could not tie the score.

“I thought we played a team that was pissed off because we had beaten them four times during the year,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “They set the pace and the tempo and it took us too long to respond to it.”

By game’s end, the Canes’ penalty killing was the difference. The Rangers had seven power plays and failed to score on all seven, managing eight shots as the Canes moved well and limited scoring chances.

“I feel like they outcompeted us, really,” Zibanejad said.

The start was just what the Canes wanted in the NHL’s first postseason game ever played in August — a product of the coronavirus pandemic. The scene still is a bit surreal, with no fans in the stands. But the Canes, playing without injured defenseman Dougie Hamilton, generated their own energy and intensity.

“There was a lot of emotion and adrenaline,” Williams said.

Skjei, traded to the Canes by the Rangers in February, leveled Jesper Fast with a big hit along the boards 32 seconds into the game. That got everybody’s attention and knocked Fast out the game.

“That got everybody involved early on the bench,” Slavin said.

And on the ice. After the Skjei hit, Slavin spotted open ice in the offensive zone. The defenseman slipped in, took a cross-ice pass from Teuvo Teravainen and beat Lundqvist with a rising short-side shot that nicked Lundqvist’s right shoulder.

“It was big, obviously,” Slavin said. “The previous seasons against Henrik we haven’t had the most success.”

A few minutes later, Williams and the Rangers’ Ryan Strome went at it. Both landed good punches but Williams bloodied Strome’s nose, briefly forcing him out of the game. It was Williams’ second fight in 156 playoff games. 1189867 Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes veteran Justin Williams complained after the game that Carolina was the designated home team and had to hear the Rangers’ goal song a couple of times, which is yet another weird feature of these Mirtle: What it was like being in the empty arena for Game 1 of the NHL neutral-site games. playoffs (That became more of an issue later in the day in Edmonton when the Oilers were subjected to the Blackhawks’ “Chelsea Dagger” seven times.) By James Mirtle Aug 1, 2020 Other than the sounds and the empty space, what stood out about being at Scotiabank Arena — a place where I’ve watched hundreds of games going back to the 2004 playoffs — was the scale of what the NHL has “Oh, wait, someone’s here.” tried to do here. I seem to have startled the staff at the media entrance when I arrive, 30 Visually, the massive stage behind the players’ benches and the video minutes before game time. This was the start of the NHL playoffs, with screens that have been installed are incredibly impressive. I initially the New York Rangers taking on the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 in thought that the NHL was using some of the elaborate set pieces that Toronto, and the entire city block was a ghost town. concerts and other shows use at Toronto’s arena, but an MLSE No fans. No signage. spokesman explained that the league had all of this custom-built over the past six weeks just for this purpose. Nothing except a large fence and a few security guards. It looks seamless with the rest of the arena, however. I have my temperature checked on my forehead, get my bag looked at and go through a metal detector at the door. I’m handed a media pass Steve Mayer, the NHL’s chief content officer and senior executive vice and instructed to get on the elevator to go to the third floor. president of events and entertainment, was responsible for the design, along with Gary Wichansky from Hotopp, a Seattle-based company that Maximum three occupants at a time. Which won’t be a problem today. specializes in large-scale set design.

Once I get to Level 3, it’s clear why the staff wasn’t overwhelmed with Hotopp has built sets for places like Sea World. It has also partnered with visitors. With the game almost set to start, there are only 10 media the NHL on the Winter Classic and other marquee league events in members spread out among the entire upper bowl of Scotiabank Arena. recent years. Things that look great on a huge scale are its business. And the company motto is “Anything is possible,” which probably came in The third level of the building is almost empty, save for one person handy with this project. manning a lonely concession stand just for us. This was an entirely foreign project compared with what they’d attempted My section is 313, in one end zone behind Henrik Lundqvist. I have it in the past. And a challenge. entirely to myself. The biggest problem was the timeline, as the league hadn’t even settled The media guidelines for these games are strict. Outlets are only able to on which cities it was going to until very late in the process. Seeing it in send one staffer per game. And with the quarantine rules at the border, person, I was stunned they were able to custom build all of what’s there very few reporters have made the trip from the U.S. for a game like this, that quickly. between two American teams. Instead of filling the seats with a bunch of fake fans or stuffed animals or In the lower bowl, however, there is a little bit more activity. Some of the whatever, they put a lot of time into doing something very interesting suites have team personnel in them, who are watching the game intently. visually. I’m not sure it fully translates on TV, but in person, it stands out Players who are healthy scratches or injured sit in the red seats to watch as a product of remarkable engineering. their teams. A group of about 10 per side is spread out among entire sections. “It was an incredible technical feat that we figured it out,” Wichansky says on this explanatory video. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who was declared “unfit to play” before the game, is among them. He wears a mask with team colors and The enormous scale of the operation wasn’t just limited to the game his number, like most of his sidelined teammates. operations and visuals. When you’re in the building, the other thing that stands out is how complex and unwieldy the bubble itself is. SHOULD HELP GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA ON WHAT SHESTERKIN'S 'UNFIT TO PLAY' STATUS IS.. PIC.TWITTER.COM/LFRIO8IYQO There are a lot of people who are working at these games. They all get tested in the main lobby of Scotiabank Arena every day, and many put in — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) AUGUST 1, 2020 long hours — from 11 a.m. until nearly midnight — making sure the In all, aside from the players and other team personnel on the two games get played. benches, I estimate there are probably 150 people visible in the Here’s a look at the makeshift testing “labs,” which are being facilitated building’s main section, scattered around in various sections. This by LifeLabs, a massive Canadian medical testing company. It is the includes camera operators, medical personnel, timekeepers, snow company the Leafs used for testing all through Phases 2 and 3 and now shovelers and Zamboni drivers. is handling the thousands of NHL tests required every week. The pregame is as violently loud as a regular NHL game, with a series of That bank of black areas on the right there are curtains that have been additional video screens and the jumbotron blasting the nothingness with put up to give those receiving COVID-19 tests some privacy. sound and lights and Images. I know one key for the Leafs and the league was that LifeLabs would not This was the Hurricanes’ player intro, as ported over from a regular home be drawing supplies or tests from the health care system. game down in Raleigh. “Great care was taken to ensure that no resources will be taken away During play, however, the arena falls almost silent, with the only natural from the general public in our testing,” a Leafs spokesman said last sounds those from the pond: skates and sticks and yells from players week. and coaches. And that’s just one example of an area of the arena being repurposed. Well, that, and the fake EA Sports crowd noise that the league began The teams playing were also using the stands beside the bench for their pumping into the building with this game. medical personnel and backup goaltenders, among others. This is what it all sounded like, early in the contest. I also noticed that the NHL staffers in the penalty boxes and timekeeper’s And this is what it sounded like in the lead-up to Rangers defenceman bench were filling the area behind them with supplies like towels and Marc Staal scoring a short-handed goal, late in the third period. Gatorade, something that would obviously never happen during a regular game. Note that you can hear the Rangers players cheering, from the far end of the arena where I was sitting, before the goal horn goes off. In the intermissions, the penalty box and players’ benches are also thoroughly cleaned and sterilized by a team of workers in masks and gowns.

Another thing that was unmistakable as I walked around the arena: The Leafs (and Raptors) left this building very quickly back in March. Not very many people had been back to the facility to clear it out for these games.

The various concession stands, for example, were still full of food and beverages, including this beer, which might not remain minty fresh until the next time fans are in the arena.

Whenever that might be.

I settled for a $4 can of ice tea from the concession stand.

After the game, the few media in attendance went to an empty restaurant on the third-level concourse that had been converted to a makeshift press conference area. Media members (all six of us) were able to stand in front of a camera and ask Jaccob Slavin, Justin Williams, Sebastian Aho and Rod Brind’Amour questions.

Other questions came from reporters, like our very own Sara Civian, via Zoom video software.

By the time it all wrapped up, there was less than an hour until the Panthers and Islanders would be playing in the day’s next game. As I was going to the elevator to leave, Scott Wheeler, another of our reporters, was on his way to Section 313 to watch the remaining games.

“This is pretty weird,” I said as we talked about the differences from the exhibition games, which didn’t have the fake crowd noise pumped in, among other changes.

As I was leaving, I noticed the players from one of the teams or some league staff leaving in this bus, which was coming out of Maple Leaf Square.

This entire area in downtown Toronto is normally filled with fans during Leafs and Raptors games in the playoffs, but that won’t be possible this year given it is included in the NHL’s bubble at least until the end of Round 2.

I know we have all had a lot of strange experiences during the past five months since the pandemic began in North America. But for me personally, this is probably near the top of the list. Covering hockey games is our normal, and to do it under these circumstances was a very odd feeling.

But I came away from Scotiabank Arena with an appreciation for how hard it was for the league to get to this point, and how much is at stake if the bubble doesn’t hold.

Millions of dollars in planning and resources have been invested, with many, many moving parts.

After Day 1, it appears to be working as intended. Everyone involved has fingers crossed they make to the finish line in October.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189868 Carolina Hurricanes • In Saturday’s Bag of Jerks, David Z. asked if I would be watching any player, pairing or line as a barometer for the Canes’ postseason readiness. I said Sebastian Aho. He’s struggled to get things rolling early ‘Fired up’ Hurricanes set the tone in Game 1 win over Rangers on after breaks throughout his career. His level of play tends to set the pace for the rest of the team, which makes sense as a first-line center. Aho came out strong Saturday, finishing with the second-highest time on ice among all Hurricanes skaters (21:33), one power-play deflection of a By Sara Civian Aug 1, 2020 potential game winner, one assist and a team-leading .22 expected goals.

There’s a CVS receipt-length list of reasons the Carolina Hurricanes • Jordan Martinook made his presence felt in only 8:40. That energy line needed an early lead to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Saturday in with Martinook, Morgan Geekie and Brock McGinn is going to be fun if it Game 1. sticks.

Some are a healthy blend of obvious and cliche: The Canes went winless • Vincent Trocheck continues to be an excellent trade-deadline in the season series and needed to send a message, the Rangers’ acquisition. goaltending wouldn’t make anything easy no matter who was in net and • The Artemi Panarin victory-kicks-per-60 was a decisive zero. who wants to chase a lead? • Speaking of Panarin, the Canes held him to one assist through his Some are a sign of the times: This was the first NHL postseason game 20:58 with four shots and .26 expected goals. Containing the Hart Trophy without fans — the first team to take a lead was bound to replace feelings finalist will be one of the Hurricanes’ biggest challenges of the series — of uncertainty with confidence. so far, so good. Less than 30 seconds after the game started, former Rangers • Hockey in August is weird but good. defenseman Brady Skjei put this hit on ex-teammate Jesper Fast. • Thank Shayna Goldman for all the videos. “I’m fired up,” Skjei said Friday about facing his former team in the play- in. “Whenever the playoffs come around you get amped up, you get to The bad that extra level. Then, for me, going against my old team I’m just as excited if not more than previous playoff years. It’ll be a fun battle and I’m • The Canes might want to avoid taking seven penalties. A team such as going to do whatever I can to make the Canes come out on top.” the Rangers isn’t going to go 0-for-7 with the man advantage every game. The Rangers also took seven penalties. I guess we can expect the Jaccob Slavin has expressed his desire to improve on offense a few referees to be whistle happy, but we know Canes often veer into foul times since the end of last season. He’s made it a point. Whatever he’s trouble. done to act on that desire paid off 61 seconds in. • I’m generally enjoying the in-game experience. But as Williams pointed “I don’t think we put a lot of weight into the regular-season (series) and out after the game, why does the away team’s goal song play when it what’s gone on in the past,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said after the game. scores? “But we know they have great goaltending, no matter who they are throwing in there. To get one early settled the bench a bit. It’s always See you Monday. better to play in front, I mean that’s kind of obvious, but I think it settles The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 your whole group down and you don’t have to chase the game.”

If that settled down the Hurricanes, leave it to Justin Williams to fire them back up. Usually, Williams accomplishes that with an intermission speech or a subtle vote of confidence, but apparently on Saturday, it meant a fight.

He laughed when asked if that was part of the plan.

“I don’t pre-plan any fights. You’ve seen me play,” Williams said. “He asked me to fight, I said OK. There was a lot of emotion there at the start of the game, which was awesome to see because there’s nobody really physically there watching. But you get on the ice, and it’s compete. It was a lot of emotion, a lot of adrenaline to start the game.”

“The guys were ready to play something for real,” Brind’Amour said. “Haven’t had that opportunity in a long, long time. The guys were really excited and grateful to play something that meant something. … I was happy with the way we came ready to play, no doubt about it. For us, this is playoff hockey. Call it what you want, but they had a physical game. too. They were going at it with us toe-to-toe. Definitely a physical and emotional game without the crowd. The guys were into it.”

After an exhibition loss that didn’t inspire much confidence, the Hurricanes backed up what Brind’Amour had been saying for weeks: They were itching to play some meaningful hockey.

The good

• Martin Necas missed the exhibition game and was pretty much a game- time decision for Game 1. He played 14:37, looked fine once he got his legs under him and managed to score on his own setup.

“We weren’t 100 percent sure he was gonna go. I think he was a little rusty early — didn’t get a preseason game, you could see it affected him a little bit in that first period, but he got better as he went along,” Brind’Amour said. “Another one of these young kids that have a lot of talent, a lot of skill. That was a big goal for us. He’s got that ability to be a difference-maker. Still has a lot of room to get better and I think he will.”

The Canes have a few of those young, skilled players, don’t they? 1189869 Carolina Hurricanes especially with the addition of Vincent Trocheck, whom he has been excellent alongside.

I definitely think Necas will get a crack at center, but there’s clearly no Bag of Jerks: Brett Pesce’s bubble entrance, Dougie Hamilton’s timeline rush. Like you said, he can make a play from anywhere — reminiscent of another Canes winger, Teuvo Teravainen. You could tell by Brind’Amour’s sparing usage that he isn’t 100 percent comfortable with By Sara Civian Aug 1, 2020 Necas yet (not a knock on Necas, let’s remember #depthchartSvech), and we know Brind’Amour expects even more than he already does in

general out of centers. Folks. If I had to guess, he’ll get an opportunity the season after next season. Folks! Hey Sara, how do things work for team staff and all the support staff, Folks. arena personnel, etc.? Are they all in the bubble? How do the folks not making millions feel about everything? I imagine being in Canada helps The NHL has pulled it off (so far). Real, meaningful hockey is hours manage the health fears, so maybe it’s a non-issue the way the league away. has designed things, but I’m curious what life looks like for non- competitors. — Blake A. Mentally prepare yourself with some exhibition takeaways, a series preview and a Bag of Jerks. Hey Blake A., great question.

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity. I have to say, I was incredibly skeptical of all of this when rumblings of a return to play emerged in May. I don’t think I’d be doing my job if I just Just heard that Dougie Hamilton is out again. Will we see him against the blindly went along with it. But — at least for now — it seems like the NHL Rangers? I know the injuries are undisclosed but is it a long-term thing? is setting a really good example of what happens when you actually — Thomas B. follow the rules, wear your mask, practice social distancing and keep A few days after Hamilton left a training camp session in visible your in-person social circle tight. discomfort, I reported July 25 that: Training camp at PNC Arena was the safest I’ve felt in public since the Good news: It was not an aggravation of his season-ending broken start of the pandemic. You could tell everything had been planned out fibula. meticulously even for us media folk — so many precautions, signs indicating 6 feet apart, daily temperature checks, not even letting us use Bad(ish) news: Recovery time was most likely a matter of weeks. the same pens when checking in, etc. I’d imagine it’s somehow 10 times safer than even that in the bubble, and that’s where all the team staff is. I As of July 31, I can tell you that’s still the case. Hurricanes website writer can’t speak for anyone, but this seriousness, paired with hub cities Michael Smith (who is inside the bubble with the team) reported Friday located in Canada, makes me confident that everyone is safe. that Hamilton skated with a tinted visor after practice, so that’s a good sign. But still, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the media that Hamilton I would recommend following Smith on Twitter at @MSmithCanes and is “getting better for sure, but he’s unfit so he won’t be in there tomorrow digital media extraordinaire Zack Brame at @Zackary_Brame to get a (Game 1).” better idea about life in the bubble.

So, it depends what your definition of long term is — and injury timelines What elements will the team bring to Toronto to make it feel like a home are imperfect — but I’d say he has a good chance of returning for Round game at the PNC? Should we expect the siren? — Russell F. 1. Anything is possible, and I’m not totally ruling it out, but I wouldn’t bank on his return during the play-in. I swear I heard a “cheaters never win” and quite possibly a “Raise Up” during the exhibition game. On top of that, The Athletic’s Joe Smith wrote What is the projected time frame for bringing Brett Pesce into the a great story about what the NHL is doing to create home ice in the hubs. bubble? — Janet D. Who will have the best coverage of bubble life? Trochek, Svech or Sometime in September is the best I can do for now, Janet. There will be Dzingel? — Lindsey H. updates as he gets closer to a return. Svech is the art, Marty is the artist. Do you think the door is still open for the team to re-sign John Forslund after the playoffs end or is all hope lost on that front? Thank you! — GOT A PRETTY GOOD LOOK AT THE @RAPTORS DIGS LAST Michael A. NIGHT THANKS TO @MARTYMAN17 PIC.TWITTER.COM/6BNFJBLE2B No problem, Michael A. — CAROLINA HURRICANES (@CANES) JULY 30, 2020 I’ll let a quote from Forslund himself start us off. How are you adjusting to covering the team remotely? — JP L. “(General manager Don Waddell) has said (the Canes are ‘leaving the door open’) multiple times and I appreciate it,” Forslund said. “That’s nice It’s pretty weird, to be honest. I got used to the gigantic privilege of of him to say. But what does that really mean, though? There’s no traveling to almost every Hurricanes away game over the past two dialogue. I would never look at a statement like that and scoff at it, but I seasons, and now I’m not there for the most meaningful ones? want the reality to be there, too, of there isn’t anything happening. I don’t I miss all the little quirks and nuances I used to report on, but I totally get want any false pretense or anything like that with the fans. There’s why I’m not there. It’s not worth it when we have reporters already in nothing happening between myself and the team. And until that happens Canada and all the interviews are conducted via Zoom, anyhow. And I — or if it never happens, that’s understandable — then I have to deal understand why it has to be the way it is — because they want to actually with the reality of being free for the first time in my career.” pull this off — but it still kind of stinks. Technically the “door is open,” but does that matter if neither side is At the same time, it’ll be fun to lean into the kinds of stories I normally walking through it? wouldn’t while so caught up in in-game coverage. Let me know what y’all Do you see Martin Necas back in a center role in the upcoming season want to see more of in the comments. I’ve probably never been more or two? Or is he going to play mostly on the wing? He’s a natural open to suggestions. centerman, who played that position until this season. But the right wing Hi Sara, Quick question for you. I saw that Haydn Fleury was the seventh seems to be a good spot for him — it’s easier for him to create cross- defenseman yesterday but ended up playing more than (Trevor van zone passes and make plays. — Jakub H. Riemsdyk). Do you think he will play in the first game versus the New The good thing about being a “natural centerman” is that sometimes York Rangers? — Khaleel J. playing the wing makes life a little bit easier — especially when you’re Hi, Khaleel J. transitioning from the AHL to the NHL. Look at Tyler Seguin, another would-be star (pun actually not intended, but it made me giggle upon I think that’s one of the questions Brind’Amour and his staff are still realization) coached by Mike Vellucci. Necas has the luxury of time — debating, but he sure made a case for himself during the exhibition. Are you watching any player/pairing/line as a barometer for how ready or in their groove the Canes are come Saturday? — David Z.

Great question. The answer is Sebastian Aho. His pattern of taking a month or so to turn on the jets has spanned throughout his Hurricanes tenure. It hasn’t been much of a concern in normal times because you know he eventually gets that first goal and the floodgates open, but things have never been more time sensitive. Will he find his game in time? He and the goaltending — whatever that ends up being — are my main Game 1 focus.

If the Canes lose the play-in series, would you consider this a disappointing year when viewed as a whole? Or, rather, does COVID-19 change how fans/pundits/writers view success/failure this year? — William H.

I mean, I’m impressed we even have playoff hockey at all. I’m chalking that up to a win if we see it through to the end. It’s too early to tell if I’d consider it a disappointment, but I’m inclined to appreciate the little things these days. To me right now, the only disappointment would be if someone gets unnecessarily sick and I’ll leave it at that.

Plus, if the Canes bow out early, there’s a huge chance they get a shot at Alexis Lafrenière. They’ve got a young core primed for years of success. Sorry for the hot take, but I think he’d help them out.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189870 Chicago Blackhawks “He’s a guy who got better as the year went on,” Colliton said of Kubalik, a Calder Trophy finalist. “He’s a good skater, some explosion, his work ethic away from the puck is really good. That line — Toews-(Brandon) Blackhawks turn back the clock in 6-4 victory, riding an offensive surge to Saad-Kubalik — they seem to have a really good understanding of how stun the Oilers in Game 1 of their postseason series they want to play in the offensive zone in particular and finding those holes in the slot, and he’s got a great shot.

“Very coachable kid and he seems to be getting better and better.” By PHIL THOMPSON Crawford faced 29 shots, giving up four goals, but lasted the whole game. His counterpart, Mike Smith, was chased in the second after giving up Kubalik’s first goal — Smith’s fifth allowed. If you believe in conventional wisdom, Saturday should not have happened. Mikko Koskinen played about four more minutes than Smith and gave up one goal on 19 shots. The Chicago Blackhawks, who are in the postseason thanks only to a generous 24-team return-to-play field, had no business upsetting the Crawford looked solid, and the Hawks did what they could to keep him Edmonton Oilers 6-4 in the opener of a best-of-five play-in series in out of trouble. They had 55% of the high-danger shots on goal. Edmonton, Alberta. Crawford wasn’t made available to media, but his teammates sang his Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford had seen the ice for only a week praises. since March after recovering from COVID-19. “We almost always expect him to just come out of nowhere and stand on And here he was facing the league’s top point producers in Leon Draisaitl his head like he always does,” Toews said. “He just seems to have that and Connor McDavid, as well as the NHL’s second-best power play — mental part of his game down, (and) even without the preparation he’s ever. going to show up, make stops for us.

So it seemed if the Hawks had a chance, they at least would have to stay “He did that for us today. It’s just reassuring that we have a guy like him out of the penalty box. Yet right on cue, they put too many men on the ice back there with his level of experience, regardless of his lack of less than 1½ minutes into the game and set the stage for McDavid to put preparation and not having a full camp like everybody else.” the Oilers up 1-0 on a power-play goal off a Draisaitl assist. It was the Oilers, the top seed among the Western Conference qualifiers It turns out it was just the opening scene of an epic and improbable and playing in their own arena, Rogers Place, who at times looked out of comeback story. sorts, unprepared and frustrated.

The Hawks turned on a magical mix of past glory and future promise. It showed on McDavid’s high-sticking penalty of Toews in the first and Stanley Cup veteran Jonathan Toews and rookie Dominik Kubalik each Darnell Nurse roughing Ryan Carpenter. scored two goals and together accounted for eight points, leading the upset of the Oilers. The Oilers had 17 giveaways to the Hawks’ eight.

“We kind of have the best of both worlds, where we have a handful of “Usually the team that makes the most mistakes ends up on the back guys that have been through it and won the Cups, they can kind of share side of it,” Tippett said, “and we made the most mistakes.” their experiences in terms of what it takes and the feeling that it’s worth It also came down to the fact that after a 143-day shutdown because of it,” coach said. “At the same time you’ve got a young the coronavirus pandemic, the Hawks looked like they were ready to play group — I think I saw we’re the youngest team in the qualifiers, in the again and the Oilers, for all their advantages, didn’t. playoffs — so that young energy and enthusiasm, they’re very happy for the opportunity to be here and maybe don’t know any better. But it was only Game 1. Game 2 is Monday.

“On the outside people may say that we don’t have a chance, but we’ve “It’s a unique situation, playing without fans and being in a bubble and gotten better as the year went on. And now we have a chance to show things like that,” Saad said. “But the camaraderie on the team is at an all- it.” time high” Saad said. “Everyone’s excited to be here, be in playoff action, and anytime you’re scoring goals, you’re hooting and hollering. Saturday represented the Hawks’ first postseason game since they lost to the Nashville Predators on April 20, 2017, to cap a first-round sweep. It “It was just a great feeling overall today.” was the Hawks’ first postseason win since a 6-3 victory against the St. Louis Blues on April 23, 2016. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020

“You have to give Chicago credit,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said, according to the Edmonton Sun. He then proceeded to take away some of that credit.

“They played well. But some of the errors and just the way we went about things … It’s not playoffs,” Tippett said. “We were a way better team in the regular season. You get behind early, you start to cheat and you don’t look like a good team, and that’s what we were tonight.”

Once the Hawks settled down after the early mistake, the game snowballed on the Oilers.

Dylan Strome kicked off a flurry of three goals in less than four minutes in the first period, and Jonathan Toews added a fourth before the first intermission.

Kubalik netted two power-play goals and assisted on three others, tying a franchise record with five points and setting a record by a player making his NHL postseason debut.

“We didn’t like getting scored on the first couple minutes, but we came back pretty quick,” Kubalik said. “The game was pretty good. I felt really good. Everything went my way.

“Obviously it’s nice, but it’s just the first game, so we’ve got to keep going.”

He’s also only the fifth rookie to record at least five points in a postseason game. 1189871 Chicago Blackhawks “We have a good balance of veterans who have won before, guys who have been in these kinds of games, and young guys with fresh legs and a lot of skill and talent,” Carpenter said.

After a 143-day pause, the Blackhawks return to the ice today for Game “It’s different having that long season going into the playoffs is like a 1 of their qualifying series against the Oilers: ‘Let’s get going’ marathon. But right now ... (it) feels like a sprint. Feels like of all the playoffs, this is anyone’s game. And being the bottom seed, we have a chip on our shoulder and we’re going to come out here and work hard By PHIL THOMPSON CHICAGO TRIBUNE |AUG 01, 2020 AT 7:00 AM and focus on our game and give ourselves the best chance to win.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 It’s time.

No more practices. No more delay.

After 143 days on pause because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chicago Blackhawks have a date with hockey Saturday, playing their first real game since March 11.

The Hawks, who are the 12th seed in the Western Conference, start their best-of five qualifying series against the fifth-seeded Edmonton Oilers at 2 p.m. (NBC-Ch. 5).

The Hawks had full participation in practice Friday in Edmonton, Alberta, but coach Jeremy Colliton kept it short and light to keep his players rested for Game 1.

“We’re excited,” Colliton said. “We’ve done the work, done the preparation, and the guys have gotten better and better as we’ve gone here. Nice to get a game in there on Wednesday, and now it’s let’s get going.”

No surprise: Colliton wouldn’t reveal whether goaltender Corey Crawford — who missed all but the final day of training camp 2.0 recovering from COVID-19 — will start the opener, but it would be a shock if Crawford doesn’t.

“Ah, as far as the goalie situation, I mean, you guys know: It’s playoff time,” Colliton said. “We’re only focused on winning.”

The start of the expanded NHL playoffs in Toronto and Edmonton on Saturday is the first of a nine-day schedule of a potential 52 games — depending on the results of the eight best-of-five play-in series. The top four teams in each conference, meanwhile, will play a round-robin series to determine seeding for the first round to begin Aug. 11.

The Hawks are focused on special teams — as well they should be. It has been a common refrain from training camp that carried into the hub city. The Hawks have been laser-focused on the power play and penalty kill, spending a lot of time in practice and meeting on those phases of the game.

And with good reason.

The Oilers had the top power play — 29.5% — and the second-best penalty kill — 84.4% — before the shutdown. The Oilers’ power play is the best in the NHL since the New York Islanders’ 31.2% in 1978-79.

The Hawks ranked 28th and ninth on the power play and penalty kill, respectively.

Sure, it was only an exhibition game, but the Hawks held the St. Louis Blues — who had the third-ranked power play — scoreless on four opportunities Wednesday in a 4-0 win.

“I know our power play has been working hard. The guys we go against in practice make us better,” Hawks winger Ryan Carpenter said. “And then the tuneup against St. Louis, they had a good power play, too, so it was another chance to build confidence. But it was only one game and an exhibition game, so we’re trying not to stay too high.”

Given it the Hawks’ history — three Stanley Cups since 2010 — it’s unusual for them to be the underdogs, but the 2020 return-to-pay format has brought about these odd circumstances.

“We were the top team for a lot of seasons,” coach Colliton said this week.

He said Friday that his team shouldn’t feel pressure going into the Oilers matchup. The Hawks — who won two of three in the season series — were one of the last two teams of the 24 franchises to make the postseason cut, but they’re pointing to their mix of playoff-tested veterans and young talent as a reason for optimism. 1189872 Chicago Blackhawks The breakthroughs weren’t just lucky finishes, either. The Hawks consistently generated great chances on their power plays, including plenty they didn’t convert.

Blackhawks’ power play, rather than penalty kill, neutralizes impact of During the regular season, the Hawks averaged 1.5 shot attempts (22nd Oilers’ special teams in the league) and 0.8 scoring chances (17th) per minute of 5-on-4 time. The Oilers’ best-in-40-years power play did its thing Saturday. But the On Saturday, they averaged 3.1 shot attempts and 1.6 scoring chances Blackhawks’ power play kept pace. per minute.

“Hopefully we can continue that,” Colliton said. “Certainly in the playoffs, there’s adjustments made on both sides. They’ll make some, and we’ll By Ben Pope Aug 1, 2020, 7:16pm CDT make some, and we’ve got to find a way to do it again.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 The Blackhawks’ power play exploded for three goals in six opportunities Saturday. Getty

The Blackhawks talked for weeks about neutralizing the impact of the Oilers’ historically dominant power play, the most efficient unit the NHL has seen in 41 years.

On Saturday, they did exactly that.

But it wasn’t their penalty kill, which tied for eighth in the league in the regular season, that accomplished their job. In fact, despite all the talk, Edmonton superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sliced through them effortlessly.

Instead, it was the Hawks’ own power play, which ranked 28th during the regular season, which kept pace and canceled out the Oilers’ presumed special-teams advantage.

In the end, the Oilers went 3-for-4 on the power play, the Hawks went 3- for-6 on the power play, the Hawks out-scored the Oilers 3-1 at even strength and the Hawks took Game 1 by a 6-4 score.

“We tried to work on [the power play] in practice for sure, because the regular season wasn’t very good,” Dominik Kubalik said. “We got a couple goals so it got the confidence going, which is always nice. We just tried to make it real simple, get the pucks to the net, get those pucks back after rebounds, and it worked pretty well.”

Coach Jeremy Colliton made a notable tactical switch to the power play during this summer’s training camp.

The Hawks left off in March with Patrick Kane manning the right side, Jonathan Toews manning the left side, Duncan Keith playing at the point, Kubalik playing down low, and Alex DeBrincat serving as the “bumper,” roaming the center of the diamond created by the other four.

But in camp — and on Saturday — the Hawks moved Kubalik to the “bumper” role and put Kirby Dach in the down-low role, demoting DeBrincat to the second unit.

“[Kubalik] is a shooter, and we want to find a way to release him in the middle of the ice,” coach Jeremy Colliton said, explaining the change. “We have two guys in Toews and Kane who are really comfortable on the puck on either flank, and [Kubalik in the center] allows us to be a bit more unpredictable in terms of where are attacks are coming from.”

The Blackhawks’ power play formation Saturday, with Patrick Kane on the right side, Jonathan Toews on the left, Duncan Keith on the point, Dominik Kubalik in the middle and Kirby Dach down low. NBC Sports screenshot

That shuffle paid enormous dividends in their first matchup against the Oilers’ penalty kill, which ranked second in the NHL during the regular season.

For the first of the three ‘PP’ goals, Kane and Dach drew three Oilers players into the right corner, Kubalik found space just below them and fed a wide-open Toews cruising down the left side.

The second, a Kubalik one-timer off a Toews faceoff win and Keith pass, didn’t require use of the formation. But for the third, Dach gathered a rebound and recycled it eventually to Keith on the blue line, and Kubalik dropped next to Dach — into goalie Mikko Koskinen’s sight line — and tipped in Keith’s shot.

“Our guys had a shooting mentality and we recovered a lot of pucks,” Colliton said. “We were able to get those extended zone times, where we’re able to get multiple chances, and we broke through.” 1189873 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.02.2020

Blackhawks shock Oilers in Game 1, earn first postseason win since 2016

“It’s a good feeling,” Jonathan Toews said after the Hawks’ 6-4 win. “It gives you that confidence there’s no telling how far you can go.”

By Ben Pope Aug 1, 2020, 5:41pm CDT

The last time the Blackhawks made the playoffs, they scored three goals in four games as the Predators swept them.

On Saturday, the Hawks’ first postseason appearance since that infamous 2017 series, they doubled that goal total in Game 1 alone.

Behind a record-setting five points by Dominik Kubalik, the Hawks shocked the Oilers with an assertive — and at times -dominant — 6-4 win to begin their best-of-five -series.

“On the outside, people may say that we don’t have a chance,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We’ve got a group that got better as the year went on, and now we have a chance to show it. So everyone’s excited about that.”

For weeks, the Hawks have banked on their roster’s unique combination of old and young players coming together to defy their 12th-place finish and produce a playoff run reminiscent of those of the early 2010s.

Colliton described it as a “best of both worlds” situation. The Hawks had five players in Game 1 — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad and Corey Crawford — with multiple Cup wins to their name. They also deployed three rookies — Kubalik, Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist — in key roles.

And up against an explosive but inexperienced Oilers team, the Hawks’ multiple identity-spanning approach worked to perfection.

“The camaraderie on the team is at an all-time high,” Saad said. “Everyone’s excited to be here, be in playoff action. And anytime you’re scoring goals, you’re hooting and hollering. It was just a great feeling overall today.”

After an early Oilers tally, the Hawks erupted for four goals in a span of just over seven minutes in the first period, taking -advantage of the Oilers’ loose defense and coach Dave Tippett’s questionable decision to start Mike Smith over Mikko Koskinen in goal.

A bad turnover by Smith — known as the league’s most aggressive puck- playing goalie — gave Dylan Strome the tying goal. Then Kubalik went to work, setting up Toews, Saad and Toews again.

In the second period, Kubalik shifted over to his goal-scoring talents. A ripped one-timer chased Smith (five goals allowed on 23 shots) from the net. Kubalik then welcomed Koskinen with a tip-in later in the frame.

Kubalik’s five points (after his three-point outing in the exhibition win Wednesday) are the most by a rookie in his NHL playoff debut. He fell one point shy of the overall rookie playoff record — and created numerous opportunities in the third period to get it.

“I felt really good,” said Kubalik, understated as always. “Everything went my way. Obviously it’s nice, but it’s just the first game, so we’ve got to keep going.”

The Hawks looked hungrier, faster, smarter and more cohesive than the favored Oilers, in the Oilers’ arena no less. The Hawks finished with a 43-29 advantage in shots on goal and 70-51 lead in shot attempts.

Indeed, they looked a lot like the poised Hawks teams Chicagoans saw in the 2010, ’13 and ’15 championship runs — and far from the talented but underachieving teams that lost in the first round in 2016 and ’17 and won just 32 of 70 games during this past regular season.

Toews, personally well-versed in the difference between contention and mediocrity, seemingly saw the same.

“Obviously it’s a qualifier, but you get one win under your belt and it’s a good feeling,” he said. “It gives you that confidence there’s no telling how far you can go. It’s playoff hockey. Anything can happen. It’s good to be back.” 1189874 Chicago Blackhawks Jordan — smoking a cigar after a Bulls title — on the front. Caggiula bought it on Amazon after viewing the “Last Dance” documentary.

“Definitely representing Chicago with this thing,” Caggiula said. Blackhawks in the playoffs? Chicago’s sports fans might as well rally around it OK, we’ll take it.

If we don’t get all geeked up for Saturday’s best-of-five opener between Goalie Corey Crawford also met the media — wearing a Sox cap. Should the Hawks and Oilers, we might as well stay stuck on our last playoff we take that, too? game involving a Chicago team in one of the big four professional leagues. Hint: It involved a double-doink. We ought not be picky. A playoff game is upon us, after all. Might as well enjoy it, and dream some impossible dreams.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 By Steve Greenberg Aug 1, 2020, 8:00am CDT

It’s a gift. We’ll take it.

Yes, I’m presuming to speak for the whole lot of us here, but how could anyone disagree?

We’ve got a real, live playoff game on our hands Saturday — or at least a kinda-sorta one — and did I mention we’ll take it?

Look, we’re taking it.

Because if we don’t get all geeked up for the best-of-five opener between the Blackhawks and Oilers from the NHL bubble in Edmonton, Alberta, we might as well stay stuck on our last playoff game involving a Chicago team in one of the big four professional leagues. Anyone remember what that was?

Hint: It involved a sweet kid named Cody Parkey and a double-doink heard ’round the world. As happy endings go, it ranked somewhere between a kick to the groin and a tire iron upside the head.

So, you know: Let’s go, Hawks!

I mean no disrespect to the Sky, who had a nice run in the 2019 WNBA playoffs, or to the Red Stars, who reached last year’s NWSL championship game and this year’s Challenge Cup final. I tip my cap to the Wolves, too, for reaching last year’s finals.

But the Hawks, Bulls, Bears, Cubs and White Sox haven’t exactly been taking us on postseason thrill rides lately.

Before Parkey missed that unforgettable kick in the Bears’ 16-15 loss to the Eagles on Jan. 6, 2019, the sports landscape here looked much brighter than it does now. The Cubs — still with some shine from their 2016 World Series title — had at least reached the 2018 National League wild-card game. The Hawks, owners of three Stanley Cups in the decade, still bore the scent of relevance.

And the Bears? Goodness, some people here thought they just might be capable of a run to the Super Bowl.

But the Bears haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season. The Bulls haven’t won a playoff series since 2015. The Cubs haven’t won a playoff series since 2017. The Hawks haven’t won one since clinching the Cup over the Lightning in 2015. The Sox haven’t been in the playoffs since 2008 and last won a series — a World Series sweep of the Astros — in 2005.

So, yes, we indeed shall accept this gift of playoff action. A rather absurd 24-team return-to-play NHL format is behind it all. The Hawks, with 72 points through 70 games, were last among seven Central Division teams when play stopped in March because of the coronavirus outbreak. They were 12th in the Western Conference standings — dead men skating — yet here we are.

Somehow, we made it into the bubble.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “So, from that perspective, we expect the unexpected.”

Maybe the Hawks will give us some thrills. Maybe they’ll take down the Oilers and their twin superstars, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the top two scorers in the NHL this season. Maybe we’ll get to believe for a while in maybe.

“Any big game, you get nervous for,” said Colliton, who’s heading into his playoff debut. “That’s how you know you’re alive.”

It’s nice to feel alive. Hawks winger Drake Caggiula met the media Thursday on Zoom with teeth missing. He wore a T-shirt with Michael 1189875 Chicago Blackhawks Elsewhere on offense, James Neal’s resurgence, Kailer Yamamoto’s breakout and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ consistency gave the two-headed monster extra support this season.

Blackhawks-Oilers series preview: Hawks’ hopes rest with Corey The Oilers are much shakier on defense. The Hawks allowed the most Crawford, penalty kill opponent scoring chances this season, but the Oilers allowed the ninth- Jeremy Colliton wouldn’t explicitly name a starting goalie Friday for most. Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom are a below-average top pair. Saturday’s Game 1, but it’s nearly certain to be Crawford. The Hawks Ethan Bear had an impressive rookie year. would have little chance without him. In goal, it’s unclear whether Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith will start. Koskinen’s .917 save percentage easily trumped Smith’s .902, but he has never played in an NHL playoff game. By Ben Pope Aug 1, 2020, 6:00am CDT Critical matchup

The Hawks will need a heroic performance by their penalty kill against Corey Crawford spent much of the fall in 2019 trending toward a backup the Oilers’ power play. role. Then New Year’s Day came and went, and something switched back on for the grizzled veteran. The Hawks’ penalty kill, led by specialist Ryan Carpenter, pleasantly surprised by ranking ninth in the NHL. But the Oilers’ power play, with its In 20 games since that point, Crawford’s save percentage skyrocketed to 29.5% conversion rate, was the best the league has seen since 1979. .928, keeping the Hawks on the fringe of the playoff bubble. “You know, as a killer, you’re going to give up shots,” Carpenter said Doing so behind the league’s most porous defense made it all the more recently. “It’s just the nature of being down a guy. laudable. In terms of goals saved above expectation (accounting for quality of shots faced), Crawford ranked fifth in the league during that ‘‘But [we’ll be] trying to limit the touches of McDavid and Draisaitl if we span, saving 10.9 goals more than he should’ve. can. [We’ll] try to keep the shots to the outside and do the best we can to let the goalie see the puck and be detailed on clears. All those little When the season paused March 12, it seemed Crawford’s heroics things.” wouldn’t be enough for the 12th-place Hawks. But after the strangest spring and summer the NHL has ever seen, 12th turned out to be X-factor enough. Drake Caggiula is far from a Hawks star, but everything points to him Now Crawford, 35, and the Hawks will begin their postseason journey possibly emerging as a key part of this series. Saturday with Game 1 of a best-of-five series against the Oilers in He played with the Oilers from 2016 to 2018. He’s motivated by his Edmonton, Alberta. expiring contract. He’s finally healthy.

“We’re excited,’’ coach Jeremy Colliton said. ‘‘We’ve done the work, done And his scrappy style and underrated scoring touch make him perfectly the preparation, and the guys have gotten better and better as we’ve suited for the postseason. gone here. We’re going to learn a lot [in the] first period just as far as how the games are going to go.” “Playoffs are tough hockey, dirty hockey, and I like to play in those types of games, those types of areas,” Caggiula said Thursday. Colliton, like counterpart Dave Tippett, declined Friday to explicitly name a starting goalie for Game 1. “[I’ll] do whatever I can to showcase that I can play this kind of style and play in these big games.” It would be shocking if Crawford — after battling back from COVID-19 to rejoin the team at the last moment — wasn’t the guy, though. He Hawks’ expected lineup participated fully in practice all week, stopped all 11 shots he faced in the exhibition Wednesday against the Blues and gave himself a vote of Forward lines: Dominik Kubalik-Jonathan Toews-Brandon Saad; Alex confidence Thursday. Nylander-Dylan Strome-Patrick Kane; Alex DeBrincat-Kirby Dach-Drake Caggiula; Ryan Carpenter-David Kampf-Matthew Highmore. “I should be ready to go, unless something crazy happens last minute,” he said. “I should be all right.” Defensive pairings: Adam Boqvist-Duncan Keith; Calvin de Haan-Connor Murphy; Olli Maatta-Slater Koekkoek. For the Hawks’ chances to pull the upset, he needs to be. Goaltenders: Corey Crawford; Malcolm Subban. His game readiness is really the only uncertainty left. He said Thursday that his puck-tracking came back quickly because he sees so many shots Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 in practice every day. He appreciated facing several St. Louis power plays, too. But there’s still one area that concerns him.

“Seeing through a bunch of bodies when the point shots come in, or when guys cut through the middle and shoot through traffic, those situations are a little bit tougher,” he said. “Hopefully, I catch up right away and get good feelings right away, but we’ll see.”

Crawford will at least get some help in front of him, with Calvin de Haan returning from December shoulder surgery and Connor Murphy overcoming a training-camp groin injury. Both are expected to play and will form the Hawks’ second defensive pair.

Scouting the Oilers

Making only their second playoff appearance in 14 years, the upstart Oilers began the season 7-1-0 before coasting to fifth place in the West.

They’re led by nearly unstoppable forwards Leon Draisaitl, whose 110 points in 71 games led the league, and Connor McDavid, who was three points away from his fourth consecutive 100-point season when the pandemic hit.

“We know that the top two guys in particular — McDavid and Draisaitl — they’re going to play a lot of the game,” Colliton said. “So our guys have got to be ready when they get out there.” 1189876 Chicago Blackhawks

Edmonton plays Chicago in game 2 of Western Conference qualifying round

By Associated Press

Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8, seventh in the Central Division during the regular season) vs. Edmonton Oilers (37-25-9, second in the Pacific Division during the regular season)

Edmonton, Alberta; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUALIFYING ROUND: Chicago leads series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers face off against the Chicago Blackhawks in game two of the Western Conference qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Chicago has a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the fifth time this season.

The Oilers are 20-18-6 against Western Conference opponents. Edmonton leads the Western Conference with 59 power-play goals, led by Leon Draisaitl with 16.

The Blackhawks are 19-20-6 in conference games. Chicago has scored 33 power-play goals, converting on 15.2% of chances.

TOP PERFORMERS: Draisaitl has 110 total points for the Oilers, 43 goals and 67 assists. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and 10 assists over the last 10 games for Edmonton.

Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks with 33 goals and has 84 points. Dominik Kubalik has seven goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Chicago.

LAST 10 GAMES: Oilers: 4-4-2, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.7 assists, 2.9 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game with a .916 save percentage.

Blackhawks: 6-4-0, averaging 3.6 goals, 5.8 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game with a .917 save percentage.

INJURIES: Oilers: None listed.

Blackhawks: None listed.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189877 Chicago Blackhawks The Oilers showed some life early in the second period. They made it 4- 2, again on the power play, when McDavid, behind the end line, passed the puck to Leon Draisaitl, who one-timed it past Crawford.

Blackhawks stun Oilers 6-4 in series opener Kubalik quickly got that one back, on the power play, taking a cross-ice pass and shooting from the top of the faceoff circle to Smith's left, sniping the puck over his shoulder and into the net. That was it for Smith. Associated Press With time winding down in the period, Kubalik, standing in front of the net, deflected Duncan Keith's blueline slaps hot to make it 6-2.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Rookie winger Dominik Kubalik scored two goals The Oilers scored two goals with less than four minutes to go to make and added three assists, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-4 win things interesting. over the host Edmonton Oilers in the opener of their best-of-five qualifying round series on Saturday. Neal scored on a goal-mouth scramble and Nugent-Hopkins tipped in Oscar Klefbom's point shot. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews had two goals and one assist. Brandon Saad added a goal and an assist and Dylan Strome also scored The game was played in front of tarps, massive video screens, and for Chicago. empty seats at Rogers Place, which is hosting the 12 Western Conference teams as the NHL completes the 2019-20 season. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists for Edmonton. And James Neal scored late for the While Edmonton, with a better regular-season record, was technically the Oilers, who trailed 6-2 after two periods. 'œhome team'• the sights and sounds of the game were neutral. Goal horns would sound when either team scored, and there were revved-up McDavid said the Oilers first need to review the game tape and go from announcements over the loudspeaker when the Hawks or the Oilers went there after dropping the series opener. on the power play.

'œThere's lots that needs to get done,'• said McDavid. Goaltending for the Oilers was a question mark heading into the series.

'œIt wasn't good from the start ... I thought we did a better job as the Both Smith and Koskinen had put up similar numbers working in a game went on of keeping it simple. That's what our team needs to do platoon in the regular season. Smith was 19-12-6 record with a .902 save ultimately is be simpler.'• percentage. Koskinen was 18-13-3 with a .917 save percentage.

Kubalik's five-point game was a continuation of the torrid scoring pace The real goaltending question mark was supposed to be Crawford. set by the 24-year-old Czech forward and a Calder Trophy finalist as the league's rookie of the year. The veteran goalie is seen as critical to Chicago's success, given its defensive struggles this season, but only began skating again last week He had 30 goals and 16 assists before regular-season play was halted in after contracting COVID-19. Crawford was 16-20-3 with a .917 save mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. percentage in the regular season.

'œWe got scored on in the first couple of minutes but I we came back Crawford looked sharp Saturday, but didn't see too many dangerous pretty quick,' Kubalik said. 'œI felt really good, everything went my way, shots. Chicago outshot Edmonton 42-29. Crawford finished with 25 so obviously it's nice but it's just the first game. We've got to keep saves. going.'• The Blackhawks, 32-30-8 in the regular season, were decided In Wednesday's exhibition game against St. Louis, he had two goals and underdogs. an assist. They were trending out of the playoff picture and finished 23rd overall Kubalik and the Hawks took control early in the matchup, the first in when regular-season play was suspended. They are the bottom seed Edmonton as part of the NHL's restart. among the 12 teams playing in the Western Conference elimination round. He had three assists as the Hawks blitzed the Oilers with four goals in the first 13 minutes of the game to take a 4-1 lead. The Oilers, with a 37-25-9 record (12th in NHL), were seen as the favorite, especially given they have the two top point-getters this season Kubalik then scored twice in the second period, his first goal chasing in the NHL: Draisaitl (110 points) and McDavid (97 points). starter Mike Smith from the Oilers net (five goals on 23 shots), and his second getting past Smith's replacement, Mikko Koskinen, to make it 6-2. McDavid was asked after the game if Edmonton, as the fifth seed in the Koskinen had 18 saves. Western Conference, took bottom-seeded Chicago too lightly.

Three of Edmonton's goals came on the power play. '•(It's) a team that has had so much success in the past. They're battle tested and they came out and did exactly what we thought they would do, Things looked good for the Oilers, and their top-ranked power play, early and we just weren't ready,'• he said. in the first period. The Hawks took a penalty and McDavid walked in from the faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Hawks UP NEXT goalie Corey Crawford to make it 1-0 at the 2:34 mark. Game 2 on Monday night. Then the wheels came off for the Oilers. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 Smith, notorious as a wandering gambler out of his crease, coughed up the puck behind the net to Strome, who proceeded to bank it in off his pad and into the net at 5:51.

On the next three goals, Smith got very little help from this teammates, who wilted under the Blackhawks' ferocious forecheck, often caught standing around or turning over the puck.

At 7:56, Toews, left alone in the slot on the power play, buried a wrist shot under the bar, glove side on Smith.

At 9:17, Olli Maatta's blueline wrist shot was double deflected in the slot to fly over Smith's pad and in. Saad got credit for the goal.

At 12:57, Kubalik swooped around the net and dished the puck to an open Toews in the crease, who redirected the puck past Smith. 1189878 Chicago Blackhawks can share their experiences in terms of what it takes and the feeling that it's worth it. ...

"At the same time you got a young group. ... They're very happy for the Toews, Kubalik and Co. strike early and often in Hawks' resounding opportunity to be here and maybe don't know any better. Game 1 victory "On the outside people may say that we don't have a chance, but (we got) better as the year went on, and now we have a chance to show it. John Dietz So everyone's excited about that."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.02.2020

The strangest postseason game in Chicago Blackhawks history got off to an inauspicious start Saturday when coach Jeremy Colliton's squad was whistled for a penalty after just 87 seconds.

A minute later, Connor McDavid gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead. Normally, a building bursting with Oilers fans would have torn the roof off Rogers Place with a deafening roar of approval.

Momentum firmly in their grasp, the Oilers could may have charged forward with a second goal and a third and a fourth.

Instead, that goal had all the pizzazz of a scrimmage goal at Fifth Third Arena.

And so it was the 12th-seeded Hawks who issued a resounding response by stunning the Oilers with 4 goals in just over seven minutes en route to an easy 6-4 victory in Game 1 of this best-of-five play-in series in Edmonton.

Rookie-of-the-year finalist Dominik Kubalik (2G, 3A) set an NHL record by racking up 5 points in his first Stanley Cup playoff game, captain Jonathan Toews (2G, A) had a 3-point day, Dylan Strome and Brandon Saad scored, and Corey Crawford made 25 saves.

It was the Hawks' first postseason win since Game 6 of their opening- round series against St. Louis in 2016.

"It feels good," said Toews, who is now tied with for sixth in Hawks history with 42 postseason goals. "It gives you that confidence there's no telling how far you can go. It's playoff hockey -- anything can happen. It's good to be back; kind of get that monkey off our back."

Said Saad: "The camaraderie on the team is at an all-time high. Everyone's excited to be here ... and anytime you're scoring goals, you're hooting and hollering. It was just a great feeling overall today."

Strome tied it at 1-1 at 5:51 of the first period by banking a shot off goalie Mike Smith's back side. The floodgates opened at that point as Toews scored on the power play at 7:56, Saad made it 3-1 at 9:17, and Toews scored again at 12:57.

Kubalik assisted on all 3 scores, notching the primary assists on Toews' goals with perfect, pinpoint passes in front of the net.

"He's been fun to watch and fun to play with on a line for sure," Toews said.

Kubalik ended Smith's day when he scored 6:32 into the second period, which was just 2:19 after Leon Draisaitl scored to give Edmonton hope. Kubalik notched his second goal 11 minutes later to make it 6-2.

The Hawks went 3-for-6 on the power play, while Edmonton went 3-for-4.

Game 2 is Monday at 9:30 p.m.

Best-of-fives haven't been played in the NHL since 1986, but history is now firmly on the Hawks' side as Game 1 winners in those series advanced 82 percent of the time.

The Hawks dominated nearly every phase of the game, beating the lackluster Oilers to loose pucks, digging them out of corners more effectively and standing up for each other when needed.

Right from the opening minute, the Hawks also stormed the middle of the offensive zone and fired off plenty of high-danger shots.

It was an impressive display up and down the lineup by a team that suddenly looks awfully dangerous.

"We kind of have the best of both worlds," said Jeremy Colliton, who became the youngest coach to win his Stanley Cup playoff debut since assistant coach Marc Crawford won with Quebec in 1995. "We have a handful of guys that have been through it and won the Cups (and) they 1189879 Chicago Blackhawks Later, he modified a three-fingered World War II gunner's glove worn by machine-gun operators in B-17 bombers as his goalie glove. Fedor even managed to play a little hockey during his 1951-55 service in the Navy, Constable: This octogenarian goalie blocked shots from 2 Blackhawk where he spent most of that time on the U.S.S. Perry, a destroyer legends, then finally retired manning the Mediterranean.

A draftsman, Fedor got out of the Navy and wanted to stay in Boston.

Burt Constable "I wanted to try out for the Eastern League," he says, recalling an established high-quality, semipro league. "But I couldn't find work."

Returning to Chicago, Fedor hooked up with a team that won its amateur Chicago Blackhawks legends Mush Marsh and Patrick Kane have a league, with the help of several Canadians who had been playing hockey couple of things in common: since they were old enough to walk.

1. They both scored overtime goals to win the Stanley Cup -- Marsh Not the best skater as a boy, Ron Fedor, second from left, latched onto pushing a slap shot past the Detroit Red Wings' goalie in the second the goalie position early in his playing career. The Mount Prospect overtime to give his Blackhawks a 1-0 victory and the 1934 Stanley Cup, resident, now 88, played competitive hockey until he was 80. and Kane scoring in overtime to give Chicago a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers and bring home the 2010 Stanley Cup. Not the best skater as a boy, Ron Fedor, second from left, latched onto the goalie position early in his playing career. The Mount Prospect 2. They both had shots blocked by goalie Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect. resident, now 88, played competitive hockey until he was 80. - Courtesy of Ron Fedor Fedor, who has lived in Mount Prospect since 1967, grew up playing pond hockey on Chicago's South Side and was a member of the first Styling himself after Boston Bruins' Hall of Fame goalie Frank Brimsek, amateur men's hockey leagues in the area in the 1950s. Marsh, after his "I'd slide toward the shooter to cut down the angle," Fedor says, playing days were over, served as head referee for that league at the admitting that he wasn't concerned about safety. Rainbo Arena on Chicago's North Side and would fire shots at a young Fedor to help him warm up before games. In 2012, just as Fedor's team "You're stationary and they're moving at 30 miles an hour toward you," finished a game, Kane skated onto the ice for Blackhawks' practice at Fedor says. "I got hit one time so hard, so hard, clean off my skates. I Johnny's IceHouse West and took a few shots at Fedor. was like a gymnast way up in the air."

"Kane took it easy on me because I was 80 years old," Fedor says. "The He smiles at the memory, which obligates him to explain his toothless day it happened, I was tired and weak, so I really couldn't move." grin.

In a matchup of No. 88 and the 80-year-old goalie, Patrick Kane "took it "Some of that is from pucks in the mouth," he says. "Fortunately, we easy" on Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect. Fedor "retired" shortly afterward; (goalies) would usually get hit in the cheek, so we could get stitches." the now 88-year-old still misses the action. When goalies began wearing masks in the 1960s, it cut down on stitches, In a matchup of No. 88 and the 80-year-old goalie, Patrick Kane "took it but not pain. easy" on Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect. Fedor "retired" shortly afterward; Longtime hockey goalie Ron Fedor holds a photograph of him in full the now 88-year-old still misses the action. - Courtesy of Ron Fedor gear, taken by former Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune photographer Now 88, Fedor says he might still be manning the nets if injury fears Charles Cherney. Fedor's hockey photo is in a coffee-table book that hadn't forced his retirement at age 80. includes portraits of stars such as Lady Gaga.

"I got wrapped around a goal post and broke some vessels in my arm "The worst one was when I started wearing a mask," Fedor says of pucks and shoulder," Fedor says. He healed, but he also has had a couple of to the face. "It's whiplash." heart attacks, and his teammates didn't think it was safe for him to return He's played in leagues across the city and suburbs. His photo -- taken by to action. former Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune photographer Charles Cherney, "They dropped me," he says. who played in hockey games with Fedor -- appears in a coffee-table book. "I'm in there with Lady Gaga," Fedor says, turning to both their When Fedor commits himself to something, he's all in. Every inch of his Images to prove it. basement is covered with train tracks for his elaborate museum-quality miniature electric train set, which winds behind the water heater and A photographer himself, Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect looks through chugs past his washer and dryer. He drove a suburban school bus for 13 some of his photo albums during his six decades as a hockey goalie. He years and filled photo albums with the photographs he shot of high says he still likes the era when the had just the school sporting events. franchises and goalies didn't wear masks.

What will his son, longtime paid-on-call Mount Prospect Deputy Fire With hockey season restarting, Fedor says he prefers the days when the Chief Mark Fedor, do with all those memories when the time comes? National Hockey League just sported the original six franchises.

"I don't care. I'll be dead," Ron Fedor says. "The old days. the '40s, when hockey was hockey," Fedor says. "To tell you the truth, because I'm not playing anymore, I don't care. It's not the Before he got real hockey goalie equipment, Ron Fedor of Mount same." Prospect used burlap bags filled with rags for his leg pads and a World War II gunner's glove to snag pucks. He walks over to a large equipment bag on his living room floor, near his glove and leg pads. Before he got real hockey goalie equipment, Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect used burlap bags filled with rags for his leg pads and a World "But," Fedor says, "all my stuff is packed on the floor and ready to go." War II gunner's glove to snag pucks. - Courtesy of Ron Fedor Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 Fedor started playing hockey in 1947 on a frozen Sherman Park, between Englewood and the Back of the Yards neighborhoods.

"I was interested in playing goalie from the beginning because I wasn't that good of a skater," Fedor says. "I filled two burlap potato bags with rags and tied them around my legs, and those were my pads."

A member of the first men's hockey league in the area, Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect played goalie without a mask until the 1960s.

A member of the first men's hockey league in the area, Ron Fedor of Mount Prospect played goalie without a mask until the 1960s. - Courtesy of Ron Fedor 1189880 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Drake Caggiula to have hearing for illegal check to head on Tyler Ennis

By Charlie Roumeliotis August 01, 2020 10:40 PM

Blackhawks forward Drake Caggiula will have a hearing on Sunday for delivering an illegal check to the head on Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced late Saturday night.

The incident occurred at the 7:42 mark of the middle frame, seconds after Ennis flicked the puck out of play and was penalized for delay of game. Caggiula's right arm made contact with Ennis' head, but he was not assessed a penalty on the play.

Drake Caggiula will have a hearing tomorrow for this illegal check to the head on Tyler Ennis in Game 1. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/kZfIloXwu2

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) August 2, 2020

Caggiula recorded four hits and one blocked shot in 11:25 of ice time during the Blackhawks' 6-4 win over the Oilers on Saturday. He has never been suspended or fined during his four-year NHL career.

Game 2 is on Monday at 9:30 p.m. and an official ruling is expected before then.

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How Blackhawks executed plan to upset Oilers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Qualifiers

By Charlie Roumeliotis August 01, 2020 8:15 PM

The Edmonton Oilers are the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference of the NHL's 24-team Return to Play tournament and it's no secret how they got there:

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid finished first and second in scoring, respectively.

The Oilers had the first-ranked power play (29.5 percent) and second- ranked penalty kill (84.4 percent) for a special teams sum of 113.9, which was good for second-best in NHL history.

That's it. That's their winning formula.

The hard part is the execution.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

To beat the Oilers, you must contain Draisaitl and McDavid at even strength and stay out of the penalty box. No team in the tournament had a worse 5-on-5 goal differential (minus-13) than the Oilers, who had a plus-49 goal differential on the power play.

The Blackhawks knew this going into the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, and they executed their plan about as well as they could have in Saturday's 6-4 win in Game 1.

The Blackhawks held the Oilers to only 17 shots on goal and four high- quality scoring chances at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. They also scored three power-play goals, which is something they did in a game once all season long. The Oilers also gave up three power-play goals only once this season, so it was a rarity on both fronts.

But here’s the real kicker: Draisaitl and McDavid combined for just three shots on goal in a combined 35:04 of ice time at even strength. The Blackhawks' top-two lines completely shut them down.

It was the power play, of course, where Draisaitl and McDavid shined. They each registered one goal and two assists for the Oilers, who scored all four of their goals on the man advantage — three on the power play and one during a 6-on-5 opportunity. The Blackhawks certainly want to be better in that regard.

But if you hold Draisaitl and McDavid off the scoresheet entirely at even strength, odds are you’re going to win the hockey game. And the Blackhawks did that in Game 1.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189882 Chicago Blackhawks

How Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews line bested Oilers' Connor McDavid line in Game 1

By Scott King August 01, 2020 7:11 PM

It would have been easy for the Blackhawks to collapse mentally when Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored a power-play goal just 2:34 into the contest, but they went another direction, scoring four goals off their next 11 shots in a span of 7:06.

Second line center Dylan Strome set the table for the Hawks' to show a profound level of resolve, scoring unassisted at 5:51, tying the game 1-1.

The best leader in hockey just put the @NHLBlackhawks ahead! pic.twitter.com/rUHe86KKqK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) August 1, 2020

Then, the Hawks' top line — with captain Jonathan Toews centering — scored three goals to help the Blackhawks exit the opening frame up 4-1. Toews scored first to break the tie, followed by Brandon Saad, then Toews with another.

The talk since the postseason tournament matchup between the Western Conference's No. 12 seed Blackhawks and No. 5 seed Oilers was announced was all about Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Conn McDavid, the NHL's top two leaders in points, respectively, at the time of the pause on March 12.

Now, after Game 1, the Oilers will be figuring out how to contain the Kubalik-Toews-Saad line, with an emphasis on Kubalik.

I thought Toews’ focus would be on his defensive game in shutting down McDavid, but he decided to do whatever the heck he wants. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/2T8BLj1Um1

— Scott King (@ScottKingMedia) August 1, 2020

"That line, Toews-Saad-Kubalik, they seem to have a really good understanding of how they want to play in the offensive zone in particular, and finding those holes in the slot, and (Kubalik's) got a great shot. Very coachable kid and he seems to be getting better and better," Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said after Saturday's game via a Zoom call with the media from Edmonton.

Kubalik added two power-play goals when the trio was dismantled but he assisted on each of the line's first period goals. When the rookie forward reached five points in the second period with his second power-play goal of the contest, he set two impressive records: most points by a Blackhawks rookie in a playoff game and most points by a player in their postseason debut in NHL history.

Related: Dominik Kubalik and Jonathan Toews lift Blackhawks over Oilers in Game 1

"Overall as a player, he protects the puck so well, he creates chances, obviously you can see how he scores goals. That helps our power play, that helps our even-strength game, and then just being a horse out there," Saad said of Kubalik after the game. "We always talk about protecting the puck, and making good zone (time) like that. He's so good at protecting it, drawing guys to him, making plays. Just an all-around complete player so that helps Jonny and I a lot."

Toews finished Game 1 with two goals and an assist, Saad with one goal and one assist and Kubalik with two goals and three assists.

McDavid and Draisaitl were thrown together for a total of 2:34 in 5-on-5 play in Game 1. The Oilers might be forced to start them on the same line in Game 2 as a nuclear option and take it from there.

Whether it's shaking up the lines or more intensity overall, you can expect a lot more from the Oilers and their top line, whoever is on it, on Monday for Game 2 in Edmonton.

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Blackhawks show they're serious about making noise as No. 12 seed

By Charlie Roumeliotis August 01, 2020 6:00 PM

The Blackhawks know they were handed a gift when the NHL included them in the 24-team Return to Play tournament, sneaking in as the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference despite having a 2.6 percent chance of making the playoffs prior to the pause.

But they won't apologize for it. They're here and ready to take advantage of this opportunity after missing out on the postseason in back-to-back years.

"We're excited to show that we belong and we could make some noise as an underdog," Duncan Keith said during training camp.

The Blackhawks put their words into action on Saturday, routing the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. Don't let the final score fool you. It was a one-sided game from start to finish.

"It feels good," said Jonathan Toews, who scored twice and added an assist to surpass Steve Larmer for fifth in franchise history with 113 playoff points. "We snuck in, got that last spot. Obviously it's a qualifier, but you get one win under your belt and it's a good feeling. It gives you that confidence there's no telling how far you can go. It's playoff hockey, anything can happen. It's good to be back, kind of get that monkey off our back."

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The Blackhawks led in just about every statistical category, including shot attempts (70-51), shots on goal (43-29), 5-on-5 scoring chances (22-16) and offensive zone possession time (7:15-6:49), according to Sportlogiq. They gave up the first goal 2:34 into the opening period but responded with four unanswered in a span of 7:06 and chased goaltender Mike Smith in the second period.

Dominik Kubalik, most notably, set a record for most points by an NHL rookie in his playoff debut with five (two goals, three assists) while the power play scored three times, which is something it did only once in a game all season long.

The Blackhawks came out with more urgency, confidence and, quite frankly, played a dominant all-around 60-minute game than the Oilers, who scored all four of their goals with the man advantage.

"We weren't good enough," said Connor McDavid, who had a four-point effort. "In every facet. Simple as that."

Teams that win Game 1 of a Stanley Cup playoff series have gone on to advance 69.6 percent of the time. But this is a five-game series, not a traditional seven, which makes Saturday's win even more important.

And the Blackhawks know they can't take their foot off the gas pedal.

"Edmonton is going to be very desperate on Monday," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "We expect them to get better and we're going to have to match it."

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Dominik Kubalik and Jonathan Toews lift Blackhawks over Oilers in Game 1

By Scott King August 01, 2020 5:00 PM

The Blackhawks won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers against the Oilers 6-4 in Edmonton on Saturday.

Here are four takeaways:

Hot first period

The Blackhawks appeared to be off to a slow start for Game 1 when they took a too many men penalty just 1:27 into the game and Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored 1:07 into Edmonton's man advantage, but that wasn't the case.

The best leader in hockey just put the @NHLBlackhawks ahead! pic.twitter.com/rUHe86KKqK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) August 1, 2020

Instead, the Hawks scored four goals on their next 11 shots in a span of 7:06 to lead 4-1 at 12:57 of the opening frame. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews scored twice, Dylan Strome scored the tying goal to make it 1-1 off a bank shot on Oilers goalie Mike Smith and Brandon Saad's goal made it 3-1. Blackhawks rookie Dominik Kubalik, who played on Toews' left wing, had three assists in the first period.

Stay out of the box

We knew going into the series that the Oilers had the best power play in the league at the time of the NHL pause, converting on 29.5% of their man advantages. The Hawks had a pretty good penalty kill at the time of the pause, tied for eighth in the league and killing 82.1% of their infractions.

No matter how good the Hawks' PK is going to be, the Oilers will find a way to score on the Power Play. It's best for the Blackhawks to just avoid the box.

After McDavid's first-period power-play goal, Hawks defenseman Olli Maatta took a holding penalty early in the second period, leading to a Leon Draisaitl power-play goal at 4:13 of the second off a pass from McDavid, and James Neal added a man-advantage marker late in the third period, cutting the Blackhawks' lead to 6-3.

The Hawks aren't going to be able to score a ton of goals each game against the Oilers (or are they?), so they have to stay out of the box because Draisaitl and McDavid, the NHL's top two leaders in points during the regular season, will find a way to score every time.

Chicago was only able to kill one of Edmonton's four power plays in Game 1.

What a playoff debut (and there's still another period to go) pic.twitter.com/q50uTPinFb

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) August 1, 2020

Kubalik

Following his three assists in the first period, Kubalik added two power- play goals in the second period, setting a new Blackhawks rookie record for points in a playoff game. The 24-year-old forward also became the first player in NHL history to record five points in his postseason debut.

Related: Why Dominik Kubalik is the ace up the Blackhawks' postseason sleeve

Crawford

Two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie with the Hawks Corey Crawford started Game 1 after recovering from COVID-19. He missed the first 12 days of the Blackhawks' Phase 3 training camp while quarantining at his home in Chicago.

Crawford saved 25 of 29 Oilers shots for the win.

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Dominik Kubalik breaks Blackhawks rookie record for points in a playoff game

By Scott King August 01, 2020 4:05 PM

Blackhawks rookie Dominik Kubalik recorded five points within the first two periods of Saturday's Game 1 of the Blackhawks-Oilers Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Edmonton. The feat broke Steve Larmer's record for most points by a Hawks rookie in a playoff game. Larmer had four points (one goal, three assists) in Game 2 of the 1983 Division Finals.

Kubalik also became the first player to record five points in his postseason debut in NHL history.

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Blackhawks news and analysis.

The 24-year-old forward picked up three assists in the first period, helping the Hawks score four goals off 11 shots, then added two power- play goals to help give Chicago a 6-2 lead after the second period.

Kubalik finished the regular season with 46 points (30 goals, 16 assists) which made him a finalist for this year's Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie.

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Blackhawks and Oilers form circle together during National Anthem before Game 1

By Scott King August 01, 2020 1:21 PM

Ahead of their Game 1 Stanley Cup Qualifiers matchup on Saturday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers formed a circle at center ice together for a pregame video presentation saluting individuals who made a difference in their community during the NHL pause representing each league franchise.

Then, the two squads remained together for a powerful speech on ending racism from Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, speaking on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance.

.@matt_dumba spoke on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance before Game 1. pic.twitter.com/nLFwkf2QlD

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) August 1, 2020

The clubs stayed in the circle following the speech with Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse both placing a hand on Dumba's shoulders as he became the first NHL player to kneel during the National Anthem.

The qualifying round series is best-of-five with the winner advancing to Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blackhawks are the Western Conference's No. 12 seed and the Oilers are No. 5 in the West.

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Blackhawks' Corey Crawford to start Game 1 of Stanley Cup Qualifier vs. Oilers

By Scott King August 01, 2020 12:32 PM

Blackhawks fans everywhere collectively exhaled when two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie Corey Crawford led the Hawks onto the ice for warmups before Game 1 of the Blackhawks-Oilers qualifying round series in Edmonton, signifying he'd be the starting goalie for Chicago, on Saturday afternoon after recovering from COVID-19.

For most of Chicago's Phase 3 training camp it was a bit of a question mark as to if Crawford would even make the trip to the Western Conference's hub city.

The 35-year-old netminder missed the first 12 days of camp, and didn't appear to participate in the team's Phase 2 small group voluntary workouts leading up to camp, but returned last Saturday — when the Blackhawks held their final practice in Chicago before traveling to Edmonton for the NHL's 24-team postseason tournament — to join the team for some drills and to participate in a scrimmage before going in early.

Following last Saturday's practice, Crawford revealed that he had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and quarantined at his home in Chicago before joining the team.

According to Hawks head coach Jeremy Colliton, Crawford joined Chicago for all of their practices in Edmonton. On Wednesday, he played half of the Blackhawks' lone exhibition game ahead of the tournament against the St. Louis Blues, remaining in net for half the game and saving all 11 shots he faced to help the Hawks to a 4-0 victory.

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Oilers beat Blackhawks, win Stanley Cup in EA Sports' NHL 20 simulation

By NBC Sports Chicago August 01, 2020 1:29 PM

The Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers kick off their five-game qualifying series for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday. One postseason simulation doesn't offer a strong outlook for the Hawks, however.

The Oilers took down the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in EA Sports' NHL 20 simulation. That obviously means they got by the Blackhawks in that same simulation.

The Official #NHL20 Playoff Simulation is in...

The Edmonton Oilers are your 2020 Stanley Cup Champions!

They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games to win the Stanley Cup! pic.twitter.com/1EDLyfaZif

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 1, 2020

Do simulations count for anything? No! So, don't hang your heads on this one, Blackhawks fans. In fact, here are three reasons why they could upset the Oilers in the qualifying round.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189889 Chicago Blackhawks We also got a peek into a potential pitfall for the league: bad ice. The NHL has never played this late in the summer, and outside humidity often means non-ideal conditions inside. NHL vice president of hockey Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily: The NHL postseason begins! operations Colin Campbell sounded confident last week that the ice would hold up. (Campbell said his group surmised that the bigger issue is when doors open and close, and thousands of bodies are packed in the arena, creating humidity. Neither of those things are happening, of Emily Kaplan course).

Several players noted the surface wasn't ideal in their first outing, though. The NHL's postseason is officially underway with the most And that might worsen when the ice is being overused -- especially in the unconventional Stanley Cup tournament in the trophy's 127-year history. next week, with three games per day at each arena. Ice technology has With five games staggered throughout Saturday between the hub cities significantly improved over the past several years, and to help mitigate of Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, we have a March Madness-style the problem, no teams will be allowed to hold morning skates at the buffet of hockey. arenas (only at practice facilities).

Here's a primer of what to look for in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup And hey, maybe it's not the worst thing if you root for chaos. The Playoffs Daily -- and make sure you come back Sunday. We'll be doing Columbus Blue Jackets were giant killers in last year's first round, and this every day until the Cup is awarded in October. they might come armed with a secret weapon in their qualification-round series against the hometown Maple Leafs. Blue Jackets forward Cam Saturday's games Atkinson noted the choppy ice after his team's exhibition on Tuesday but added, "If anything, it benefits our style of play anyway." Qualification round, Game 1: New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes, noon ET Bet of the day

The Rangers had a bit of a goalie question coming into the tournament, I feel like Day 1 of this tournament is going to be fluky and exciting, and it and it appears for now that health has made the decision for them: has a good chance to produce a ton of goals (even though almost every Saturday morning, Igor Shesterkin was deemed "unfit to play" -- get used exhibition game went under). So I looked at DraftKings for prop bets of to that terminology -- and Henrik Lundqvist was declared the starter for players to score two or more goals. It's a total hunch, but I like Chicago's Game 1. The Canes, though, might have an issue, as top defenseman Alex DeBrincat (+1300). Dougie Hamilton (who is nursing a new training camp injury) is out. Forward Martin Necas, who was considered iffy to go, is in. Outfit of the day

Qualification round, Game 1: Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers, 3 Alexander Romanov, a recent signing from the KHL, isn't eligible to play p.m. ET this summer for the Canadiens, but he sure is making a first impression with this bold introductory press conference choice: Plenty of sizzle and star power in this marquee qualification-round series. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid steal the headlines (rightfully so), but On his first real day with the Canadiens, Alexander Romanov is already don't sleep on veteran James Neal or youngster Kailer Yamamoto -- both the best dressed member of the team. #PandaMan could be X factors in this series. And while you know Patrick Kane and pic.twitter.com/fgDvOzV266 Jonathan Toews in Chicago, keep an eye on rookies Dominik Kubalik (a — Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 31, 2020 30-goal scorer) and Kirby Dach (the No. 3 overall pick in 2019 who improves by the day). Social post of the day

This series probably isn't getting enough love and it has a chance to be Say what you want about the effectiveness of the NHL players standing very good. The Panthers have a skilled and talented forward group. The in a unified line as a statement against racism and also simultaneously Isles have perhaps the best team defense of any team in this honoring frontline workers. But, it was also a captivating choice to have tournament. But, of course, all anyone wants to know is: Which version of 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara be sandwiched by the Blue Jackets' two smallest is showing up to play? The $70 million goalie, who had players, Atkinson (5-foot-8) and Nathan Gerbe (5-foot-4). The alarming an underwhelming first season with the team, got lit up in the exhibition visual led to plenty of punchlines, including one from Gerbe himself: game against the Lightning. Not great, Bob. When dad has to separate you and your brother @CamAtkinson13 from Qualification round, Game 1: Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh fighting #photoshopped #NHL pic.twitter.com/6emSOGy2mm Penguins, 8 p.m. ET — Nathan Gerbe (@NathanGerbe14) July 31, 2020 If there's a series most people feel comfortable picking, it's this one. The Penguins, fully loaded with one of their best forward groups in a while, Chirp of the day are heavy favorites against the measly Canadiens, who finished 24th in Brad Marchand is the league's preeminent agitator; he's constantly the league but snagged a summer invite anyway. The Habs' power play finding new ways to get into his opponent's heads, and his best stuff is bad -- like so bad it could single-handedly sink them. typically comes in the postseason. He's clearly warming up to his Qualification round, Game 1: Winnipeg Jets vs Calgary Flames, 10:30 teammates as he gets back into game shape. p.m. ET Point is to get it in the basket u guys are brutal This is the Saturday late-night game, and it's a series that Stefon from — Brad Marchand (@Bmarch63) July 30, 2020 SNL might recommend: It has everything! A goalie controversy on one end, and the best goalie in the tournament on the other. Super talented ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 forwards. Physicality and grit (this is the series most likely to get some close looks from the Department of Player Safety).

Question of the day: How is the ice going to hold up?

During exhibition games, we got a glimpse of the transformed empty arenas. I must say, the NHL did a great job. The way the league covered the unused seats is super slick; unlike watching MLB, you are never distracted by the fact that this is a game missing fans. The experimental camera angles might get some getting used to -- as will the artificial crowd noise -- but overall, it should be a great viewing experience.

Playoff Hockey Pick 'Em

Make picks throughout hockey's postseason. Compete for a chance to win guaranteed cash prizes every round! Make Your Picks 1189890 Chicago Blackhawks Seeing it, however, made Trina tell her husband that Mathew just became the first NHL player to do something that has been witnessed in professional leagues throughout the continent.

Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew Dumba’s moment, but is it What Dumba did and said can be viewed through two spectrums. One is enough? that this is a major step forward for the NHL considering the league’s history on addressing subjects like race and racism. The other, however, is while acknowledging the gravity of Saturday, we don’t know whether or By Ryan S. Clark Aug 1, 2020 not the NHL can show it is really and truly ready to make a stand like Major League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, the NBA and the NWSL have

done over the past several weeks. Charlie Dumba will always remember those games in different rinks Let’s start here. Race has long been an uncomfortable subject in the throughout suburban Calgary when he was coaching his two sons’ teams NHL. It is why in some part the famed “Saturday Night Live” sketch with and he required a word with an official. Chance The Rapper playing a Black hockey reporter was comical. It He told those officials that they needed to keep their ears open for what goes back to the fact that hockey is a predominately White sport that has was being said. Charlie let them know that he and his players were not come remotely close to looking like the rest of North American hearing racial epithets being used by their opponents during games. This society in the same manner as the NBA and NFL, where there is a larger is what he did as a coach to fight racism. As a parent, he was a White concentration of minorities who are either broadcasters, coaches, front man married to a Filipino woman who had to tell his sons – Kyle and office executives, owners, players or spectators. Mathew – to turn the other cheek. The NHL has attempted to address these issues with mantras and For now. programs like “Hockey Is For Everyone” or the “You Can Play” initiative. Furthermore, this is a league that has shown it can tackle serious social “I once told Kyle to turn the other cheek because we are not fighting this subjects. The NHL and the entire sport itself have worked to own the today,” Charlie recalled. “But some day, we’re going to. One day we conversation on mental health with Bell Let’s Talk in an effort to fight the might change the whole thing.” stigma commonly associated with mental illness. It is a league that has made a gradual effort to have programs like Pride Nights throughout its This is why Friday resonated so much with Charlie and Trina Dumba. various markets that allow LGBTQ+ fans to feel included. The same Mathew, a star defenseman with the Minnesota Wild, called home to tell applies to the incremental approach toward having more women in the his parents he was delivering a speech Saturday on behalf of the Hockey game. Strides have been made in the fact that there are women in high- Diversity Alliance to tell the game they loved that racism needs to stop. ranking positions throughout various levels of their team’s respective That young children should not have to experience what he and Kyle did front offices. Or how there are women who serve in different when they were boys. That maybe this inspires a new generation. broadcasting roles ranging from anchor to color analysts to directors to Hearing this left Charlie and Trina choked up. It left them at a loss of producers to sideline reporters with the premise that there are still not words. But above all, it left them proud. The only thing they could say – enough women and there needs to be more. beyond how much they love their child – is they were worried his speech Attempting to fully understand why the NHL has not taken that same might be too much to remember without writing it all down. Mathew directive with race and racism is a question many have asked over the assured his parents that he would be OK when the time came to speak to past several years with the idea those beliefs have intensified because a much larger audience. there is an international conversation about those subjects currently And that is exactly what happened Saturday. Charlie and Trina, along happening. Maybe the league showing it wants to work with the HDA is with the rest of the planet, watched their son give what might become a just that. Perhaps it is possible that seeing several White players like foundational speech regarding how the NHL and hockey as a whole can Sidney Crosby, Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Tyler be better when it comes to racism. For 2½ minutes, Dumba spoke while Seguin and Jonathan Toews speaking about race proves the league is standing at center ice next to players from the Chicago Blackhawks and ready to talk. Mathieu Schneider, one of the few Jewish players during Edmonton Oilers inside of an otherwise empty Rogers Place where his his time in the NHL, said the NHLPA is working as an organization to words and their meaning echoed throughout an arena and the entire make sure “young kids coming into our game should not have to sport. experience racism or bigotry.”

Dumba wore a black HDA hoodie. Blackhawks goaltender Malcolm NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hired and promoted Kim Davis, a Black Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who are both Black, woman, to be the league’s executive vice president for social impact, stood next to Dumba for the entirety of his address. He was measured growth initiatives and legislative affairs. She has worked to create more when talking about how “the world woke up to the existence of awareness around race and racism while also working with figures like systematic racism” and how it impacted society. There was the clear Arizona Coyotes team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, toward acknowledgement of how there are some who feel they have heard building partnerships with different organizations in an attempt to hire enough about a concept they think has received too much attention. more diverse job candidates.

“But let me assure you, it has not,” Dumba said. “Racism is a man-made Providing Dumba the platform to speak where he said the phrase “Black creation and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. Lives Matter” could be enough to generate the idea there are reasons to Racism is everywhere and we need to fight against it.” be optimistic.

That is where he spoke about what comes with being an ethnic minority But the fact it was Dumba who said “Black Lives Matter” – and not the who has faced these challenges. About why the HDA and the NHL are NHL itself leading up to his speech – plays into why there is doubt about working together to hopefully cease the cycle of racism at some point in whether the NHL is in the strongest possible position to show it is the future. committed to fighting racism.

“I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans Here is the thing that makes discussing race and racism potentially because Black Lives Matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a complicated. It is being able to distinguish the difference between nuance great game,” Dumba said. “But it could be a whole lot greater and it starts and nit-picking. What is fair game versus finding something that may or with all of us.” may not be there. For this is the situation the NHL has placed itself in by waiting too long to address racism. Any move it makes will be met with Players from both teams loudly tapped their sticks barely seconds after skepticism from a sizable number of people compared to other leagues Dumba finished speaking. Immediately, the national anthems of the that immediately took a stance and accepted whatever consequences it United States and Canada were played over the arena’s public address would face from fans. system. Dumba knelt for the “Star-Spangled Banner” while Nurse and Subban placed their hands on his shoulders. All three men stood for “O Take the moments building up to Dumba’s speech and how it all played Canada” before Dumba left the ice before the game started. out from start to finish.

Charlie said he and Trina did not know their son was going to kneel. American audiences watching NBC heard about COVID-19 and the challenges it presented leading up to the Blackhawks-Oilers game. There was nothing that acknowledged the international discussion about race and racism and the fact it has become the most controversial subject in “Who knows if this will break the mold for every Hispanic, Asian and hockey. If anything, NBC spent more time discussing how long it would Black player to break through to decide that if someone like Matt and the take a hockey puck to melt through a block of ice. Canadian viewers, rest of the HDA can do it, then they can do it,” Charlie said. “They might however, saw a nearly five-minute introduction on Sportsnet where the think, ‘If they did it, we can too.’ I think that’s the thing. All people and all network played “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley as a soundtrack to a kids are looking (for) is hope. Giving them that hope and making them discussion about racism. It started with playing Nelson Mandela’s feel like they are included and that they have the same chances as address from when he was released from prison. It continued by blending everyone else would be the greatest thing ever.” photos and videos with statements that were given by HDA members such as Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Evander Kane, Dumba, Wayne The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Simmonds and Joel Ward. Those players all shared personal stories that were followed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Danny Green, along with McDavid and Ovechkin all saying they support the HDA.

It is asking those questions about Dumba’s moment itself. Was it better to have Nurse and Subban around Dumba because it potentially presents a more powerful moment to see solidarity among minorities? Or would it have been better to have White players in that space as a visual show of support. Then again, one could argue having White players there might not have had the same impact compared to just minorities having everyone’s attention. But, if White players are truly on board with this movement, should one of them have been alongside Dumba to make their feelings visibly clear?

Even the timing of it all came into question. Why did the league choose a marquee matchup between the Blackhawks and Oilers in prime viewing hours when the game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers did not have a moment recognizing the fight to end racism? Attention was shown in a later game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It just remains to be seen if the league will continue doing this throughout the postseason.

The dynamic involving the Blackhawks and Oilers is something worth examining. One is a team that has come under fire for its name as many deem it to be disrespectful Native American imagery. The other is a team in the Oilers that has long been associated with players of color like , Grant Fuhr and Mike Grier. Currently, the Oilers have five minorities on their roster in Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Jujhar Khaira, Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto.

Another avenue in how this moment was measured was social media. The NHL tweeted the video of Dumba’s speech with the text, “When an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out. #WeSkateFor Black Lives.” Some will say the tweet was enough. That the league fulfilled its obligation to talk about racism. Others will debate how this is still an organization that could still not state “Black Lives Matter” in that moment. Especially when the NHL was called out for a since-deleted video praising White player Seguin for attending a protest filled as social media users pointed out it had not done the same for players of color who have fought for the cause and dealt with racism their entire lives.

WHEN AN ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN THE GAME, WE MUST SPEAK OUT. #WESKATEFOR BLACK LIVES. PIC.TWITTER.COM/MGMMGRM8VI

— NHL (@NHL) AUGUST 1, 2020

Other leagues, by comparison, do not have to face these questions or they face fewer of them because they actually have addressed the issue at hand while openly saying “Black Lives Matter.” The threat of losing fans is a reality every league must consider when taking a stance. But how many of them are also thinking about the fact that they might gain new fans who support them for speaking out against racism? Gaining few fans, especially those who are minorities, could serve the NHL in the coming decades considering White Americans are projected to be nation’s the minority population by 2045. That might be 25 years away but making an effort to show it understands the importance of addressing and fighting racism might help a league that is already at a financial disadvantage compared to college basketball, college football, MLB, the NBA and NFL.

Knowing whether the NHL can be a league and hockey can be a sport that appeals to everyone will arguably be the largest challenge facing the sport in the wake of Dumba’s statement.

People like Charlie and Trina Dumba believe that can be the case. Trina said that “hockey connects good people” and that she feels there are more good people than bad ones in the world. Charlie’s hope is for hockey and society to look back at 2020 and realize that is when a change was starting to be made because there were those who wanted to take a stand. 1189891 Chicago Blackhawks On the fourth goal, Kubalik retrieved the puck after Saad forced the turnover and located Toews at the front of the net. On the fifth one, Kubalik smashed a one-timer past Smith. On the sixth one, he redirected Five observations from the Blackhawks’ Game 1 win over the Oilers Duncan Keith’s shot.

The Blackhawks scored five goals and Kubalik had two of them, two primary assists and a secondary assist. By Scott Powers Aug 1, 2020 In the Czech Republic, Kubalik’s agent had to be thinking “cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.” If Kubalik follows his 30-goal regular season with a special playoffs, he’s going to get paid during the offseason … and It was a nightmare start for the Blackhawks. probably cost the Blackhawks another key player. Luckily, they have Olli Maatta jumping over the boards, casually skating into the play, already penciled Pius Suter, another European signing, into their lineup realizing he was the sixth Blackhawks player on the ice and hurrying to for next season. get back. It was too late. He was seen and the penalty was called. 3. The Blackhawks scored multiple power-play goals twice in their first 69 The Blackhawks had broken the No. 1 rule 1 minute, 27 seconds into the games this season. game. They handed the Edmonton Oilers, the team with the best power They’ve now matched that number in their past two games. They scored play, a power play. And 1:07 after doing that, Connor McDavid scored a twice against the San Jose Sharks, who have one of the best penalty power-play goal. kills, before the pause. They scored three power-play goals against the Sure, it was just one goal, but it could have been a crippling goal. Hockey Oilers on Saturday. It doesn’t count, but they also did it in the exhibition games have been decided by less. game against the St. Louis Blues.

But it wouldn’t be the difference on Saturday. No, the Blackhawks would The Blackhawks were hoping to have a dynamic power play this season. respond and respond and respond and respond again. It took off last season when Colliton took over as coach, improved its entries and gave Erik Gustafsson plenty of control. It didn’t carry over It was over like that. until this season, though. The Blackhawks’ power play looked this season a lot like it has in past years. The Blackhawks put a lot of talent The first intermission hadn’t even arrived, and everyone knew the on the ice, but it didn’t add up in any meaningful way. Blackhawks had knocked out the Oilers with four consecutive goals. The Blackhawks were leading 4-1 after one period. And even if McDavid and Why is the Blackhawks’ power play working now? Let’s get into it. Leon Draisaitl were going to be united and playing a whole lot over the remainder of the game, it wasn’t going to matter. Game 1 was going to First, Colliton made Kirby Dach the net-front presence. Though the the Blackhawks. Blackhawks didn’t miss Artem Anisimov at five-on-five this season, they missed his presence at the net on the power play. He got in the goalie’s The Oilers made it a bit interesting late, but it was still a comfortable 6-4 eyes, fought for pucks and scored off rebounds. The Blackhawks were win for the Blackhawks in Game 1. anticipating Andrew Shaw to be his replacement, but his season was cut short. 1. Does the game play out any differently if Mikko Koskinen is in net for the Oilers instead of Mike Smith? Maybe not, but it was still an odd As Dach’s responsibility grew, Colliton gave him a chance on the power decision for Oilers coach Dave Tippett to go with Smith over Koskinen. play, and he’s proven to be effective. He’s battling for position. He’s making himself an option. He’s retrieving pucks. On the third power-play As much as Smith might have the playoff experience, it seems like goal, Dach kept possession alive by getting to Patrick Kane’s rebound everyone who knows the Oilers knows Koskinen is playing better. Still, before the Oilers did. Tippett held his cards close to his vest, didn’t reveal who his starter was until warmups and went with Smith. Second, Kubalik is being fully utilized on the top unit. He probably would have had closer to 40 goals if he had been there all season. What’s Game 1 ended up feeling a lot like the last time the Blackhawks and noticeable with Kubalik on the top unit is how much he’s changing Oilers met. In that game, on March 5, the Blackhawks buried Smith with positions. He’s often in the bumper role in the slot, but he’s also stepping four goals on 21 shots and was relieved by Koskinen. They scored five closer to the net, becoming a second screener and finding spots out wide goals on 23 shots when Tippett made the move on Saturday. where he can tap into his big shot, too. He was in a different place for 2. We’ve talked about it time after time in recent years, but the each of the Blackhawks’ power-play goals. Blackhawks’ ability to land top European players has been an equalizer Third, Keith is getting shots to the net. Colliton has emphasized the for them in a lot of ways. Considering the number of times they’ve traded Blackhawks shoot, shoot and shoot some more, and they haven’t always draft picks and prospects and had costly injuries, they probably should listened. Gustafsson deferred to Kane too much. Adam Boqvist was have been worse than they’ve been in the past four or five years. tentative when given that chance. Keith has kept it simple and had But in signing Artemi Panarin, Erik Gustafsson, Michal Kempny, Dominik success. By shooting, he’s giving the Blackhawks a chance to score, Kahun and so on from Europe, they’re inserting top-six forwards and top- including Keith’s shot that led to the third goal. four defensemen into the lineup immediately. They don’t have to waste a Fourth, Kane’s not the only one handling the puck and trying to make draft pick on them or wait for them to develop. They’re mostly ready to things happen. His shot, vision and puck-handling ability will be given a go. ton of respect by the Oilers, but the Blackhawks don’t have to rely on Of course, Dominik Kubalik is the latest such player, and he might end up those skills. It might be because so much attention is being paid to Kane being the most important. that the Oilers overload, allowing Kubalik or Toews open space. On the first power-play goal, the Oilers were all over the puck and Kane, leaving And as good as Panarin was for the Blackhawks (and continues to be for Toews wide open for Kubalik to get him the puck. the Rangers), Kubalik might have the greatest impact. It took him a second to find his groove and earn Jeremy Colliton’s trust this season, 4. It’s one game, so I don’t want to go crazy, but the Blackhawks don’t but he’s been a difference-maker ever since. appear to be the same team that was up and down throughout the regular season. Could they be a different team? I’m not saying they’re a While Jonathan Toews’ performance will be a talking point, as The Stanley Cup contender, but could they be better than anyone guessed Athletic’s Mark Lazerus covered, Kubalik was wearing his own superhero coming into the restart? cap on Saturday. When the Blackhawks went up 4-1 in the first period, many people On the Blackhawks’ second goal, Kubalik’s ice awareness allowed him to believed they were capable of giving up that lead. That’s fair. The float the puck into an open area and allow Toews to skate into it and analytics and the Blackhawks’ recent history suggest that’s possible. But score on the power play. On the third goal, Kubalik got the puck off on the other hand, they do feel like a different team. Toews’ faceoff win, passed it to Maatta, skated in front of Maatta’s defender to create a shooting lane and played a role in Brandon Saad Aside from the power play, Calvin de Haan’s return may be bigger than scoring. we’ve discussed leading up to the series. He helps solidify not only the second pairing with Connor Murphy but the defense as a whole, considering Keith and Boqvist have built chemistry in the first pairing and Maatta and Slater Koekkoek have been a really solid third pairing. The Blackhawks lost a lot of games this season because they threw in Nick Seeler and Dennis Gilbert too often. The Blackhawks have also gotten better in Colliton’s system. They’re keeping more shots to the outside and winning the five-on-five game.

It also seems like a whole new season for Dach, Boqvist and Alex Nylander, who are playing in their first full season. They all seemed to take the pause seriously and have returned as better players. Being healthy and not feeling the grind of the season has to help players such as Keith, Kane and Toews, too.

Again, it’s one game and we don’t want to jump too far with any conclusions, but it’s a possibility the Blackhawks are by far playing the best we’ve seen this season.

5. A tip of the cap goes to the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba for his pregame speech. You could tell he was nervous, but he delivered the most important message of the day first with his words and then by his actions by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem.

“I know first-hand, as a minority playing of the great game of hockey, the unexplainable and difficult challenges that come with it,” said Dumba, one of the current and former NHL players who formed the Hockey Diversity Alliance in June.

It would have been nice to see other players kneel as well. It can’t just be Black players and players of color leading a movement if there’s going to be real change.

I had asked Toews earlier in the week if he had considered how to advance the message after he put out such a powerful statement through social media during the pause. His answer was what you’ve heard from a lot of players.

“It hasn’t been the conversation this week, obviously,” Toews said. “We’re all getting ready to play playoff hockey. It’s been a weird situation for everybody to get in this bubble situation. Literally, a short training camp, trying to get ready. But I think there will be a time that the conversation will go back to that. I think there’s been a pretty positive response from guys across the league. Some of the Black players in the league have been the front-runners getting guys involved and getting guys on the same page there. I think there’s been some great conversation progress there. I’m happy to be a part of that.”

I had mentioned Toews’ statement to someone I respect, a person of color, and that person said something that really stuck with me.

“Black and Brown people in the United States don’t have the ability to say that ‘there will be time for that,’ you know?” that person said. “Black and Brown athletes don’t have that option, either, and they been forced to the front of the conversation while also playing games. Why should White players be given that space? Why does the sanctity of their game need to be more respected than say, the WNBA?”

That’s all true. This isn’t about Toews. He was on point with his statement on social media and has taken action in the Chicago community, but there’s so much more that can be done. I know there are important hockey games being played, and not everyone wants to be reading about racial and social injustice right now. But it’s important. It matters. Black Lives Matter. Hopefully, the NHL and its players will amplify that message even more as the playoffs go on.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189892 Chicago Blackhawks How many times does he need to prove it?

Think back to the second round in 2010, when Toews was on his way to the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. After the Blackhawks and Lazerus: It’s still Jonathan Toews’ team, and it’s still Jonathan Toews’ Canucks split the first two games, the series shifted to Vancouver. time Nerves were on edge. The rivalry was reaching its zenith. In two games in Vancouver, Toews had three goals and five assists. They lost three games total the rest of the way, the 21-year-old captain ending a 49-year By Mark Lazerus Aug 1, 2020 Stanley Cup drought for the Blackhawks. Patrick Kane scored the goal that ended it, but it was Toews who set the table, posting 20 points in the

first two rounds. Oh, we all talked about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the best Think back to the second round in 2013, when Toews melted down in player in the world and the likely MVP, respectively. Can’t stop those Detroit and the Blackhawks’ magical, record-setting, allegedly hockey- guys. saving season was on the brink. He hadn’t scored in the first nine games Of course, we talked about Patrick Kane, “Showtime” himself, one of the of the playoffs. He took three straight stick penalties in the second period most electrifying players in the world and a quintessential big-game of Game 4 and the Blackhawks found themselves down 3-1 in the series. performer. We talked about Corey Crawford and his uncanny ability to He was on full tilt. Toews remained defiant, arrogant even, looking like a hop on the ice and be in midseason form with little ramp-up. We talked caged animal, pacing in place in front of his empty locker stall at Joe about Mike Smith and how his postseason prowess outweighs his Louis Arena as he stubbornly insisted to reporters that they could turn regular-season mediocrity, at least in the addled mind of Oilers coach this thing around, that he could turn this thing around. In Game 5, he Dave Tippett. We talked about Kirby Dach, the rising star who dominated scored. In Game 6, he had two assists. In Game 7, he simultaneously Phase 3 scrimmages; and Kailer Yamamoto, the Oilers’ own young calmed down and fired up a fuming locker room after Niklas standout; and Drake Caggiula, the former Oilers agitator and potential X- Hjalmarsson’s apparent series-winning goal in the dying minutes was factor; and Duncan Keith, the grizzled veteran tasked with containing nullified by a nonsense penalty far behind the play. His “We’ll fucking McDavid. We talked about so many potential difference-makers in the beat them 3-1” growl is a part of Blackhawks lore. endless weeks leading up to this Blackhawks-Oilers qualifying series. Think back to the first round in 2014, when the Blackhawks endured two Then the puck dropped for Game 1 of this strangest of Stanley Cup straight absolute gut-punch losses in St. Louis — giving up the equalizer tournaments, and we were all reminded — the doubters and believers in the dying seconds and losing in overtime each time — to open their alike — that the Blackhawks are still Jonathan Toews’ team. That the title defense. Toews scored a tension-breaking goal 4:10 into the first playoffs are still Jonathan Toews’ time. Even when that time is August, period of Game 3, which stood as the game-winner. He had two assists with no fans in the stands, and with the goal horn and in Game 4, and scored in both Game 5 and Game 6 as the Blackhawks “Chelsea Dagger” blaring over the Rogers Place sound system in marched all the way back to the conference final. Edmonton. Think back to the Western Conference final in 2015, when the weary The Blackhawks had plenty of things to hang their helmets on after a 6-4 Blackhawks found themselves trailing the rough-and-tumble Anaheim victory over the Oilers on Saturday afternoon — a thunderous five-point Ducks 4-2 in the pivotal Game 5 at Honda Center. There were less than night by newcomer Dominik Kubalik, a power play that scored three two minutes to go before the sluggish Blackhawks’ backs would be times, a dominant team performance at 5-on-5. But perhaps nothing against the wall. With 1:50 left, Toews scored. With 38 seconds left, he inspired as much confidence and as much optimism as seeing Toews scored again. Matt Beleskey scored 45 seconds into overtime, but the come up big on the big stage — soothing nerves on his bench, rattling deed was done. Toews was so far inside Frederik Andersen’s head that them on the other. After all, that’s Toews’ job. A job he’s been doing he had hung Tragically Hip posters on the inside of his skull. Andersen awfully well for the better part of a dozen years. A job he hasn’t had a gave up five goals in Game 6 in Chicago. Toews scored twice in the first chance to do in what seems like ages. A job he’s apparently still very 12 minutes of Game 7 to put it away. much capable of doing. Again, this is what Jonathan Toews does. This is who Jonathan Toews The Blackhawks found themselves down 1-0 barely two minutes into the is. His play is overshadowed by the more gifted Kane. His voice is game, a botched line change by a first-time playoff coach and the drowned out by the more vocal Brent Seabrook. His two-way proficiency youngest team in the tournament leading to a too-many-men call and the was often dwarfed by the inimitable Marian Hossa. Toews drew giggles inevitable McDavid power-play goal. The Blackhawks were likely and scoffs when the NHL named him one of the Top 100 players in squeezing their sticks into sawdust as the Oilers celebrated. The history, ahead of the likes of the deserving and Joe response by the inexperienced Blackhawks — a weird thing to say, but Thornton. Eyes start rolling when pundits talk about leadership, about all the Cups are owned by five guys — would tell us more than 70 intangibles, about desire and heart and all the other clichés that get regular-season games did. crusty old Hockey Men all hot and bothered.

And sure enough, Dylan Strome — in his first playoff game since he and But the proof is in the playoffs. And few players in modern NHL history McDavid were linemates for the Erie Otters — snuck a goal in off Smith’s have risen to the occasion as often as Toews has. It’s why the clichés all backside to tie it up and settle things down. fit. And after more than three years away from the intense pressure of the postseason, they clearly still fit. He’s still that guy. For the Blackhawks, Then Toews, with the help of his new running buddy Kubalik, took over. he’s still The Guy.

First, he cruised down the left side unnoticed during a power play, and Now, even with all that preamble and puffery, it’s just one game. The went top shelf on Smith after a slick backhand fling from Kubalik to give Oilers’ historically great power play still had its way with the Blackhawks, the Blackhawks a sudden lead. Barely a minute later, Toews won an who stumbled into a 1-0 deficit when they took a too-many-men penalty offensive-zone faceoff that led directly to Brandon Saad’s redirection of two minutes into the game. Crawford didn’t look quite like himself, and an Olli Maatta point shot. Less than four minutes after that, Toews scored was bizarrely slow to get up during play on Draisaitl’s power-play goal again to make it 4-1. He won another offensive-zone draw in the second that briefly gave the Oilers life at 4-2 early in the second. Edmonton can period that led to Kubalik’s second goal of the period. Just like that, the score ‘em in bunches, and the Blackhawks can give ‘em up in bunches. Blackhawks were #back. For one day, at least. Losing three times in four games has become second nature to the Whether he was out there against McDavid’s line or Draisaitl’s line, Blackhawks over the past three seasons, so even in a short series with Toews’ line dominated the puck. He was on the ice for 12 shot attempts the heightened importance of Game 1, there’s still a long way to go. But for, and just two against, at even strength. McDavid and Draisaitl could the Blackhawks go as far as Toews takes them. Always have. only make an impact on the power play, because they never had the puck otherwise. And when the puck dropped in Edmonton, the captain didn’t look old. He looked like his old self. It was surprising, to say the least. But it shouldn’t have been. This is who Toews is. This is what Toews does. He’s a walking cliché, the The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 unflappable leader who always seems to come through when he’s needed the most. Everything his critics say about him? Take out the mocking tone and leave the words alone, and it’s true. All of it. 1189893 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche and St. Louis Blues collide in Edmonton for series rubber match

When the NHL paused the season March 12, the Blues (42-19-10) and Avalanche (42-20-8) stood first and second in the conference, with the Avs just a point behind and a game in hand

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: August 1, 2020 at 4:39 p.m. | UPDATED: August 1, 2020 at 4:40 p.m.

The long-overdue rubber match between the Avalanche and St. Louis Blues has arrived.

These teams were originally scheduled to meet April 4 in Denver on the last day of the regular season. They will now meet Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, the hub city for the Western Conference playoffs.

The season series is tied 2-2, with each team winning twice at home. In addition to bragging rights, Sunday’s game will help determine the top four seeds in the conference when the traditional 16-team, best-of-seven tournament begins Aug. 11. The Avs and Blues, as well as the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, have a qualifying-round bye while they play against each other for seeding.

When the NHL paused the season March 12, the Blues (42-19-10) and Avalanche (42-20-8) stood first and second in the conference, with the Avs just a point behind and a game in hand.

“We’ve gotten better at playing the Blues over the last couple seasons and if we play the way we’re capable of, we’re confident that we can win hockey games,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said on a Zoom call after practice Saturday. “The Blues are the defending champs, they’re a real experienced team, a big-bodied team that plays the right way and make it tough on you in all areas. The way we look at it is, we’re going to have to be on top of our game and willing to check and play with some intensity and physicality. And we’re going to have to make some plays to win a hockey game.”

He added: “It’s good to get playing a meaningful game against such a good opponent because we’re hoping that’s going to drag the best out of our players coming out of camp.”

Bednar declined to identify his roster or announce a starting goalie against the Blues. But he said everyone is available to play — including defenseman Sam Girard, who missed Tuesday’s practice and did not play in the 3-2 exhibition win against Minnesota on Wednesday.

St. Louis Blues vs. Avalanche

When: Sunday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton

TV: ALT

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Avalanche in Edmonton: 5 things to watch in round-robin play

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: August 1, 2020 at 4:14 p.m. | UPDATED: August 1, 2020 at 4:22 p.m.

The Avalanche has a bye for the NHL’s qualifying round and begins a three-game round-robin set for seeding Sunday against the St. Louis Blues in Edmonton, the Western Conference hub. The Avs also play at Rogers Place against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Here are five things to watch as Colorado opens what it hopes is a long stay in central Alberta:

The projected lineup. This is unofficial and based on a Zoom call Saturday with Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, who said all his players are available. Forwards: Andre Burakovsky, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabe Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin, Vladislav Namestnikov, J.T. Compher, Joonas Donskoi, Matt Nieto, Pierre, Edouard Bellemare, Matt Calvert. Defense: Ryan Graves, Cale Makar, Sam Girard, Erik Johnson, Nikita Zadorov, Ian Cole. Goaltenders: Philipp Grubauer, Pavel Francouz.

Road confidence. The Avs led the league with 24 road wins during the shortened regular season and each game in Edmonton will feel like an away game. If they continue to play like the best team in the league outside their home city they will have a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

Momentum. The Avs are among eight teams not playing for their lives in the first 10 days of the 24-team tournament. They are assured of playing in the traditional 16-team first round but can only play three games before then, while their first-round opponent could play as many as five. So Colorado needs to find its game quickly during the seeding round, and be prepared for a team that’s feeling good after winning a five-game series.

Goaltending. Grubauer and Francouz are expected to share the net in all three games, meaning they might split one of them. Bednar has said he’ll begin the 16-team tournament with the goalie he has most confidence with at the time and based on results from the round-robin.

The power play. With all hands on deck, the Avs will present two very dangerous power-play units, and superstar MacKinnon might play on both at times. The Avs can be an elite scoring team at even strength, but a 25 percent power play augments that effort.

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Chambers: Nazem Kadri stands with Black players. Does the NHL hear them?

NHL fans made #Kneel4Hockey the most trending Twitter hashtag Friday

By MIKE CHAMBERS | August 1, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.

Nazem Kadri can sometimes feel like he’s playing hockey on an island and his voice can’t be heard.

A proud Muslim from London, Ontario, the first-year Avalanche center identifies as a minority with Black peers. Kadri is a member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which was formed by seven Black players in June during heightened coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kadri, whose family is from Lebanon, stood arm-to-arm with Black teammate Pierre-Edouard Bellemare of France and Black Minnesota Wild players Matt Dumba, a Canadian, and American Jordan Greenway during the U.S. national anthem before last week’s exhibition against the Wild.

After the game, I asked Kadri how that show of unity felt.

“A nice moment of solidarity,” he said on a Zoom call with other reporters. “I think with what’s going on in the world today with the injustice and the racism issue, I think it’s an important thing to come together and unify as players.”

Kadri then hinted at what Evander Kane later told TSN reporter Frank Seravalli — that the NHL can do more than simply acknowledge the Hockey Diversity Alliance. Kane is a Black player for the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks are among the seven teams not competing in the playoffs. Perhaps still-active players like Kadri should begin kneeling to get their message across — like players from other professional sports.

NHL fans made #Kneel4Hockey a trending Twitter hashtag Friday.

“As players, we have addressed (racism) from a league standpoint,” Kadri said. “I think we’d maybe like to see a little more acknowledgment and having them address the situation and know that they stand with their (Black) players.”

Kane told TSN that the NHL is dragging its feet in responding to ideas from the Hockey Diversity Alliance and that the league is too wrapped in combining other issues like mental health and women’s rights into what the HDA stands for — anti-racism. The NHL planned to introduce #WeSkateFor (add an issue) Saturday when the 24-team playoffs began in Edmonton and Toronto.

It’s abundantly clear that the HDA wants the focus on Black issues. So perhaps the HDA should come up with a better name to zero in on its focus.

“From a player’s standpoint, I know we all stick together. Hockey is a great game,” Kadri said. “We’re all trying to make the game more diverse and the diversity in the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on. So that’s an important thing for us to address.”

Blacked out. The NHL teased Avalanche viewers Wednesday by televising approximately the first five minutes of its exhibition game on NHL Network before honoring the agreed blackout rules it has with Altitude. Get used to it, local Avs fans.

There’s no end in sight with Altitude’s contract impasse with Comast and Dish Network, and we learned Friday that NBC Sports Network’s feed for Colorado’s round-robin games will be blacked out in Avalanche territory and only available on Altitude. Thus, Comcast and Dish subscribers in Colorado will be shut out.

The NBC blackouts are likely to continue into Aug. 11, when the traditional 16-team tournament begins.

This silent fight between billionaires will simmer the further the Avalanche advances in the playoffs, because NBC has the rights to those games. But until then, this could get ugly.

Denver Post: LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189896 Colorado Avalanche Akim Aliu, Evander Kane, Trevor Daley, Dumba, Wayne Simmonds, Chris Stewart and Joel Ward. Their primary objective is working toward eradicating racism and intolerance throughout hockey at all levels.

This is Nazem Kadri’s moment – Avs forward at the center of push for Race and ethnicity are two subjects that have long been associated with change Kadri as he remains an outlier compared to practically everyone else in a hockey dressing room. That was often the personal story told throughout his draft year. How the NHL could not only welcome a lottery pick but By Ryan S. Clark Aug 1, 2020 someday add to its ranks a player who might help push the idea the sport is more inclusive than most might believe. Kadri said he wanted to join

the HDA when he first heard about it because of what it stood for, along This was always supposed to be Nazem Kadri’s moment. Maybe this with the fact that there is a shared experience they can all draw from to was not the manner he or anyone else intended. But it was always make the game better. setting up to be that way. “We all had similar stories growing up when it came to experiencing Kadri is one of those figures often mentioned when the discussion turns racism first hand,” Kadri said. “It was seeing it with our heads and eyes to why the Colorado Avalanche are a serious Stanley Cup contender. and hearing it with our ears. We understand that it is out there and it may The legitimacy his arrival provided remained ever-present throughout the be stronger than ever. We felt like it would be important to take a regular season with a belief the playoffs would be the ultimate barometer grassroots approach by working with youth development leagues and for how Kadri and the trade that brought him to Denver would be judged. letting people know racism does not have a place in hockey. We are working to reduce that and have a great team to do so.” Kadri is still that but Wednesday reinforced why he is so much more than a man skating on an ice sheet. The 29-year-old was asked to expand on How Kadri arrived at this point started last July when Avs general the solidarity that was shown by himself and Avalanche teammate Pierre- manager Joe Sakic pulled off the trade to get that coveted, bonafide Edouard Bellemare along with Minnesota Wild players Mathew Dumba second-line center his team needed. The Avalanche went from being the and Jordan Greenway during the national anthem when the quartet stood worst team in the salary cap era in 2016-17, to falling a victory short of a side-by-side before an exhibition game. It was a scene viewed by many Western Conference finals appearance to end the 2o18-19 campaign. as a movement that far supersedes a rivalry between their clubs for a Nearly reaching the Western Conference finals showed the Avalanche moment in time. had the talent. The journey they took to get there, however, revealed Especially within a league like the NHL and a sport such as hockey more work needed to be done in order to make them a consistent playoff where race and racism have long remained challenging subjects for a team that could become a Stanley Cup contender. Doing so meant variety of reasons. bartering away one of the franchise’s most prolific players in defenseman Tyson Barrie, along with center Alexander Kerfoot, to the Toronto Maple “I think with what’s going on in the world today with the injustice and the Leafs. racism issue, I think that it’s an important thing to come together and unify as players,” Kadri said when asked about his moment with Yes, there was the emotional side of trading a figure like Barrie because Bellemare, Dumba and Greenway. “From a player standpoint, I know we of his longevity and how he served the club. He was a fan favorite and an all stick together. Hockey is a great game. We’re all trying to make it organizational staple who endured several difficult seasons. But what better. We’re trying to make the game more diverse and the diversity in softened the blow was realizing two concepts. One was the rise of star the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on. So that is an rookie defenseman and Hobey Baker Award winner Cale Makar. important thing for us to address.” Another was adding Kadri. Suddenly, the Avalanche were no longer this WE STAND PROUDLY ALONGSIDE THE @MNWILD AND OTHER cute, pet project. They became a legitimate playoff team that bordered on NHL TEAMS IN JOINING THE FIGHT FOR SOCIAL & RACIAL being a plausible Stanley Cup contender until that hypothetical became a EQUALITY. reality once the regular season started. On the whole, Kadri was part of an offseason haul that provided instant creditability when it came to what BLACK LIVES MATTER! PIC.TWITTER.COM/P3FTQCMGK0 the club was trying to achieve. A more granular view revealed Kadri was the cornerstone second-line center fourth-year coach Jared Bednar could — X-COLORADO AVALANCHE (@AVALANCHE) JULY 29, 2020 trust to anchor a second line that had become an a la carte of personnel Kadri then delivered the 35 words that provided a critical yet honest over the last few seasons. assessment of the NHL. Bednar started the season with Kadri centering a line with wingers Andre “As players, we have addressed that,” Kadri added. “From a league Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi. The line provided the offensive standpoint, I think we’d like to maybe see a little more acknowledgment production Sakic sought when he acquired all three over the summer. and having them address the situation and know that they stand with Kadri was the focal point for a combination designed to lessen the their players.” scoring burden on Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. He was also a vocal presence who, along with Donskoi, The gravity of Kadri’s statement added weight to those who have argued worked with Burakovsky to make him a more reliable two-way winger to that the NHL’s plans during the exhibition games have fallen short help that particular trio become the most complete configuration possible. compared to what has been done in other leagues like Major League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, the NWSL and the NBA. Kadri, even with the 19 games he missed through injuries, still averaged 0.71 points per game. That comes out to 58 points over an 82-game Saying what Kadri said can often be viewed through one of two prisms. season. It would have been the second-highest point total of Kadri’s 10- There are those who agree and fully support his point that the NHL year career. Regular-season success, while still important, was not the should do more to address the situation. But there are also those who ultimate criteria for which Kadri would be assessed. How he would strongly disagree with Kadri’s premise because they may think the perform once the Avalanche reached the postseason was going to be the league has done enough or in some cases, has given way too much determining factor. attention to an issue they believe is anything but that. “I think he has been unbelievable for us the whole year,” Burakovsky Is there a fear in being that open and honest? Knowing that there could said. “I’ve said it before, I think we’ve had four lines that are really good be a premium to pay for speaking out? and can play against any line in this league and obviously, there is Naz on the second line. He creates a lot of offense. I have been playing with “For me, honestly, I have always taken criticism pretty well,” Kadri told him for a little bit this year and he creates so much room for you and The Athletic on Thursday. “I don’t take anything too personal or let it makes you a better player. He’s been huge and he’s going to be a bother me too much. This is all about creating awareness and having that difference-maker in these playoffs.” education process and I felt like it was that. It was a good opportunity to do so. I think the NHL has realized this is an on-going issue that needed Enough is in place to suggest there are few players on the Avalanche’s to be addressed. As a member of the (Hockey Diversity Alliance), I am playoff roster who are in the same stratosphere as Kadri when it comes optimistic about a potential partnership with the league.” to expectations. MacKinnon is considered to be the front-runner among NHL coaches when it comes to which star players can lead their team to Kadri, the son of Lebanese immigrants who was raised Muslim, is an a Stanley Cup. Makar showed he could play critical minutes while executive member of the HDA. The group was launched in early June by finishing with six points in 10 postseason games, days after playing his Avalanche’s team Twitter account issued a tweet that read, “The diversity final collegiate game. So imagine what he could do now that he has a in the game doesn’t happen with racism still going on,” which was then stronger understanding of the NHL compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, followed by a “Well said, Naz” with a 25-second video of Kadri’s Rantanen is finally healthy and has shown signs of being the threat who statement. punished opponents the last time the Avs were in the playoffs. Fans and media criticized the tweet because the video cut off the part Kadri, however, is different. The overall regular-season success he has where Kadri questioned the league. The team responded to one tweet enjoyed is what makes him a venerable figure. But the suspensions he’s asking where the rest of the clip was by saying “we cut it for clarity,” while had the last two postseasons are why he has only played 19 times. For linking to an Altitude TV tweet of what was said to be the full interview context, that is just nine more playoff games than what Makar has on his when it was actually a 41-second clip of Kadri talking about what it was resume. What Kadri has done over those 19 games is reason for like playing inside of an empty arena. measured optimism. His career postseason production – 0.53 points per game – is lower than his regular-season career 0.64 average but there A few hours earlier, the Avalanche tweeted a video of the pregame have been enough displays to show Kadri can contribute. ceremony that featured Bellemare, Dumba, Greenway and Kadri together. The tweet stated how the club stood “proudly alongside” the But it goes back to the suspensions. He was suspended for three games Wild and other teams in “joining the fight for social & racial equality” during the 2017-18 playoffs for boarding then-Boston Bruins winger before adding a second line that read “Black Lives Matter!” Tommy Wingels to open a first-round series which the Leafs would ultimately lose in seven. A year later, he was suspended after cross- On Thursday, the team account tweeted the entirety of Kadri’s statement checking Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk in Game 2. Kadri was a repeat while adding “We need to do better, we’re going to do better.” offender and his absence was felt in another quarterfinal that saw the This comes more than a month after the club’s own fans were critical on Leafs fall in seven. social media about how the team could be better when addressing issues “He has to really, absolutely learn where that ‘no’ button is,” Altitude TV like race and racism. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the parent firm color analyst Peter McNab said of Kadri. “When you get suspended each that oversees the Avalanche, tweeted a statement that was used across of the last two years and you know the league has looked long and hard the Twitter accounts for the Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids and at those suspensions. That’s Toronto. That’s a big market. Those were Denver Nuggets centered around “eradicating hate” and “embracing big-time suspensions. He’s on their list. There’s no question. His leash is diversity.” probably as short as any player in the league as far as doing something The reaction to the statement was met with frustration from fans who felt where you cross the line. He has to understand that and maybe take a the gesture rang hollow because of a ceremony on Jan. 18, 2020, to little bit of something one time when he’s just going to have to walk away honor Kendrick Castillo, who died in May 2019 when he was shot rushing where he just doesn’t want to, but he has to. That will be part of the one of the shooters at STEM School Highlands Ranch. Castillo’s act growing for him too.” gave his classmates time to hide. The Avalanche honored Catillo along Discovering if Kadri could sustain, if not increase, his production during with fallen law enforcement officers at Pepsi Center while displaying a the postseason while also staying out of the penalty box was supposed full-ice graphic of the American flag with a thin blue stripe taking the to be the primary narrative surrounding him in the Stanley Cup playoffs. place of one of the 13 stripes. Some view that particular flag as a way of supporting law enforcement, while others associate the image as being a Like everything else in 2020, those plans have changed. political statement frequently linked with racism.

COVID-19 placed the planet and practically everything within its grasp on KSE did not respond to a request from The Athletic for comment. pause. The fact people were urged to remain at home played a part in how and why mainstream audiences in Canada, the United States and Kadri told The Athletic last month that he felt conversations around race the world at large could not escape viewing the eight-minute, 46-second and racism within NHL dressing rooms must be discussed going forward. videos where George Floyd, a Black man, died after a white Minneapolis That there is no way to “tiptoe around it at this moment in time.” He police knelt on Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the concrete. extolled how these uncomfortable discussions must continue to happen in order for progress to be found. It led to conversations about race and racism in metropolitan areas, rural communities and everywhere in between. Every facet of culture has been Now he is at the center of one of those uncomfortable conversations touched with sports being among the most visible. The dynamic between depending upon who is speaking. race and sports has existed for the better part of a century going back to This is Nazem Kadri’s moment. It did not come in the most conventional Jesse Owens at the 1936 Summer to Jackie Robinson of fashions. But it was always heading in that direction. breaking MLB’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. One way. Or another.

Owens and Robinson are only the start. Muhammed Ali was a revered “I kind of had a feeling they might ask about what we did before the game figure later in life but was vilified by a sizable percentage of people during but it just came from the heart,” Kadri said. “We spoke about doing his prime for his views on race, among other topics. John Carlos and something for the opening. Me and Matt Dumba, who I have gotten to Tommie Smith raised their fists at the 1968 Olympic Games in what know for a little while from the HDA, we spoke before the game started became one of the most political of statements ever made in sports in and we did it to start the game to show we are united and we are strong.” what proved to be a landmark moment. The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Race and sports are still tied together. Maybe more now than ever as athletes are not staying quiet. Even many who were once silent have spoken up because it resonated in a way they never felt before. This is why race has become a more prominent conversation in the NHL. More Black players like Kane have spoken and are being heard, as have White players like Dallas Stars star center Tyler Seguin.

“I think it was just a little bit of maturity,” Kadri said about his decision to speak up. “Growing up and obviously playing in a big market like Toronto, maybe you are a little skeptical about the criticism you may receive. Now, I think it is time and it is something that has been happening for a long time and that cycle is only going to continue if someone does not do something about it. This is the process that comes with creating these types of conversations and I know they are happening right now but hopefully, with everything going on right now, you hope people can open up more freely.”

Those 35 words Kadri delivered in his postgame remarks did more than offer an assessment about the NHL and race. It also proved to be an example of the perceived growing pains that exist at a team level. The 1189897 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020

Columbus Blue Jackets grateful for another playoff appearance

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

Nothing was guaranteed.

The Blue Jackets filed out of Nationwide Arena on March 12, shortly after the NHL paused on the 2019-20 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and no one was assured there would be more hockey this season.

"At that point, you’re just kind of like, ‘Well, we’re done,’" said Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, who spent his 13th NHL season trying to keep his team in the playoff hunt. "It was just a weird feeling. I’ve never seen a group of guys leave as fast, because I think guys were just … frustrated, like, ‘This sucks.’"

All the work the Jackets had poured into 70 games, all the bumps and bruises, all the painful injuries that took out nearly half their roster including star defenseman Seth Jones and leading goal scorer Oliver Bjorkstrand everything was at risk of meaning zilch.

No guarantees were offered, as hockey leagues across the globe canceled their postseasons, and players such as Foligno and Jones who've been around long enough to have a big-picture view of their careers knew they might get robbed of another chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

But they weren’t. And tonight, the Blue Jackets begin their fourth straight postseason journey with a best-of-five series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL’s newly adopted qualifying round.

In the past four-plus months, the league and the NHL Players’ Association were busy. They eventually hammered out agreements about a 24-team playoff format to finish this season, which officially started Saturday with the first games of the qualifying round, and they even added four years to the current collective bargaining agreement.

Driving it all was money, of course, because hockey and other professional sports are businesses above all else. Not too far behind, though, was the glimmering silver trophy that fills every young hockey player’s mind as they sleep.

This weekend is about the Stanley Cup. It’s about grown men chasing childhood dreams, this time while living inside quarantine "bubbles," and it’s also about getting another chance that was never guaranteed.

"Hopefully I play a lot longer, but nothing is guaranteed to get to the postseason," said the 32-year-old Foligno, who left his wife and three young kids behind to live in a bubble. "Even this year, with everything we’ve been through, this is an opportunity to put all that to good use all the grinding and uncertainty with our team. Don’t take that for granted, because you just don’t know how many opportunities you’re going to get."

For the record, this will be Foligno’s eighth kick at the NHL’s silver-coated can. The first seven came up short, and time is always ticking on a career.

It never stops until it does, and at that point it’s too late. That’s what makes these playoffs special, even if they’re being played inside empty arenas.

"It’s (four-plus) months now we’ve waited for this to happen," said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who hoisted the Cup in 2004 while coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning. "That’s how bad I think everybody wants this to end up with a final champion. It’s historic, as far as how this is going to be played out, so you need to embrace the opportunity as something we’ve never done before in trying to crown a champion."

In other words, it’s a rare gem.

"When you get to the playoffs, you get a taste of the playoff experience and you realize what it’s all for that chance to play for the Cup," said Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner, who’s in the playoffs a fifth time. "We put in a lot of good work this year that put us in this position, so we’re getting right back after it and know what’s at stake here. You get a chance to play for the Cup again." 1189898 Columbus Blue Jackets "He’s a game-changer," defenseman Seth Jones said. "He’s going against Tavares, Matthews, guys like that, some of the best centers in the league, and when he plays his game, he’s right up there with those Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella faces tough decision on who to start guys." at goalie Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

Coaches love difficult decisions, even if they may hate to make them.

Picking between two good players means a team has depth, and quality depth is one indicator of a strong team. Keep that in mind as Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella mulls his lineup for Game 1 of a best-of- five series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night in Toronto.

The biggest call will be the Jackets’ starting goalie, as either Joonas Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins will get the nod after making their cases to win the job. That included the two splitting the net evenly in the Jackets’ 4-1 exhibition victory Thursday against the Boston Bruins, setting up a photo finish.

"As I said when we started this, when we were allowed to start playing again, ‘We’re not in the (postseason) if we don’t get the play from our two goalies that we did this year — we’re not even close,’ " Tortorella said. "So it doesn’t surprise me what they did (Thursday night). I thought they both played very well."

Korpisalo started and saved all 11 shots he faced, while Merzlikins allowed one goal on 13 shots. He was beaten by Bruins star David Pastrnak shortly after taking over, following an unfortunate bounce, but stopped the next 12 in a row to close out the victory.

Those reading tea leaves may suspect Korpisalo will be the pick, based on him starting against Boston and Merzlikins playing well in a "relief" role. That’s probably reading too far into it.

"Where it sits when we play on (Sunday), I still don’t know," Tortorella said after the game. "So we’ll talk about it as a staff and we’ll make our decision."

The Blue Jackets were off Friday, but Tortorella plans to make the decision Saturday. He is not expected to reveal it until Sunday.

Foudy earns a spot

One of Tortorella’s final decisions was made for him, as Liam Foudy, a 20-year-old rookie, cemented a spot in the Jackets’ lineup for Game 1 against Toronto.

"He’ll be in the lineup," Tortorella said of Foudy, who had one assist and played 12:45 against the Bruins. "Where he sits on lines, I don’t know yet, but the thing I like about ‘Fouds’ is he’s not afraid. He’s not afraid to make a play."

That showed early against Boston.

Foudy hounded the puck from the get-go and then set up the game’s first goal with a long, backhand saucer pass to Boone Jenner for a tap-in at 4:27 of the first period.

Drafted by Columbus with the 18th overall pick in 2018, Foudy continues to impress after making a two-game NHL debut in February as an emergency recall from the , his junior team.

"I thought he did a lot of great things," veteran right wing Cam Atkinson said. "But what impressed me about him was he had a lot of really good reloads, too, breaking up plays (and creating) quick transition for us to go back on offense."

Promising sight

Pierre-Luc Dubois didn’t dominate much during the Jackets’ five intrasquad scrimmages in Columbus, which was a slight concern heading into a series against star centers Auston Matthews and John Tavares of the Maple Leafs.

It was a different story against the Bruins, as the 22-year-old center showed he’s still capable of taking over a game. Two prime scoring chances he created for himself didn’t work out, but Boston needed some luck to get through both without allowing a goal. Dubois also set up Gustav Nyquist’s power-play goal late in the first with a feed from the low slot for a one-timer. 1189899 Columbus Blue Jackets All parties are happy about it, too, GM and coach included.

"He was our best player before he got hurt," Tortorella said of the ankle fracture. "That’s where he came to ... and we’re expecting really big Oliver Bjorkstrand living up to hype that followed him from juniors to Blue things out of him as we start this series." Jackets Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch

Players with the kind of stats Oliver Bjorkstrand racked up in the junior hockey ranks can’t avoid it.

Whenever they top 100 points, let alone in back-to-back years, it’s the kind of thing that saddles them with a divisive word that makes scouting departments salivate and coaches cringe. The word is "potential," and it carries the potential of igniting heated debates.

Allow Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella to explain as it pertains to Bjorkstrand, a 25-year-old forward whose current NHL success is just beginning to match his output with the Portland Winterhawks.

"You know what, potential is a dangerous word for coaches," said Tortorella, who was told all about Bjorkstrand’s deadly accurate shot and playmaking skills by Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

"I think general managers like that word, potential, versus coaches, who need to see it. I know Jarmo and I went back and forth during those (first) couple years, when I was putting (Bjorkstrand) on the fourth line, cutting his minutes."

During that stage, Bjorkstrand bounced between the American Hockey League in Cleveland and NHL in Columbus, before spending his first full season with the Jackets in 2017-18.

Tortorella played him mainly on the third or fourth line, tasked with a checking role, and it wasn’t a great mix for a player with a slight build on a 6-foot frame. Bjorkstrand also didn’t fight all that hard for pucks, which drove Tortorella nuts.

This was the Bjorkstrand who’d come so highly touted, after putting up 109 and 118 points in back-to-back WHL seasons?

Yep, same dude.

"You hear the reports," Tortorella said. "Coaches need to see it. And, I think, at least this coach here, they need to go through a process as far as understanding what it is to be a pro — kind of waiting your turn. Sometimes general managers want that sped up a little bit. Those are the conversations that we have."

They can get heated, too.

Bjorkstrand wasn’t a highly coveted pick when the Blue Jackets selected him in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft (89th overall). But his next two seasons with the Winterhawks certainly jacked up the expectations.

He put up a 50-59—109 scoring line in 2013-14, the year after being drafted, and that was followed with a ridiculous 63-55—118 in just 59 games in 2014-15 — a jaw-dropping average of two points per game.

Bjorkstrand didn’t attain nearly as much offensive success in two AHL seasons with the Monsters, but his potential still followed him to Columbus. In fact, it haunted him in the NHL until the final two months of last season.

After studying the tenacity of former Blue Jackets teammate Artemi Panarin, another slightly built forward, Bjorkstrand went on a tear to finish 2018-19 season with 23 goals and 36 points for his first 20-goal season. It took him 28 fewer games to nearly match it this season, posting a 21- 15—36 scoring line in just 49 games.

Imagine what he could have done had rib and ankle injuries not held him out for long stretches, including an ankle fracture that required surgery in February.

"It was tough at times," said Bjorkstrand, who’s expected to play a key role in a playoff series that starts Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "(Tortorella) talks a lot about those 50/50 battles all over the ice, and it’s something he communicated to me a lot, that I had to be better in those areas and be more consistent. Once I started doing that, he trusted me a little bit more and put me on the ice in situations where I could succeed a little bit more." 1189900 Dallas Stars

Stars forward Tyler Seguin expected to return for round-robin opener against Vegas

By Matthew DeFranks 8:10 PM on Aug 1, 2020 CDT

Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Andrew Cogliano participated during practice Saturday in Edmonton. Both are expected to play Monday against Vegas in Dallas’ first game of the round robin.

Seguin, who was ruled “unfit to play” for Thursday’s exhibition against Nashville, completed the practice session. Cogliano, who appeared to injure his left leg during the first period against the Predators, did not finish practice.

“Andrew came out for a little bit, but that was the plan,” interim coach Rick Bowness said. “Go out and get a feel. He went through the first couple drills, and then we let him go. Seggy finished practice and battled hard. Both of them will be full-go [Sunday] at practice.”

Seguin should resume his spot as the team’s top-line center between Jamie Benn and Denis Gurianov. When Seguin missed Thursday’s game, Justin Dowling took his spot on that line, and Ty Dellandrea entered further down the lineup. Dowling and Mattias Janmark split time in Seguin’s spot on the power play, while Joe Pavelski (as another right- handed center) picked up Seguin’s minutes on the penalty kill.

In his 13-year career, Cogliano has missed only four games because of injury (three with Dallas in 2018-19 and one this season) and has played in all 77 postseason games.

“He’s survived a long time in this league, not the biggest guy but certainly one of the biggest hearts and one of the strongest characters in the league,” Bowness said.

According to a team spokesperson, forward Joel Kiviranta also skated with the first practice group full of NHL players. With Cogliano dinged up, it made sense for the Stars to use a similarly skilled player (speedy winger who can kill penalties) in his place. Dellandrea, meanwhile, practiced with the black aces.

Goaltender Ben Bishop worked out off the ice, and Jake Oettinger took his spot in practice, according to the spokesperson.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189901 Dallas Stars “If we want to talk about Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin, I’ll have that ability, so I’ll get off the world feed,” Vittorio said. “We’re pretty much at the mercy of how the world feed wants to handle replays for the most part.”

How Stars broadcasters are handling the challenge of covering games But the broadcast also has to deal with a four-second delay on Images from outside the NHL bubble reaching Las Colinas, which can make it tougher to cater the picture to Fox Sports Southwest's Josh Bogorad and Daryl “Razor” Reaugh will the audio. Here’s a scenario: The broadcast is talking about a save that broadcast games from their own bubble in Las Colinas. Ben Bishop made and wants a close up of the goalie.

“He’s going to be mentioning that [play] four seconds after what he sees actually happened,” Vittorio said. “And then I’m going to have to ask for it, By Matthew DeFranks 7:42 PM on Aug 1, 2020 CDT and then it’s going to come back another four seconds later.”

That process squeezes the already limited time during stoppages (which are typically around 20 seconds), and means an extra layer of planning Two thousand miles southeast of Rogers Place in Edmonton, in a and communication is needed. It’s obvious that the camera goes to the converted office in Las Colinas, Josh Bogorad and Daryl “Razor” Reaugh goal-scorer after goals. But what about other scenarios? are surrounded by televisions. There are individual 65-inch monitors in front of each of them. There are additional ones showing high-angle “What do you do on an icing?” Walsh said. “Who does the camera go to? shots of the Alberta playing surface. Which side? What story is Razor going to tell? Is he going to talk about the home team or the road team or a specific player?” In the 9 or 10 feet between the Fox Sports Southwest broadcasters rest seven Emmys, while bright white lights illuminate their faces for the Without fans in the arenas, the NHL has decided on a handful of cameras perched on top of their monitors. It’s an odd setup (into which measures that are intended to create a familiar feel. Teams around the no one else is allowed to keep it safe) for the Stars’ play-by-play league were asked to send the league their goal song (yes, Pantera’s announcer and color commentator, necessitated by the coronavirus “Puck Off” will be played in Edmonton after a Dallas goal), and other pandemic and the NHL’s rules limiting the number of people allowed in items typically used at home games. its bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton. The Stars sent the league three team vs. team animations, one for each It’s also the setup that will serve as the conduit between the Stars on the of their round-robin opponents in Vegas, Colorado and St. Louis. They ice in Edmonton and the fans in Dallas. FSSW is the only way Dallas- sent headshots of the entire roster and coaching staff, three opening Fort Worth area fans can watch the Stars when their round-robin games videos, and two intermission videos. They sent highlights of Seguin, begin Monday. Benn and Alexander Radulov.

"I feel like I'm trying to pick out a monitor at Best Buy or something. I'm The song played at American Airlines Center before power plays will be looking for a flat screen." heard in Edmonton, as will AAC’s goal horn. Public address announcer Jeff Kovarsky will welcome the teams back to the ice before each period. We're mighty happy to have @JoshBogorad and @Razor5Hole back on Anthem singer Celena Rae will sing the American and Canadian national the call @DallasStars | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/ODJgF1adsZ anthems. Fans even sent in videos of themselves chanting “Let’s Go — FOX Sports Southwest (@FOXSportsSW) July 30, 2020 Stars!” and “Dallas! Stars!”

The Stars begin round robin play Monday on FSSW against Vegas at (Vittorio is married to Rae, and helped produce the taped anthems: “We 5:30 p.m., and will play Colorado on FSSW Plus on Wednesday at 5:30 just did it in our living room. The acoustics are good, and we have a p.m. FSSW will carry at least three first-round games. piano in there. So we thought it would look nice.” In the case that the Stars play Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final, they will have to send the Being stationed in North Texas brings a variety of challenges for the French version of “O Canada.”) Stars broadcasters and the production team. Bogorad and Reaugh are calling the game off of monitors in their new studio, something Bogorad The NHL is also using crowd noises from EA Sports to inject cheering said he’d done only previously for auditions and promotional items. into a spectator-less arena. During Thursday’s exhibition against FSSW has little control over the camera angles or the replays on the Nashville, the league allowed broadcasts to choose whether they wanted screen, since a “world feed” is being produced by Sportsnet from a feed with crowd noise or without. Edmonton. FSSW chose the feed without crowd noise and will continue to do so.

“It’s a blind date,” Reaugh said in a text message. “You’re really excited, “It’s our stance that sports is the ultimate reality TV show,” Walsh said. “If probably overly chatty, but also filled with awkward long pauses, and you the reality is that there are no fans, it’s our preference that we don’t fake don’t know how or where things are going to go.” it. It’s our stance that we are not going to take and augment the The world feed is not a new development in the world of sports, but it broadcast with fake sounds. Now, we can’t control what gets played out hasn’t been used as widely across American sports. During World Cups on the jumbotron and the arena speakers, we’re going to pick that up no or Olympics, one feed is produced onsite and then distributed around the matter what.” world, as announcers for different outlets then call the game like normal For a play-by-play announcer such as Bogorad, crowd noise can be a and broadcasts use their own graphics and sound effects. powerful storytelling tool on the air. After John Klingberg scored the But typically during a season, each broadcast team will have many series-clinching goal against Nashville in Game 6 of the first round last camera angles from which to choose and can pick which replays to show season, Bogorad let the moment breathe, and allowed the fans at AAC to fans. That allows each outlet to cater their story telling to their home deliver the tale of the moment. audience and take advantage of their announcers’ ability to break down In a sterile Rogers Place, he wouldn’t be able to do that. But it’s not a plays, something that Reaugh has specialized in for decades in Dallas. completely foreign feeling, Bogorad said, because big goals happen all “Razor has his work cut out for having to follow the storyline that’s being the time on the road. presented on TV by the director, which they don’t have a lot of control Benn beat the Oilers in overtime on the road and Seguin beat the over,” FSSW executive producer Jason Walsh said. “And trying to follow Canadiens in Montreal, and both times the broadcast couldn’t count on the replay sequences that he hasn’t been able to talk to his producer crowd noise to deliver the message. about because the producer hasn’t been told what’s coming. “If [Klingberg’s goal] happens at Bridgestone Arena, it’s the same “It’s just coming, and you’ve got to follow. As Razor likes to say when we amazing moment, but I promise you that Nashville crowd doesn’t sound get into situations like this, we’re doing radio for TV.” the same as they did that night at the American Airlines Center,” Bogorad Mark Vittorio, who directs Stars games on FSSW, said they have control said. over one camera in Edmonton, meaning he can instruct the camera Glenn Cummins, an associate professor at Texas Tech who has operator what to shoot and when. This can come in handy during researched sports media, conducted a study in 2018 whether crowd stoppages of play, when Reaugh wants to spotlight a certain player or noise affected the audience’s interest in a game. Half of his test group topic. heard a soccer broadcast normally, while the other half heard enhanced crowd noise. He did not test what effect no crowd noise had, since he believed that would not happen.

“As they heard the crowd getting more excited, they rated the competition itself as more exciting,” Cummins said. “Some pretty strong and transparent evidence that we follow those social cues when we’re watching the competition. The response of the people around us has a great influence on how we perceive what’s happening on the field.”

Cummins also said he recognized the desire to not artificially add noise to current broadcasts.

“We’re going to look back years from now and say ‘Hey, do you remember that season where the NBA played at Disney World and there was nobody in the stands?’” Cummins said. “And to artificially manipulate that is a violation of this important historical event.”

It’s just one more abnormality for FSSW and its Stars broadcast.

“We anticipate Dallas Stars hockey to look like it always has,” Walsh said, “as much is within our control.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189902 Dallas Stars Players aren’t supposed to visit each others’ rooms, and they said that hasn’t been an issue because the lounge is so accommodating.

The lounge is also close to the lounges for the Nashville Predators and After a week, here is what we know about Stars’ life inside the bubble Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas players aren’t playing mingling with players from other teams, but it’s impossible to not see other NHL players while going to and from the lounge. The elevator states it can By Sean Shapiro Aug 1, 2020 only house three people at a time, so if a Stars player is traveling by himself on the elevator he could, in theory, share it with a Predator or a

Golden Knight. Dallas Stars goalie coach Jeff Reese was ready to pay for his coffee at Golf is a huge part of the Stars lifestyle and the team is having a golf net the Tim Hortons’ food truck outside the JW Marriott in Edmonton. set up in the lounge that was ordered through the concierge program. The attendant stopped him. It was free. The concierge program allows players to get things from the outside world. The Stars, for example, have placed orders for specific snacks in “So the next day, when I knew it was free, I ordered a muffin,” Reese the lounge, with contactless delivery. said. “The guy still wouldn’t let me tip him.” The concierge program is also the solution for some of the Stars’ Picking up his coffee has become part of the routine for Reese since the gamers, who would be able to order something if needed from the local Stars entered the NHL’s bubble in Alberta. He’s been at the truck at 6 Best Buy a.m., typically joined by other Western Conference coaches and executives who are trying to get their Tim’s fix. The players also have a lounge in Rogers Place where they can watch games. The Stars players weren’t allowed to watch the other exhibition So far, the NHL has rolled out a pretty swanky setup for those in the games in person because the NHL wanted players to bunker down more bubble, but the biggest talking point for those from the inside has been during the first five days as the bubble was forming. Many of the Stars the chance to snag free coffee from a Canadian staple. players plan to watch games on Saturday when play-in round action starts. We aren’t in Alberta or allowed into the bubble — none of the independent media outlets are — but here’s what we’ve gathered about During those first five days, players had to eat in a team’s lounge or the Stars’ life in the bubble since they arrived on Sunday on a charter specific restaurant at a certain time. After those five days, the bubble from Love Field. became less restrictive and the players were able to eat at any of the restaurants. The steak house in the JW opened on Friday evening and For many of the players, this is the first time they’ve ever used the several Stars players were scrambling to get a good reservation time. drawers in a hotel room. Instead of the typical road trip setup of bringing clothes and maybe an iPad, the players loaded the charter with Room service is also available 24 hours a day, while players can order entertainment options and more casual dress since the team decided from outside the bubble with Uber Eats, DoorDash and Skip the Dishes. players wouldn’t wear suits on game days. Those meals are delivered to the hotel and brought into the bubble by a hotel employee before the players can pick them up. Many players loaded up with Xboxes or PlayStation, while Stephen Johns brought a gaming computer. Some of the players brought their Players do get their daily per diem of $111 on non-game days and $55 own monitors for gaming, while others have plugged their gaming on game days — this is because teams have to provide dinner on game systems into the TV in the hotel room. This was harder than expected for day. In theory, this is how they are paying for food, but being able to some of them, and there were calls to the hotel lobby to go over how they afford Uber Eats or DoorDash really isn’t that big of an issue. As one could best make the setup work. player said via text, “that per diem is getting spent at the card table.”

The WiFi, which we learned about earlier this week, is better in some The Stars players do have to walk to Rogers Place each day for COVID- parts of the hotel than others. Players have said it also depends greatly 19 molecular testing and each player has a health app on their phone for on what you are trying to get done. It’s fine for streaming a movie, but using the system. Everyone in the traveling party has to complete a gaming — especially in the evening — has been interrupted by lagging questionnaire on the app before leaving their room and if a symptom connections. raises a red flag, the Stars training staff is alerted.

The Stars’ video coaches do have their own suite with a hard wire, so Each night, the Stars have to file a report with the league that all there haven’t been any interruptions when it comes to getting work done members were compliant with the health rules. Stars assistant general with film or scouting. manager Mark Janko is the compliance officer for this trip, and he is the one who files the report. Some players have been using the time to focus on school work. Jason Dickinson is taking an accounting class, for example, while Ty Dellandrea Players must wear masks and honor social distancing, this is something brought a few books, including The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan the NHL is taking seriously after it was given permission from the Holiday. Canadian government to skirt the 14-day quarantine applied to everyone else entering the country. It hasn’t happened with the Stars, but there As one of the top six teams in the Western Conference, the Stars are have been some teams getting emails with warnings after players have stationed in the JW Marriott and not the Tom Gaglardi-owned Sutton been too close or not wearing a mask in the courtyard. Place where the teams ranked seventh through 12th in points percentage are housed. For other NHL teams, the JW is the typical hotel of choice in The practice rink is its second mini bubble where the Stars have their Edmonton. For the Stars, this is a new development since it’s bad own space and access to weight rooms. The Stars’ closest neighbor at business for Gaglardi’s NHL team to not stay at Gaglardi’s hotel. the practice rink is once against Nashville, so like the Winter Classic and the playoffs in 2019 the two Central Division rivals have seen a lot of The Stars have two floors with everyone in the 51-person traveling party each other this past week. getting their own room. A 52nd, a team doctor, will arrive in mid-August. Until then the Stars are using a doctor provided by the Oilers. Seniority It’s about a 30-minute drive from the hotel. There are times, like and hierarchy determine who gets the nicest digs. Wednesday, when the bus was caught in traffic and caused Stars interim coach Rick Bowness to push back his media availability. Each team has This is a task that falls on Stars director of team services Jason a dedicated bus driver; the Stars have given the bus driver a team-issued Rademan, who got the list of room types (suites, kings, queens) from the hat and jacket to wear while transporting the team. hotel and then assigned room numbers to each individual. Players within the Stars leadership group and the veterans got the nicest and largest The media availability has been conducted via Zoom with players in a rooms. Those on the taxi squad ended up last in the pecking order. press-conference setting, but without any reporters present. The players are able to hear the questions, but can’t see the media. It’s almost like Dallas has a team lounge that features two televisions — one has a the Wizard of Oz, with media somewhere behind a curtain in, PlayStation setup — and couches where the players can hang out as a presumably, their home offices. team. There’s a ping-pong table as well as a few card tables. These things were of high priority for Dallas (and many NHL teams) because As time in the bubble extends, players have been told they’ll be able to cards are the go-to social activity for the Stars veterans. take part in excursions. For the Stars, this likely means plenty of golf. Most players didn’t pack clubs so they were curious of what quality of rental clubs they’ll be able to get with their tee times.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189903 Detroit Red Wings was appointed GM of the Wings, April 19, 2019, Yzerman has been steadfast in backing Jeff Blashill, doing so before the 2019-20 season, at the 2020 trade deadline, and again after the season ended.

Should Detroit Red Wings pay Seattle Kraken to rid roster of Furthermore, Babcock left the Wings because he foresaw the team’s underachiever? struggles. After the Game 7 loss in Tampa Bay in 2015, Babcock Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 2:35 p.m. ET Aug. 1, wondered who would replace Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk as 2020 | Updated 4:30 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2020 they aged into their mid-30s.

“We've got lots of good young players, no question about it, and ideally we've got some good ones coming," Babcock said. "But who is going to Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman on a Zoom call following the news replace Pav? … In the end, you've got to have big-time players up the he'll pick fourth in the 2020 draft. Detroit Free Press middle and on the back to be successful. So those are questions in our organization that we work towards and we've been drafting good and What is it worth paying to jettison an underachieving player? developing good, but we've been winning too much. That's the facts.” That’s the topic of this edition of Detroit Red Wings mailbag. The NHL’s The Wings did try to keep Babcock, offering him $3.25 million a year for 32nd club, the Seattle Kraken, will stock its roster next June from a list of four years. But the Maple Leafs offered twice the term and $50 million — players made available by 30 teams (Vegas is exempt). and the lure of being the guy who’d guide the Leafs back to playoff glory. The Kraken has to select one player from every club, and has quite the (They haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967.) Babcock failed to do so example to follow, as the Golden Knights used the 2017 expansion draft — the Leafs didn’t qualify in 2016, and were bounced in the first round in to build a team that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in its 2017, ’18 and ’19. inaugural season. The Knights made the playoffs again in 2019 and Detroit Free Press LOADED: 08.02.2020 2020.

Teams can protect either seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or eight skaters (regardless of position) and one goaltender. I laid out a scenario of who the Wings are likely to protect July 26, noting that teams can make pre-arranged deals to decide who Seattle will draft.

A reader, C. Josefs, suggested Steve Yzerman should do so to get rid of either Justin Abdelkader or Frans Nielsen, writing “I would not be opposed to Yzerman shedding a bad contract if the “sweetener” was a third- or fourth-round draft choice or even a prospect. … Is Seattle in the same powerful position as Vegas was to demand high compensation for taking on bad contracts?”

[ Believe it or not, Frans Nielsen can still help the Wings. Here's how ]

The expansion rules in place for 2017 and 2021 make it tough for teams to protect everyone desired. The parameters were designed to give a new franchise a chance to be competitive from the get-go, and rightfully so, considering Vegas paid $500 million to join and Seattle paid $650 million. (That’s a staggering 30% inflation in just a few years.)

It wasn’t so much that Vegas was powerful as that several GMs gambled on deals to protect assets. Minnesota for example, was so desperate to ensure the Knights did not select Matt Dumba or Marco Scandella that the Wild agreed to trade prospect Alex Tuch to Vegas in return for the Knights taking Erik Haula in the expansion draft. Tuch was a 20-goal scorer for Vegas in 2018-19. Winnipeg arranged for Vegas to take Chris Thorburn, and it cost the Jets a first-round pick in 2017.The Islanders, likewise, surrendered a first-round pick to Vegas to pre-arrange the expansion draft selection.

Much as it might appeal to have Seattle take Abdelkader or Nielsen, it does not make sense to do so at the expense of a top prospect (Tuch was a first-round pick in 2014) or a first-round draft pick. Those are the pieces that are crucial to a rebuild. The Kraken has no reason to take on the contract of Abdelkader (who in 2021 will have two years left at a $4.25 million cap hit) or Nielsen (one year at $5.25 million) for a third- or fourth-round pick or a middling prospect — why would Seattle general manager Ron Francis do so?

The Seattle expansion draft is a year away, so things can change, but a pre-arranged deal doesn’t seem practical for the Wings.

The next question regards Mike Babcock, who coached the Wings from 2005-2015. Ed in New Brunswick wrote to ask, “Why not bring back Babs to be part of the organization (sic) with the rebuild? Has there been any attempts on this level since his 'unfortunate' departure from TO?”

Babcock resurfaced in the news this week after joining the University of Vermont hockey program as a volunteer advisor. Babcock had been laying low since he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 20, from what was his third head coaching job in the NHL. Before he joined the Wings, Babcock was in Anaheim, where he guided the Ducks to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, starting with a first-round upset of the defending champion Wings.

Yzerman knew Babcock was available, and he’s worked with him closely — as executive director of Team Canada, Yzerman chose Babcock to coach at both the 2010 and . But from the day he 1189904 Detroit Red Wings The most popular league in the country is still moving toward something like a regular season, played in stadiums across the country. So far, it hasn’t adopted the "bubble" scenario used by the NBA (and the NHL). If COVID-19 challenging how every sports league operates. And baseball keeps canceling games, though, the NFL may have no choice challenging us as fans, too but to adjust.

Even then, a bubble might not be enough. For that, we'll have to wait for the NBA's and NHL’s experiments to tell us more over the next few Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET Aug. 1, 2020 weeks. | Updated 10:54 a.m. ET Aug. 1, 2020 No players in the NBA’s bubble have officially tested positive through Thursday (though a Sacramento Kings player had an "inconclusive" test followed by two negative tests and was cleared to play Friday). Detroit Tigers infielder Jordy Mercer speaks July 27, 2020, about the coronavirus concerns amid the outbreak within the Miami Marlins All of it has changed the language of the sporting world: Testing. Contact organization. Detroit Free Press tracing. Quarantining. Bubbles. And though the recent games have provided a reprieve, the headlines remain confusing. The NBA is back. So, again, what are supposed to think? How much are we meant to Sort of, what with its facsimiles of humans in the stands and its canned hope? And love and root and cheer and curse when the umpire calls a applause and its partitioned-off scorer’s table. strike that looked like a ball or the referee calls a block when it looks like Such is life at the moment. Such is life for a good while longer: Where a charge? real games unfold in unreal circumstances, with the threat that the games For so long, the fields and courts and rinks of play have offered a could disappear at any moment. particular kind of grace note, a place to wash off the grime of daily life, if If you’re a fan of professional basketball, opening night felt … surreal. only for a few hours. Sports aren't immune from the struggles of society.

But also, something like relief. That there is still such athletic grace and But there is a psychological difference between watching a player take a grit. That the best players can still hit contested, step-back 25-footers. social stand and wondering whether that player will get sick … then pass that sickness on to a coach or vulnerable family member. Sports have LeBron James and the Lakers rose above the Clippers in the second survived protests and wars and cultural shifts and economic collapse, game of the NBA's return (in a bubble in Orlando, Florida) on Thursday along with countless other national tragedies. night. Games are occasionally put on pause. Then they return, in full view, as Baseball’s return a week ago felt similarly thrilling, if also we pack the seats in anticipation of a diving catch or buzzer beater. discombobulating. If you count golf and NASCAR, too, that’s four major sports leagues back on the public stage. More than anything, sports are stories. Stories as old as civilization. Stories we share. And yet? The undrafted big man who finds his way to a life-changing contract — It remains difficult to make sense of this partial return. Fandom is hello, Christian Wood. precarious business these days, unrequited in a way that’s new. The aging slugger who finds his old self with two homers on a Thursday In the past, you offered love for a team (or player or driver or coach) and night in late July — hi there, Miguel Cabrera. were mostly rewarded with losing. But then, that’s always been the bargain of spectator sports: Extend your heart, get it punctured. That was The projected cellar-dweller that wins four of its first six games, fine, because you knew the emotional risk. reminding a region that even during a pandemic, the best stories in sports are unexpected — welcome back, Tigers. But the risk is different now. What are we longing for, if not for wins? Whether the Tigers keep this up or lose nine of their next 10 , they Almost daily, there is news from some corner of this country that a team provided a minor thrill over the last week, and made you start looking at or school is shutting down practice and quarantining. Baseball starts the stat lines of players you likely didn’t even know were on the team. back, but then a team — say, the Miami Marlins — has to postpone a They gave you a little something to think about, outside the muck that week's worth of games because nearly two dozen players and staff envelops us. members test positive for COVID-19. (And the Phillies, who played the Marlins before all the tests came in, end up with a week of canceled Hopefully, baseball will find a way to continue and keep its players safe. games, too.) Hopefully basketball and hockey will do the same. And then another team — this one from St. Louis — has to postpone a Hopefully, we can find a new kind of normal as we navigate the language game in Milwaukee, too. (The Cardinals, by the way, are scheduled to of the pandemic in search of the stories that have always sustained us. play in Detroit on Monday. So, we will see …) For it will be this way for a while. If it seems like baseball is trying to cross the ocean on a raft, it is. Still, the raft floats forward. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 08.02.2020 For now.

[ Lions on edge after Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak: 'Am I concerned? Obviously' ]

Meanwhile, football is around the corner. Maybe. We think.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren sent a letter to league athletic directors Thursday, saying he hopes to have a decision about the season in the next five days. But with so many students opting for online classes, it’s hard to imagine a season.

As for the NFL?

The number of players on the reserve/COVID-19 list keeps growing.

The Detroit Lions have seven players on that list. They have another — defensive tackle John Atkins — who opted out.

[ Patricia '100%' respects Atkins opting out of 2020 season ] 1189905 Detroit Red Wings (first round/1991) arrived in time to provide a physical presence especially in the NHL postseason.

"We've had success," said Devellano, now the team's senior advisor and Red Wings boast No. 1-ranked NHL/AHL affiliation since Ilitch era owner of 15 championship rings (five Calder Cups, four Stanley Cups in Detroit, three Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two Adams Cups in the Central Hockey League with Indianapolis and Fort Worth and one Riley Mark Falkner, The Detroit News Published 10:27 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2020 | Cup in the East Coast Hockey League with Toledo). Updated 10:45 p.m. ET Aug. 1, 2020 "Our focus in Detroit is to put a good team on the ice on the farm. Our veteran guys are good character people and they teach the young players how to be pros, how to win. The pace is a little slower down there It doesn't come as a surprise to former American Hockey League but it's a mini-NHL with the same rules, similar schedules and playoff commissioner Dave Andrews that the Detroit Red Wings have won the formula. We're pretty proud of our championships." most combined National Hockey League and AHL championships since owner Mike Ilitch purchased the team in 1982. Now under the guidance of Yzerman, Devellano says they hope for similar success with AHL-developed forwards like Filip Zadina (first Andrews, 71, retired in July after 26 years as commissioner and another round/2018), Veleno (first round/2018) and Michael Rasmussen (first seven years as general manager of the Edmonton Oilers' top farm team round/2017) as well as defensemen Dennis Cholowoski (first in the AHL. round/2016) and Moritz Seider (first round/2019). During that time and heading into the 2020-21 season opener on Dec. 4 Red Wings defenseman prospect Moritz Seider collected 22 points in 49 when the league is tentatively scheduled to resume play during the games with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Wings have won nine titles with five Calder Cup and four Stanley Cups, three more than the Oilers with five "Steve saw how we operated and how it works," Devellano said. "Of Cups and one AHL title under Andrews in 1992. course, he didn't have to play in the AHL but he saw our draft picks became better players who could contribute when they got called up. The AHL commissioner Dave Andrews, right, presents the Calder Cup to same thing with Jeff Blashill. I don't think he would be able to coach in Grand Rapids captain Nathan Paetsch in 2017. the NHL if he didn't have the chance to work and win with young pros in "If you look at what the Red Wings have done from a player development the AHL. Steve's observed all this. He's on the same page." point of view, it's probably second to none," Andrews said. Andrews, who is assisting with the transition for his replacement Scott "They've always respected the American Hockey League and they've Howson and chairing the AHL Return to Play task force which includes always seen winning as important. From (general managers) Jimmy Yzerman, said winning AHL championships isn't the only way to Devellano to Kenny Holland and now to Steve (Yzerman), the idea has determine an organization's success. not changed. It's never really been acceptable for their AHL teams to just He cites the Pittsburgh Penguins, who haven't won a minor-league title be younger players developing and just draft picks. They really build but their back-to-back Stanley Cup teams with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni teams to be successful and they want their players in a winning Malkin in 2016 and 2017 featured coach Mike Sullivan and 16 players atmosphere." from their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate, including Pontiac's Brian Rust Detroit's top farms teams in the AHL have primarily been in Adirondack who scored 13 playoff goals in two years. (1979-1999) and Grand Rapids (2002-present with the latest five-year "The one decision we made which really has been the cornerstone of the contract extending through the 2021-22 season). There was also a three- AHL's growth and ultimately the takeover of the IHL in 2001 was our year shared affiliation in Cincinnati (1999-2002) when Mike Babcock development rule," Andrews said. "They (IHL) were free spending, they coached the top Detroit-Anaheim prospects before becoming the Red were in larger markets and they had deep-pocket managers. We needed Wings' all-time winningest coach (458 wins, 223 loses, 115 OT loses). to differentiate ourselves from the competition and the way to do that was Nearly 90 percent of NHL players have played in the AHL, including to be the main developer of young players for the NHL. Calder Cup MVPs Tomas Tatar (2013) and Tyler Bertuzzi (2017). Tatar "Essentially, our development rule limits the amount of veteran players scored 115 goals in seven years in Detroit before he was traded to on each team and ensures that there's a level playing field across all of Vegas for three draft picks (Joe Veleno, Robert Mastrosimone and a our clubs and ensures that young players are going to compete against third-round pick this year) and Bertuzzi has back-to-back 21-goal young players. The Red Wings have had a real focus on that player seasons with the Red Wings and was named to the NHL All-Star Game development and you can feel the organizational pride." this year. Devellano said he is sure of one thing when it comes to the AHL's future. AHL commisioner Dave Andrews, left, presents the Calder Cup to Grand Rapids captain Jeff Hoggan in 2013. "Based on his body of work, Dave Andrews should be elected into the ," said Devellano, who was inducted into the hall of Devellano credits the team's development of managers, coaches and fame in 2010. players in the minor leagues for playing an important role during the parent team's 25-year playoff run including four Stanley Cups (1997, "He turned out to be a great administrator and learned how to work with 1998, 2002, 2008). He said it's the same model which he brought to diverse ownership groups, some owned by NHL teams, some owned Detroit after helping the New York Islanders draft and develop players on privately. Now everybody is doing the Red Wings-Islanders model but it the way to four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. wasn't always that way. Until someone comes up with a better idea, the AHL will always be vital and necessary." "When Mike Ilitch hired me, he liked the Islander model," Devellano said. "I ran the farm team and did the draft with (GM) Bill Torrey. He saw how Detroit News LOADED: 08.02.2020 we operated and saw that it worked. Nothing is a hundred percent and it's not an exact science but the Islanders' philosophy in the '70s is the same as the Red Wings' philosophy in 2020."

Jimmy Devellano credits the Red Wings' development of managers, coaches and players in the minor leagues for playing an important role during the parent team's 25-year playoff run including four Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008).

Devellano said the Islanders' farm team in Indianapolis provided a steady stream of depth players like goaltender Kelly Hrudey (second round/1980) and forwards Hector Martini (third round/1977) and Billy Carroll (second round/1979).

The same thing happened in Adirondack when forwards Joey Kocur (fifth round/1983) Darren McCarty (second round/1992) and Martin Lapointe 1189906 Edmonton Oilers It’s definitely a shocker for a team that came one regular-season point away from not even having to play in the qualifying round. Now there is legitimate fear that they won’t get out of it, and that the entire Hub City Edmonton Oilers deliver inexplicably weak effort in Game 1 loss spectacle in Edmonton will grind to a halt in less than a week.

Ouch. The only thing worse than missing the playoffs is missing the playoffs when they take place in your own arena. Robert Tychkowski In goal, it made sense that Tippett went with Mike Smith’s playoff experience in goal ahead of Mikko Koskinen, who had a sharper camp but has never played a single post-season game in the NHL. But after 27 Edmonton Oilers fans waited a looooong time for something they couldn’t minutes, 23 shots and five goals, Smith was out and Koskinen was in. wait to end. To blame the loss on goaltending, though, would mean you never In a game the entire city had been dreaming about since the NHL began actually watched the game because Tippett could have put both of them plotting its return to play strategy in June, the Oilers wasted no time in in net at the same time and it wouldn’t have mattered. With the number of turning all of that excitement and anticipation into a crushing odd man rushes and wide open sitters Edmonton gave Chicago, they still disappointment that was hard to watch. would have lost big. They christened their own Western Conference Hub at Rogers Place with “Other than the giveaway that went in off his back, he was kind of left on a disturbing 6-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, delivering an his own out there,” said Tippett, adding there wasn’t much to like about inexplicably lukewarm performance that had them down 6-2 until they the Oilers in Game 1. kicked in a pair of meaningless goals in garbage time. “There were too many mistakes made and when you try to over- The Blackhawks looked quicker, sharper, hungrier and better in just compensate by cheating to get back in the game, you don’t look like a about every sense. After giving up a power-play goal 2:34 into the first very good team.” period, they ran all over Edmonton for the next 57 minutes to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five qualifying series. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 This game didn’t look like it was played in a bubble, it looked like it was played in 2012.

“We just didn’t think very well and we didn’t elevate our game like we needed to,” said head coach Dave Tippett, who watched his team lose too many puck battles and make too many mistakes in the defensive zone.

“It’s not putting enough into the physical battles. We talked about being really solid in the first period and we go out and give up two outnumbered breaks in the first two or three minutes.”

And it went downhill from there.

“Today we just got outworked,” said defenceman Oscar Klefbom. “It’s as easy as that. We showed some urgency in our power play and got rewarded, but five-on-five we need to play better and be ready when the puck drops.”

It’s hard to fathom how a team that was waiting this long to show who they were, playing in their own building to open the Hub City playoffs, could look so slow and so mentally detached. It’s like their hearts were locked up in quarantine.

“It’s tough for me to sit here and have the answer to why we’re not ready,” said Klefbom. “If we’re going to be a consistent team we have to start with the small things.”

Perhaps nothing illustrated where the Oilers were mentally than their captain. Asked why this game took such an unexpectedly sour turn after how good Edmonton looked in their exhibition win over Calgary, all Connor McDavid could do was shrug his shoulders and mumble, “Just not good enough all around, that’s it.”

McDavid had three points on the power play, but got schooled at even strength, mostly by the Jonathan Toews line. With Chicago up 4-1 at the first intermission and the game all but out of reach, McDavid’s trio was minus-3.

“It’s a solid line, they were really good tonight,” said McDavid. “It wasn’t any type of match-up, but we were out there a lot against them and we weren’t good enough.”

In a best-of-five series where the first game is paramount, the Oilers now find themselves in a very unnerving situation. The series is a long way from over, especially in a format where there is no home ice advantage, but unless they find another gear for Game 2, they’re in big trouble.

“We talked about it before the series, they’re an opportunistic team and they have a lot of skill and can make you pay for little mistakes,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “The ice isn’t great out there so we wanted to simplify things early and maybe we got away from that a little bit and they definitely capitalized. They had a lot of high-quality scoring chances and they have the skill to be able to score on those.” 1189907 Edmonton Oilers “There’s lots that needs to get done. We need to get back to work and watch what exactly went wrong, learn from it and come back for a very big Game 2,” said McDavid.

JONES: Oilers not prepared to play in Game 1 against Blackhawks “It wasn’t good from the start. We came out and scored a power play goal and then … we didn’t do a very good job of keeping it simple. That’s what we need to do, ultimately — keep it simpler.” Derek Van Diest The simple truth of the matter is that the Oilers have gone from favorite to underdog against the biggest underdogs on the property.

The Edmonton Oilers entered Rogers Place Saturday afternoon wearing In a normal best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series, it’s just one loss. facemasks. If there had been any fans there, the fans would have left wearing nose plugs. Put it behind you. Move on to the next one.

How do you wait 142 days to return to play against a playoff opponent In a 1980s-style best-of-five Stanley Cup playoff series, it’s one skate in that had been identified 40 days earlier and you’re the host team of the the grave. Hub City Stanley Cup playoffs and the team doesn’t show up prepared to If you don’t know the numbers, you’ll certainly hear plenty about them play? between now and Game 2 Monday at 8:30 p.m.

Isn’t that what happened here? Out of 56 best-of-five series from 1980 to 1986, the team that lost Game To me, it was the usual with this team when it underachieves. It’s a 1 went on to lose the series on 49 occasions. That’s only seven out of 56 broken record. teams that turned it around.

When the Oilers show up and win the little battles and the little races to “We have to play better. Everybody understood the importance of Game the puck, they win hockey games. When they don’t, they lose. Saturday 1. We have to regroup in a day. We have to show up and correct some of they lost 6-4. the errors we had and make sure we’re a little more competitive this next game,” said Tippett. When the Oilers showed up to play the Chicago Blackhawks to open the Western Conference play of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Hub City, they “Some of the errors we made early on were just things you have to do. discovered their coach had decided to start the wrong guy in goal. So Usually the team that makes the most mistakes ends up on the back side there was that. of it and we made more mistakes.”

Many will write off what happened Saturday afternoon in the opening day And has it hit anybody yet how long the next 70 days are going to be if loss as a coach guessing wrong with his decision of who to play as his the Oilers are eliminated by this weekend? starting goaltender and leave it at that. But if that was all that were Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 involved, it shouldn’t be considered a huge concern.

But while Mike Smith was clearly the wrong call to start in goal by Tippett, there’s a lot more to be fixed than to give the net to Mikko Koskinen as Tippett was forced to do after Smith allowed his fifth goal before the game was half over.

Tippett was unusually clipped in his post-game comments and didn’t exactly go into great length on the decision to go with Smith in goal and give him a chance to recreate the greatest playoff series he ever had in eight years ago leading Tippett’s Phoenix Coyotes to victory in six games in which they won all three games in the United Centre.

“Smitty started the season 5-0 and we thought we wanted to start the post-season the same way,” was all he offered about the goalie who gave up one of them was a result of turning the puck over to Dylan Strome who followed it up by bouncing it in the net off Smith’s back from behind the net.

It wasn’t until the second last question of the post game zoom call that Tippett got into the meat of it.

“You have a good camp, play a pretty solid exhibition game against Calgary and it sounded like your team was as ready as you could be and that was as unready as they could possibly look,” observed Mark Spector of Sportsnet.

“To say we’re disappointed with the way we started would be an understatement,” said the head coach.

“You have to give Chicago credit. They played well. But some of the errors and just the way we went about things … It’s not playoffs. We were a way better team in the regular season. You get behind early you start to cheat and you don’t look like a good team and that’s what we were tonight.”

This wasn’t just a goalie having a tough night of it. Smith had plenty of company. The penalty kill that ranked No. 2 in the league was dreadful and Chicago owned the face-off dot.

How does Connor McDavid get four points and the Oilers lose by two?

Well, Jonathan Toews wins the line match-up and Dominik Kubalik, playing in his first Stanley Cup playoff game, sets a record for a debut game with five points.

It’s definitely back to the drawing board for everybody including McDavid. 1189908 Edmonton Oilers A three-time Stanley Cup winner, Toews is familiar with the speed and intensity of playoff hockey, which is something the Oilers seemed to have forgotten since their last playoff appearance in 2017.

Playoff-savvy Blackhawks make most of second chance in qualifier The pride of Winnipeg, Man., finished with three points in the win as the opener Blackhawks scored three power-play goals.

“It’s a nice start, it always helps your confidence when you see a few Derek Van Diest pucks go in (on power play),” Toews said. “We worked on it a lot leading up, we like the look of our unit, there are a lot of options and when guys like Duncs (Keith) and Kaner (Patrick Kane) have the puck, things are going to develop. So it was nice to create those chances and to see Jets Scheifele leaves with leg injury early in first playoff game pucks go in, it’s nice to get that feeling early in the series and it’s going to The Chicago Blackhawks are a dangerous team to be awarding second be big for us down the road.” chances, and the Edmonton Oilers found that out the hard way in the Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Saturday.

The 12th-seeded Blackhawks took the boots to the 5th-seeded Oilers in Game 1 of their best-of-five qualifying series with a resounding 6-4 victory.

Two late goals by the Oilers made the game look closer than it was. Game 2 of the series is Monday.

“We kind of have the best of both worlds, where we have a handful of guys that have been through it and won the Cups and they can kind of share their experiences with the group as far as what it takes and the feeling that it’s worth it,” said Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton. “It’s hard work, but it’s worth it if you can do it as a group, and at the same time, we have a really young group; we’re the youngest team in the qualifiers.

“That young energy and enthusiasm, those guys are very happy for the opportunity to be here and maybe don’t know any better. A lot of people say that maybe we don’t have a chance, but we got better as the year went on and now we have a chance to show it, so everyone is excited about that.”

Blackhawks rookie Dominik Kubalik broke a Chicago franchise record for most points in a playoff game with five (2 goals, 3 assists) in an eye- opening performance. He was robbed by Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen late in the third to deny him a hat-trick in his postseason debut.

Goaltender Corey Crawford, who missed most of the Blackhawks July training camp with COVID-19, made 25 saves in the win.

“I think we were excited for the start of the playoffs and we were ready to go,” said Kubalik, who was a seventh-round pick in 2013 and spent the previous two seasons in Switzerland. “We got scored on in the first couple of minutes, but we came back pretty quick and it was a pretty good game. I felt pretty good, everything went my way. Obviously it’s nice but it’s just the first game and we have to keep going.”

Heading towards the end of the season in March, the Blackhawks were longshots to make the playoffs, sitting well back of a spot with a dozen games to play. But the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to play and in the interest of fairness, the NHL came up with the qualifying process giving teams just on the outside of the playoff cutline a chance to qualify.

The Blackhawks, who won two of three against the Oilers in the regular season, were by far the better team Saturday, even before falling behind in the contest to a power-play goal from Connor McDavid.

Under normal circumstances, an early goal for the home team would have put the crowd in a frenzy, but in an empty building, the Blackhawks were able to bounce back quickly as Dylan Strome accepted a gift from Oilers goaltender Mike Smith, who left the puck for his opponent and was then caught out of his net.

“They scored a big power play goal and it’s obviously dead in the arena, so as a team, you have to focus more on creating your own energy and having that mentally,” said Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad. “You’re not going to get that push from being at home or having the fans on your side.”

Jonathan Toews scored on the power play on a set-up from Kubalik to give the Blackhawks the lead, Saad made it 3-1 with deft tip in front and Toews scored his second to make it 4-1 before the end of the period.

In the second, Kubalik scored on the power play with a rocket over Smith’s shoulder for a 5-2 lead, and then tipped a point shot from Duncan Keith past Koskinen to make it 6-2. 1189909 Edmonton Oilers 1955. But he got the hook after five goals in 27 minutes for Mikko Koskinen. Tippett said both goalies would play after splitting things evenly over 71 league games, but he didn’t know it would be in the same Blackhawks soar and score leaving Oilers in Game 1 flap game.

Smith could have been pulled after three goals in the first eight Hawks’ shots in the opening period or after 20 when it was 4-1, but lasted until it Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal was 5-2 in the second.

He gave up a bad goal to Dylan Strome to tie it 1-1 on a giveaway and a put-back off his back. But he also was hamstrung by laissez-faire Uh, oh! defensive work in front of him. Tippett got also have yanked a dozen History tells us that NHL teams that drop Game 1 of a best-of-five series skaters midway through the game. aren’t reaching for the water bottle as quickly as the white flag, which is Smith (five goals, 23 show) now has a 1-3 record against the Hawks this sobering news for the Edmonton Oilers, who scored early but also let the season. So, of course, Koskinen, who gave up one goal in 19 shots Chicago Blackhawks score often in an emotionless, mistake-packed (Kubalik), will get the Game 2 start Monday. Return to Play 6-4 loss that wasn’t anywhere near as close as the scoreboard said it was. “We had long discussions (on who started Game 1),” said Tippett.

Teams that win the first game of best-of-fives win 82 per cent of the time, “Smitty started 5-0 in regular-season and we wanted to start (playoffs) but that goes back about 100 years to before they had Zambonis and the same way. Other than the giveaway and the shot that went off his before they allowed forward passing. If you just take from 1980 to 1986 back (Strome), he was left on his own. Got to 4-2 when we scored when best-of-fives in playoffs ended, over 12,000 days ago, it’s over 85 (power play Draisaitl), and then with it 5-2…I just trying to change the per cent that teams winning Game 1 prevail. You are what the history momentum (Koskinen),” said Tippett. books say you are and the Oilers lost Game 1 in best-of-fives (Philly in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1982) and dropped both. This ‘n that: Ex Oiler winger Drake Caggiula will have a hearing Sunday to see if the Hawks’ forward is suspended for game 2 for a hit to Tyler This was a they’ve-stolen-our-lunch-money schoolyard loss. Ennis’s head. The refs missed the infraction, giving Ennis a subsequent penalty for clearing the puck over the glass In the No. 5 vs No. 12 qualification round opener, the Oilers got schwacked to borrow coach Dave Tippett’s strangled word in his Zoom Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 call before the game. Not sure if that’s how to spell it, but it means taken to the woodshed in the first Edmonton-Chicago playoff confrontation in 28 years.

“To say we’re disappointed with the way we started is an understatement,” said Tippett, who didn’t get an inch of push-back from his players.

“We got outworked, easy as that,” said the Oilers best defenceman Oscar Klefbom, who had a rare, poor game, even if he only ended up minus-1.

“Far too many mistakes, lost far too many battles. Losing battles is a physical thing,” said Tippett, who could also have said it’s a head-in-the- game thing. “You don’t elevate your game going into the playoffs, you’re going to be behind.”

“We just weren’t ready,” said Oiler captain Connor McDavid.

The ultimate, cut to the core playoff sin.

Not being ready when you’ve been itching to play a game that counts for over four months is sad indictment They didn’t look fast, they had trouble making a tape-to-tape pass five-on-five, they did get on a smaller team physically and they gave up six goals to a team that had scored three in four games to Nashville last time they were in the playoffs.

“It’s good to be back,” said Hawks captain Jonathan Toews, who had two goals and an assist (his 30th playoff multiple point game), also won 16 of his 25 overall face-offs and went against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at times.

While McDavid had a goal and assists on the goals by Draisaitl, James Neal and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, which means he was in on all four Oilers goals, he was out-played by Toews, who has been better than most guys in his 129 playoff games, mind you. McDavid had a forgettable first 20 minutes when he was minus-3 as were linemates Nugent- Hopkins and Zack Kassian.

The Oilers didn’t go after the Hawks’ weakness with a heavy, dump-it-in forecheck against a Chicago defence that isn’t aggressive, they also coughed up the puck, They scored three power-play goals in their four tries but they let the Hawks also get three. They also let rookie winger Dominik Kubalik, who only played 14 minutes, get two goals and five points, which tied the most by any NHL player making his playoff debut.

“Everything went my way,” said the quiet Kubalik. who deals in economy when it comes to words to describe his play (great shot, finds the soft areas, always around the puck). No other Hawks player has ever had more than five points in a single game, so this was good stuff.

Oiler starter Mike Smith went into the game with the highest save percentage in playoff history (.938), since they started keeping stats in 1189910 Edmonton Oilers they were going to play the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round 40 days ago.

I think as many people are interested in seeing what’s involved with JONES: Remote broadcasts the next best thing for Oilers voice Jack Steve Mayer’s staging, which the NHL’s chief content officer and the Michaels game presentation hub city head has designed, featuring the goal horns of the ‘home’ team, crowd chants, goal songs and almost double the number of TV cameras, than whether Oilers head coach Dave Tippett Terry Jones decides to start Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith in goal.

Mayer said they only put 10 per cent of his bells and whistles into play for the exhibition games. The broadcast booth is 10.9 kilometres away from the Stanley Cup logo at centre ice in Rogers Place. Me? I’m more interested in the flashback to the early 1980s than anything. Play-by-play man Jack Michaels and colour commentator Bob Stauffer will call Game 1 of the Chicago-Edmonton best-of-five ‘Play-In-Series I’ve advanced 267½ Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup playoff games in my Saturday afternoon from the 630 CHED studios on Edmonton’s south career (the half being the night the lights went out during the final in the side. ). It’s been a long time since I covered a best-of-five Stanley Cup playoff series. If that sounds like a bit of a bummer to you, NBC’s Hall of Fame hockey broadcaster will call Eastern Conference games from the In the first best-of-five first-round Stanley Cup playoff series I covered, Toronto hub from an even greater distance — 365 km. the Oilers were swept by Philadelphia in 1980 coming out of the . After the game, and the Flyers lined The other day, an NBC Sports technician drove from New York to create up to predict the Edmonton dynasty that would follow.The next year was a studio for Emrick so he could call the playoffs from his home in St Clair, the Oilers sweep of the Montreal Canadians, inspired by Glen Sather’s Mi. Analyst Eddie Olczyk will operate from his home in Stamford, Ct., 782 decision to start Andy Moog in goal. A year later, I covered the Miracle on km from Toronto in the other direction. Manchester 3-2 series loss to the . “It’s hard to complain when Doc Emrick, the best in the business, isn’t Stuff happens in best-of-five Stanley Cup playoff series. going to be in the building,” said Michaels. Wash your hands. Put on your masks. Stay a hockey stick apart. And Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has created the hub cities, he buckle up. refuses to feel sorry for himself. But he will admit that he, for one, is going to miss feeding off the crowd, especially in Edmonton where it It’s Aug. 1. Embrace what you are about to behold. reaches an entirely different level in the playoffs. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 08.02.2020 “I’m a high energy guy, particularly in the playoffs. Whenever I’m credited for being a halfway decent play-by-play guy, I think you can directly point to the circumstances. I got a lot of play earlier this year for my call of the goalie fight between Mike Smith and Cam Talbot in Calgary. It was the Battle of Alberta. There were a ton of Oilers fans in the rink. That crowd was dialed up that night. It might have been different if we were in Columbus or somewhere.

“I’ll figure it out. But it’s going to be a challenge. I feed off the fans creating the atmosphere in the building. I probably feel like the players do. It’s more fun to be around 18,000 people at a Stanley Cup playoff game.

“But there’s a pandemic. You have to adjust on the fly. It’s like 630 CHED, they turned a conference room into a pretty nice studio in a span of three weeks,” said Michaels.

Or, as he tweeted Friday morning: “People keep asking me, ‘Wouldn’t you rather be in the arena?’… Well, of course I would. But I’ll be calling a Stanley Cup playoff game tomorrow. So even if the booth is in Neptune, I still have a better job than you do. One. More. Sleep.”

Added Stauffer: “From a technical perspective, the engineers at CHED did a great job on the set-up. The sync-up between the on-ice effects and the video provided was excellent for the exhibition game. We’ll make it work.”

It’s crazy. There are 12 teams in the Edmonton hub and there will be two American scribes in the building, Adrian Dater, of Denver, and Sarah McLellan for the Minneapolis Star Tribune — a pretty good story on her own being a born-and-raised Edmontonian who moved with her family to Phoenix as a teenager, became a hockey writer and has been given this assignment.

The two have both been here for 14-days in quarantine and are about to emerge from confinement during a heat wave, only to enter Rogers Place where it’s so cold they’d be more comfortable in the parkas they generally wear here for visits in January than a pair of shorts and a golf shirt they probably packed for this assignment.

“There’s no air conditioning in this place,” reported Dater from his lodging. “Normally, I’ve never had use for that in 25 years of coming to this fair city. Without the fan that a resident downstairs dropped off at my door, I’d be dead.”

Normally, the start of a playoff year here would involve an inordinate amount of analytical coverage on the day of Game 1, but the Oilers knew 1189911 Edmonton Oilers Tippett opted to go with Smith, the 38-year-old veteran who’s playing for the coach with a third organization. Tippet said he went with Smith because he got started in the season opener and the Oilers then went on ‘Just not good enough’: The Oilers have a lot to fix after disastrous Game a 5-0 run. 1 But Smith coughed up a puck to Dylan Strome less than six minutes after the game began, and the Chicago centre banked a shot off the goalie’s back as he tried to make his way into position. By Daniel Nugent-Bowman It was all downhill from there for Smith and the Oilers.

Smith didn’t even last 27 minutes. He was yanked in favour of Mikko Let’s get the positives out of the way from the Oilers’ Game 1 loss to the Koskinen, the better of the two goalies during the season, after allowing Blackhawks. five goals on 23 shots.

Hang tight. It’ll only take a second. To put it mildly, Smith was under siege.

There was Darnell Nurse putting his hand on Mathew Dumba’s left “He was left on his own out there,” Tippett said. shoulder as the Wild defenceman knelt for the American national anthem after an impassioned speech denouncing racism on behalf of the Hockey Tippett has said — and repeated it after the game — that he plans to use Diversity Alliance. (Blackhawks backup goaltender Malcolm Subban both goaltenders during the playoffs. Surely, using them both in Game 1 stood on the right side of Dumba and placed his left hand on Dumba’s wasn’t what he had in mind. other shoulder.) He felt like he had no choice but to remove Smith because of how the Nurse’s act followed an Instagram message he posted early Saturday in Oilers were playing in front of him. which he noted examples of racism he’s endured as a hockey player and “Some of the errors and the way we went about things, it’s not playoff,” called for the need to push for equality. Tippett said. “We were a way better team during the regular season.

Nurse got a heads-up from Dumba about his plans Friday, then informed “There were too many mistakes made. When you try to overcompensate his Oilers teammates before the game what he was going to do. by cheating to get back in the game, you don’t look like a very good “I wanted to show support. We’re all fighting this same fight,” Nurse said. team.” “It was good that the message was heard, and it needs to continue to be Their penalty killing, ranked second in the NHL and so effective during spread. Actions need to speak louder than words.” their regular season, looked horrendous. Chicago scored three times on Their power play was absolutely humming, going 3 for 4, highlighted by a six opportunities. Connor McDavid goal 2:34 into the game. That goal opened the scoring. Jonathan Toews was left so wide open on the first chance, as four Oilers If you want to get especially rosy, the end of the game wasn’t bad. The players drifted to the left corner, that he could have stopped to tie his Oilers scored twice in the final four minutes to make things appear skates before unleashing a wicked wrist shot past Smith’s glove. respectable. It was a stark deviation from the season, when the Oilers were perfect on And that’s it. Really. the PK in three games against the Blackhawks, killing off all eight power plays. “To say that we’re disappointed with the way we started would be an understatement,” coach Dave Tippett said. After the Toews goal, rookie Dominik Kubalik scored twice with the man advantage — just as he did in the exhibition game against the Blues on The rest of the Game 1 showing against the Blackhawks was an absolute Wednesday — as part of a five-point afternoon. disaster — beginning with the two odd-man rushes the Oilers surrendered in the opening minute. The 6-4 score was closer than the “It was very similar to the rest of our game,” Tippett said. “We didn’t win action on the ice indicated. enough battles and execute enough, whether it be faceoffs or loose pucks down. They capitalized on chances.” “Just not good enough all around,” McDavid said. “That’s it. It’s pretty easy. “They beat us every which way you can,” Nurse said. “There’s a lot we can learn from that game.” “It wasn’t good from the start.” This series was billed as upstart youth versus cagey experience. It was “We got outworked,” defenceman Oscar Klefbom said. “It’s as easy as so obvious who won Round 1 of the battle. that.” With all due respect to Kubalik’s outstanding performance, Toews was And, to think, the Oilers finished the truncated season with a .585 points the best player on the ice. The longtime Blackhawks captain followed a percentage compared with Chicago’s .514. determined effort in the exhibition game with a simply dominant effort against the Oilers. The Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in the 2010s, but the last one came five years ago. They would have had no business being in the He set the tone early and often, scoring twice in the first period. In his playoffs under a 16-team format. 9:10 on the ice at five-on-five, the Blackhawks decisively carried the play in shot attempts (12-2) and shots (10-1). After beating the Jets in their final game before the season was suspended March 11, the Oilers were a win away from being the fourth The Oilers’ big guns of McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent- seed in the Western Conference. They were so close to getting into the Hopkins each equalled Toews with three points, but they got all their round-robin portion of the tournament. points on the power play. Toews — along with linemates Kubalik and Brandon Saad — owned them in limited action with both teams at even You would have figured it was the other way around based on Saturday’s strength. game. Toews played 2:13 against McDavid and 2:46 against Draisaitl in that “We definitely didn’t take them lightly,” McDavid said. “They’re a team situation. The Oilers didn’t manage a shot attempt while McDavid and that’s had so much success in the past. They’re battle-tested. They came Toews shared the ice. They threw only one puck toward the net when out and did exactly what we thought they would do. We just weren’t Draisaitl took on Toews. ready.” “There wasn’t any type of matchup, it seemed,” McDavid said, “but we Part of that is Chicago got to goaltender Mike Smith early. were out there a lot against him, and it wasn’t good enough.” The biggest question mark for the Oilers heading into the series Edmonton’s five-on-five play Saturday mirrored that of the regular concerned their goaltending, specifically who would get the starting season. The Oilers ranked 25th in the league with a 47.3 goals-for assignment. percentage and 27th with a 47.9 Corsi-for percentage. Chicago outscored the Oilers 3-0, outshot them 28-17 (and 42-29 in the game) and out-attempted them 45-35.

With it being a shortened best-of-five series, the Oilers are quickly in a sizable hole. They face an uphill battle, having to win three of the next four games — and don’t have last change for the third and fourth games (if the latter is necessary).

That was not the way anyone with the Oilers envisioned things going in the opener.

With so much that went wrong, it was easy for the coach to sum up how they need to improve.

“We have to play better,” Tippett said.

It’s as simple as that.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189912 Florida Panthers Huberdeau streaked up the left side of the ice and passed to Barkov as he entered the zone. The center tapped a pass back to MacKenzie Weegar while Huberdeau sneaked behind the defense and the Panthers drop playoff opener after slow start. Takeaways from a rocky defenseman found Huberdeau on the left side of the net. The All-Star left performance wing beat goaltender Semyon Varlamov for Florida’s first goal of the expanded postseason.

“After that, I think we pushed really hard,” Huberdeau said. “We just BY DAVID WILSON AUGUST 01, 2020 06:40 PM didn’t find the back of the net, but I thought the third was good. Second half of the game we were a good team.”

Even after the disastrous first 10 minutes, Florida ultimately matched the Everything the Florida Panthers spent the last week worrying about — Islanders with 28 shots on goal. In the second period, the Panthers the slow starts, the early deficits, the defensive mistakes — was playing outshot New York, 14-7. out in real time Saturday. THE BAD: PLAYING ISLANDERS’ PACE The Panthers knew exactly what the New York Islanders were going to try to do in the first game of their qualifying series for the Stanley Cup The Islanders, however, are comfortable getting outshot. playoffs in Toronto and, because it’s a five-game series, they worried about how one game might shift the balance of their postseason hopes. Florida and New York present a series of contrasts. The Panthers boast one of the most prolific offenses in the postseason. The Islanders have Now Florida is running out of wiggle room. The slow start — exactly what one of the worst. New York has a top-five defense. Florida has the worst they worried about — doomed the Panthers in Game 1 of a best-of-5 defense of anyone still playing. game series at Scotiabank Arena. The offense took too long to find any rhythm, the defense made a few too many mistakes and Florida is now The Islanders are patient on offense, content to pass a lot and only two games from elimination following a 2-1 loss to the Islanders in pounce when the opportunity presents itself, either through a Ontario. counterattack or an opponent’s mistake. The Panthers want to shoot a lot — and, ideally, score a lot — to make up for its porous defense. In the “It was kind of like what we expected,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “It’s series opener, New York forced Florida to play its style. going to be tight — not a lot of scoring chances, although there might’ve been more than we anticipated both ways, but you’ve got to expect a Bobrovsky summed it up perfectly: “2-1 is their score.” low-scoring game and be patient and find a way to fight through it.” The Islanders committed to a persistent forecheck and it took the The Islanders took an early lead with a goal midway through the first Panthers more than half a period to solve it. With eight minutes left in the period, then added a second on a power play early in the second period. period, Riley Stillman tried to chase down a puck deep Florida’s zone, With a 2-0 lead, New York could play the way it wanted the rest of the but New York winger Tom Kuhnhackel pressured the defenseman and way, even after Jonathan Huberdeau scored in the opening seconds of knocked him off the puck. Islanders forward Derek Brassard gathered the the third period. The Islanders spent almost the entire game playing with loose puck and centered a pass to Pageau, who slipped past the the lead and they’re at their best when they can. Panthers defense and knocked in the opening goal.

Florida gifted New York this opportunity with the way it played across the Florida’s defense was OK and Bobrovsky was excellent with 26 saves, first 10 minutes. Less than 90 seconds into the game, the two teams but all New York wants is one or two mistakes to pounce on. In Game 1, went to 4-on-4 action because of a pair of penalties. About a minute later, it was one botched clear and one penalty, and an uphill climb the the Panthers faced a 4-on-3 penalty-kill situation. Less than 30 seconds Panthers couldn’t manage. after it finished killing off the second penalty, Florida went on the penalty In the regular season, Florida lost to the Islanders three times by a single kill again. goal. The margin has been slim all along, but the Panthers are running Florida spent four of the game’s first 7:12 playing short-handed and it out of time to close it. kept the Panthers playing almost entirely in their offensive zone. Florida “You’ve got to expect a low-scoring game and be patient, and find a way didn’t put its first shot on goal until 9:20 remained in the first period. The to fight through it,” Quenneville said. “We did what we wanted to do in a Islanders were outshooting the Panthers, 7-0. When New York center lot of ways, but, hey, we’re in a tough spot. Let’s be excited about going Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the first goal of the game with eight minutes into the next game.” left in the first period, Florida had only put two shots on net. By the time they figured out how to play the Islanders, the Panthers were already Miami Herald LOADED: 08.02.2020 playing from behind.

“It takes a little momentum off,” center Aleksander Barkov said of the penalties. “A bunch of guys could not go on the ice and sit on the bench for a while. It’s tough to get back in the game when half of the guys are playing, half of the guys are not. Penalties — we’ve got to be better with that.”

Now, Florida has to win three of its next four to advance into the traditional 16-team postseason. A shot to bounce back will come Tuesday in Canada.

THE GOOD: THEY GOT BETTER

When the Panthers gathered in their locker room for the second intermission, the deficit had swelled to two. New York finally capitalized on its third power play in the second period when forward Anthony Beauvillier beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a slap shot.

Florida came to an obvious consensus: The Panthers needed to get the first goal of the third period, ideally quickly.

It took all of 22 seconds for Huberdeau to deliver.

YES @JonnyHuby11#FLAvsNYI | #Untamable pic.twitter.com/JpjHTnP822

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) August 1, 2020

The newly reunited top line of Huberdeau, Barkov and winger Evgenii Dadonov started on the ice, and set up a rush from behind its own net. 1189913 Florida Panthers Miami Herald LOADED: 08.02.2020

Panthers reunite Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov on top line to start postseason

BY DAVID WILSON AUGUST 01, 2020 04:06 PM

Joel Quenneville didn’t rule out lineup changes following the Florida Panthers’ ugly exhibition loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. After the Panthers failed to generate any sort of offense in their exhibition game, the coach reunited his once-potent top line to start the expanded postseason Saturday in Toronto.

Jonathan Huberdeau, who finished the abbreviated regular season on Florida’s second line, returned to the first line to open Game 1 of the qualifying round against the New York Islanders. The All-Star left wing replaced Frank Vatrano, and was reunited with Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov as Florida looked for a quick fix to its offensive issues for a best-of-five series at Scotiabank Arena.

“It was one of those games that you’re thinking and looking at all aspects and all areas,” Queneville said Thursday when asked about potentially changing the lineup based on the poor scrimmage performance.

On Friday, he said the five-game series also creates an additional sense of urgency to make quick adjustments.

“You don’t have a lot of time in a short series to wait, wait, wait,” Quenneville said, “and I think we want to go with what we think is going to give us the best chance at that moment.”

Huberdeau finished the regular season as the Panthers’ leading scorer with 78 points — 23 goals and 55 assists — and Barkov finished second with 62 points — 20 goals and 42 assists. The two forwards spent most of the year playing together and became one of the NHL’s best offensive tandems, but 13 losses in 18 games coming out of the All-Star break prompted Quenneville to reshuffle his lines, and split up Barkov and Huberdeau, hoping to bring greater offensive balance to his lineup. Florida finished the regular season on a two-game winning streak with the altered lines before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season in March and Quenneville stuck with his new lines throughout postseason training camp last month in Coral Springs.

By the end of the exhibition, he was back to playing his two most productive scorers together.

“It was a wake-up call for all of us,” Barkov said Thursday, “and now we know how it’s going to be in the playoffs.”

MORE FLORIDA PANTHERS LINEUP CHANGES

With Huberdeau back on the top line, the Panthers are shaking up all their lines.

Lucas Wallmark, who had been the third-line center, is out of the lineup for undisclosed reasons with left wing Dryden Hunt replacing him on the active roster, so Florida is overhauling all four lines.

#FlaPanthers forward lines, per @FOXPanthers

Huberdeau - Barkov - Dadonov

Hoffman - Haula - Acciari

Vatrano - Toninato - Connolly

Sceviour - Boyle - Pysyk

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) August 1, 2020

On the second line, winger Mike Hoffman is playing on the left side, forward Erik Haula is playing center and Noel Acciari, usually the fourth- line center, is playing right wing. On the third line, Vatrano is playing left wing, forward Dominic Toninato is playing center and winger Brett Connolly is playing on the right side. The third line has winger Colton Sceviour on the left side, forward Brian Boyle at center and converted defenseman Mark Pysyk at right wing.

The Panthers’s defensive pairings are all intact. Defensemen Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar — Florida’s top defensive pairing — returned to the lineup, as expected, after missing the exhibition game. 1189914 Florida Panthers

Panthers come up short in playoff opener against Islanders

By JOHN WAWROW ASSOCIATED PRESS |AUG 01, 2020 AT 7:29 PM

TORONTO — Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 shots and the New York Islanders opened their best-of-five playoff series with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday in the NHL’s return following a 4 1/2-month break.

Anthony Beauvillier had the decisive goal by scoring on the power play 3:39 into the second period. The goal was scored a little over a minute after Florida's Mike Matheson was penalized for a hit to the head on defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who did not return.

Islanders trade deadline addition Jean-Gabriel Pageau opened the scoring re-directing in Derick Brassard’s centering pass 12 minutes into the game.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored 23 seconds into the third period for Florida's lone goal.

The Islanders entered the NHL's 24-team expanded playoff as the Eastern Conference's seventh seed, while the Panthers are 10th.

Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots in his first start since Feb. 29. Bobrovsky missed the Panthers’ final four games due to injury before the NHL season was paused on March 12.

The Islanders beat Florida for the fifth consecutive time, dating to the 2018-19 regular season, and continued keeping the high-scoring Panthers in check.

Florida finished this coronavirus pandemic-shortened season ranked fourth in the NHL in averaging 3.3 goals per game, but has now managed just five goals in four games against the Islanders.

Varlamov shook off a late-season slump in which he went 0-2-2 and allowed 18 goals in five appearances, and earned his 14th career playoff win, and first since with Colorado in 2014.

Boychuk had dumped the puck into the Florida zone and was crossing the blue line, when Matheson lowered his shoulder and caught the Islanders player directly in the head.

Boychuk lay face down on the ice before slowly getting up and headed directly to the locker room.

An officials’ review led to Matheson being issued a minor penalty for an illegal check. The Islanders capitalized on the ensuing power play with Beauvillier one-timing in Devon Toews’ pass into the right circle.

Huberdeau scored on an odd-man rush, in which he was allowed to cut in alone from the left wing and slip a shot under Varlamov.

NOTES: Panthers’ Joel Quenneville coached his 216th career playoff game, which ranks second on the all-time list. His 118 wins ranks third on the list, and remains five short of matching former Islanders coach Al Arbour, who ranks second. ... This is the second playoff meeting after the Islanders eliminated the Panthers in six games of a first-round series in 2016. Florida has four players left on its roster from that series, Huberdeau, Matheson, Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad, while the Isles have 10. ... The Islanders got the benefit of celebrating Pageau’s goal to the familiar home-arena sound of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.”

UP NEXT

Game 2 on Tuesday at noon.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189915 Florida Panthers coach and Huberdeau was drafted. “But he was driven to be the best player from the first day he got on the ice.”

Greg Leland, a former assistant coach with the Sea Dogs, and Jonathan Huberdeau, Panthers’ unassuming star, gets his chance Huberdeau spoke shortly after the All Star break this season, as the Panthers were in the midst of a losing streak, appearing destined for a fourth consecutive playoff-less season. Leland remembers the frustration By MAX MARCOVITCH he heard on the other end.

" ‘Greg, it’s like we lost all our momentum and lost all our mojo,’ " he recalled Huberdeau saying. “He said, ‘You know, we get in the playoffs Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau once told a lie. this year, get our mojo back…' He was a young star with the Saint John Sea Dogs, a junior team in the “He wants the playoff fever. He’s only had six games. He got a taste of it. Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. One night he approached his And he wants it again, for sure.” coach, , asking if he could stay in the hotel with his uncle, who was in town to watch the game. Gallant thought nothing of the Now, he has it. request. In the Panthers’ five-game Qualifying Round series against the Islanders, The next day, Huberdeau came into practice, guilt-ridden, to atone. Huberdeau will anchor a “Triple-H” line — with Hoffman and Erik Haula — that will unequivocally need to produce, especially under the spotlight "‘I can’t lie to you coach,‘ ” Gallant recalled Huberdeau saying. “ ‘I was of nationally televised postseason games. with my girlfriend last night.’ " Whatever Huberdeau is chasing, whatever motivates him to become the “To be honest with you, as coaches, we were sort of excited because player he has, it’s right in front of him. There’s a flip side to that Jonathan never misses a curfew or [is] down his two strikes,” Gallant proposition, of course: A quiet exit could siphon Huberdeau deeper into said. “So when we heard that, we made up we were mad, and we just the abyss of national disregard. This is a career-altering moment, sorta, ‘OK, Jonathan, well, it’s a $20 fine and we’re not happy. We might whether he’s ready or not. have to call your parents.’ — which we never did. What seems certain, though, is that no level of notoriety — or its inverse “Because the last thing we wanted to do was lose Jonathan Huberdeau.” — will change Huberdeau, the person. It’s a light-hearted glimpse into a shy 17-year-old phenom turned Eight years after lying about staying the night with his then-girlfriend, unassuming NHL star. He left Saint John the highest-selected player in Huberdeau returned to Saint John, this time to become the first member the NHL draft in the junior club’s history, picked No. 3 by the Panthers in inducted in the Sea Dogs’ Hall of Fame. 2011. Ten years after the lying incident, Huberdeau, now married, finished his season in the top 10 in the league in points, making a belated He rented out a back room of a local restaurant the night before the first All-Star team in 2020. Even in a shortened season, he neared ceremony, inviting family and close friends to celebrate. They all took a career-bests in goals (23) and assists (55). bus Huberdeau rented so that they could drink and enjoy the night responsibly. At 27, Huberdeau is in his prime. During the evening, Leland spotted someone sitting at the other side of Even still, there are no bells and whistles with Huberdeau; he doesn’t live the table he didn’t recognize. Puzzled, given the intimate nature of the his life nor play his game with any of the purported frills of pro hockey gathering, Leland approached Huberdeau. stardom. His pregame routine amounts to lacing up his skates, taping his stick and playing hockey. His mic’d up segment on the Panthers’ website “I’m sitting there going ‘Who’s the guy at the end of the table? I don’t from November is about as entertaining as watching ice dry after an recognize him.’ He just chuckles and goes, ‘Oh, that’s the bus driver.’ intermission Zamboni run. “Really?” He does not pine to play in a hockey-crazed market or for a better team. Phrases like “brand exposure” seem not to register in his vocabulary. He said, ‘Yeah, you know, he’s driving us down, we’re having a few beers on the bus.’ He said, ‘I didn’t want him to feel left out.’ In January, Huberdeau became the franchise’s all-time points leader in a manner befitting of his personality — winding up for wrist shot from the “That probably sums him up right there.” point, only to rifle a pass across his body to Mike Hoffman, who easily Sun Sentinel LOADED: 08.02.2020 slotted one into the net as the goaltender was thrown off balance.

Huberdeau embraced Hoffman, skated back, and fist-bumped his teammates lined up on the bench. He barely cracked a grin.

“Obviously in Florida, sometimes you don’t get much credit, but that’s part of it. I don’t really care,” Huberdeau told SportsNet Canada. “I’ve never really thought about that, just playing. We want to do good for the team, it doesn’t matter who thinks about us.”

But Huberdeau is a competitor, as anyone who’s reached his heights must be. And whether he cares or not, the expanded 24-team playoff starting Saturday gives Huberdeau, who has played just six career playoff games, a chance to change perceptions about his team and himself.

He’s a trendy player these days, amid the best season of his career, to show up on “most underrated player” lists.

He’s also a guy who is, by his nature, a winning player — taking the Sea Dogs to the QMJHL Final in his 16-year-old season and winning the Memorial Cup Title in his 17-year-old year. For all his ambivalence about public recognition, for his laid back nature and understated demeanor, there is a degree to which proving that at the NHL level would fuel any true competitor.

While he’s never one to decry his personal aspirations, that hardly means they aren’t present.

“He was probably 135-140 pounds when he played his first game with us,” said Gallant of the Sea Dog days, before he was hired as Panthers 1189916 Minnesota Wild Even into November, the Wild loitered near the bottom of the NHL, foiled by a feast-or-famine offense and spotty play in its own end.

A season-high 11-game point streak that lasted into December helped, Wild could benefit from revamped NHL playoff format but the real turning point seemed to be Jan. 16.

Even in a pandemic, the Wild and 23 other teams won't stop chasing the From that point, the Wild went 15-7-1, ranking near the top of the NHL in Cup. wins, points (31) and goals (81).

“It just says so much about the group of guys that we have that they committed to sticking to it,” goalie Alex Stalock said. “I think we always By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune AUGUST 1, 2020 — 11:19PM said that, ‘Just stick with it, stick with it,’ because we knew we had a good group and we knew that eventually it’d turn.”

The team didn’t slow down after Evason replaced Bruce Boudreau in EDMONTON, ALBERTA=The Wild won’t get to flex its home-ice mid-February as an interim before getting promoted to full-time status advantage at Xcel Energy Center. last month. Under Evason, the Wild went 8-4 and became even more Players are away from their families, rooming in the same hotel as the potent on offense; the 43 goals the group scored during Evason’s 12- competition and barricaded inside a few city blocks fenced off from the game tenure were the most in the NHL in that span. public. Winger Kevin Fiala dazzled with his skill, shot and speed, tying a career Their quest for the Stanley Cup is also longer than normal, with 19 wins high in goals (23) and becoming the Wild’s leading scorer with 54 after a instead of the typical 16 required to hoist this season’s chalice. 26-point frenzy leading into the pause — evolution that Fiala feels Evason helped instigate. And yet this unusual, never-been-done-before, quirky setup may actually be the Wild’s best chance in years to claim a championship when it “He has big confidence in me, and that helps me to be who I am and to returns after a four-month absence Sunday with a best-of-five series be confident and to play kind of like I want, like I can,” Fiala said. against Vancouver. But Fiala wasn’t the only one at the helm of the No. 10 Wild’s turnaround. “It’s up for grabs, absolutely up for grabs,” coach Dean Evason said. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Wild tabbed Stalock for Game 1 against “You’re so optimistic because everybody’s on the same page. Nobody’s the No. 7 Canucks, which would be just the second playoff start of his coming into the playoffs really hot. Nobody’s coming in not playing so NHL career. Across the ice is Jacob Markstrom, who has never skated in well. Nobody’s coming in beat up. Everybody’s coming in the same, so the postseason before, but he’s coming off a terrific season and has a we are in the same boat as everybody else in the National Hockey slew of talented up-and-comers such as 2019 league rookie of the year League. Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, who might win the award this “That gives us hope that we have an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.” season.

Different vibe Straightforward stakes

After the pandemic interrupted the season on March 12, the NHL waited If the Wild can neutralize those players and keep the puck out of its net, and waited until the time was right to relaunch with a 24-team tournament the series could morph into a depth battle and that’s where the Wild split into two hub cities. would appear to have the upper hand.

The top four teams in each conference received byes to the first round, “Honestly it’s the team that can get back to the way they were playing the and the remaining eight clubs are squaring off in qualifying matchups quickest that’s going to be the team that’s going to be the hardest to before the traditional four-round, best-of-seven format takes over. beat,” defenseman Jared Spurgeon said.

Since the regular season ended prematurely, playoff standings were The challenge is unconventional, no doubt, but the uniqueness of it also organized based on points percentage and the Eastern Conference was validates the Wild’s why-not-us attitude. shuttled to Toronto with the West descending on Edmonton. Travel is in steps not miles, distractions seem to be limited to such A bubble that includes the arena, practice ice, hotels, restaurants and bubble attractions as cornhole and a golf simulator, and the wear and downtime activities has been assembled in each city, with players tear from the regular season is nonexistent. undergoing daily testing for COVID-19. Other safety protocols, such as “It’s probably the best-case scenario for a lot of guys but hopefully more social distancing and face coverings, have also been implemented. so our team,” winger Marcus Foligno said. As unprecedented as this off-ice arrangement is, the in-arena conditions In normal circumstances, the Wild has to survive 82 games to simply aren’t exactly familiar either. advance to the playoffs. Without fans filling the seats, the NHL has revamped the lower bowl to Now if it can hang around for two months, the team could lift a Stanley feature LED screens, and the acoustics are much quieter. Cup. But the reason the Wild is playing hasn’t changed. The stakes might never be that straightforward again. “We’re excited and happy that we’re getting this opportunity,” Evason “We’ve been a streaky team, and we’re capable of going on some pretty said. good runs,” winger Zach Parise said. “Hopefully we can time it right and One point out of a wild-card spot when the season stalled, the Wild is a this will be one of them.” beneficiary of the playoff field expanding from 16 to 24. Star Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 Although the team was on the rise before the stoppage, it still had work to do to nab a berth, and nothing was guaranteed. If it continued to cruise, though, its outlook was promising.

“That’s the thing that gives us the most advantage is we really were playing good at the end of the year,” defenseman Ryan Suter said. “We knew we had a good team, and we finally started to play like it. To reflect on those good vibes we had there, I think that’s going to be very important for us.”

Weak start

Just being in contention was an accomplishment since the playoffs looked like a moonshot at the beginning of the season after the team stumbled to the worst start in franchise history. 1189917 Minnesota Wild It didn’t help sharpen the edge that usually dominates the Stanley Cup playoffs, the bite between the Oilers and Blackhawks lacking.

Still, hockey is back, and the object of the game hasn’t changed. Matt Dumba's speech against racial injustice part of NHL's return to But the world has, and that includes the NHL. action in Edmonton bubble Star Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 Wild defenseman spoke about racial injustice and then took a knee.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune AUGUST 1, 2020 — 11:22PM

EDMONTON, Alberta – The hockey was still hockey.

Connor McDavid’s lightning-fast speed, Patrick Kane’s stealthy shot and the cacophony of sticks and pucks and bodies crunching into the boards — all of that was on display at Rogers Place when the NHL returned Saturday with a 24-team postseason tournament after a 142-day hiatus.

The Blackhawks toppled the Oilers 6-4, the first of two clashes on the day from the Western Conference hub with another three occurring in Toronto, where the East has set up shop.

But while the season resumed to culminate like it always does, with the Stanley Cup getting paraded around the ice, the NHL relaunched after getting shut down by the coronavirus pandemic on March 12 with plenty of reminders of how the world has evolved during its hibernation.

In a surprise cameo, Wild defenseman Matt Dumba joined both teams lined up around center ice and addressed a national TV audience in Canada and the United States with a nearly three-minute speech on racial injustice.

Dumba, who helped create the Hockey Diversity Alliance earlier this summer with other pro players in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody, spoke of how deeply rooted systemic racism is in society and of wanting kids to feel “safe, comfortable and free-minded” when they enter an arena. His message was accompanied by the words “END RACISM” on the video boards.

“Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it,” said Dumba, who is Filipino-Canadian.

And then Dumba became the first NHLer to kneel for the U.S. national anthem, a hand from Chicago goalie Malcom Subban and Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse on each of his shoulders. Dumba stood for Canada’s national anthem.

“Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater,” said Dumba, wearing a Hockey Diversity Alliance sweatshirt. “And it starts with all of us.”

Times are also different in the arena.

Trainers on each team’s bench wore masks. Hand-sanitizing stations littered the concourse level, and benches were wiped down between periods. Media check-in consisted of a temperature reading and symptoms survey.

Most jarring, though, were the empty seats. Some were covered by tarps, embossed with “Edmonton” or “NHL.” But most were abandoned, an unfamiliar sight but one that also made the purity of the game unmistakable — the impact from every pass, carom and hit floating to the rafters.

So did the chatter among players and the cheers erupting from the benches after a goal. “Come on” was the bellow after McDavid skidded along the ice following an apparent trip that was missed by the officials, the voice chiming in sounding very much like the one that belongs to Oilers head coach Dave Tippett.

But the acoustics also acted like the locals were let in.

Each team’s respective goal horn blasted when someone scored, with Chicago’s celebratory “Chelsea Dagger” getting plenty of airtime. The NHL’s version of elevator music filled the silence during stoppages in play and at intermissions, and hype videos scrolled across the Jumbotron.

Occasionally, a “Let’s Go Oilers” chant even broke out when a compilation of fans cheering appeared on the LED screens suspended from the ceiling. 1189918 Minnesota Wild During his tenure, Bettman has helped create a faster, cleaner game that rewards skill, he has signed a new CBA with the players during a pandemic, and he has made common-sense moves that could make the NHL the sports league of the year 2020. Props to the NHL and Commissioner Gary Bettman for saving its season NHL players deserve credit, too. Once known for beer-drinking and Six months ago, the NHL seemed a long shot to become a model for brawling in bars after games, hockey players have become, in general, COVID protocols. In an upset, the NHL is now winning the dangerous disciplined businessmen in recent years. That discipline has been game of responsibly returning to action. evidenced by all of their negative tests.

The Stanley Cup playoffs will be lessened by empty seats, but for most fans most games are television events, and the NHL will be televising a JIM SOUHAN lot of quality entertainment over the next few months.

If you want to resume play as a major sports league, you should follow The Wild will resume play on Sunday night. Bettman’s rules:

Unlike the Vikings, their trainer in charge of coronavirus testing has not 1. Work in tandem with the players association. tested positive for the coronavirus. 2. Move everything to Canada. Unlike the Vikings, the Wild has not had a slew of players placed in Star Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 COVID protocol for either testing positive or being exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Unlike Minnesota United or members of the NWSL, the Wild is not part of a league that has had entire teams withdraw because of COVID.

Unlike the Twins, it is not part of a league that has seen 17 games postponed in the first 10 days of play because of the virus.

Unlike the Timberwolves, it is not part of a league that featured a quality player busting the league bubble to visit a strip club for — what else? — chicken wings.

Unlike college football, the NHL didn’t experience widespread breakouts of the virus even before teams assembled.

Unlike the WNBA, no NHL players have complained about the quality of life in their bubble.

Six months ago, the NHL seemed a long shot to become a model for COVID protocols, because it has long seemed a backward league run by a stereotypically bland bureaucrat.

As of today, the NHL is winning the dangerous game of responsibly returning to action.

This is an upset.

The NHL’s resumption required international flights and long quarantines.

The nature of the sport requires players to hit, sweat upon and breathe upon each other.

In recent years, the NHL had trouble controlling even the mumps and staph infections.

So how did the NHL, “The Andy Griffith Show” of sports leagues, become a leader in virus control, with all of its players testing negative even after traveling to Edmonton and Toronto?

Gary Bettman, the punching bag of a commissioner, deserves credit.

He reportedly wanted to resume play in at least one American city. Las Vegas was a top option. Then he watched Vegas open casinos and spread the virus and decided to reopen in one of the many countries that has far outpaced the United States in virus control — Canada.

MLB and the NFL should immediately pack, drive to the border and bribe their way into Canada with vats of poutine.

What we have learned in the past month is that a bubble is vital to restarting a sports league. The NBA and WNBA are functioning in bubbles located in Florida, one of the states that has managed the virus the worst.

Baseball is flying infected players all over the country, and its previous plan was to play in Arizona, Texas and Florida, three states in which the virus has purchased timeshares.

The NFL plans to start its season in September and follow baseball’s bumbling lead. The league has already canceled its preseason but seems intent on playing its regular season as scheduled.

MLB and the NFL are reminders of an old saying: Hope is not a plan.

Arrogant leadership can kill a citizen or a season. 1189919 Minnesota Wild Defense pairs: Ryan Suter-Jared Spurgeon; Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba; Carson Soucy-Brad Hunt.

Goalies: Alex Stalock, Devan Dubnyk. Series preview: How the Wild and Canucks match up Spares: Fs Luke Johnson, Gerry Mayhew, Victor Rask, Kyle Rau and Nico Sturm; Ds Matt Bartkowski, Louie Belpedio and Brennan Menell; Gs Kaapo Kahkonen and Mat Robson. Sarah McLellan Injuries: D Greg Pateryn (upper body).

SCOUTING the Canucks (No. 7 seed, 36-27-6) SCOUTING THE WILD (NO. 10 SEED, 35-27-7) KEY PLAYERS KEY PLAYERS Jacob Markstrom, G: Vancouver’s MVP, Markstrom is coming off a Kevin Fiala, RW: One of the most dynamic scorers in the NHL at the time superb season in which he posted a career-best .918 save percentage the season paused, Fiala had 14 goals and 12 assists in his last 18 that was fourth-best among goalies who logged at least 40 games. He games to finish with a team-high 54 points. He could be quite a handful was 7-1 in games when he faced 40 or more shots. His season was cut for Vancouver if he rediscovers that rhythm. short by a knee injury that sidelined him at the end of February, but the Canucks are counting on him to be a rock. Alex Stalock, G: Stalock was on a 9-3-1 run before the season stopped — an impressive showing by the backup goalie that could give him the Elias Pettersson, C: The reigning Calder Trophy winner’s 27 goals were edge over Devan Dubnyk for the Game 1 start. After mid-January, tied for the team lead, and he finished second in points with 66. With Stalock ranked among the NHL’s best in wins (11), save percentage electric hands and playmaking instincts, Pettersson has the potential to (.920), goals-against average (2.25) and (three). single-handedly take over the series.

Joel Eriksson Ek, C: Shutting down Vancouver star Elias Pettersson will Quinn Hughes, D: The rookie had no trouble fitting into the NHL. His be pivotal to the Wild’s success. Cue Eriksson Ek, who is the best- average ice time (21 minutes, 53 seconds) proved that, and Hughes equipped forward to take on the matchup. He has developed a reputation wasn’t just sturdy in his own end; he became just the third defenseman in as being a thorn in the opposition’s side, exactly what the Wild will need. the NHL’s modern era to pace rookies in scoring (53 points), and he also led all NHL rookies in assists (45). MUST STEP UP MUST STEP UP Matt Dumba, D: Although Dumba didn’t meet his offensive targets coming off major surgery, he’s a perfect candidate to benefit from a fresh Brock Boeser, RW: The Burnsville native’s production dipped this season start. He and partner Jonas Brodin will likely match against Vancouver’s to 16 goals in 57 games. Boeser also had a rough second half, missing top six, but he could also make a difference on the power play if his one- more than a month because of a rib injury and going without a goal in the timer is on point. last 12 games he played. After the four-month break to recharge, he could bounce back in a meaningful way. X-FACTOR X-FACTOR Marcus Foligno, LW: A physical pest who can kill penalties and chip in secondary scoring, Foligno has all the tools to flip momentum in this Tyler Toffoli, RW: A trade acquisition ahead of the deadline, Toffoli made series. And that boost from the bottom-six forward group could be vital to a splash in his Canucks debut by scoring six goals in 10 games. He’s the Wild. also a Stanley Cup champion, having won in 2014 with Los Angeles, and that pedigree only strengthens Vancouver’s top line. BREAKING IT DOWN BREAKING IT DOWN Offense: Once Dean Evason took over as coach from Bruce Boudreau in mid-February, the Wild implemented a more aggressive approach up ice. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS No other NHL team scored more goals over the course of the 12 games Evason coached in the regular season than the Wild (43). Overall, the Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon, middle, acclimated himself to the team sat 12th by averaging 3.16 goals per game. Zach Parise had a Rogers Place ice before Wednesday’s exhibition game against Colorado. team-high 25 goals, and Kevin Fiala’s 23 tied his career high. Where the Spurgeon will be playing in his hometown for as long as the Wild remains Wild might have the edge vs. Vancouver is in the depth department; its in the playoffs. Other key players to watch in this series will be third- and fourth-liners combined for 56 goals this season. goaltenders Alex Stalock and Jacob Markstrom, top, and snipers Matt Dumba and Elias Pettersson, bottom. Defense: This is the Wild’s strength, especially when the action is at even strength. The Wild gave up the fewest scoring chances at 5-on-5 in the Offense: The Canucks are dangerous with the puck, boasting a top-10 regular season, and Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon had one of the best offense that averaged 3.25 goals per game. Captain and goal differentials among top pairings in the league. Jonas Brodin also Tanner Pearson were the club’s other 20-goal scorers besides Elias was extremely effective. The unit also wasn’t afraid to jump up in the Pettersson and J.T. Miller. Vancouver was also one of the top faceoff play, with Suter one of the top-scoring defenders since mid-November, teams during the regular season at 54%, and Horvat (57.3 %) is one of Spurgeon scoring nine second-half goals and Brodin racking up a career the best in the NHL. Production starts to wane lower in the lineup, but high in points (28). that’s where the team gets grittier with Antoine Roussel and Brandon Sutter. Goaltending: Stalock is lean on playoff experience, but he proved he can handle more opportunity, becoming the fifth goalie in franchise history to Defense: The Canucks were near the bottom third in the league in goals- record 20 wins in a season. Aside from Devan Dubnyk, the Wild also has against average (3.10). Still, Vancouver’s back end has plenty of Kaapo Kahkonen and Mat Robson waiting in the wings. Kahkonen is an experience in Alexander Edler and Christopher Tanev. The two ranked especially intriguing option since he’s the reigning American Hockey third (162) and fourth (159), respectively, in blocked shots in the NHL. League goalie of the year. Edler eats up the most ice time, averaging 22 minutes, 37 seconds per game, and he’s a playoff veteran. But the Canucks had no issue trusting Special teams: The Wild’s power play finished 11th at 21.3% and found a youngster Quinn Hughes. groove late in the season, tallying 14 goals in its final 18 games, the second most in the NHL over that stretch. Zach Parise (12 goals), Kevin Goaltending: This is Jacob Markstrom’s first trip to the playoffs, but he’s Fiala and Ryan Suter were major catalysts. The penalty kill wasn’t as no stranger to big stages. He led Vancouver’s minor league club to the proficient, sitting 25th at 77.2 %. American Hockey League final in 2015 and has fared well in international competition for Sweden. The team also has Thatcher Demko, who PROJECTED LINEUP played when Markstrom was hurt.

Forward lines: Jordan Greenway-Eric Staal-Kevin Fiala; Zach Parise-Joel Special teams: At 24.2%, the Canucks had one of the best power plays Eriksson Ek-Luke Kunin; Marcus Foligno-Alex Galchenyuk-Mats in the NHL this season; only Edmonton (59) had more goals than Zuccarello; Ryan Donato-Mikko Koivu-. Vancouver (57). Bo Horvat was a regular finisher with 12 goals. The Canucks’ penalty kill was more ho-hum, ranking in the middle of the pack at 80.5%.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Forward lines: J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson-Tyler Toffoli; Tanner Pearson- Bo Horvat-Brock Boeser; Antoine Roussel-Adam Gaudette-Micheal Ferland; Tyler-Motte-Jay Beagle-Brandon Sutter.

Defense pairs: Alexander Edler-Troy Stecher; Quinn Hughes-Christopher Tanev; Oscar Fantenburg-Tyler Myers.

Goalies: Jacob Markstrom, Thatcher Demko.

Spares: Fs Justin Bailey, Loui Eriksson, Tyler Graovac, Zack MacEwen and Jake Virtanen; Ds Jordie Benn, Jalen Chatfield, Olli Juolevi and Brogan Rafferty; G Louis Domingue.

Injuries: F Josh Leivo (fractured kneecap).

Star Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189920 Minnesota Wild

Wild vs. Vancouver: Schedule for best-of-five play-in series

STAFF REPORT

NHL RESTART WILD VS. VANCOUVER

After last playing in mid-March, the Wild is finally resuming its 2019-20 NHL season. In one of four best-of-five play-in series in the Western Conference, the 10th-seeded Wild will face the seventh-seeded Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The winner will qualify for the eight-team Western Conference playoffs. The loser goes home.

Game 1: Sunday, 9:30 p.m. (FSN, NBCSN)

Game 2: Tuesday, 9:45 p.m. (FSN, USA)

Game 3: Thursday, time TBA (FSN, TBA)

* Game 4: Friday, time TBA (FSN, TBA)

* Game 5: Next Sunday, time TBA (FSN, TBA)

* if necessary

Star Tribune LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189921 Minnesota Wild Seeing it, however, made Trina tell her husband that Mathew just became the first NHL player to do something that has been witnessed in professional leagues throughout the continent.

Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew Dumba’s moment, but is it What Dumba did and said can be viewed through two spectrums. One is enough? that this is a major step forward for the NHL considering the league’s history on addressing subjects like race and racism. The other, however, is while acknowledging the gravity of Saturday, we don’t know whether or not the NHL can show it is really and truly ready to make a stand like By Ryan S. Clark Aug 1, 2020 Major League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, the NBA and the NWSL have done over the past several weeks.

Charlie Dumba will always remember those games in different rinks Let’s start here. Race has long been an uncomfortable subject in the throughout suburban Calgary when he was coaching his two sons’ teams NHL. It is why in some part the famed “Saturday Night Live” sketch with and he required a word with an official. Chance The Rapper playing a Black hockey reporter was comical. It goes back to the fact that hockey is a predominately White sport that has He told those officials that they needed to keep their ears open for what not come remotely close to looking like the rest of North American was being said. Charlie let them know that he and his players were society in the same manner as the NBA and NFL, where there is a larger hearing racial epithets being used by their opponents during games. This concentration of minorities who are either broadcasters, coaches, front is what he did as a coach to fight racism. As a parent, he was a White office executives, owners, players or spectators. man married to a Filipino woman who had to tell his sons – Kyle and Mathew – to turn the other cheek. The NHL has attempted to address these issues with mantras and programs like “Hockey Is For Everyone” or the “You Can Play” initiative. For now. Furthermore, this is a league that has shown it can tackle serious social subjects. The NHL and the entire sport itself have worked to own the “I once told Kyle to turn the other cheek because we are not fighting this conversation on mental health with Bell Let’s Talk in an effort to fight the today,” Charlie recalled. “But some day, we’re going to. One day we stigma commonly associated with mental illness. It is a league that has might change the whole thing.” made a gradual effort to have programs like Pride Nights throughout its This is why Friday resonated so much with Charlie and Trina Dumba. various markets that allow LGBTQ+ fans to feel included. The same Mathew, a star defenseman with the Minnesota Wild, called home to tell applies to the incremental approach toward having more women in the his parents he was delivering a speech Saturday on behalf of the Hockey game. Strides have been made in the fact that there are women in high- Diversity Alliance to tell the game they loved that racism needs to stop. ranking positions throughout various levels of their team’s respective That young children should not have to experience what he and Kyle did front offices. Or how there are women who serve in different when they were boys. That maybe this inspires a new generation. broadcasting roles ranging from anchor to color analysts to directors to producers to sideline reporters with the premise that there are still not Hearing this left Charlie and Trina choked up. It left them at a loss of enough women and there needs to be more. words. But above all, it left them proud. The only thing they could say – beyond how much they love their child – is they were worried his speech Attempting to fully understand why the NHL has not taken that same might be too much to remember without writing it all down. Mathew directive with race and racism is a question many have asked over the assured his parents that he would be OK when the time came to speak to past several years with the idea those beliefs have intensified because a much larger audience. there is an international conversation about those subjects currently happening. Maybe the league showing it wants to work with the HDA is And that is exactly what happened Saturday. Charlie and Trina, along just that. Perhaps it is possible that seeing several White players like with the rest of the planet, watched their son give what might become a Sidney Crosby, Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Tyler foundational speech regarding how the NHL and hockey as a whole can Seguin and Jonathan Toews speaking about race proves the league is be better when it comes to racism. For 2½ minutes, Dumba spoke while ready to talk. Mathieu Schneider, one of the few Jewish players during standing at center ice next to players from the Chicago Blackhawks and his time in the NHL, said the NHLPA is working as an organization to Edmonton Oilers inside of an otherwise empty Rogers Place where his make sure “young kids coming into our game should not have to words and their meaning echoed throughout an arena and the entire experience racism or bigotry.” sport. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hired and promoted Kim Davis, a Black Dumba wore a black HDA hoodie. Blackhawks goaltender Malcolm woman, to be the league’s executive vice president for social impact, Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who are both Black, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. She has worked to create more stood next to Dumba for the entirety of his address. He was measured awareness around race and racism while also working with figures like when talking about how “the world woke up to the existence of Arizona Coyotes team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, toward systematic racism” and how it impacted society. There was the clear building partnerships with different organizations in an attempt to hire acknowledgement of how there are some who feel they have heard more diverse job candidates. enough about a concept they think has received too much attention. Providing Dumba the platform to speak where he said the phrase “Black “But let me assure you, it has not,” Dumba said. “Racism is a man-made Lives Matter” could be enough to generate the idea there are reasons to creation and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. be optimistic. Racism is everywhere and we need to fight against it.” But the fact it was Dumba who said “Black Lives Matter” – and not the That is where he spoke about what comes with being an ethnic minority NHL itself leading up to his speech – plays into why there is doubt about who has faced these challenges. About why the HDA and the NHL are whether the NHL is in the strongest possible position to show it is working together to hopefully cease the cycle of racism at some point in committed to fighting racism. the future. Here is the thing that makes discussing race and racism potentially “I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans complicated. It is being able to distinguish the difference between nuance because Black Lives Matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a and nit-picking. What is fair game versus finding something that may or great game,” Dumba said. “But it could be a whole lot greater and it starts may not be there. For this is the situation the NHL has placed itself in by with all of us.” waiting too long to address racism. Any move it makes will be met with Players from both teams loudly tapped their sticks barely seconds after skepticism from a sizable number of people compared to other leagues Dumba finished speaking. Immediately, the national anthems of the that immediately took a stance and accepted whatever consequences it United States and Canada were played over the arena’s public address would face from fans. system. Dumba knelt for the “Star-Spangled Banner” while Nurse and Take the moments building up to Dumba’s speech and how it all played Subban placed their hands on his shoulders. All three men stood for “O out from start to finish. Canada” before Dumba left the ice before the game started. American audiences watching NBC heard about COVID-19 and the Charlie said he and Trina did not know their son was going to kneel. challenges it presented leading up to the Blackhawks-Oilers game. There was nothing that acknowledged the international discussion about race and racism and the fact it has become the most controversial subject in “Who knows if this will break the mold for every Hispanic, Asian and hockey. If anything, NBC spent more time discussing how long it would Black player to break through to decide that if someone like Matt and the take a hockey puck to melt through a block of ice. Canadian viewers, rest of the HDA can do it, then they can do it,” Charlie said. “They might however, saw a nearly five-minute introduction on Sportsnet where the think, ‘If they did it, we can too.’ I think that’s the thing. All people and all network played “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley as a soundtrack to a kids are looking (for) is hope. Giving them that hope and making them discussion about racism. It started with playing Nelson Mandela’s feel like they are included and that they have the same chances as address from when he was released from prison. It continued by blending everyone else would be the greatest thing ever.” photos and videos with statements that were given by HDA members such as Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Evander Kane, Dumba, Wayne The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Simmonds and Joel Ward. Those players all shared personal stories that were followed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Danny Green, along with McDavid and Ovechkin all saying they support the HDA.

It is asking those questions about Dumba’s moment itself. Was it better to have Nurse and Subban around Dumba because it potentially presents a more powerful moment to see solidarity among minorities? Or would it have been better to have White players in that space as a visual show of support. Then again, one could argue having White players there might not have had the same impact compared to just minorities having everyone’s attention. But, if White players are truly on board with this movement, should one of them have been alongside Dumba to make their feelings visibly clear?

Even the timing of it all came into question. Why did the league choose a marquee matchup between the Blackhawks and Oilers in prime viewing hours when the game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers did not have a moment recognizing the fight to end racism? Attention was shown in a later game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It just remains to be seen if the league will continue doing this throughout the postseason.

The dynamic involving the Blackhawks and Oilers is something worth examining. One is a team that has come under fire for its name as many deem it to be disrespectful Native American imagery. The other is a team in the Oilers that has long been associated with players of color like Anson Carter, Grant Fuhr and Mike Grier. Currently, the Oilers have five minorities on their roster in Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Jujhar Khaira, Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto.

Another avenue in how this moment was measured was social media. The NHL tweeted the video of Dumba’s speech with the text, “When an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out. #WeSkateFor Black Lives.” Some will say the tweet was enough. That the league fulfilled its obligation to talk about racism. Others will debate how this is still an organization that could still not state “Black Lives Matter” in that moment. Especially when the NHL was called out for a since-deleted video praising White player Seguin for attending a protest filled as social media users pointed out it had not done the same for players of color who have fought for the cause and dealt with racism their entire lives.

WHEN AN ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN THE GAME, WE MUST SPEAK OUT. #WESKATEFOR BLACK LIVES. PIC.TWITTER.COM/MGMMGRM8VI

— NHL (@NHL) AUGUST 1, 2020

Other leagues, by comparison, do not have to face these questions or they face fewer of them because they actually have addressed the issue at hand while openly saying “Black Lives Matter.” The threat of losing fans is a reality every league must consider when taking a stance. But how many of them are also thinking about the fact that they might gain new fans who support them for speaking out against racism? Gaining few fans, especially those who are minorities, could serve the NHL in the coming decades considering White Americans are projected to be nation’s the minority population by 2045. That might be 25 years away but making an effort to show it understands the importance of addressing and fighting racism might help a league that is already at a financial disadvantage compared to college basketball, college football, MLB, the NBA and NFL.

Knowing whether the NHL can be a league and hockey can be a sport that appeals to everyone will arguably be the largest challenge facing the sport in the wake of Dumba’s statement.

People like Charlie and Trina Dumba believe that can be the case. Trina said that “hockey connects good people” and that she feels there are more good people than bad ones in the world. Charlie’s hope is for hockey and society to look back at 2020 and realize that is when a change was starting to be made because there were those who wanted to take a stand. 1189922 MontrealCanadiens

Petry scores OT winner as Habs upset Penguins in Game 1

Jeff Petry scored at 16:57 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday in the opening game of their best- of-five qualifying round in the NHL Return to Play tournament at Scotiabank Arena.

Author of the article: Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

TORONTO — Jeff Petry scored at 16:57 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday in the opening game of their best-of-five qualifying round in the NHL Return to Play tournament at Scotiabank Arena.

Carey Price gave the underdog Canadiens a chance to win as he made 39 saves and also stopped Conor Sheary on a penalty shot late in the third period.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki, a couple of 20-year-olds playing in their first NHL playoff game, provided the Montreal goals in regulation.

Game 2 will be played Monday.

The difference in the skill level was obvious in the opening minutes. While the Canadiens had trouble establishing a presence in the Penguins’ zone, Pittsburgh kept Price busy as they outshot Montreal 10- 1 over the first six minutes.

But the Canadiens got on the board first, thanks to some old-fashioned hard work. Artturi Lehkonen didn’t get an assist on the goal but he set the play in motion when he won a battle along the boards and got the puck back to at the point. Kulak’s shot was blocked in front but Paul Byron and Kotkaniemi both went to the front of the net. Byron had the first swipe at the loose puck and Kotkaniemi put it behind Matt Murray as he was being pushed to the ice. It was the young Finn’s first goal since Jan. 9.

The unexpected lead appeared to give the Canadiens a boost of confidence and they played with far more poise to start the second period. They directed shots to the net and put some pressure on Murray, but it was a great individual effort by Suzuki that gave Montreal a 2-0 lead. The rookie picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and had a clear path to the goal, beating Murray with a shot through the five-hole at 6:53.

Things came unravelled for the Canadiens midway through the period as the Penguins pulled even on goals by Sidney Crosby and Brian Rust.

Crosby showed why he’s one of the best in the world when he scored on a delayed penalty at 9:55. He was standing behind the goal line when he caromed a shot off Price’s skate.

One of the messages for the Canadiens going into the game was to avoid taking penalties, but it was lost on Jonathan Drouin. He took a hooking penalty — one of those lazy penalties that drive Claude Julien crazy — and Rust scored on a rebound after Price made a save from close range on Patric Hornqvist.

Drouin took a tripping penalty late in the second period, but Montreal managed to kill that one without allowing a shot on goal. And the penalty- killers, led by Suzuki, came up big early in the third period when Pittsburgh had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:32 and had only one shot on goal. The Penguins went 1-for-7 on the power play while the Canadiens were 0-for-2.

Drouin also missed a penalty shot in overtime, as the puck rolled off his stick.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189923 MontrealCanadiens At the other end, the Canadiens wouldn’t have been blamed if they felt overwhelmed over the first half of the first period, especially with the Penguins holding a 10-1 edge in shots on goal through the first seven minutes of play. We have what we have: Claude Julien’s favourite line takes on new meaning “We really liked the way we were playing,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of his team’s start. “We felt like we had possession time, we were controlling territory, we generated a fair amount of scoring chances. The puck just didn’t go in the net for us. We could’ve been up a couple goals By Arpon Basu Aug 1, 2020 in the first period. Didn’t happen that way. But that’s hockey.”

That’s hockey, yes, But that’s also Carey Price at his best. And that’s It has been a line Claude Julien has loved to use whenever he’s been why he was immediately cited as the reason this is an unfair scenario for asked about this Canadiens matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. the Penguins, who were basically guaranteed a playoff spot this season but now have to face this. It is a line that could be looked at as conceding defeat, as a ready-made excuse for a coach who has to make the best of a flawed lineup going up “If it’s not for Carey Price in the first period — or the first five to 10 against the Stanley Cup pedigree of the Penguins. minutes where they really came out hard at us and got some speed through the neutral zone, had some great opportunities from the slot area Julien said the five words again after a Game 1 win in overtime Saturday — Carey was huge throughout that whole first period,” Julien said. “He night, one capped by a Jeff Petry goal in the extra frame, but those words gave us a chance to come back and kind of adjust ourselves there for the take on a bit of a different meaning now. second and the rest of the game. He made some big saves throughout the whole game, but the first period is where he allowed us to stay in the “It’s what we said right from the get-go,” Julien said, “we’re playing an game and gave us a chance to win this.” experienced team, they’ve won Stanley Cups, they know how to win, and we have what we have.” This is what Julien has, a potential game-changer in net. And if this is the Price he will have throughout the series, suddenly what Julien has isn’t We have what we have. so bad. Before Game 1, that line seemed like a white flag. Like Julien was saying The exuberance of youth he was going to do the best with what he was given. That if he had to treat rookie Nick Suzuki like a second-line centre and make his primary Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s first shift came roughly 90 seconds into the game. matchup Evgeni Malkin, then that’s what he would have to do. If he had He was flying. It was probably the only shift in the first seven minutes to plug Jesperi Kotkaniemi into a third-line role, then that’s what he would where the Canadiens appeared to have some life. It was a sign of things have to do. If he had to ride his top three defencemen for more than 25 to come. minutes a game because he has no depth at that position, he would do that. If he had to roll four lines to try to win the game through attrition, Just before that shift, Suzuki’s line with Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia even in overtime, he would do that. was getting buried by Malkin’s line, and Jason Zucker missed a wide- open net, albeit from a very difficult angle. That was also a sign of things Julien did all those things. He went with what he has. And what he has to come, because as well as Suzuki played, the Canadiens managed was good enough. only two shot attempts in the 5:37 he and Malkin were on the ice together at five-on-five. Much of what Julien has was seen as weaknesses, reasons the Canadiens had no chance to beat the Penguins in a short series. That is Still, Julien has used the “we have what we have” line most when often when he used that line, to say, basically, what choice do I have? Is discussing how he would use Suzuki, and even though he had his hands it ideal to have Suzuki matched up with Malkin? Of course not. Is it ideal full against Malkin, the Canadiens rookie was incredible. to have Brett Kulak play more than 20 minutes because he’s Petry’s partner? Of course not. Kotkaniemi opened the scoring with a dirty goal, paying the price in front of the net to bank the puck behind Murray off a rebound. Suzuki scored Except Suzuki shined. As did Kulak. And then there’s that goalie. the next goal, yes, but his biggest impact came when Ben Chiarot inexplicably cross-checked Crosby in the face with Phillip Danault Here is what Julien has, and why what he has allowed the Canadiens to already in the box in the first minute of the third period, giving the take an improbable 1-0 lead in this best-of-five series. Penguins a five-on-three power play for 1:32. Suzuki was sent out on the A goalie who is a difference-maker ice with Petry and Shea Weber, won the initial faceoff clean only to have Weber’s clearing attempt hit a linesman and go out of play, forcing The overwhelming narrative when the playoff format and matchups were another faceoff in the Canadiens’ zone. Suzuki lost that one but was a announced was that the Penguins were getting the shaft because they vision of calm on that penalty kill, never over-committing, staying in his have to face Carey Price in a short series. Price hasn’t been that great, lane, his stick in the right spot, looking nothing like a rookie. they said. Price can’t do it alone, they said. Ultimately, Suzuki managed to get his stick on a pass late in the five-on- All those things are true, but Price made the narrative a reality Saturday three, deflecting the puck into the corner. He followed it, pressured the night. Penguins puck carrier, and when it popped free he was the one who The Penguins came out firing, and the Canadiens came out clearly cleared the zone, allowing the Canadiens to survive. nervous. But this is where Price’s strength shines. And that strength is an “I was pretty confident going in,” Suzuki said. “I’ve got two solid ability to calm the nerves of his teammates. defenders that are with me, and we talked a lot about their power play “I mean, he made some really big saves and it gave us that that calming and what we’re going to try to do against them. So I was confident going influence that Price is all about,” Petry said. “He’s calm and collected in, it was just nice to get the confidence from the coach to trust me in that back there, especially when a team is in on the forecheck and controlling situation.” the play a little bit, you have that calming influence from him back there. I But Julien rightly pointed out that of his two 20-year-old centres who were think it settles everybody down.” making their NHL playoff debuts, it was Kotkaniemi whom Julien would When you look at this individual matchup, the two goalies had opposite have been justified doubting a bit more, simply because we hadn’t seen effects on their teammates. Matt Murray wasn’t necessarily allowing bad him play effectively on a consistent basis all season except when he was goals, but he wasn’t calming nerves, either. He was accentuating nerves. playing with the in the AHL.

The Penguins had to clear a rebound from a dangerous area on nearly “We know Suzuki better, but in Kotkaniemi’s case it had been a while every shot Murray faced. The second goal he allowed to Suzuki was off a since we hadn’t seen him play with us,” Julien said. “He came back nice shot, yes, but it’s a shot you would expect a top-notch goaltender to strong, and that’s the type of game we’ll need from him on a regular stop. A save at that point in the game would have helped the Penguins’ basis.” psyche. They didn’t get that relief. Experience is great in the playoffs and shouldn’t be discounted. But young players being challenged to rise to the occasion against a proven team like the Penguins has a certain value as well. These are highly motivated players at the very beginning of their NHL careers who want to show what kind of players they can become in this league.

The opportunity Suzuki and Kotkaniemi have before them is rare. They are lucky to have it. And they could have wilted when faced with it for the first time.

They didn’t.

A first line that is just as excellent as before

Aside from Danault uncharacteristically going to the penalty box three times, including once in overtime, his line with Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher was as great as it usually is. At five-on-five with Danault and Crosby on the ice, the Canadiens matched the Penguins in shot attempts and were close on high-danger scoring chances.

Gallagher had nine shots on goal in the game, after putting the same number on goal in the Canadiens’ exhibition game. The line itself provided nice breaks in Penguins pressure throughout the game, changing momentum with strong shifts in the Pittsburgh zone and producing scoring chances at timely moments.

As a line, Danault, Tatar and Gallagher were the only unit on the team to finish with positive shot-attempt and shot-on-goal differentials when they were on the ice at five-on-five. This is perhaps the most important thing Julien has — besides his goalie — and they delivered.

This game was perhaps a lesson to stop focusing on what Julien doesn’t have.

It was still easy to see in the game. Though Julien stuck to the idea of rolling four lines and keeping Max Domi with and Jordan Weal, it was obvious Domi is lost with those two because they were a detriment to him. When Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet were on the ice together on defence, it was a terrible adventure for the Canadiens. Crosby and Malkin had various moments in the game where it was obvious the Canadiens have no one to match them.

But still, what became clear in this Game 1 win was what Julien has, as we’ve attempted to demonstrate. As a result, here’s what else Julien has: a Game 1 win, home-ice advantage and a need to simply go .500 over the next four games to get into the playoffs.

But Julien also has one more thing that he shares with Canadiens fans who want to see their team win instead of having a one-in-eight chance of drafting Alexis Lafrenière.

He has hope.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189924 MontrealCanadiens BEN CHIAROT W THE BOLD STRATEGY OF "MURDER CROSBY IN GAME ONE" PIC.TWITTER.COM/PKAIWWUXHK

— DYLAN (@DYLANFREMLIN) AUGUST 2, 2020 There’s a recipe to beat the Penguins, and the Canadiens had it Broadcast bits

I spent a lot of years watching a lot of Hurricanes games, so I’ve long had By Sean Gentille Aug 1, 2020 an idea of how good John Forslund is, but man, hearing him on NBC was still a legitimate treat. Great voice, great calls, minimal weirdness in a weird situation — welcome stuff across the board. Brian Boucher talked more from between the boards than Mike Milbury, the ostensible lead You could always guess, if you’d paid attention, what a Penguins loss in analyst. That was also welcomed for a lot of reasons. An underrated their series against the Canadiens would look like: bad bounces, bumpy highlight of the night, to that end, was Milbury saying Malkin wasn’t goaltending and a couple of unforced errors, probably on the bottom noticeable a moment or two after NBC ran a graphic showing that he had defensive pairing. six shots. That sort of thing is easier to laugh at when the other two guys Well, here we are. Montreal won Game 1, 3-2 in overtime, and you won’t on the broadcast are good. believe how it pulled it off. For the Canadiens, this was how it had to In any case, if this is the standard setup for the Toronto bubble games? work. For the Penguins, it felt closer to the sum of all fears. I checked to Not bad at all. The question now is how many the Penguins end up see if “Jaroslav Halak” and “2010” were trending on Twitter in Pittsburgh playing. after the first period. Somehow, neither was. You could feel the psychic scars, though — and you could feel the similarities. The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Carey Price was Carey Price; when the game was still scoreless after the Penguins’ 10-minute flurry to start the first period, it seemed clear that we were getting 2015-era Price. He finished with 39 saves.

It wasn’t just him, though — the goalie is always the linchpin, for worse or for better, but Game 1 was a cake, and there were plenty of ingredients.

Offensively, a 1-for-7 night on the power play will rarely work. Same goes for a wasted 1:32 of five-on-three time. Same goes for Conor Sheary’s penalty shot, which wasn’t a shot at all.

Matt Murray settled down, to an extent, but he never looked comfortable, and never less so than on the Canadiens’ second goal. It was a bad pinch by Brian Dumoulin, but Murray, beaten glove side by Nick Suzuki, didn’t come close to bailing him out. There were a lot of rebounds kicked into the slot and a few moments when he looked handcuffed. If there’s confidence in him at this point, it’s not based on the way he’s played in 2020.

Before that was a goal on a deflection by Jesperi Kotkaniemi. There was chaos in front of Murray, largely because Jack Johnson whiffed on an attempted hit on Kotkaniemi along the boards, allowing Kotkaniemi to skate past him and set up in front. Johnson scrambled to try to hit Kotkaniemi again in front of Murray; by then, Paul Byron’s shot was in the air.

Petry’s winner started as a three-on-five by the Canadiens. By the time he scored, Johnson and Justin Schultz were below the goal line at the left circle. Both of ’em. That was … something.

And again, we knew this was possible, or that it should’ve been. Murray had an .899 regular season. The Johnson-Schultz pairing, at its best, is a cross-your-fingers proposition. At its worst, it loses playoff series. The power play was below average with a lot of moving parts. Puck luck exists. Price is still Price. The Canadiens are a good five-on-five team. The Penguins can survive those chickens coming to roost for a game or two — but not three.

McCan’t

Tough to imagine a less relevant game for the third line. It was easy to forget that , Jared McCann and Patric Hornqvist existed at all, especially when they seemed to be losing offensive zone starts to the Teddy Blueger line. That happened in overtime. A glimpse at how rough their night was: In regulation, McCann was on the ice for 13 Montreal shot attempts and six by his own team. The only other forwards with a shot-attempt percentage under 50 were his linemates. There’s no simple fix there — there’s no point in touching the fourth line, and the Crosby/Malkin lines generally earned more time together, but it’s also a five-game series. It wraps up, really, a lot of the problems the Penguins are facing; overreacting is always bad, but the format adds a level of urgency.

Crosby rules

It wasn’t “Marc Staal in 2014” caliber, but Crosby took a cheap shot from Ben Chiarot in the third period. One more way this felt like a game from what seemed like a bygone era: Guys have generally stopped trying to decapitate Crosby as a matter of strategy. Not Chiarot, though. 1189925 MontrealCanadiens He can keep games close. He is a very good goalie. He has experience, too. Don’t forget. But goalies can only do so much to help a team win a series.

Legendary coach Scotty Bowman talks Penguins vs. Canadiens (now Price can’t score for the Canadiens. Is that what you’re saying? and then) There is that. But there’s also … Montreal has a good, young team, but scoring has not been easy. Who knows if that will carry over? With all these teams having been away for so many months, I don’t see what By Rob Rossi Aug 1, 2020 happened in the season being something to go off like you normally would. That’s true with Pittsburgh as well.

Pittsburgh will have (Jake) Guentzel? Scotty Bowman never figured he had seen it all. But that doesn’t mean he knows what to expect when the puck drops on the Stanley Cup Yes, Jake Guentzel is going to play. The Penguins had only four games playoffs. with him, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup during the season. “It’s a puzzle,” Bowman said from his residence in western New York. “It’s always a puzzle. But this puzzle is one nobody has tried to put Well, those three players have history together. I would feel comfortable together before. There is nothing to go off, so who’s to know what will knowing what to expect from those players. But that is what I mean about make a difference? I don’t.” not being able to take much, if anything, from the season. Pittsburgh should be a much better team with the best players healthy. And if Bowman doesn’t have at least an inkling of what might tilt the postseason in the favor of one of the 24 participating teams, it’s safe to Do you feel, given the circumstances, this postseason is set up for the say nobody does. Nobody has earned more wins in the regular season or best team to win the Cup? postseason, and his nine Stanley Cup victories are the standard for hockey coaches. Maybe not. But only because nobody can say for sure who the best team is now because it’s been so long between the season and the playoffs. If Bowman coached two of the great dynasties of the NHL’s past half- you started every season with the playoffs, I don’t know if everybody century with Montreal in the 1970s and Detroit in the mid-1990s and early would agree the best team won. 2000s. In between, he stepped in for the late Bob Johnston to steer Pittsburgh’s Cup defense in 1992, and the next season, the record- Have you had the best team and not won? setting Penguins failed to join the Canadiens and the New York Islanders I don’t think it’s right to say the team that wins the championship isn’t the of the early 1980s as the only franchises to win three consecutive best team. When you win as many games as you need to in the playoffs championships in the expansion era. to win the Stanley Cup, you’re a great team. Nobody can take anything With the Penguins and Canadiens meeting for only the third time in the away from a Cup winner. postseason, their legendary former coach looked ahead and back with That seems fair. But, at least in Pittsburgh, you had a historic team that The Athletic. didn’t win the Cup. And in Montreal, you had arguably the greatest Note: Conversation has been edited for clarity and length. dynasty in NHL history. So, what do you think was the difference?

The Canadiens are the most storied franchise in hockey. You’ve coached There has never been more parity than now. But even in the time for and against them in the playoffs. What’s the biggest difference? between when I was in Montreal and Pittsburgh, and that was only about a decade, the parity became a factor. Well, there is nothing that compares to the Montreal crowd. Even when (the Canadiens) moved out of the old Forum, those fans still make it very But the Canadiens in the 1970s and the Penguins in 1993 were loaded, difficult for visiting teams. at least by the standard of when they played, were they not?

Do you think the Canadiens would fare better against the Penguins if two In Montreal, the players were all drafted. In Pittsburgh, you really have to of the games were in Montreal? give (former Penguins general manager) Craig Patrick credit for making trades to bring in players around Mario (Lemieux). Craig made some I can’t tell you what to expect. This is not something I ever would have great trades in 1991 and 1992, but it was harder than to keep a team imagined — playoff games at a neutral area without fans. I do expect it to together than it was when I was in Montreal. make a difference, not having fans and the energy they bring. But I can’t say if that will hurt Montreal more than Pittsburgh or if it will matter for I don’t mean it to sound the wrong way, but in Montreal, when I was either team. I do think it’s going to be a more difficult adjustment for all there, we usually had the best players. You still have to go out and win. the teams, but they’re just like the rest of us; you won’t know until you But we had the best players. know. You had some great ones in Pittsburgh, no? You are familiar with shorter series. The qualifying round is best-of-five. Well, Mario is the best player I’ve ever coached. He’s the greatest player How would change your approach compared to a best-of-seven? I’ve ever seen. He was never healthy and he was way ahead of I don’t think the approach changes. Of course, if you lose that first game, everybody else when I was in Pittsburgh. To this day, I still think what he you are really up against it. You sometimes hear that teams feel one did in the 1992 playoffs — you have to remember he played the last two another out in the first two or three games. I never saw it that way. But if series with one healthy hand — is the greatest playoff performance ever. you do believe in that, you’ll only get two periods in a best-of-five, Nobody was ever better than Mario was for us in 1992. because winning that first game is a lot more important. I don’t care who Which of your seasons in Pittsburgh was better? you are; needing to beat a good team three times in four games after only playing one game is going to be very difficult. If I was coaching one The one that won the Stanley Cup. But I always tell people that was Bob of these teams, Game 1 would be more important to me than I might let Johnston’s team. It really was. I was just filling in for him. the players know. It could be everything. In Pittsburgh, you had one season in which you closed the playoffs with Do you see the Penguins or Canadiens holding a significant advantage? 11 consecutive wins and another when you won 17 consecutive games in the regular season on the way to a Presidents’ Trophy. In Montreal, Pittsburgh has more experience. There’s no question about that. When you coached a team that won the Cup five times in seven seasons … you have players that have been there, been through tough series, that’s a bit of an edge. Then again, quite a few of the players haven’t been Do you want to know who would win? together much because of the injuries during the season. I don’t know if you can say this Pittsburgh team has been together enough to have the Yes, please. playoff experience of some of their best players matter that much. Do you know how many games we lost those years in Montreal? I can There is a working theory that Carey Price can steal the series. tell you. We lost 11, 8, 10 and then 17 in those years we won four in a row. The year we lost 17, you would have thought the world was ending. So, if it was you coaching the Canadiens against you coaching the Penguins, it would be the Canadiens that won?

One game?

Let’s go with a Game 7.

Where?

The Montreal Forum. Like you said, the Canadiens rarely lost. They probably would have earned the home ice.

(Laughs) In this scenario, I’m coaching against myself. I’m not sure if I’d know what to do. You’re asking a lot.

That would be as unprecedented as playoffs games without fans.

I guess it would.

In Montreal, we had three defensemen who ended up going into the Hall of Fame, we had a goalie who went into the Hall of Fame, and we had a lot of great offensive players. Like I said, we had the best team back then. We also were a team that could win games many ways. I think we would be tough to beat.

It sounds like there’s a “but” in there …

There is. But in Pittsburgh, we had a goalie who I think doesn’t get enough credit in (Tom) Barrasso. He is the best puck-moving goalie I’ve seen. Teams didn’t want to put the puck deep because Barrasso would move it up to our forwards so quickly. And in Pittsburgh, there were a lot of great forwards. I mean, (Jaromir) Jagr was just coming into his own, but by the middle of those playoffs, he might have been the second-best player in the league behind Mario.

For the Penguins, would you have tried to get Lemieux away from any particular defense pairing you had with the Canadiens?

Get Mario away from a defense pairing — are you kidding me? I would be trying to get him on the ice every shift. In a Game 7, if I had Mario, I would want him out there as much as he could handle it. And on the other side, I would probably be trying to get my best offensive players away from him. They would never have the puck if he was on the ice.

The idea of an in-his-prime Lemieux leading the loaded Penguins against that dynasty with the Canadiens for a Game 7 in Montreal — that sure would be something. Even in an empty arena. But you have to feel that one team would win, don’t you?

I have never really thought about it before now. I always wanted my teams to score the first goal. It’s a simple strategy, but if you get the first goal in a playoff game, you really put the opponent in a tough spot.

I think I’d really want that first goal in this game we’re talking about. I know when we had it when I was in Montreal, we didn’t lose many games. But we never had to play against a team that had a player like Mario. He made it so that no lead ever felt safe.

I’ll say the team that scored first would probably win. I just don’t know which team that would have been.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189926 MontrealCanadiens had eight points while Malkin, even though he collected five points in six games, wasn’t quite as dominant.

What portion of the players’ production can be reflected in the defensive How Phillip Danault’s line has fared against Pittsburgh’s two-headed work of the Danault line? We thought it would be worthwhile to isolate monster that line’s work in all six games to come to a conclusion.

Oct. 6, 2018, in Pittsburgh

By Marc Antoine Godin Aug 1, 2020 Canadiens 5, Penguins 1

The Canadiens were playing their second game of the season in Pittsburgh and they would see the Penguins again very soon in Montreal Do the Canadiens have what it takes to battle the two-headed monster? a week later.

It has been one of the main questions surrounding their play-in series At the time, the Canadiens’ line combinations were not yet solidified. The against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over the past two seasons, or ever TDG line played the first game of the season together, but that night in since Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar (we’ll call Pittsburgh, we saw Artturi Lehkonen play a few shifts with Danault and them the TDG line) have made up the Canadiens’ top line, people have Gallagher while Tatar sometimes played with Max Domi. waited to see the line self destruct against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Except, as we will soon demonstrate, Claude Julien has no When Gallagher opened the scoring midway through the first, the TDG reason to hesitate sending Danault out against the beast. line was playing only its second shift together.

Julien has fielded roughly 1,000 questions during training camp on home- The line put pressure on Malkin, who was at the end of a shift, and he ice advantage and having the last change against the Penguins. Looking somewhat lazily lobbed the puck into the neutral zone toward at the past two seasons shows that the Canadiens have had far more defenceman Jack Johnson, who was eager to get back on the attack. success against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. It’s not even close. They That Johnson turned it over while Malkin and Phil Kessel were headed were 2-1-0 in Pittsburgh and 1-1-1 at home, but the share of high-danger off for a change was a good turn of events for the Canadiens. chances is pretty telling, as is the wildly varying performance of the Tatar’s shot was deflected by Olli Maatta and Gallagher jumped on the special teams. fortunate bounce. Canadiens vs Penguins last two seasons The three forwards have spent almost the entirety of the past two Home seasons proving how their combined traits make them a line that is at once highly efficient and vastly underrated. But in their first games 6 together last season, they weren’t exactly a dominant line, as this sequence by Crosby’s line, which did everything but score, 11 demonstrated. 7.7 Later in the game, Pittsburgh’s big guns went to work against the TDG 77.8 line again, most notably the scoring chance for the Malkin line.

35 We saw all sorts of early-season adjustments in this game, such as Gallagher facing a line of Carl Hagelin, Malkin and Phil Kessel most 30 often, Tatar facing Jake Guentzel, Crosby and Patric Hornqvist and Danault facing a mix of the two lines. 47.80% But when playing together, the TDG line gave a preview of what was to Away come. It wasn’t regularly buried, and when it was, the damage was 10 limited.

6 “They had some tough nights where I had to switch them up, but I think you see three players who combine forces to make up a good line,” 28.6 Julien said recently. “When you see what they’ve accomplished the last 85.7 two seasons, they’ve been our most productive and most used line. We know a guy like Gallagher is never afraid to go to the net, that’s his 30 strength. Tatar has an excellent shot and Phillip is a two-way centre. I’m never afraid to send them out against the other team’s best line. They 28 take pride in that.”

56.50% Gallagher was asked about the journey his line has taken from those first Crosby missed two of those six games, the first two this season, as he games to now. recovered from a core muscle injury, but he missed one in Pittsburgh and “The more time you spend together, the more you’re able to talk and another in Montreal. work things out,” he said. “We’re at a point now, I know what both those Here’s how the Canadiens did in the other four games with Crosby in guys are thinking on the ice, they know what I’m thinking and they know uniform, going 2-2-0 in those games: how I’m going to react. And if something happens on the ice that we’re not all that happy about, you talk about it and you correct it. In the four games Crosby played “It’s at the point where it’s kind of finer details. As a line, we have a pretty 10 good understanding of our job every night and we take a lot of pride in that.” 13 Oct. 13, 2018, in Montreal 13.3 Canadiens 4, Penguins 3 (SO) 72.7 After giving up a number of quality scoring chances against Anze 35 Kopitar’s line in their home opener, the Danault line faced the Penguins 26 for the second time in a week and was given the mandate to face the line of Guentzel, Crosby and Derick Brassard. 53.20% In the first period, Danault jumped on the ice to replace Tomas Plekanec The two Penguins wins were intimately tied to Crosby, who got four at almost the same time as Crosby and just as the Penguins opened the points in one of the wins and three in the other. In all four games, Crosby scoring. Danault attacked the puck carrier a bit too aggressively and it opened a door for the Penguins. That said, at the time Dominik Simon released his shot, there were five red shirts surrounding two Penguins challenges in facing Crosby and Malkin are similar, but facing an easier players. No matter who is on the ice, if players manage the puck and defensive opponent when Montreal has the puck could make that a space that poorly, they’re asking for trouble. better matchup for Suzuki’s line.

Crosby had barely touched the ice before getting a freebie of a plus-1. We wrap up our look at this game with Crosby beating Danault on a third- period draw in the Canadiens’ end, leading to a great chance for Crosby, A few minutes later, the TDG line was unable to establish itself in the who already had a goal and three assists in the game. offensive zone because Crosby’s line cut off all of its passing lanes. Pay particular attention to Crosby’s defensive positioning in the next clip. The At five-on-five, Crosby’s line scored once against the Danault line in 7:07 pressure he put on Gallagher forced a rushed pass to Noah Juulsen, a and twice against the Canadiens’ other lines in 4:44. pass Crosby nearly picked off. Juulsen was forced to take the pass on his backhand, whereas if it were on his forehand, he might have been Dec. 10, 2019, in Pittsburgh able to shoot the puck on net or at least get it deep into the zone. But on Canadiens 4, Penguins 1 his backhand, he had little choice but to send it back to Gallagher, and Crosby knew it. Crosby missed the first two games against the Canadiens this season with a core muscle injury. That meant that for as difficult as it would be The Danault line didn’t have a great first period, but it came out strong in for Julien to get Danault’s line out against Malkin on the road, the the second. Danault won the opening faceoff against Crosby and then challenge was not as insurmountable as normal. took a route through the neutral zone that appeared to catch Crosby off guard, creating a lot of space for the Canadiens. Gallagher went to Malkin and Danault took the opening faceoff, suggesting Sullivan wasn’t support the puck — a fundamental strength of the line — to ensure a going to bother trying to keep Malkin away from Danault and that he successful zone entry with possession. It resulted in a bit of a lucky goal would instead focus on imposing his own game plan. That Guentzel for Tatar 11 seconds into the period, his first in a Canadiens uniform. scored on the Malkin line’s second shift validated Sullivan’s bench management. Tatar added a power-play goal later and ended the night with a “Game of Thrones” cape draped over his shoulders. In the first period, with the Canadiens setting up in the offensive zone, they were briefly in an umbrella setup. If they managed to maintain The TDG line struck again later in the second thanks to strong board play possession, it was clearly a play meant to get Shea Weber a one-timer from Danault and Tatar against Crosby and Johnson, allowing the from the left circle on the opposite side of the ice from the puck. Except a Canadiens to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone. As soon as it got needlessly risky pass from Danault to Ben Chiarot at the top of the to the point, Gallagher drove the net, ready for a rebound. umbrella created a turnover that turned into a two-on-one breakaway for “When you see them together and the puck is in a corner, you don’t see Guentzel and Bryan Rust. any of them look over their shoulder to say, ‘That’s your job to get it in the That first period, when the Penguins held a slight edge in the flow of play, corner.’ The closest one to the puck goes in and the next guy supports,” wasn’t great for Danault’s line. He had another turnover along the way Julien said. “They have good chemistry and a good understanding of that could have been very dangerous. what we want from them, but also a good understanding of how we succeed. That’s what makes them a consistent line.” It was mainly over the first two periods when Danault’s line was matched against Malkin, and even though Malkin’s line had the edge in five-on-five Overall, it was a good night for the Danault line against the Penguins’ big shot attempts, the TDG line was able to orchestrate some chances. guns. But no one will ever prevent Crosby’s line from being menacing, Whether that was by maintaining offensive zone pressure as Gallagher and it takes five players to mitigate the threat. Crosby is also not alone, went to work … because Guentzel is also a constant threat on his wing. … or by taking advantage of the long change in the second period … Danault lost a faceoff in the defensive zone to Brassard, and Guentzel was able to tip a shot from the point, forcing Antti Niemi to make a tough … or by using speed to the outside. save. But an ill-advised clearing attempt by Mike Reilly gave Guentzel In the third period, once the Canadiens had a 3-1 lead, Sullivan got another opportunity for free. Malkin away from Danault and sent him out against Domi’s line more March 2, 2019, in Montreal often, and sometimes against the fourth line. The Danault line was the Canadiens’ only one that kept its head above water in shot attempts, Penguins 5, Canadiens 1 something that can be explained somewhat by score effects as the Late in the season, with the Canadiens still looking like a team heading to Penguins attacked in the third to try to get back in the game. the playoffs, they had a two-point lead on the Penguins, whom they had One interesting note: Gallagher’s and Tatar’s production were unaffected already beaten twice. The Penguins were not in playoff position, but a this season whether they played at home or on the road, and Danault win in Montreal would allow them to leapfrog the Canadiens in the was actually more productive on the road. He had five goals and 21 standings. It was an important game, and a certain someone took points with a plus-3 in 37 home games and had eight goals and 26 points charge. with a plus-15 in 34 road games.

Like the previous matchup in Montreal, Danault’s line had the assignment Tatar and Gallagher sealed the game in the third with a power-play goal of facing Crosby. In the first minute, Jordie Benn opened the door and and another into an empty net. On Tatar’s goal, Danault was in the slot Crosby walked right through it. and took a pass from Suzuki but had his shot blocked by John Marino. In the second period, after the Canadiens were already down 3-0, it was The Penguins had an opportunity to get the puck and clear it, but a Brett Kulak’s and Christian Folin’s turns to be schooled by Crosby and second effort from Danault allowed him to secure possession. Somewhat Guentzel. of a scramble ensued and Gallagher was able to find Tatar for the goal.

Why mention that if the Danault line wasn’t even on the ice? Because it The Danault and Malkin lines more or less cancelled out each other, so it was the second time in the game Guentzel scored off a Canadiens icing. was mission accomplished for the Canadiens on that night. It was, Lesson: Teams can chase matchups all they want, especially at home, however, strange to see the Canadiens’ other lines have the edge on but inopportune icings with the wrong players on the ice can undo the Malkin’s in high-danger scoring chances. best-laid plans. The Penguins will surely pounce on them. We often say that when Crosby is out, Malkin elevates his game. It On the next shift, however, Sullivan sent Malkin over the boards and wasn’t the case that night. Julien responded with Danault, who promptly got the Canadiens on the Jan. 4 in Montreal board. As we’ve seen many times, the combination of a second effort from Danault to protect the puck and Gallagher being in the right spot is a Penguins 3, Canadiens 2 (OT) good formula for a scoring chance. This was the game in which, a few days after Julien spoke glowingly Of note on that sequence is Malkin’s defensive coverage on Gallagher, about him, Suzuki made a very bad line change in overtime to allow the or lack thereof. Malkin is not Crosby in his own end, which is one aspect Penguins to win on an odd-man rush. of a potential matchup against a line with Jonathan Drouin, Nick Suzuki The game was at the Bell Centre, where the Canadiens had one of the and Joel Armia that is worth keeping in mind. Basically, the defensive NHL’s worst home records this season. But Crosby was still out, so Julien was able to match Danault against Malkin for nearly 10 minutes at But less than a minute later, as the Canadiens were celebrating Tatar’s five-on-five. The Canadiens’ first line bent but did not break, but Malkin goal, Danault was still tired on the bench while Domi was fresh and was able to take advantage of the other six minutes he played at even ready. So Julien sent Domi out against Crosby despite the faceoff being strength against the other lines. He put up only one assist, just like the in the Canadiens’ end with less than a minute left in the period. previous game, but he was a constant threat. Could he have turned to Danault again? Perhaps. But it might not have Gallagher missed the game while recovering from a concussion and his made a difference. absence was felt. He was replaced on the top line by Nick Cousins, a clear downgrade. As a result, that line was not able to dominate Looking at the metrics, Crosby didn’t appear to have a great game. He possession like it normally does and had to rely on Carey Price to bail it was in the red in terms of on-ice shot attempts, shots on goal and scoring out. chances, particularly against the Danault line. But he still created three plays that wound up in the Canadiens’ net, which supersedes every other Malkin was missing Guentzel on his wing, so it was Dominik Kahun who possible statistic. played with Malkin and Rust. As was the case in the first game between the teams this season, possession numbers favoured the Penguins, who “You can be winning your matchup 98 percent of the game,” former again controlled the flow of play in the first and third periods while the Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges said about facing Crosby in the Canadiens largely carried the second. 2010 playoffs. “The 2 percent that you don’t? That you make a mistake and fall asleep or you’re not ready? He has two points and at the end of The Danault line did not allow a goal — Rust’s tying goal in the third was the day they win 3-2, he got the game-winning goal and an assist, and scored against Nate Thompson’s line — and Danault also won 11 of his they say, ‘Sidney Crosby does it again.’” 18 faceoffs against Malkin. But he was still unable to be a dual-threat as Danault described his own play recently. That’s exactly what happened on this night.

Over the past two years, Danault has filled the same role Tomas It wasn’t always pretty, but over the past two seasons, the Danault line Plekanec did for years in Montreal. Plekanec was often accused of being has held its own against Crosby and Malkin, which is an accomplishment unable to elevate his game in the playoffs, and he would sometimes reply unto itself. Even if we’re talking about lines and not individual matchups, that his defensive responsibilities made it difficult for him to produce. we still isolated Danault’s work in those six games.

“There’s nothing I can do about that. I think I did my job very well,” Danault vs Crosby and Malkin (5-on-5) Plekanec said in fall 2010, a few months after the Canadiens’ run to the Crosby vs Danault conference final. “My role is to be a two-way player, and people who say I need to get points need to realize I’m the guy who plays on both sides 4 of the ice.” 26 It will be interesting to see if Danault will suffer the same fate in the 30 qualifying round against Pittsburgh. His is clearly Julien’s most responsible line, but it will have pressure to score. 46.40%

In January, just after a Canadiens penalty, Tatar had one of his most 14 dangerous shifts playing with Domi, who was one of Montreal’s most dangerous players in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. 21 If Domi can play like that in the qualifying round, it would take some of 2 that offensive pressure off the top line. 2 Feb. 14 in Pittsburgh 6 Penguins 4, Canadiens 1 5 This might be the most revealing game on our list because not only was it the most recent, both lineups also looked close to what we’ll see in this Crosby vs others series. Crosby was finally in uniform, Jason Zucker had just joined the Penguins and the Canadiens had Gallagher, Armia and Drouin in 4 uniform. The game was also in Pittsburgh, giving the Penguins the same 27 line-matching advantage they will have in the first two games of the series (and in Game 5, if it gets that far). 29

But the Canadiens’ lines — aside from Danault’s — look nothing like they 48.20% did that night when Julien had Drouin-Domi-Cousins, Ilya Kovalchuk- Suzuki-Armia and Lehkonen-Thompson-Jake Evans. Each of those lines 16 had one player traded away at the deadline. The departures of 14 Thompson and Ilya Kovalchuk in particular cost the Canadiens a lot of experience. 4

Making up for lost time, Crosby took over in the second period. He set up 0 Kris Letang for a power-play goal to get Pittsburgh on the board, and Crosby took advantage of an extended shift by Tatar and Gallagher after 6 a Canadiens power play and a mistake by Victor Mete to set up a goal by 5 Zucker to make it 2-0. Malkin vs Danault Another Zucker goal toward the end of the second made it 3-1 Pittsburgh but, 22 seconds later, a penalty by Hornqvist opened the door for the 6 Canadiens to get back in the game. In six games over two years, the Canadiens’ power play has scored only three goals against the 34 Penguins, and all of them have been scored by Tatar. 36

Except with 54 seconds left in the second, Crosby won a faceoff against 48.60% Domi and Zucker scored again at 19:42. 14 That is a good illustration of Julien’s dilemma in game planning against the Penguins’ two-headed monster. After a Canadiens power play, as he 17 often does, Julien sent Danault on the ice to face Malkin, and Lehkonen 1 drew the penalty on Hornqvist. 1 7 3

7 Joel Armia

Malkin vs others 5

6 2

58 1

52 3

52.70% Shea Weber

35 3

28 1

2 1

2 2

9 Nick Suzuki

9 3

Any centre who was on the ice for the same number of goals for and 0 against at five-on-five over four or six games against Crosby and Malkin can pat himself on the back. That must be somewhat reassuring to 2 Julien. Now, all he has to do is find a way to fill the minutes when Crosby 2 or Malkin are on the ice but the Danault line is on the bench. Max Domi The numbers suggest Domi was not as bad defensively as one might expect, but his offensive numbers suffered as a result. 6

Canadiens scoring vs Penguins 0

Tomas Tatar 2

6 2

4 Charles Hudon

3 2

7 1

Brendan Gallagher 0

5 1

4 Andrew Shaw

2 3

6 0

Artturi Lehkonen 1

6 1

2 Jonathan Drouin

3 4

5 0

Jeff Petry 1

6 1

0 Victor Mete

5 5

5 0

Phillip Danault 1

6 1

0 Since Julien is using Domi in a fourth-line role, Suzuki seems to be the guy who will get the minutes Danault can’t fill. Julien is not ready to call 4 the 20-year-old rookie the next Patrice Bergeron, but he said Suzuki has 4 his confidence.

Paul Byron “He’s a really smart player,” Julien said. “And he reads the play well, from what I’ve seen. For the most part, he’s very good at supporting in areas 3 that he needs to support in the D zone. He’s also very smart if he needs to do an interchange with one of his teammates. He sees that right away. 2 All that to say that he reads a play real well, not only offensively but 1 defensively. So, because of that, he’s become a pretty reliable defensive player as well.”

But will it be enough?

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189927 Nashville Predators

NHL bubble diary: Colton Sissons on returning to play, care packages from Mom

By Adam Vingan Aug 1, 2020

Editor’s note: The Predators are one of 12 Western Conference teams inside the Edmonton bubble as the NHL returns to play. Forward Colton Sissons has agreed to document his experience for The Athletic to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the unprecedented postseason experience.

Here is Sissons’ second entry, as dictated to Predators reporter Adam Vingan. You can read the first entry here.

It was a little different going to bed the night before our first game in months. I had some of those nerves and the anxiety that you get heading into a season. It’s been so long, so it was nice to get back into the game- day routine, for sure.

The setup in the arena is great. They’ve got some different things set up, especially in the lower bowl. There’s different screens around, and they covered up all the seats, which definitely helps. I think the weirdest part for me was coming out for warmups and not having people around in the crowd. Guys are usually tossing pucks to kids in the stands, and none of that was going on. But throughout the game, I honestly didn’t think about it once. It was quiet after goals were scored, but other than that, it honestly felt like a normal hockey game.

Without fans, it’s definitely going to be on the guys to create energy and create some of that momentum from ourselves, because there’s not much else going on. It’s just getting up on the bench and making some noise for different plays on the ice. Obviously, when you score a goal, everyone’s excited, but when guys are making big defensive plays, a big hit or blocking a shot, then the bench needs to get up and get a little lively to create some energy.

I really liked our energy and competitiveness right out of the gate against Dallas. It was a solid start for us. There’s some things to clean up and a little bit of rust to shake off here and there, but I think the competitiveness that we had in camp and during our scrimmages played into our favor (Thursday), for sure. It got a little testy and a little mean at times, which was good for us to just dive right into a playoff vibe.

A bunch of us have taken in some of the action in the arena. They’ve got certain sections roped off for different teams to go and watch, which has been cool. We caught some of the St. Louis-Chicago game the other night and also a little bit of the Edmonton-Calgary game. It’s just kind of nice to have stuff to do, honestly.

I slept in a little bit (Friday) morning, which was nice. We had a meeting going over Arizona a little bit. Other than that, we soaked up some sun in the courtyard, played some cards and just killed time in between meals. That’s basically what my life revolves around.

We tried to play the golf simulator, but some guys from other teams were using it, so we had to be patient. Maybe we’ll get in a few swings (Friday night). I might have to take on the birthday boy, Ryan Johansen, head-to- head. Maybe I’ll let him win for his birthday.

I’m definitely in constant touch with my family. Everyone’s pretty interested in what life is like inside the bubble. I did have a package arrive on Day 2 with a couple of snacks and different things, a care package from Mom early on. I think I might have been the first one in the whole league to get one. That was a nice touch.

The next day and a half or so, we’ll just be getting dialed in. We have practice (Saturday) and a couple more video sessions to get up to speed and be as sharp as we can. I’m definitely feeling that excitement of getting into the playoffs. There are some nerves, too. There’s nothing better than that, though. It’s going to be a ton of fun, and I think we’re all just anxious to get that puck dropped.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189928 New Jersey Devils “There is nothing in the GM’s handbook about how to handle a pandemic,” said Fitzgerald, who was assistant GM in Pittsburgh for five years before joining New Jersey in the same capacity five years ago. “I just went about my business, I appreciated the opportunity, I believed How Tom Fitzgerald is handling the Devils’ endless summer that I was ready to handle it and went at it day by day. It was business as usual, if there’s been anything usual about this.”

The Devils and their brethren are hurrying up to wait … for what By Larry Brooks August 2, 2020 | 2:13am optimistically will be at least another three months after nearly five months off. But Fitzgerald isn’t twiddling his thumbs.

This is the endless summer for Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils, and the other “I’m talking to as many GMs as I can. You’ve got 12 in Toronto and 12 in six general managers and their respective teams that are on the outside Edmonton and you know they’re talking,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s ‘Out of looking in at the bubble, snubbed by the NHL tournament committee. sight, out of mind.’ I just want to remind everyone that we’re here.”

“We’d certainly prefer to be playing and relevant in the marketplace,” New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 Fitzgerald, officially appointed the fifth GM in franchise history on July 9 after having served in an interim role since Ray Shero’s dismissal on Jan. 12, told Slap Shots on Friday. “But I can assure everyone that we are using this time constructively in every area to be prepared for next season.”

The 24 clubs participating in the tournament are reaping the benefit of simply being on the ice and playing competitive hockey following the COVID-necessitated pause that shut down the NHL on March 12. The Seven Dwarfs, as they are known affectionately in this space, however, face a best-case scenario of an eight-month offseason if the NHL can meet its Nov. 17 target date to open 2020-21 training camps. That’s not quite equitable.

Fitzgerald knows it, so do his counterparts in Detroit, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and Buffalo. They have been in constant communication, hardly commiserating, but instead constructing a proposal to submit to the NHL for permission to have a Phase 3 camp of their own leading into Nov. 17.

“We are working on a plan to present to the league so that we have the same opportunity to work with our players as the teams that are in the playoffs,” said Fitzgerald, whose team actually came up only .007 percentage points shy of the cut line. “Eight months is just too long of a layoff.

“We would open under the same Phase 3 protocols that were in place leading up to this and would lead directly into training camp. That would serve as a runway and ramp up into training camp. That’s the most logical and safest time to have it. We wouldn’t want players flying in and then flying out and then returning at some point for camp.”

The NHL is certainly aware of the challenges facing the inactive clubs. Or perhaps we should call these teams, “Unfit to play.” Regardless, the league is sympathetic to their concerns.

“If possible, we’d like to add a prospect camp to it, as well, at the front end,” said the 51-year-old Fitzgerald, who has been directing the operation out of his Boston home base via Zoom and conference calls. “I should say, too, that we opened our rink in Newark for Phase 2 [informal workouts] and I have to give credit to our owners, Josh [Harris] and David [Blitzer] for keeping it open.

“We haven’t had all that many guys in to skate up to this point, it’s been a few, but under Phase 2 protocols, we’re hoping and we think guys will come in early and take advantage of the ice.”

Fitzgerald said he just recently conducted his 2019-20 exit meetings with the players. The Devils have dived to the bottom of the ocean in preparation for the draft, in which the Devils will pick seventh overall and may have Arizona’s and Vancouver’s first-rounders, as well, depending upon the results of the qualifying round.

“We broke down the top 35 prospects among our executive leadership board and our scouts and personnel department, cross-checked video, compiled reports, went about it diligently,” he said. “We built our list, I’m sure there will be some tweaks to it as we get to the draft [scheduled for Oct. 9-10], but we feel good about it.”

The GM has overseen the club’s wellness and conditioning program, with the appropriate coaching personnel designing and redesigning personal programs for the players. Oh, and by the way, Fitzgerald was doing all this while the Ivory Tower was conducting interviews for a possible replacement and while he and the crowded hierarchy were searching for a coach to replace interim man Alain Nasreddine. That, of course, turned out to be , who will have plenty of time in which to learn about the team and its personnel. 1189929 New York Islanders

Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk exits game after taking high hit

By Mollie Walker August 2, 2020 | 12:07am

Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk took a late and high hit from Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson shortly into the second period Saturday evening and didn’t return for the remainder of the game.

Head coach Barry Trotz didn’t have an immediate update on Boychuk, but he did address the penalty, which was reduced from a five-minute major to a two-minute minor after it was reviewed by the referees.

“Trust me, as I said to the referees, I have a total respect for them, their job, because we as coaches have to do it during the Phase 3 and scrimmages,” Trotz said on a Zoom call following the Islanders’ 2-1 win. “When I looked at it, at first, Johnny’s head was down, and I thought he got him pretty good with the hit on the head.

“They looked at it and they reviewed it, I trust their judgment, I won’t agree with it because of the fact that I want to protect my players. But I thought it was borderline.”

On the subsequent power play, the Islanders capitalized to go up 2-0 as Anthony Beauvillier found the back of the net at 3:39 of the second period.

“You hate to see a guy go down and then when you have the opportunity on the man-advantage you want to capitalize for him and for the team and for momentum,” said Brock Nelson, who had a team-high five shots. “Right now, especially with all the scenarios we have going on and the time off and coming back, special teams is going to play a huge part.”

With the possibility of not having Boychuk for Game 2 on Tuesday, the Islanders turn to a deep pool of defensemen. The defensive pairing of veteran Andy Greene and Noah Dobson, who drew high praise throughout training camp, were healthy scratches, as well as defensemen Thomas Hickey and Sebastian Aho.

The Islanders now have two days until they take the ice for Game 2 of the play-in series.

“We’re going to reassess, we’ll look at the game, we’ll take a step back and look at the game a little differently than from the bench and try to dissect,” Trotz said. “One or two adjustments, there’s a couple things that I know that we can improve upon right now that we can hopefully add to our game.”

There are 10 current Islanders who also faced the Panthers in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.

Boychuk, Josh Bailey, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, Hickey, Nick Leddy, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, Ryan Pulock and Thomas Greiss were all part of the Islanders team that defeated Florida in six games.

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189930 New York Islanders “I think it felt good for everyone,” Pageau said. “We’re all competitors in this group, and I thought everyone felt pretty good. We all showed up and we played a solid game.”

Islanders look reinvigorated in Game 1 win over Panthers New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020

By Mollie Walker August 1, 2020 | 7:10pm | Updated

It was J-G Pageau who skated to the faceoff circle for the Islanders with just over a minute left in the third period of a one-goal game against the Florida Panthers on Saturday evening.

A member of the Islanders since February, when the organization acquired him from the Senators in exchange for a haul of top draft picks, Pageau still was looking for his first real win with his “new” team after enduring a seven-game slide upon his arrival.

The Islanders put their faith in Pageau to finish out the 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-five qualifying round series with the Panthers, in which the 5-foot-9 center shined with a goal on four shots in 13:07.

“I really think that little break gave me the chance to learn the system, get to know the guys more and I feel very lucky to be part of this family,” Pageau said on a Zoom call following the win. “I really feel like this is a brotherhood and to be part of it, I feel very lucky.”

The 27-year-old Pageau was a standout among the Islanders’ middle six forwards, who rose to the occasion and combined for one goal, two assists and 14 of the Islanders’ 28 shots.

“Pager is able to elevate his game,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “I think he feels a bigger part of it. The guys know what a good player he is, he’s smart, he’s quick, he always raises his game, he’s extremely competitive.

“That’s what we were looking for, we were looking for someone with a good hockey IQ and a high competitive level at center ice and he’s fit that bill.”

The win also came on the heels of a 27-save performance from goaltender Semyon Varlamov. But the Panthers battled for 60 minutes, challenging the Islanders with an early third-period goal from Jonathan Huberdeau that made it a one-goal game. The Islanders remained level- headed and finished the job.

The Panthers came out strong from the beginning, putting Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov out on the ice to start the game. Nevertheless, it was the Islanders who set the pace from puck drop.

The Islanders carried their momentum from Wednesday’s exhibition win over the Rangers right into the first period Saturday, holding the Panthers without a shot on goal through nearly the first 10 minutes.

From the left corner, Derick Brassard fed a crashing Pageau for the tip-in past Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to put the Islanders up 1-0 at the 12:00 mark.

“It’s always fun to score a goal and to get on the board,” Pageau said of his third goal with the Islanders. “It was a perfect pass by Derick, great forecheck, I thought that the whole team did a really great job tonight on the forecheck. We were really physical and keeping things simple. The puck was bouncing a bit like a ping pong ball on the ice, but it was just fun to be out there.”

The second period took a turn when Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson laid a late and high hit on Johnny Boychuk that sent him down to the ice hard and then into the locker room for the remainder of the game. After a review, the penalty was reduced from a five-minute major to a two-minute minor, but still gave the Islanders their third power play of the game.

Maintaining control through the man-advantage, the Islanders circulated the puck to Anthony Beauvillier for a one-timer that went five hole on Bobrovsky at 3:39 of the second period to make it a two-goal game. Florida ended up outshooting the Islanders 12-9 in the second.

The Panthers wasted no time in the third, crashing on Varlamov as Huberdeau found the back of the net 23 seconds in to make it 2-1. But the Panthers couldn’t finesse another as the Islanders held their ground. 1189931 New York Islanders All season, the Islanders tried to find a scoring punch from any of their forwards. They added another option at the trade deadline, bringing in J- G Pageau from the Senators, though he didn’t immediately click in seven games before the season was suspended. Having more time to practice Islanders vs. Panthers: Breaking down matchups and a prediction in Trotz’s system during the Phase 3 training camp could benefit him as he tries to provide stability to an uneven third line.

The top line of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle will look to By Greg Joyce August 1, 2020 | 5:49am keep its chemistry intact, but the reunion of the Islanders’ fourth line cannot be overlooked. Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck — the “Identity Line” — are back together after Cizikas had been sidelined The last time they played a game that counted — 144 days ago — the in February with a leg laceration. Islanders had just recently slipped out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers certainly have more dangerous weapons up top, with left wing Jonathan Huberdeau (23 goals, 55 assists), center Aleksander Saturday, they will jump right into the NHL’s 24-team tournament with a Barkov (20 goals, 42 assists) and center Mike Hoffman (29 goals, 30 new lease on life. assists) leading the way. They were near the top of the league, averaging 3.3 goals per game (including 2.59 at even strength), while the Islanders In a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference first round, the Islanders were closer to the bottom with 2.78 goals per game (2.26 at even will meet the Panthers on Saturday inside the Toronto bubble to begin a strength). best-of-five series in the Stanley Cup qualifiers. Barry Trotz’s club will do so with a healthier lineup than the last time they took the ice, a March 10 Edge: Panthers shootout loss to the Canucks before COVID-19 suspended the regular season. Special Teams

After making a surprise run to the second round of the Eastern The Panthers showed a more dangerous power play during the regular Conference playoffs last year, the Islanders are back looking for more season, converting at a 21.33 percent clip, which was 10th-best unit in with a veteran group in tow. Though they swept the Panthers during the the league. The man-advantage allowed their skill to show off, with regular-season series, 3-0, their next meetings will be a challenge unlike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov scoring 11 power-play goals apiece. any either side has faced before. What the Islanders lacked in power-play punch (17.26 percent) they The matchups made up for on the penalty kill, killing off 80.68 percent of penalties successfully. Having Pelech and Cizikas healthy again should only help Goaltending that cause.

The Islanders were reportedly interested in Sergei Bobrovsky last The Panthers’ penalty kill was not far behind at 78.49 percent, though, offseason, only to see him sign a seven-year, $70 million contract with giving them the nod in this one. the Panthers. They then pivoted to land Semyon Varlamov on a four- year, $20 million deal. Now the two will face off with more than bragging Edge: Panthers rights on the line. Coaching Varlamov is expected to get the start in Game 1, after playing the first Talk about a powerhouse matchup. There will be no lack of experience two periods of Wednesday’s exhibition against the Rangers. He was solid — especially of the playoff variety — behind the benches with Trotz in his first season with the Islanders, posting a 2.62 goals-against squaring off against Joel Quenneville. The veteran duo have combined to average and a .914 save percentage — numbers that were even better coach 336 career playoff games. before a rough five-game stretch ahead of the stoppage. Should Trotz opt to use both goalies, Thomas Greiss (2.74 GAA, .913 save After guiding the Capitals to a Stanley Cup in 2018, Trotz immediately percentage) was nearly just as steady this season. gave the Islanders a sound structure last season and it bought them an unexpected ticket to the playoffs. He has them back at it again this At the other end, which Bobrovsky shows up? The one who became one season, leaning on their system over individual talent to have success. of the league’s top goalies and was in net for the Blue Jackets during their stunning sweep of the Lightning last postseason, or the one who put Quenneville, meanwhile, led the Blackhawks to Stanley Cups in 2010, up career-worst numbers (3.23 GAA, .900 save percentage) in 48 starts 2013 and 2015 before joining the Panthers this season and bringing this season? The answer could go a long way in tilting the series. them to the postseason for just the third time since 2000.

Edge: Islanders Edge: Even

Defense Prediction

The Islanders got a big boost in this category thanks to the delayed The Islanders will benefit from having Pelech back, and if he can help postseason. Had COVID-19 not interrupted the season, it’s unlikely them slow down the Panthers’ top offensive threats, Trotz’s system Adam Pelech would have been available for the playoffs. Instead, he is should win out. Islanders in five. back from a torn Achilles and ready to slot back into the top pair with Ryan Pulock with the critical task of trying to contain the Panthers’ top New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 weapons.

Pelech’s presence gives the Islanders depth on the blue line, leaving Trotz with some difficult choices regarding his six defensemen — or possibly seven, as the coach left the door open to going with 11 forwards and seven defenseman. Playoff veteran Johnny Boychuk is also back after recovering from taking a skate to the eyelid shortly before the season was paused.

The Panthers get big minutes from their top defensive pair of Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar. Ekblad (36 assists) and Keith Yandle (40 assists) also contribute offensively, with another former Ranger, Anton Stralman, anchoring the second pair. But on the whole, the Panthers defense was one of the most porous this season — allowing 179 even-strength goals in 69 games.

Edge: Islanders

Forwards 1189932 New York Islanders a puck between Varlamov’s pads to cut the Islanders’ lead to 2-1 just 23 seconds into the third period.

Bobrovsky denied Nelson at the crease again at 15:45 of the third period. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Beauvillier lift Islanders to Game 1 win But the Islanders never stopped attacking after Huberdeau’s goal, over Panthers keeping the Panthers from building momentum.

“I liked our focus even when Johnny went down,” Trotz said. “Our response was we scored on the power play. We didn’t take an By Andrew Gross undisciplined penalty. I thought we reeled it in in the third period and we were solid.”

The Islanders built off their strong defensive effort in their exhibition win Historically, teams that win Game 1 of a best-of-five series, and until over the Rangers with a similarly strong structure and pace to start a Saturday there hadn’t been one in the NHL since 1986, go on to advance game that counted, taking the first eight shots and limiting the Panthers 81.9% of the time. to one shot over the opening nine minutes. So, the Islanders’ 2-1 win over the Panthers to open their qualifying “We have an understanding of what we’re capable of doing,” Trotz said. series on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena was encouraging for a few “I don’t think we try to be something we’re not. We’ve learned to be reasons. There’s the huge advantage they now have based on past comfortable in uncomfortable situations. We’ve handled that well the performances toward closing out the series. But, more importantly, they most part the last two years.” played with pace and discipline despite having just five defensemen for almost two periods. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.02.2020 They also won the crucial special teams’ battle. They got a power-play goal from Anthony Beauvillier at 3:39 of the second period to make it 2-0 after Mike Matheson’s illegal check to the head sent Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk into concussion protocol at 2:44. And they killed off the potent Panthers’ lone power play.

“I think guys are just fired up and excited,” center Brock Nelson said. “After the break, with everything going on in the world, everyone is revved up and ready to play hockey. There was a lot of built-up animosity. The pace was high.”

Islanders' Jean-Gabriel Pageau celebrates his goal as Florida Islanders' Jean-Gabriel Pageau celebrates his goal as Florida

Islanders' Jean-Gabriel Pageau celebrates his goal as Florida Panthers right wing Brett Connolly (10) and teammates Frank Vatrano (77) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) look on during the first period of an NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey game in Toronto, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. Credit: AP/Frank Gunn

Game 2 is Tuesday at noon and Game 3 follows 24 hours later. The Islanders’ last game, other than a 2-1 exhibition win over the Rangers on Wednesday night, was a 5-4 shootout loss at Vancouver on March 10. The season was paused two days later in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for the Panthers.

“I think, you go back to the exhibition game, we did a pretty good job of playing to our structure,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “Coming into today, we knew that would be a big part of it, getting back to our structure. Throughout the game, we did a pretty good job of that, just sticking with it and playing the way we like to play.”

“The intensity is a little bit higher than an exhibition game,” said Beauvillier, whose line with Nelson and Josh Bailey was the Islanders’ most consistent, combining to generate 12 shots. “That’s why we’re hockey players. We want to be in high-intensity, high-pace games. It was a fast pace, a heavy game.”

Coach Barry Trotz answered three, key lineup questions in Game 1.

The first was starting Varlamov over Thomas Greiss. The second was sticking with his established defense pairs and making Andy Greene and Noah Dobson healthy scratches, despite that duo’s strong showing in Training Camp 2.0 and against the Rangers.

The third was Trotz inserting Tom Kuhnhackl, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins, as the 12th forward, putting him on Jean- Gabriel Pageau’s line with Derick Brassard after using burly Ross Johnston there in the exhibition game.

Kuhnhackl’s forecheck started the sequence that led to Pageau’s goal at the crease off Brassard’s feed to make it 1-0 at 12:00 of the first period.

“I thought the whole team did well on the forecheck,” Pageau said.

Bobrovsky kept the Panthers’ deficit at two goals with a stretching toe save on Nelson at 19:29 of the second period. That save proved almost instantly significant as Jonathan Huberdeau got to the crease and slipped 1189933 New York Islanders Huberdeau scored the lone Florida goal when Ryan Pulock, who, along with the Isles’ other top-four defensemen, were extremely solid all game, stepped up on a Panthers zone entry and left space behind him. Joel Quenneville had been running out Aleksander Barkov and Huberdeau on Seven takeaways from Islanders’ Game 1 win over Panthers separate lines throughout Phase 3 but put them together for Game 1. They, along with Evgenii Dadonov, had the best shot-share percentages

of any Panthers forwards, but they certainly didn’t break through to By Arthur Staple Aug 1, 2020 generate dangerous chances, especially when the Panthers pressed for the tie over the majority of the third.

Quenneville is a good coach, so one would think he’d alter his forward The Islanders throttled the Panthers’ attack and clamped down for just lines for Game 2 — there just wasn’t much there on his other three lines, about the entire third period in a 2-1 win to take Game 1 of the best-of- especially a second line of Noel Acciari-Erik Haula-Mike Hoffman. five qualifying-round series. The Panthers’ high scorers got only one power play as well — the Here’s what we learned from a very familiar-looking Islanders win: Islanders were fortunate early on when a Mathew Barzal interference penalty was canceled out by Frank Vatrano’s inadvertent trip on Boychuk Beauvillier, Nelson are best tandem among Islanders forwards — and that kept the Panthers’ top guys from getting confidence. If you can think back — so, so far back — to the Islanders’ biggest “We want to be disciplined. They move the puck quick,” Beauvillier said. regular-season moments this season, Anthony Beauvillier and Brock “We want to stay disciplined the whole series. We did a good job playing Nelson were in a lot of them. Five of the eight Isles’ OT winners came on the edge, physical, but stay within the lines. It’s part of our plan, and it from those two, and Nelson had a couple of five-on-six tying goals in the worked out tonight.” final weeks. Ripper and the Cobra, together again Barry Trotz experimented with splitting the two during the Phase 3 camp but knew that, at least this season, Beauvillier and Nelson have been the Adam Pelech’s first official game in seven months was a rousing most dynamic duo he has. And those guys were the best Islanders success, teaming with Pulock to match well against Barkov’s line and forwards on the ice in Game 1, combining with Josh Bailey for 19 of the also mixing and matching with the remaining three defensemen after Isles’ 58 shot attempts. Beauvillier’s power-play goal in the second ended Boychuk exited to patch things up over the final 30 minutes or so. Scott up being the winner. Mayfield and Devon Toews had strong games, and Nick Leddy struggled at times but got through. All four lines had some good moments and were generally solid, especially after the Panthers got on the board 23 seconds into the third to Pelech and Pulock are the keys, however, and they were very strong. make it a one-goal game. But Beauvillier-Nelson-Bailey spent very little Pelech’s reach and size are crucial against Barkov and Huberdeau, who time in the defensive zone and generated the best chances on the are both handfuls physically in addition to their immense skill. Pelech counterattack, particularly a two-on-one in the final minute of the second even got a little too aggressive on Dadonov to give Florida its only power that could have really put this one away. play.

Bob was really good — and the Islanders made it not matter Boychuk’s departure obviously was unwelcome, but it allowed Trotz to rotate a bit with his defensemen against Barkov, spreading the minutes Sergei Bobrovsky was one of the Panthers players who you figured going very evenly among the five who finished the game, all within 20-24 into the series could be a difference-maker, and he was superb on minutes. Saturday, making at least three stops on high-danger chances — two on Nelson in the final two periods. Semyon Varlamov was very strong as Regarding Boychuk well, but the Panthers barely registered anything in the danger areas except for a shaky stretch in the second after Johnny Boychuk left the The Mike Matheson hit was definitely contact to the head and late, but game. his elbow was down, which likely saved him from an ejection. Quenneville called it “a clean hit,” which it most definitely was not. Trotz The Islanders excelled for the same reasons they excelled in last spring’s wanted a major but didn’t argue much when the referees reviewed it and sweep of the Penguins — not just piling up chances, but the timeliness of reduced it to a minor. “They’ve been refereeing a lot longer than me,” he them. Beauvillier’s power-play goal was on the advantage after Mike said. Matheson’s headshot on Boychuk. “I liked our response,” Trotz said. “We responded by scoring a power-play goal; you didn’t see us take an The bigger question is Boychuk’s status. He didn’t return, and Trotz had undisciplined penalty.” no update after the game. The two off days before Game 2 should help, but it was already not a foregone conclusion that Boychuk would be in It would have helped if Nelson had converted one of those chances or if the Game 1 lineup — Andy Greene and Noah Dobson were quite good in Jean-Gabriel Pageau had converted a golden second opportunity in the Phase 3 camp and in Wednesday’s exhibition game. So Trotz has second, but the Islanders won playing their style against a goalie who options. was on his game. That’s actually a good sign. But what are they, exactly? Well, he could make the simplest move and Pageau brought it in Game 1 put Dobson in for Boychuk if need be, though a Leddy-Dobson pairing would be a worrisome one for the coach. He could dress Greene and And by “it,” we mean the total package that Lou Lamoriello paid dearly for move Leddy to the right side (or perhaps more likely move Toews, who in trade assets (likely the Isles’ first- and second-round picks this year) played some right side in Game 1). He could dress Greene and Dobson and money (six years, $30 million). Pageau scored the opening goal off a and rotate those two with Leddy. Or he could sit Leddy and sub in the nice feed from Derick Brassard and had an impact Saturday, especially Greene-Dobson pair wholesale. in the faceoff circle. He won a D-zone short-handed draw on the Panthers’ lone power play and won another D-zone draw with less than Or Boychuk will be fine by Tuesday, and it’ll be status quo. “If we have to four minutes to play. Pageau won 8 of 10 faceoffs, 4 of 5 in the defensive go to a Plan B without Johnny, we have a pretty good group to pick zone in all situations. The Islanders needed him because Casey Cizikas, from,” Trotz said. usually charged with taking the key D-zone draws, was only 6 of 13 and 2 of 7 in the defensive zone. Comfortable in uncomfortable situations

Pageau and Brassard were a very dynamic duo alongside Tom That was a Trotz mantra all throughout 2018-19 and served the Islanders Kuhnhackl, who got the 12th forward nod over Ross Johnston and had well in tight games, which felt like all of them last season and early this some good moments. Brassard, playing his 100th career playoff game, season. When at their best, the Islanders can make a one-goal lead look looked better than he did most of the season, helped surely by the as breezy as a 5-0 advantage. Recall that they trailed 1-0 in each of the presence of his friend Pageau. last three games against the Penguins in the first round last year, quickly rallied to tie and take the lead, and stifled the Penguins’ attack thereafter. “That little break gave me a chance to know the system, to know the guys more,” Pageau said. “I feel really lucky to be part of this family.” For a team that’s accomplished very little in the grand scheme of things over the past several years, the Islanders have become experts at The Panthers’ big boys were (mostly) kept at bay dictating the pace. They did it again Saturday and played even better after the Panthers pulled within one — Florida had 11 attempts after the goal, three on net and zero attempts inside of 3:59 to play.

“Hopefully, that’s part of our DNA,” Trotz said. “We have an understanding of what we’re capable of doing, of what we are.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189934 New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad calls out Rangers’ brutal power play vs. Hurricanes

By Greg Joyce August 1, 2020 | 11:19PM

While the Hurricanes came into the postseason boasting one of the top penalty-kill units in the league, the Rangers didn’t seem to have much of a problem against it during the regular season.

Saturday was a different story.

The Rangers went 0-for-7 on the man-advantage and hardly generated any threats with it during a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup qualifier at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

“I feel like they outcompeted us, really,” Mika Zibanejad said on a Zoom call. “We didn’t really click. I didn’t think we were able to get on the same page. We had some OK chances, but we couldn’t establish a good power play and get some momentum from it. We gotta watch some video, go through it and really bury down on Monday.”

The Rangers’ power play did get better as the game went on, but they set the bar low with a brutal first few turns. They only took eight shots during 12:08 of power plays, with Petr Mrazek stopping each one.

The Hurricanes killed off 83.95 percent of penalties during the regular season, though the Rangers went 5-for-15 on the man-advantage against them in four meetings prior to Saturday.

“We were just too slow,” coach David Quinn said. “I’m not going to sit here and talk about some pass we could have made or one guy should have gone here or there. We were just too slow. Their penalty kill is aggressive; we know that. We’ve done well against it. But we just weren’t ready tonight to play at a pace. We got into power play mode instead of hockey mode.”

Kaapo Kakko, one of eight Rangers making his postseason debut, looked sharp and led the team with five shots. He got bumped up to play with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome after Jesper Fast left the game in the opening minutes after getting crushed by Brady Skjei.

The 19-year-old Kakko played 14:57 while fellow youngsters Filip Chytil and Julien Gauthier also impressed Quinn.

“We’ve all touched on how good both of those guys [Kakko and Chytil] have looked [during camp],” Quinn said. “I thought Gauthier had a good night too. Those guys earned their ice time, they earned their opportunity. With that being said, we need everybody. We can’t just have 10-12 guys being on their game, we need everyone being on their game. But good to see those guys in their first playoff game playing the way they did.”

Ryan Strome and Justin Williams dropped the gloves just 2:48 into the game after the teams had exchanged some big hits. A bloodied Strome briefly went to the locker room but returned later in the first period.

Alexandar Georgiev backed up Henrik Lundqvist in nets with Igor Shesterkin unfit to play.

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189935 New York Rangers Of course, it was just 3-2, and Lundqvist was surely a reason that it wasn’t worse. Still, he knows he may not play the next one.

“I just try to enjoy the moment,” said the Swede. “I take every start as an Henrik Lundqvist enters Rangers uncertainty with prideful performance opportunity to play the game, enjoy the game and try to help the team. Physically, technically, mentally, I’m in a good place.

“I felt like I was moving well. There are a couple of things I need to adjust By Larry Brooks a little for the next game, if I get an opportunity to play. We’ll see.”

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 This was the perspective of a 38-year-old, 15-year veteran who understands that the ride is not going to last very much longer, let alone forever. This was the perspective of Henrik Lundqvist, whose surprise 128th consecutive Rangers postseason start on Saturday ended in a 3-2 defeat to Carolina at Toronto in the opener of the best-of-five qualifier.

“I’m just happy, you know, that I got an opportunity to play. I enjoy it. I enjoy being out there and compete,” said the King, who was excellent in the match dominated by the ’Canes most of the way. “Obviously we didn’t get the win, but I think we did a lot of good things and watch some video and learn and show a little better next time.”

I don’t know. Would Lundqvist have been so mellow after a Game 1 playoff defeat in, say, 2008, 2013 or 2017? I don’t remember it that way. But maybe that’s me. Lundqvist always has talked about savoring the moment and enjoying the journey. Maybe he wouldn’t have expressed appreciation for getting a playoff start back then because, honestly, of course he was starting every game. But then, nobody would have asked him how it felt to play. I sure wouldn’t have.

The plan, as acknowledged by Lundqvist, was for Igor Shesterkin to get the assignment. But the rookie, categorized under the “unfit to play” catch-all, could not go after suffering some sort of injury either in Friday’s practice or Wednesday’s exhibition match against the Islanders in which he played the first 29:15 and remained on the bench for the duration. This is not COVID-related. Shesterkin was watching the game from the stands. There were, by the way, plenty of good seats available.

So Friday night, Lundqvist got the call. This may not be the Lundqvist of 2012 but neither is it the Lundqvist who started only one of the team’s final 19 games before the break and evinced memories of the 1973 Willie Mays when he did get in. Rather, this is the Lundqvist who used the pause to rebuild his game while home in Sweden and shined through the two-week summer camp that preceded this tournament.

“I approached this camp really open-minded, so whatever they asked me to do, I’d be ready for it,” said Lundqvist, who came up with a handful of sterling saves among his total of 34 and was blameless on the goals. “Obviously the plan was to play Igor, but they told me [Friday night] that I was going in. Things like that happen.”

All things being equal, Shesterkin likely will get the Game 2 start if he is healthy. Lundqvist was not culpable, but the Rangers never quite seemed in sync. Maybe the Russian’s puck-handling ability would have blunted Carolina’s furious rush right out of the gate, but he wouldn’t have been able to do that on his own.

When Lundqvist said his team did a lot of good things and needed to be a little better, his nose should have grown like Pinocchio’s and Zoomed right through the computer screen. For the truth is the Blueshirts did merely a few good things and if they are only a little better in Monday’s Game 2 that also begins at noon, they are likely to be staring at elimination in Game 3.

Mika Zibanejad was a horse through 25:32 of ice time while scoring the goal to bring the team within 2-1 late in the second. But Artemi Panarin was stifled, Chris Kreider was muzzled, Ryan Strome was blanketed, Adam Fox was suppressed and Tony DeAngelo unimpressive. The kids had issues, but so did the veterans. The team generated essentially nothing on the rush, rarely had the puck below the hash marks, needed way too many tries to clear the zone and were miserable on the power play, going 0-for-7 in 12:08 with the man-advantage.

“I feel they outcompeted us, really,” Zibanejad said. “We didn’t really click. We weren’t able to get on the same page.”

There is serious adversity facing the Rangers. Not only was their presumptive No. 1 unable to go in nets, Jesper Fast, injured on a Brady Skjei neutral zone bomb of an open-ice hit just 32 seconds into the match, is likely down for a spell. Without the suspended Brendan Lemieux for Game 2, the Blueshirts will have to dip into the taxi squad for a replacement. 1189936 New York Rangers

Nothing goes right for Rangers in Game 1 loss to Hurricanes

By Greg Joyce August 1, 2020 | 3:03pm | Updated

The Rangers had plenty of time to think about what Saturday would look like.

But Game 1 of their Stanley Cup qualifier series quickly went off-script — even before the puck dropped.

Henrik Lundqvist drew the surprise start in net, with Igor Shesterkin deemed “unfit to play,” but the Rangers got off to a rough start in front of him and couldn’t fully recover in a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

“When you play a team that you’ve had success against, they’re gonna come out with a little bit more hunger and piss and vinegar and they certainly did,” coach David Quinn, whose team swept the Hurricanes 4-0 in the regular season, said on a Zoom call.

Marc Staal scored a shorthanded goal with 1:55 left in regulation to make it a one-goal game, but the Rangers’ comeback efforts ended there. Afterwards they were already beginning to turn their focus toward Monday’s Game 2, but the health of two key players will bear watching until then.

Not only were the Rangers chasing a lead just 61 seconds into Saturday’s postseason opener, they also lost one of their most valuable players in the process. On his first shift of the game, Jesper Fast took a big hit from former teammate Brady Skjei and was visibly shaken up.

Fast was still on the ice 29 seconds later when Jaccob Slavin snuck through the backdoor to take a cross-ice pass from Teuvo Teravainen and roofed a wrister past Lundqvist for the 1-0 lead.

“There’s no doubt that when you give up a goal a minute and [one] second into the period and you lose Quickie, it has an emotional effect on your team,” Quinn said. “They get the goal because he really doesn’t have his wits about him. Slavin goes backdoor, a play Quickie usually makes, he’s just not mentally ready to make it and he’s hurt, so they get the first goal.”

Fast left for the locker room after the goal and did not return.

Shesterkin, whose status for Game 2 is uncertain, watched from the stands as Lundqvist made 34 saves in a strong effort. The 38-year-old learned Friday night he would be getting the nod — his 128th straight postseason start — and responded by keeping the Rangers in it with big saves throughout, especially during a chaotic opening period.

“I think the first period was a boxing match back and forth with big hits,” Lundqvist said. “It wasn’t the start we were looking for, but I think we responded pretty well.”

Aho scored a power-play goal early in the second period for the 2-0 lead before the Rangers began to settle in. Mika Zibanejad deflected a shot from Ryan Lindgren to get them on the board, 2-1, at 14:26 of the second. But the Rangers had just finished killing off another penalty midway through the third period when the Hurricanes found the dagger, which Martin Necas scored off the skate of Staal.

The Rangers were left lamenting a power play that went 0-for-7, but also struggled to establish their pace in a game that featured only 35:37 of five-on-five play due to 18 combined penalties. They only forced Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek to make 24 saves, which was enough to send the Rangers into a 1-0 series deficit.

“Definitely when there’s that many penalties back and forth, it’s hard to find that rhythm five-on-five,” Zibanejad said. “But I don’t really think we tested their goalie that much. We gotta get on the inside, get a couple more shots and really test him. We got a lot better and we know that. We gotta take the good things from today and move on and work on the things that we have to do better.”

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189937 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist gets Rangers start with Igor Shesterkin ‘unfit to play’

By Greg Joyce August 1, 2020 | 11:39am

Henrik Lundqvist will not be unseated from his playoff throne just yet.

It was Lundqvist, not Igor Shesterkin, who led the Rangers onto the ice for warmups ahead of Saturday’s Game 1 against the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup qualifiers at Scotiabank Arena. He was set to be backed up by Alexandar Georgiev while Shesterkin was deemed “unfit to play.”

Shesterkin’s absence was not COVID-19 related, according to The Post’s Larry Brooks, but a surprising development nonetheless as the 24-year- old Russian was expected to draw the start. He had played the first half of Wednesday’s exhibition against the Islanders, giving up a goal on seven shots.

The 38-year-old Lundqvist, who will make his 128th straight postseason start, has thrived against the Hurricanes in his career, owning a 2.00 goals-against average and .934 save percentage against them. In three games this season facing Carolina, Lundqvist was 3-0 with a 2.33 GAA and .947 save percentage.

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189938 New York Rangers handle, and the third line bolstered by Vincent Trocheck’s deadline acquisition is very dangerous.

Edge: Hurricanes Rangers vs. Hurricanes: Breaking down matchups and a prediction Defense

The Blueshirts’ mettle and structure will be tested from the get-go. The By Larry Brooks August 1, 2020 | 6:43am puck-movers will have to be efficient with the first pass and intelligent with decision-making under pressure. The Rangers were actually a better team defending in their own end than in coping with the rush. The Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox pair emerged as the team’s matchup tandem, but So maybe this series against the Candy Canes isn’t officially recognized expect the Brendan Smith-Jacob Trouba pair to do some heavy lifting as a playoff round, but it is the postseason — the postseason! — and the here. This too: Fox and Tony DeAngelo can create loads of offense from rebuilding Rangers are playing hockey. Raise your hand if you the back. envisioned that as a possibility when The Letter went out on Feb. 8, 2018. You in the back row, put it down, you’re fibbing, The ’Canes greatest strength, depth on defense, has been diluted by injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, so that means that deadline The Blueshirts are back and are still rebuilding, not yet quite rebuilt. But acquisitions Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen move up into more prominent the course of franchise history was altered 29 months ago when the roles. Carolina’s backline is generally more dependable than flashy. commitment was made to strip it down to the bare bones and organically construct a Stanley Cup contender built to last. Edge: Hurricanes.

Of course, there was some cash set aside for people like Artemi Panarin Special teams and Jacob Trouba to help accelerate the process and — Shazam! — here they are, three-out-five to qualify for the playoffs after just two years The Rangers’ power play can be explosive, the unit clicking at nearly 30 out. percent (29-for-99) in the 34 games since Christmas. Chris Kreider is the net-front presence, with Zibanejad and Panarin both zinging one-timers But this was no magic trick. The Rangers have approached with a plan, with Ryan Strome facilitating and DeAngelo running it creatively from the and so has David Quinn. One step at a time, two steps (OK, four) if you top. The second unit generally gets leftover scraps of time. count Panarin. The next step presents itself against a Carolina team that had missed the playoffs nine straight seasons before advancing to the The Blueshirts’ penalty kill has not been especially effective for years, so conference finals a year ago. any wrinkles suggested by assistant coach Gord Murphy, elevated from Hartford in conjunction with Lindy Ruff’s hiring by the Devils, would be You may not realize this, but the Rangers went 4-0 against Carolina this welcome. The team finished 23rd at 77.4 percent. year. No, I know. Everyone realizes this. Carolina came in at 22.3 percent with the man-advantage, just behind The matchups New York’s 22.9, but will have to cope with Hamilton’s absence. Actually, the ’Canes did that, going the exact same 22.3 percentage without Goaltending Hamilton in the season’s final 21 games he missed with a broken leg. I’m old enough to remember the second round of the 1996 playoffs when The very aggressive penalty-kill unit finished fourth in the NHL at 84 the Rangers with Mike Richter were expected to have a significant edge percent. in nets against the Penguins’ Ken Wregget. Except that Wregget Edge: Hurricanes. outplayed Richter, and the Blueshirts were buried in five games. Coaching That disclaimer aside, the Blueshirts seem to have a substantial advantage here. Igor Shesterkin not only stops pucks, he swallows them Quinn’s first NHL playoff-type experience, Rod Brind’Amour’s second. to prevent rebounds and moves them out of harm’s way to relieve Each has the pulse of his team. defensive-zone pressure. That’s a critical asset in playing against a forecheck-mad, puck-possession club like the Hurricanes. The lightning Edge: Even. quick netminder may be a novice to NHL postseason play, but at the age Prediction of 24, he has 16 KHL playoff games and a Gagarin Cup on his résumé. Quality vs. quantity here. There is a load on Panarin, Zibanejad and, of If Shesterkin runs into difficulty, Henrik Lundqvist — who has exhibited course, Shesterkin (Lundqvist?). The ’Canes are stronger 1-through-uh- career-long mastery over Carolina that extended to 3-0/.947/2.33 this 31, but the cream at the top and the superiority in nets elevates the season and who had an excellent summer camp — will be ready. Blueshirts. Petr Mrazek, who went 5-5 in 11 starts in the playoffs a year ago, is an Rangers in five. extremely aggressive netminder capable of spectacular saves but whose stability is an issue. Mrazek, who missed nearly three weeks just before New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 the pause recovering from a concussion, recorded just a .912 save percentage at even-strength that ranked 18th among the 21 goaltenders with at least 1,800 minutes (according to Naturalstattrick.com). James Reimer is Mrazek’s backup.

Edge: Rangers

Forwards

The Rangers have the two best forwards entering the series in Panarin, a Hart Trophy finalist, and Mika Zibanejad. Splitting up the game-breakers, as the Rangers did essentially all season, creates Quinn’s greatest pick- your-poison matchup advantage. But the strength of the top two lines is offset to a degree by the lack of support/production from the bottom six. If the summer camp work of Kaapo Kakko and Fil Chytil translates to the tournament, that would alter the dynamic.

Opposites here, because though the ’Canes can’t quite match Panarin and Zibanejad, they’re loaded through their top nine and use their fourth line to advantage, as well. No candy here, they come hard and generate an enormous number of shots, looking always to funnel the play to the front. The Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen top unit is shifty and talented, the second line with Jordan Staal between Ryan Dzingel and Justin Williams (Mr. Game 7 in a best-of-five?) is difficult to 1189939 New York Rangers

David Quinn’s young Rangers eyeing a historic run

By Mollie Walker August 1, 2020 | 5:06am

The Rangers are hoping to continue riding as the dark horse through the 2020 playoffs.

As the team that never stopped discovering its identity, the team that found a way to give itself a chance every game and the team that surprised so many people with its end-of-the-season haul for a chance to compete in the postseason.

They’re now all saddled up for Game 1 of a best-of-five qualifying play-in series with the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The race is on and the Rangers are betting on themselves.

“You don’t want to leave any regrets out there,” Ryan Strome said on a Zoom call Friday. “As a young group, moving forward, just embrace the opportunity here and let the chips fall where they may. I feel like if we play like we can and we play like we did during the year, hopefully we can surprise some people. You never know what could happen with our group.”

But that’s exactly what the Rangers have done throughout the 2019-20 season: surprise people.

The Rangers were able to take a drastically different — and younger — looking roster than they had just one season prior and worked through the growing pains to create a cohesive team. A team that, when faced with adversity, has shown that it can rise to the occasion.

Although most will point to their youth and inexperience as to why the Rangers will struggle in the postseason, forward Ryan Strome knows that within this bizarre 24-team tournament there is a path to the Stanley Cup.

There is still an opportunity for the Rangers to shock the masses even more than they already have.

“I just think the only message from myself is just don’t take an opportunity for granted,” Strome said. “No matter how unique the situation is, it’s hard to make the playoffs in this league, which I’ve said before. Although it’s a unique year with unique circumstances, I think it’s a great opportunity.

“Your career flies by and these opportunities seem to go by pretty quickly. You miss the playoffs for a few years and all of a sudden you wish you had that one back.”

Like nine of his players on the ice, head coach David Quinn will be behind the bench Saturday for the first NHL playoff game of his career. Maybe he’ll feel differently Saturday, he said, but on Friday he said it feels like his usual game preparation of putting his team in the best position to win.

“It’s nothing that you really need to work on in practice,” he said. “It’s things we’ve been talking about, harping on seven months, eight months now. Really, to me, it’s more of a choice. It’s more of how we’re going to approach the game.”

But Quinn has been in do-or-die mode since March. Now that the Rangers are on the doorstep of where they’ve been working toward all season long, Quinn is looking for his team to rise to the occasion.

“The stakes are high for sure, but the stakes were pretty high for us when the season got shut down,” Quinn said. “The thing we certainly felt good about as an organization, I thought our young players responded to those circumstances. We expect them to respond again [Saturday].”

New York Post LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189940 New York Rangers They regrouped and played better, notching 15 shots on goal in the second period. But the Hurricanes picked up much-needed cushion on a power-play goal from Sebastian Aho at the 6:29 mark, which increased their lead to 2-0. Postgame analysis: Young NY Rangers fall short in Game 1 after jittery first period The Rangers' first goal came later in the period from their top regular- season goal-scorer Mika Zibanejad, who tipped in a wrist shot from Ryan Lindgren.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano A battle of special teams

The first two periods were spent largely on special teams, with Carolina earning five power plays in the first 40 minutes and New York getting an David Quinn downplayed the pressure his young team would feel, astounding seven power-play chances. pointing to the frantic two-month stretch in which the New York Rangers rallied their way into the playoff picture. The Rangers went 0 for 7 while managing only eight shots on goal in those situations, although they did score with 1:54 remaining in the game The second-year coach called those games "playoff-like" — but clearly, on a shorthanded goal from Marc Staal. Saturday's clash with the Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena was different. "I feel like they out-competed us, really," Zibanejad said. "We didn’t really click. We weren’t able to get on the same page. We had some okay Game 1 of the NHL's qualifying round featured a pace and physicality chances, but we couldn’t establish a good power play and get some that these Rangers had yet to experience. They looked overmatched and momentum from it." jittery in the first period, and while they settled down after that, it wasn't quite enough. They had won the special teams battle while sweeping four games in the regular-season series, converting 33% (5 for 15) of their power-play A 3-2 loss put the Blueshirts into a hole in this unique best-of-five opportunities while holding Carolina to a 12.5% (2 for 16) conversion series, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday at noon. rate. "I thought that we played a team that was pissed off because we'd beat Many of the Rangers' top players struggled to generate offense, but them four times this year," Quinn said. "For the first 30 minutes, we were rookie Kaapo Kakko continued the improvement he showed during slow. I didn’t think we really played at a pace. They set the pace and the Phase 3 camp by leading the team with five shots on goal. tempo, and I thought it took us too long to respond to it." With Fast out, Kakko moved up to the second line and fellow rookie GOALIES: Henrik Lundqvist starts Game 1; Igor Shesterkin 'unfit to play' Julien Gauthier took Kakko's spot on the third. LINEUP: 'Another opportunity to grow' for young Rangers "Those guys earned their ice time" Quinn said. "They earned their Pregame drama opportunity, and with that being said, we need everybody. We just can't have 10, 12 guys being on their game. We need everybody being on The big question heading into Game 1 was whether or not Tony their game. But good to see those guys in their first playoff game play the DeAngelo would play after missing practice Friday. And while the way they did." Rangers got good news on that front, with the 24-year-old defenseman making in into the lineup, there was an unexpected announcement. The dagger from the 'Canes came with 9:09 to play in the final period. Their sixth power play of the game had just ended when a Martin Necas Rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin, who finished the regular season as the shot deflected in off Staal's skate to make it 3-1. Rangers' clear No. 1 goalie and was expected to start Saturday, was ruled "unfit to play" and is considered day-to-day moving forward. More takeaways from Vin

In a dramatic twist, 38-year-old Henrik Lundqvist was thrust into the There's no way to sugarcoat the severity of this loss. The NHL PR starting role. department put out a stat prior to the game that showed nearly 82% of teams that win Game 1 advance in a best-of-five series. The Rangers "The plan was to play Igor, and last night they told me I was going in," face long odds from here, but the momentum totally shifts if they win Lundqvist said. "Things like that happen. I feel for Igor and we’ll see what Game 2. That makes it 1-1 and sets up a best-of-three moving forward. happens here in the next couple days." They'll take those odds — but what they can't afford is a Game 2 loss.

He had started only four games after Jan. 2, but the veteran of 128 Of course, everyone is going to want to know who starts in goal Monday. postseason games represented a strong Plan B. Plus, he went 3-0 with a Lundqvist revealed that the plan was to start Shesterkin before whatever .947 save percentage against Carolina this season. happened that made him "unfit to play." Per the NHL's restart policy, we're not going to get any information on what exactly the issue is with Lundqvist allowed a goal on the very first shot he saw — a stick-side the rookie. He played in Wednesday's exhibition against the Islanders one-timer from Jaccob Slavin at the 1:01 mark — but that was the result and practiced Friday, but he must have tweaked something or fell ill at of a defensive breakdown after Jesper Fast took a crushing hit from some point. The MSG Network broadcast team indicated that Shesterkin former Ranger Brady Skjei. was expected to be available for Game 2, but Quinn said, "We're not Lundqvist was otherwise sharp and kept the Rangers close with 34 sure." saves. He was a steadying force during a first period that could have got If all things were equal, I've been clear for months that I believe out of hand, stopping 11 of the 12 shots he faced in the first 20 minutes. Shesterkin gives the Rangers the best chance to win. But we don't know Meanwhile, the Rangers looked like a team with eight players in the exactly what he's dealing with, and Lundqvist played well Saturday. Even lineup who had never appeared in a playoff game. if Shesterkin is ready to go, I'm not sure it's a given he starts anymore. Quinn's decision feels more difficult going into Game 2 than it did going Losing Fast on his very first shift robbed them of a veteran presence and into Game 1, especially coming off a loss. their best defensive forward, with Quinn indicating the right-winger's status for Game 2 is up in the air. The other question I'm already getting a lot is how do the Rangers replace Fast if he can't play in the Game 2. The answer is with Kakko, "It was a boxing match back and forth with big hits," Lundqvist said. who would almost certainly start on the second line alongside Artemi "Obviously, that goal, (Fast) was kind of out of it. You could tell right Panarin and Ryan Strome. And Gauthier played well enough to merit a before the goal. It wasn’t the start we were looking for." chance in Kakko's usual third-line spot next to Filip Chytil and Phil Di The Rangers managed only four shots on goal in the first period, Giuseppe. As for the player who gets added from the expanded roster, including just two in the first 17-plus minutes. my best guess is Steven Fogarty. The AHL Hartford captain seemed to be next in line in the forward pecking order during camp and he profiles "We’ve just got to find a way to get more inside," Quinn said. "We're too as the hard-working, penalty-kill type of player that Fast is. It's almost perimeter. We’ve got to fight our way (inside). Being tough isn't running surely not going to be Vitali Kravtsov. Let's not forget that this will be a people; it isn't hitting people. Being tough is getting to the net, getting grinding fourth-line role, likely next to Brett Howden and Greg McKegg. inside people." It certainly made an impact to lose Shesterkin and Fast, but the main issues in this loss were the slow start and the poor showing from the power play. The PP struggled during camp, but I didn't want to put a lot of stock into that. What really mattered is how they looked once the games began — and the answer was mostly sluggish and out of rhythm, although they did improve as the game went on. Bottom line: You can't go 0 for 7 and expect to win. "We were just too slow," Quinn said. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you about some seam pass we could have made, or one guy should have gone here or should have gone there. We were just too slow. Their penalty kill is aggressive. We know that. We've done well against it, but we just weren't ready tonight to play at a pace."

We can talk about changes to the power-play units, but we've seen these groups succeed. Maybe pushing Kakko and his lefty shot up to PP1 in place of Strome makes sense. But the real key for the Rangers' offense, in general — not just the power play — is getting their top players going. Zibanejad came through with a goal, but Panarin only had one high- danger scoring chance, according to Natural Stat Trick, while Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich each only managed one shot on goal. It wasn't a great day for Strome, either. The top six was a strength of this team throughout their second-half run, and if they're not producing, it's going to be a short series.

I asked Zibanejad if all the penalties made it difficult to get on track offensively and what he thought of the Rangers' overall attack. He made it clear that he thought they let Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek, who made 24 saves, off easy. "When there’s that many penalties back and forth, it’s hard to find a rhythm five-on-five," he said. "But I didn’t really think we tested their goalie that much. We’ve got to get on the inside, get a couple more shots and really test him. I think we’ve had a lot better, and we know that."

Lundqvist deserves credit for playing well not only given the fact that he didn't know he was starting until Friday night, but also for responding to a severe dip in playing time by working hard during the break and coming back ready to contribute. In his heart of hearts, he had to know he was unlikely to start over Shesterkin. But he stayed ready and handled it like a pro. "I just try to enjoy the moment to be out there and play," he said. "I approached this camp pretty open-minded, and then just work hard and we’ll see what happens. I take every start as an opportunity to play the game, enjoy the game and try to help the team. I felt like I was moving well. There’s a couple things I need to adjust for next game, if I get an opportunity to play. We’ll see. Overall, I felt pretty good. I try not to have any excuses — I haven’t played in a long time, or whatever. It’s been a good camp, so physically, technically, mentally in a good place."

Bergen Record LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189941 New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist to start Game 1 for NY Rangers; Igor Shesterkin 'unfit to play'

Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Nov 27, 2019; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (30) makes a glove save against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Madison Square Garden.

The King will return to his throne for what could be his final playoff run in New York.

Igor Shesterkin was the expected starter in goal for the Rangers heading into Game 1 of the NHL's qualifying round against Carolina Hurricanes. But a half hour before Saturday's noon puck drop, the rookie was declared "unfit to play" and veteran Henrik Lundqvist was announced as the starter.

Per the league's "Return to Play" policy, teams are prohibited from releasing details about injuries or positive COVID-19 tests. Shesterkin is considered day-to-day.

PROJECTED LINEUP: Tony DeAngelo's status in question for Game 1

PREDICTION: Rangers or Hurricanes? Which team wins the series?

Lundqvist brings tons of playoff experience, with a 2.28 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in 128 postseason games. He also has a track record of success against the Hurricanes, including a 3-0 record with a .947 SV% against them this season.

The 38-year-old was limited to just four starts after Jan. 2 due to the emergence of Shesterkin. The rookie emerged as the Rangers' No. 1 goalie down the stretch, but now he's out for an undisclosed amount of time.

Lundqvist looked sharp throughout the Phase 3 training camp and stopped 14 of the 15 shots he faced in Wednesday's exhibition loss to the Islanders. When he arrived in New York earlier this month, he described himself as refreshed from the four-month pause.

"Going back to Sweden during this break, I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family and some of my friends," he said on July 13. "It also gave me an opportunity to work on my game a little bit — technically, physically and mentally. I feel like coming back, I’m in a really good place in all three areas."

Alexandar Georgiev is expected to dress as the backup goalie.

Bergen Record LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189942 New York Rangers “I approached this camp to just be ready for anything,’’ the 38-year-old Lundqvist said. “Come well prepared, work hard, and whatever they ask me to do, I'll be ready for it. Obviously, the plan was to play Igor and last night, they told me I was going in. Things like that happen. I feel for Igor, With Igor Shesterkin inactive, Henrik Lundqvist takes the loss for and we'll see what happens in the next couple of days, but I'm just happy Rangers in opener against Hurricanes I got an opportunity to play, and I enjoy it.’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.02.2020 By Colin Stephenson

Henrik Lundqvist found out Friday night that he would be the man in goal when the Rangers faced off against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their play-in series as the NHL restarted its 2019-20 season Saturday in Toronto.

Lundqvist, the franchise leader in playoff appearances, wasn’t initially supposed to get the start, he said later, but when Igor Shesterkin, the 24- year-old Russian who had taken over as the Rangers’ No. 1 goalie this season, was unable to play, Lundqvist got the call.

The last-minute change didn’t faze the Hurricanes. Carolina scored the game’s first goal just 61 seconds after the opening faceoff and went on to beat Lundqvist and the Rangers, 3-2, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

“Unfit to play, so we're not sure whether he'll be ready for game Game 2,’’ coach David Quinn said of Shesterkin in the post-game Zoom conference call.

The Rangers play Games 2 and 3 back-to-back Monday and Tuesday. Shesterkin is officially listed as “unfit to play’’ under the NHL’s new non- disclosure policy on injury/illness.

If Shesterkin — who cameras showed watching the game from the seats of Scotiabank Arena —can’t play, then Lundqvist, who played in his 129th playoff game, is likely to go again. It would be quite the turn of events after he had fallen to No. 3 on the goaltending depth chart in the regular season behind Shesterkin and No. 2 Alexandar Georgiev.

As for the loss, Quinn bemoaned the Rangers' start.

“For the first 30 minutes, we were slow,’’ Quinn said. “I didn't think we really played at a (fast) pace; they set the pace and the tempo, and I thought it took us too long to respond.’’

Playing their first competitive game since March 11, a span of more than four-and-a-half months, the Rangers were stunned in the opening minute when old friend Brady Skjei — whom the Rangers dealt to Carolina at the trade deadline in February — blasted Blueshirts forward Jesper Fast within seconds of his stepping onto the ice. With Fast apparently injured, Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin went behind Fast to redirect a pass from Teuvo Teravainen over Lundqvist’s stick shoulder on the game’s first shot on goal. Fast left the ice and did not return.

Lundqvist shrugged that goal off and played well, making 34 saves, several of them big-time stops, to keep the Rangers in the game. The Rangers were outshot, 37-26 and fell behind, 2-0 and 3-1. Sebastian Aho, on a power play, and Martin Necas, on a shot that deflected off the skate of Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, scored the other goals for the Hurricanes.

Mika Zibanejad and Staal (shorthanded) scored the Rangers goals. But the Rangers went 0-for-7 on the power play in a physical, and tightly called, game.

“I feel like they out-competed us, really,’’ Zibanejad said, when asked about the power play’s struggles. “We didn't really click. I didn't think we were able to get on the same page. We had some okay chances, but we couldn't establish a good power play and get some momentum from it.’’

Lundqvist started just one of the Rangers’ last 18 games before the NHL paused play because of the coronavirus on March 12, and that came during a two-week stretch where Shesterkin was out of action with a cracked rib suffered in a car accident.

Lundqvist returned home to Sweden during the pause, where the country did not have any kind of coronavirus lockdown and he had access to gyms to work out and ice to skate on the entire time he was there. When the Rangers restarted training camp on July 13, Lundqvist said he felt he was in a better place physically, mentally and technically. And he played well in the two-week camp before the team headed to Toronto last Sunday. 1189943 New York Rangers “I approached this camp just to be ready for anything,” said the 38-year- old. “Be well prepared, work hard, whatever they ask me to do, I’ll be ready for it. Obviously the plan was to play Igor and then last night they told me I was going in. Things like that happen. I feel for Igor and we’ll Despite ready-made excuses, Rangers just weren’t good enough in see what happens in the next couple of days. I’m just happy I got an Game 1 opportunity to play. I enjoy it. I enjoy going out there to compete.”

Was that his last chance? We won’t know, probably, until Monday. We do know that he has scared the bejesus out of Carolina for nine years. Until By Rick Carpiniello Aug 1, 2020 Saturday, 61 seconds in. But there he was, back out there, starting his 129th playoff game.

The Rangers got hit with one roundhouse right on Friday when starting HENRIK PIC.TWITTER.COM/NX1SHEKNAT goalie Igor Shesterkin, for undisclosed reasons, became “unfit to play.” — NEW YORK RANGERS (@NYRANGERS) AUGUST 1, 2020 They took a left hook 61 seconds into their first postseason game since 2017 when Jesper Fast was knocked wobbly by Brady Skjei, of all “I just tried to enjoy the moment, to be out there and play,” Lundqvist people. In his disoriented state, the winger fell to the ice on a clearing said. “I approached this camp pretty open-minded and then just worked attempt and couldn’t get back to prevent a 1-0 goal. hard and we’ll see what happens. I take every start as an opportunity to play the game, enjoy the game and try to help the team. I felt like I was The Rangers had eight players making their postseason debuts. moving well. There’s a couple of things I need to adjust a little bit for next game if I get an opportunity to play. We’ll see. But overall I felt pretty You know what that adds up to? good, so I try not to have any excuses – having not played in a long time Excuses. or whatever. It’s been a good camp. (I’m) physically, technically and mentally in a good place.” The Rangers are in a 1-0 hole in their best-of-five play-in series because Carolina was the better team from start to finish in a 3-2 Game 1 victory 3) Then the puck dropped and Skjei, not known for big hits as a Ranger, at the Toronto bubble, the first NHL game ever played in August. Their dropped Fast in the opening minute. Fast got back to his feet, and Artemi goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, is not why they lost. The loss of Fast – Panarin took a little run at Skjei. But Fast was kind of out on his skates. which will have implications depending on how long he’s out of the series He had a chance to clear, dropped his stick, and fell down. Defenseman – is not why they lost. Their inexperience, factor as it may have been and Jaccob Slavin saw the opportunity and went to the net, uncovered by the may continue to be, is not why they lost. usually reliable Fast, and took Sebastian Aho’s pass and beat Lundqvist short-side. 1-0. That was the first shot of the game. Lundqvist didn’t face Carolina was better, and the Rangers weren’t nearly good enough. another until after Vincent Trochek cut in against Jacob Trouba and hit the crossbar. He didn’t make his first save until under eight minutes IGOR SHESTERKIN LOOKS ON PIC.TWITTER.COM/GRCS0R7SX4 remained in the first. Fast was done for the game. And probably for more. — RANGERS ON MSG (@RANGERSMSGN) AUGUST 1, 2020 4) “There’s no doubt that when you give up a goal in the first minute and Normally, a 1-0 hole in a series isn’t fatal. But it sure gets a bunch more you lose (Fast) that it has an effect on your team,” Quinn said. “They get critical when it’s a best-of-five. The NHL hasn’t had a best-of-five since the goal because he really doesn’t have his wits about him. Slavin goes 1986. All-time Game 1 winners have gone on to win best-of-fives 81.9 back door, a play that (Fast) usually makes, and he’s just not mentally percent of the time (68 of 83). ready to make it. He’s hurt. So they get the first goal. So now not only do we lose our best player, but a goal was scored because of it.” Normally, I expect a best-of-seven series to be 1-1 after 2, and 2-2 after 4, and I’m not sure I don’t expect that here. Playoff games, throughout “It wasn’t the start we were looking for,” Lundqvist said. history, don’t bleed into one another. Most often, the more desperate 5) The Rangers were plenty physical at the start – Ryan Strome chucked team wins the next game. Almost always, the previous outcome has zero knuckles with Mr. Game 7 Justin Williams, and the Rangers had a lot effect on the next. But that’s a lesson that needs to be learned. It will be more hits, because, well, they didn’t have the puck – but not nearly up to Rangers coach David Quinn (0-1 in his NHL postseason career) physical enough in the offensive zone when fighting for space and for the and his men to figure that out in a hurry, because best-of-fives go quickly. puck and for that golden territory in front of goalie Petr Mrazek (who was Even in the best of times – the mid-2010s — the Rangers were resilient. supposed to be the weak-link, right?) He was good, but David Ayres, the Or as Chris Kreider said, “We were like cockroaches, man.” They were 42-year-old Zamboni driver who won a game for Carolina in the same 15-4 when facing elimination in that four-year run from 2012-15. They arena, might have won this one too. Wonder if he was in the building. were 21-12 in games following losses. That’s desperation. I’m not sure IN CASE YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT “PLAYOFF INTENSITY” this current team can understand that. PIC.TWITTER.COM/ZOE6QCB0PT Nor can it understand, probably, the other side. Those Rangers, good and cockroachy as they were, couldn’t stand prosperity. Within the frame — IAN TULLOCH (@IANGRAPH) AUGUST 1, 2020 of playoff series, they were 10-21 following wins, which is why they had to go to a Game 7 seven times (6-1). So series shift and shift and shift 6) Anyway, the Rangers really lost this game on special teams, with a some more, and there are lessons every time out. disorganized and fragrant power play, and a penalty kill that killed six of seven but was territorially dominated. And the Rangers let Mrazek take a These young, staggered Rangers have 45 hours between the final horn snooze – facing zero shots until one from an angle by Panarin more than of Game 1 and the puck drop for Game 2 to figure out a lot. seven minutes into the game.

Thoughts: “I don’t really think we tested their goalie that much,” Mika Zibanejad 1) Everybody was right. Shesterkin was going to start Game 1 and said. “We’ve got to get on the inside more, get more shots. We didn’t Lundqvist knew that … until some time Friday night when he was told really test him.” About the power play, he added, “I don’t know. I feel like that the rookie was a no-go. “Unfit to play” is the NHL’s new catch-all. they out-competed us today. We didn’t really click. We weren’t able to get During Saturday’s broadcast, said that Shesterkin – who on the same page. We had some OK chances but we couldn’t establish a was in the stands – could be ready Monday. We’ll see. good power play and get some momentum from it.”

2) But Lundqvist got a chance for which he had hoped, but didn’t likely 7) Daily Bread: Panarin didn’t do much at all, though in fairness, he pretty much sits on the bench while the Rangers are attempting to kill off seven expect. He had started just one of the last 19 games, while Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev got the nods, three of the last 26, and four of 32 power plays. But he did nothing in the exhibition game Wednesday. And after Shesterkin was recalled from Hartford. It looked as if the pause had to be honest, his line was outplayed by Zibanejad’s line in the training robbed him of any last hurrahs. camp scrimmages, for whatever that’s worth. He’s the Rangers’ MVP, their Hart Trophy finalist, their top scorer. He needs to be much, much, Then Friday happened. much better than this. You could say the same for plenty of the Rangers’ better players. 8) At any rate, Quinn said the first 30 minutes the Rangers were slow. He 17) With 1:54 left in the third, Staal ripped one, perhaps off Nino said the Canes set the pace and the tempo and that it took too long for Niederreiter’s leg and past Mrazek for a short-handed goal (with the Rangers to “respond to it.” DeAngelo in the box). 3-2. Quinn has Panarin and Fox out on the penalty kill in that desperate time. “Being tough isn’t running people, isn’t hitting people,” he said. “Being tough is getting to the net, getting inside people, and too often we’re on 18) “Hey, Dad, the NHL has painted ‘Roman’ on the ice for the playoff the perimeter today.” games. What does that mean?” “Well, son, sometimes a man can’t … well, um, uh, ask Gary Bettman.” That’s fairly scathing. Carolina forechecks hard and fast, and gives you little room to breathe, especially on the power play. The Rangers better 19) ICYMI, Zibanejad won his second straight Steven McDonald Extra be quicker with their decisions and their passes, and they’d better be Effort award. more angry and hungry against a team they beat four times this season, despite similar territorial disadvantages in three of those. YOUR 2019-20 STEVEN MCDONALD EXTRA EFFORT AWARD WINNER FOR HIS DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY ON + OFF “Listen, you lose to a team four times you’re going to be pissed off,” THE ICE: @MIKAZIBANEJAD. Quinn said. “I think everybody’s pissed off when a series starts. But they heightened theirs.” IN HONOR OF THIS YEAR’S AWARD, @NORTHWELLHEALTH IS DONATING $25,000 TO THE STEVEN MCDONALD FOUNDATION. 9) The Hurricanes sure hit, and tried to hit, Adam Fox, who was once PIC.TWITTER.COM/NJ9YHIO3IY their property. But they went after him because that’s historically how playoffs are played. You try to pound the other team’s defensemen, — NEW YORK RANGERS (@NYRANGERS) JULY 30, 2020 especially their offensively gifted, puck-handling defensemen. Brian My Three Rangers Stars: Leetch would get hammered. It’s old school and Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour is old school. Get used to it, kid. 1. Henrik Lundqvist.

10) Kakko-Meter: With Fast out, Kaapo Kakko moved up quite often, and 2. Brendan Smith. got two shots on Mrazek – the second and third of the game – very late 3. Adam Fox. in the first. Then drew a penalty to Andrei Svechnikov. Late in the second he drew a penalty to Sami Vatanen. Kaako finished with five shots on The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 goal. In the third he had a break on left wing off a Lindgren pass, but was stopped by Mrazek.

11) The Rangers had a power play to start the second, and again did squat with it. Then had another early second. Fox broke up an odd-man rush brilliantly and sent Kakko up ice for a good chance. Panarin’s shot was deflected by Zibanejad and off the post. Then the Canes got a breakaway by Warren Foegele when Smith ran into referee Eric Furlatt (Holy James Patrick/Claude Lemieux/Ray Scapinello!) and Lundqvist made a huge save.

12) But … Brett Howden took a slashing penalty, and quickly off a Carolina faceoff win by Aho, he stepped to the slot in front of Marc Staal and redirected a Svechnikov pass. 2-0. (the Rangers minus two PK forwards, Fast and Howden).

HOW ABOUT THAT @ASVECHNIKOV_37 PASS? #STANLEYCUP QUALIFIERS PIC.TWITTER.COM/3BUQSHBBBF

— NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) AUGUST 1, 2020

13) I think we saw how important Fast is, not only to the penalty kill and to the team in general, but also to the Panarin-Strome line. Of course, the referees helped keep Panarin off the ice for lots of the game. Wonder what “Turn Em Loose” Bruce Hood would think about this playoff officiating. I’m not saying it’s been terrible, but man, everything is being called. And was in subsequent games that I saw, too. Wonder if our fine, fine NHL officials will maintain this standard, or if, as usual, they will use different rulebooks on different days.

14) Late second, Ryan Lindgren wristed one toward Mrazek and, with Pavel Buchnevich crashing the net, Zibanejad tipped it home. 2-1. And they played the Rangers’ goal song at a Carolina home game, which is probably better for the Canes than the usual half a crowd cheering Rangers goals at a Carolina home game. Anyway, it keeps Zibanejad’s goal streak alive – seven straight games (with 142 days in between) and 13 of his last 14 games.

MIKA PIC.TWITTER.COM/KII703LPGC

— RANGERS ON MSG (@RANGERSMSGN) AUGUST 1, 2020

15) Lundqvist started the third with one of his signature “header” saves on Teuvo Teravainen on the Carolina power play, an important kill. A few minutes later, Lundqvist went post-to-post to make a blocker save on Jake Gardner sneaking down the left side.

HANK WITH THE SAVE AGAINST GARDINER #NYR PIC.TWITTER.COM/DJQQXIJUBU

— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) AUGUST 1, 2020

16) Greg McKegg took a careless penalty (called charging, but it was textbook hit from behind), and as the penalty expired, Necas shot off the skate of Marc Staal and through Lundqvist. 3-1. 1189944 Philadelphia Flyers line right winger against Boston. ... The Flyers led the league in faceoff percentage (54.6%), while the Bruins were seventh (51%).

Bruins star winger Brad Marchand ready to face Flyers, but goalie Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.02.2020 Tuukka Rask may be sidelined

by Sam Carchidi

Posted: August 1, 2020- 7:33 PM

Brad Marchand, the star Boston left winger who was injured in an exhibition game Thursday, was able to practice Saturday and will play against the Flyers in a round-robin opener Sunday afternoon.

“I’m sure he’ll be ready to go,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday, adding he thought Marchand (28 goals, 87 points in 70 games this season) would be 100 percent.

But another Bruins standout, goalie Tuukka Rask, may be sidelined Sunday.

Rask was ill and missed practice Saturday and his status for Sunday’s 3 p.m. game is unknown, Cassidy said.

“I’ll have to talk with Tuukka and see where he’s at,” Cassidy said. If Rask can’t play, Jaroslav Halak “will be ready to go,” he added.

Flyers center Kevin Hayes downplayed the Bruins possibly using their backup goalie.

“It’s playoff time. I don’t think it matters what your opponent does, and it’s more what your team does and how you prepare and what you do to get ready for the game,” Hayes said. “I know in our locker room we’re really focused on what we’re going to bring to the game and the system we’re going to play and the effort we’re going to give.”

Rask, 33, had a 2.12 goals-against average and .929 save percentage this season, and he blanked the Flyers, 2-0, in his only appearance against them. He has a 15-2-4 career record against them with a 1.94 GAA and .934 save percentage.

Halak, 35, has a 2.39 GAA and .919 save percentage this season, but he lost both games against the Flyers this season in shootouts and had a 3.23 GAA and .897 save percentage in those matchups.

Lineup appears set

Based on Saturday’s practice, here is the lineup the Flyers will use Sunday:

Lines: Sean Couturier centering and Jake Voracek; Hayes centering Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny; Derek Grant centering James van Riemsdyk and Nic Aube-Kubel; Nate Thompson centering Michael Raffl and Tyler Pitlick.

Defense: Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen; Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers; Robert Hagg and Justin Braun.

Goalie: Carter Hart.

B’s special teams get an ‘A'

The Bruins had one of the NHL’s best special teams this season, finishing second in the league on the power play (25.2 percent success rate) and third on the penalty kill (84.3 percent).

The Flyers’ special teams excelled in the latter part of the season. Overall, they finished 14th on the power play (20.8 percent) and 11th (81.8 percent) on the penalty kill.

In their three meetings this season, the Flyers’ power play went 1 for 8 against Boston. The Bruins’ PP was 2 for 7 in those three games.

Breakaways

With no fans in the quiet arena, the head coaches and their assistants may have to spend more time than usual giving their players some motivational talks, both teams said. ... Flyers assistant Mike Yeo said Shayne Gostisbehere has shown “more pop” since his knee surgeries and that it was tough to keep him out of the lineup, but that he might be a factor down the road in the playoffs. ... Yeo said Aube-Kubel’s forechecking and his size make him a better matchup Sunday as a third- 1189945 Philadelphia Flyers season. Boston had the best overall points percentage at .714, followed by Tampa (.657), Washington (.652), and the Flyers (.645).

“The way I’m looking at this, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be Flyers face Bruins as push to Stanley Cup playoffs begins with teams’ able to go through this with this group of guys,” said Thompson, who will first meaningful game in nearly 5 months center fourth-line wingers Michael Raffl and Tyler Pitlick and play on the penalty kill on Sunday. “And hopefully we have a chance to do something special.” by Sam Carchidi,

Posted: August 1, 2020- 7:04 PM Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.02.2020

A promising Flyers season that started in Europe and was halted March 12 by the coronavirus outbreak is on the verge of resuming.

“Anytime, Anywhere” is the Flyers’ slogan for the strange season’s restart, and for them, it begins at 3 p.m. Sunday on neutral ice in Toronto.

After 143 days and nearly five months without playing a real game, the Flyers and Boston Bruins will meet in an opener of the four-team Eastern Conference round-robin tournament.

“You saw the intensity of the first couple games today,” said Flyers center Nate Thompson, referring to Saturday’s play-in matchups, “and I think every guy wants to get back to that intensity and playing high-level games. This is what it’s all about. It’s playoff hockey.”

“You can practice as much as you want, but nothing really emulates a game,” added center Kevin Hayes, who was also on a Zoom call with reporters after Saturday’s practice in Toronto. “I know all the guys are really excited.”

Goalie Carter Hart, who will get the call Sunday, said “emotions will be high,” but that his preparation and mindset for the first postseason game of his young NHL career “remains the same.”

Coincidentally, the Flyers and Bruins played their last game against each other, a 2-0 Boston win at the Wells Fargo Center on March 10, ending the Flyers’ nine-game winning streak. The Flyers went 2-1 against the Bruins this season, winning a pair of shootouts.

In addition to Boston, the Flyers will face Washington (Thursday) and Tampa Bay (Saturday) in the three-game round-robin tourney, which will determine the top four seedings in the East.

Boston, which has the slogan “Still Hungry,” is trying to go on a long playoff run and erase the memories of a Game 7 home loss to St. Louis in last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

“I think those next three games are really important for us to keep pushing,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said the other day. “Obviously, we want to do well because there is some incentive to get a better seed. The most important thing is make sure our game’s at the best possible level for Game 1. I think we’re going to have to continue to get better. ... If we want to get where we want to go, it’s going to take a couple weeks probably until we are reaching our potential.”

The Flyers are seeded fourth, but will finish anywhere No. 1 through No. 4 when the round-robin tourney ends.

If they remain No. 4, they would next face fifth-seeded Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, provided the Penguins defeat heavy underdog Montreal in their best-of-five play-in series.

Based on the regular season, the Flyers have a good chance to advance in the seeding tournament. They had the best record among the round- robin teams in head-to-head games against each other.

The Flyers went 5-3-1 against the three opponents. In those matchups, the Flyers had a .611 points percentage, followed by the Capitals (.600), Lightning (.563), and Bruins (.500).

Overall, the Flyers won nine of their last 10 games before the long break, getting balanced scoring, quality defensive work, strong special teams play, and terrific goaltending.

“I think we’re confident whoever’s on the ice, line-matching and that kind of stuff,” captain Claude Giroux said. “We’re pretty comfortable with everybody in the lineup. When you feel like that, you’re confidence goes higher. You focus on your own job and it makes your job a lot easier.”

If two teams are tied in points after the round-robin tourney is completed, the winner will be determined by points percentage during the regular 1189946 Philadelphia Flyers There’s a possibility the Flyers might not see two of the Bruins’ better players. Star first-liner Brad Marchand reportedly suffered some sort of core injury in a preseason game against Columbus and starting goaltender Tuukka Rask also is listed as questionable. Flyers excited to finally play a meaningful game Hayes said if Rask doesn’t play — Jaroslav Halak is the backup — the Flyers won’t make any adjustments.

By Wayne Fish flyingfishhockey.com “I don’t think so,″ he said. “It’s playoff time. I don’t think it matters (who plays in goal). It’s more what your team does. Are you prepared in what Posted Aug 1, 2020 at 8:13 PM you do to get ready for the game?

“I know in our locker room we’re really focused on what we’re going to They begin the three-game round-robin slate Sunday afternoon vs. the bring to the game. Hopefully, if we do that we’ll come out on top.″ Bruins.

It will be 143 days since the Flyers played a meaningful hockey game, so Burlington County Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 do you think they’re a little excited?

When the Flyers take on the Boston Bruins at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for the first of three round-robin games for seeding purposes, there figures to be a pretty high level of emotion.

If it’s anything like the game between the two teams back on March 10 — which was the last before the pandemic pause — with the Bruins ending the Flyers’ nine-game winning streak, then it should be a fitting lead-in to real Stanley Cup playoff action in a couple weeks.

Goaltender Carter Hart pretty much spoke for the entire team when he said he’s looking forward to this game.

It’s his first taste of postseason action and because the Flyers really can only go up in the seedings, it might be the perfect setting to get his feet wet.

“It’s been five months for all of us,″ Hart said in a Zoom teleconference call from Toronto on Saturday. “We’re all in the same boat coming into this bubble, having not played a game of hockey in a long time or at least a meaningful hockey game (the Flyers did play the Penguins in an exhibition game on Tuesday).

“So (Sunday) will be nice to get out there. I’m sure the emotions will be high, being our first game, (and) we’re playing for something. We’re playing to improve our seeding, so it will just be nice to get out there and play an intense hockey game.″

Kevin Hayes and Nate Thompson are both playoff veterans so they might not be experiencing as much in the way of nerves as some of the younger players on the Flyers.

But opening night is still what it is, a chance to play in a more intense environment, even if the building isn’t full with fans.

“Obviously it’s been a while,″ Hayes said. “Especially where we left off as a team, we’re trying to get back to that. It’s exciting. The games are starting to matter.

“You can practice as much as you want but nothing really emulates a game. I know all the guys are really excited.″

Thompson has played in 62 postseason games over a 15-year NHL career so he knows what to expect.

“You saw the intensity of the first couple games today (Rangers vs. Carolina; Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton),″ Thompson said. “I think every guy wants to get back to that intensity, play high-level games.

“This is what it’s all about. It’s playoff hockey, so it has a chance to get it going. I think myself, and everyone included, is excited.″

Thompson said he believes this edition of the Flyers resembles some of the better playoff teams he’s been on. He’s been impressed by the closeness of the team.

Both he and Derek Grant felt included right off the jump when they came to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.

“This group has a lot of fun together,″ Thompson said. “I saw it right when I got here. It’s a core group of guys that have been here for a while. It’s an inclusive group. Everyone is brought into the herd. I feel I’ve been here a lot longer than I have been. Everyone hangs out together.

“I’ve been a lot of different teams; the teams that I’ve been on that are good have that special group of guys where everyone hangs out together. This group has that and I’m just happy to be a part of it.″ 1189947 Philadelphia Flyers A few things to consider about the forward lines for the round-robin opener:

• They hold merit. The Flyers are playing the NHL's best team in their first 2020 NHL playoffs: 5 things Flyers fans need to know for round robin meaningful game over 145 days. This is certainly what the coaching staff views as the club's best lineup right now.

Things can and will change. Not only are the Flyers expected to make By Jordan Hall tweaks throughout the round robin, but the playoffs are also a game of quick and purposeful adjustments. Patience is not exactly a virtue like it August 02, 2020 12:00 AM can be during an 82-game regular-season schedule.

"I would say we played one exhibition game and as meaningful as these The first part of the Flyers' process back to contention was building a games are coming up, there’s that balance that I need to find," Vigneault much better regular-season body of work. said Friday. "The balance that you have to have is, we don’t have a lot of time right now, so sometimes during the year you might give two, three, Following a seven-season span consisting of three playoff berths and no four games for somebody to get going. Right now, I don’t believe we series victories, a retooling by the Flyers produced more approved have that luxury, but at the same time, you do have to give some people regular-season results to an organization known for its competitiveness ... because they’ve got — the term I like to use a lot of times — more every year. money in the bank, they’ve earned a right for a longer look. Well that’s a little bit of what’s going on right now. But that was not the only objective behind bringing in general manager and head coach . "But if we feel certain things aren’t panning out the way we want to or some guys are just playing OK, then we'll make the decisions quickly that After the NHL's historic pause forced by the coronavirus outbreak, the we have to make for the benefit of the team." next (and biggest) step is now finally ahead for the Flyers. • Because of Joel Farabee's versatility and smarts away from the puck, The postseason. And a desired run. the Flyers know the 20-year-old rookie can scale the lineup. Vigneault The Flyers enter the NHL's return-to-play 24-team tournament as the has said he sees Farabee as a player with top-six upside. Farabee Eastern Conference's fourth seed and with a chance to climb before the opened training camp on the team's second line and stood out. first round of the playoffs. They begin play Sunday with the start of their However, the current second line of Scott Laughton, Kevin Hayes and three-game round-robin slate as they face the top-seeded Bruins (3 p.m. Travis Konecny has shown impressive chemistry and makeup. The group ET/NBC, Flyers Pregame Live at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSP). clicked during the regular season and was arguably the Flyers' best line Vigneault, who owns 12 playoff berths and two Stanley Cup Final in the team's 3-2 OT exhibition win over the Penguins. appearances in 17 seasons as an NHL head coach, said his focus is "not "They were very dangerous last game, created an awful lot of scoring just to win the first round." chances," Flyers assistant coach Mike Yeo said Saturday. "Laughts is a Are the 2019-20 Flyers built for multiple rounds? big part of that. He certainly was last game, anyways."

"Big, big part of this is mental, mental focus, mental strength that players With Laughton at second-line winger, it heavily dictates Farabee's spot in bring," Vigneault said Friday in a video interview. "A lot of it has to do the picture. For one, Laughton isn't playing center, which creates a with the preparation that they need to do. And the will — the will to put greater need for veteran Nate Thompson and, secondly, it obviously yourself in the right frame of mind to go out there and play your best. A bumps Farabee into a more crowded, role-centric bottom six. B-game at this time is not going to work — you’ve got to bring your best Currently, the Flyers are likely looking at Thompson over Farabee hockey. because the 35-year-old center gives them more of what they need in "We’ve got obviously a reseeding phase to go through, but those three limited minutes — a bigger guy who knows exactly what his job is, can games, we’re going to need to be good. We’re going to need to play win some tough faceoffs and help the penalty kill. hard, we're going to need to have a real strong and smart work ethic. I Farabee is an exciting player to have in a coach's pocket. The Flyers believe this group has learned that, has learned about playing the right should not wait long to call the 2018 first-round pick's name if they're in way and executing and bringing the right work ethic to games. I’m very need of any offense. Expect to see Farabee get a nice look at some point confident with this group." during the round robin. There's no real reason why the Flyers shouldn't Let's get into five things you need to know for the Flyers' outlook in the give him that tryout in healthier minutes. round robin: "Joel's had a good camp," Yeo said. "Compared to playing on the second Line limbo line, playing on the fourth line, those are the things that he's trying to figure out as a younger player. But his work ethic is outstanding, his Here's how the Flyers' lines at forward will look for Game 1 of the round hockey sense is outstanding. We are very well aware of what he's robin: capable of and he will certainly be factoring into every one of our Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek conversations as far as both getting in the lineup and where he fits in the lineup. Scott Laughton-Kevin Hayes-Travis Konecny "A.V. did a great job setting the table with the players right from Day 1 of James van Riemsdyk-Derek Grant-Nicolas Aube-Kubel camp here, that the leash is short for everybody. Basically you have to perform, you have to go out, get the job done and we have a lot of good Michael Raffl-Nate Thompson-Tyler Pitlick players that are capable if you're not going to get it done.

Since the start of training camp July 13 and through Tuesday's exhibition Staying true on the blue line game, the Flyers have tried different combinations with their forwards — and that is expected to continue in the round-robin tournament. As Here's how the Flyers' defensive pairs will look for Game 1 of the round important as the round-robin games are for the Flyers, the all-important robin: Game 1 to Vigneault and his staff comes in the first round, which is slated to begin Aug. 11. Ivan Provorov-Matt Niskanen

The Flyers will utilize the round robin as an evaluation period to give Travis Sanheim-Philippe Myers players valuable reps and opportunities to build chemistry while, of Robert Hagg-Justin Braun course, trying to win. They're ultimately preparing for the first round and aiming to find their best Game 1 lineup. No real surprises here. The Flyers didn't break up these defensive pairs all camp and the team's big 19-6-1 run since Jan. 8 featured mostly this So far, the Flyers have tried these different combinations from the look. opening of camp: Shayne Gostisbehere might be the most talented seventh defenseman Below is the Flyers' schedule, along with key dates for the entirety of the you'll find in the 24-team field. But he's had to deal with the unfortunate tournament: circumstances of having two arthroscopic surgeries on both of his knees in 2020, while the Flyers played some of their best hockey during his Flyers vs. Bruins, Sunday, Aug. 2 — 3 p.m. ET (NBC) absence from the first procedure. In hockey, like any other sport, you Flyers vs. Capitals, Thursday, Aug. 6 — TBD often roll with what's working until it's not. Flyers vs. Lightning, Saturday, Aug. 8 — TBD The offensive-minded Gostisbehere is not your prototypical third-pair blueliner. The Flyers have two of those in Robert Hagg and Justin Braun, Aug. 11 — First round begins which probably makes their decision a little bit easier. Aug. 25 — Second round begins (tentative) Depending on the circumstances, Gostisbehere very well could see Sept. 8 — Conference Final series begin (tentative) action in the round robin. Come the first round, though, he might have to wait for his shot until/if the Flyers experience an offensive funk or serious Sept. 22 — Stanley Cup Final begins (tentative) issues on the back end. Oct. 4 — Last possible day of Stanley Cup Final (tentative) "I really like the depth that we have on defense and Shayne is obviously a part of that," Yeo said. "Mark Friedman played a heck of a game last game, as well. In a perfect world, we'll get everybody in, we’ll get Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 everybody in more often. I can say that we’ve obviously discussed these things, but I also think that we have to be pretty fluid with our plan moving forward. Our goal is to try to identify the group that is going to give us the best chance to win Game 1 as well as make sure that everybody's prepared, whether that’s the guys that are in that game or whether it's guys that might factor in a little bit later into the series or deeper into the playoffs."

Gostisbehere's mobility caught the eyes of the Flyers in camp and he fared well during the exhibition game. He's also been a good teammate through it all as he tries to show Vigneault his readiness.

"He's going to put the best lineup out there possible," Gostisbehere said during camp. "If I’m not in it, I’ll be the best cheerleader. I think for myself, it’s just focusing on myself getting better and this team winning a Stanley Cup."

No controversy here

Carter Hart will be the starting goalie for the Flyers' round-robin opener. The Flyers' decisions in net can get a bit trickier, though, after Sunday.

Vigneault has said he plans to play Brian Elliott in the round robin. But if the Flyers beat the Bruins, their Game 2 of the round robin becomes that much more important. Would they go Hart or Elliott?

The Flyers trust Elliott and rightfully so. Regardless of if the Flyers win or lose Sunday, one would think Elliott plays the Capitals in the second round-robin game (he went 2-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average against Washington during the regular season) and Hart takes the third matchup (or some of it depending on the game's implications).

Barring some crazy unforeseen events, Hart will be the Flyers' main guy when the first round arrives. Eight goalies in 2018-19 doesn't feel so bad anymore, right?

How the round robin works

The East's top four teams — the No. 1 Bruins, No. 2 Lightning, No. 3 Capitals and No. 4 Flyers — will play each other once and total points afterward will determine their seeds for the first round. If there's a tie among points in the round-robin tourney, regular-season points will serve as the tiebreaker.

The round-robin games will follow regular-season overtime rules (3-on-3 OT and then the shootout if necessary).

The playoffs will consist of reseeding after every round.

Here are the East's qualifying-round matchups — which are currently underway — with the winners moving on to face the top four seeds:

No. 8 Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Blue Jackets

No. 7 Islanders vs. No. 10 Panthers

No. 6 Hurricanes vs. No. 11 Rangers

No. 5 Penguins vs. No. 12 Canadiens

Mark your calendars

In the Eastern Conference's hub city Toronto, the Flyers, along with the rest of the 12-team field, practice at the Ford Performance Centre and play their tournament games at Scotiabank Arena. 1189948 Philadelphia Flyers

NHL playoffs: Gary Bettman shares positives for fans watching at home

By Brooke Destra

August 01, 2020 12:20 PM

Chirping has become a staple in hockey, so much so that over the past few seasons, the NHL has begun to mic up players as a fun way for fans to get even closer to their favorite teams.

Now, with no fans in the stands as the 2019-20 Stanley Cup playoffs begin — there’s a chance to have that 24/7.

The dynamic for this particular postseason has certainly been altered in many ways, the biggest being games are about to be played in front of empty seats. While it’ll be different to not watch the games in person, the league made sure to turn these negatives into positives for everyone tuning in.

“The intention of what we’re trying to do is give the viewers at home a feeling of energy and excitement and doing a little technological dazzling,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday in an interview with NBC Sports' Liam McHugh.

“So when you tune in and you watch a game, you’re gonna have fun watching it and it’s not going to take away anything that’s going on on the ice. In the absence of fans — more cameras, more camera angles, more close shots and sounds of the game.”

How can that not get you excited that hockey is finally back?

Chirping aside, get ready to hear some of the best sounds in all of sports on a whole new level. You know the ones — perfect pass reception when the puck hits the stick, when a player is racing down the ice and stops abruptly, stick taps from players on the bench, the ‘ping’ of the puck off the post (hopefully for the opposing team) and much more.

We’re about to embark on an experience like no other — and it starts today.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189949 Philadelphia Flyers

2020 Stanley Cup odds: Flyers have chance at legit run in NHL playoffs

By Michael Gatti

August 01, 2020 11:20 AM

Hockey fans and bettors rejoice! A clean slate on a clean sheet of ice is about to begin!

Normally this is hockey’s quiet period, but instead, this summer we are in the thick of the postseason. And speaking of being in the thick of it, the Flyers have a very real chance to capture the organization’s first championship in 45 years.

Both FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks have the Flyers listed with 10- 1 odds to win Lord Stanley’s Cup ($100 winning bet earns $1,000). That number gives them the fifth-best chance to be the last team standing. If you are looking for a little value, William Hill has the Flyers at 12-1. Not bad for a team that at one point had odds of 50-1 in late October. Right before the pandemic forced a stoppage, the Flyers had been winners of nine straight before dropping their final game to the Bruins.

Ironically, it’s those same Bruins the Flyers will face Sunday in the first of three round-robin games to determine the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers enter the opening contest as plus-115 money line underdogs ($100 winning bet earns $115 — FanDuel). The Bruins are minus-135 favorites, meaning you would have to wager $135 to win $100. The orange and black owned a 2-1-0 record over Boston this season, but keep in mind both victories came by way of shootouts.

New father Sean Couturier is up for the Selke Trophy for the best defensive forward this season. Well what about "Coots" putting some of his offensive skills to work right out of the gate Sunday and scoring the first goal of the game (14-1 odds on DraftKings). Travis Konecny also has odds of 14-1 followed by Claude Giroux at 15-1 and Kevin Hayes at 17-1.

Looking at the big picture, the Flyers are tied for the third-best odds along with the Capitals to earn the top seed in the East at plus-550 on DraftKings. The Bruins are tops at plus-140 along with the Lightning at plus-185. FOX Bet takes it a step further, giving the Flyers minus-150 odds to make it to the second round while their number is at plus-200 to advance to the third round.

So the puck will drop and the Flyers have as good a chance as any team to be crowned champions. The biggest reason they have that opportunity might be because of the man behind the bench Alain Vigneault. By the way, Vigneault has the second-best odds (+180) to win Coach of the Year honors on BetMGM behind the Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella. I raise up my martini glass to A.V., wishing him and all bettors the best of luck during this unprecedented quest for the Cup.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189950 Philadelphia Flyers • Travis Konecny was a force to be reckoned with. Eight of his 61 points came against the Blue Jackets, having scored three goals and tallied five assists.

NHL playoffs Flyers vs. Blue Jackets: Previewing possible 1st-round • James van Riemsdyk averaged a point per game, having two goals and matchup two assists.

• Jakub Voracek found himself with five points (two goals, three assists).

By Brooke Destra • Kevin Hayes had an impressive six points (three goals, three assists) … not to mention, one of the most memorable goals of the season came August 01, 2020 12:45 PM from him on Feb. 20 in overtime. And his celebration was just as great.

• The captain Claude Giroux rounded up at least one point each time he saw the Blue Jackets — having two goals and three assists. Leading up to the Flyers' Aug. 2 round-robin opener — which officially commences the team's run at the 2020 Stanley Cup in the NHL's return- • Defensive duo Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen was a machine, to-play 24-team tournament — we're going to break down every possible having a combined six assists. first-round matchup for the club. The list goes on and on … and on. Today, we look at the ninth-seeded Blue Jackets. Not to mention, since the Blue Jackets’ games can’t be held in Flyers by the numbers Columbus, we won’t have to hear that dreaded cannon with every goal. That alone is already a win. Thank you, Toronto bubble. Goals per game: 3.29 (seventh overall) This would be a battle of Jack Adams finalists behind the benches with Goals allowed per game: 2.77 (tied for seventh fewest) the Flyers’ Alain Vigneault and the Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella. While Power play percentage: 20.8 (14th overall) the Flyers have been overlooked countless times and are deemed underdogs, the Blue Jackets might even have a stronger case to hold Penalty kill percentage: 81.8 (11th overall) that title.

Blue Jackets by the numbers Columbus comes alive in the playoffs — who can forget just one season ago when it swept the Lightning, the hottest team in the league, in the Goals per game: 2.57 (tied for 27th overall) first round? And it did so as a wild card! It goes to show you that any Goals allowed per game: 2.61 (tied for third fewest) team can get hot in the playoffs, so just because the Blue Jackets are currently the ninth seed, it doesn’t mean they should be counted out. Power play percentage: 16.4 (27th overall) Not to mention, while the Flyers found their success in the regular Penalty kill percentage: 81.7 (12th overall) season, the Blue Jackets would definitely be out for revenge. And what How they could meet better way to get it than in the playoffs?

There are a few ways that these two teams can meet in the first round:

• If every lower seed (Canadiens, Rangers and Panthers) advances to Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 the first round of the playoffs and the Flyers come out of the round robin in their current position, they would be slated to face the Blue Jackets.

• Should the top seeds all advance (Penguins, Hurricanes and Islanders) in addition to the Blue Jackets and the Flyers find themselves at the top following the round-robin tournament, the two teams would see each other in the first round.

The Flyers did a number on the Blue Jackets during the 2019-20 regular season — and that’s putting things lightly. Columbus lost a great deal of talent in the recent NHL offseason — one important player being Sergei Bobrovsky — and while the Flyers have the chance to see him in the first round with the Panthers, he’s no longer a threat with the Blue Jackets.

Oftentimes, when goaltenders are on top of their game, they’re referenced as being a wall. Well, that wall was knocked down and it opened up a clear path for the Flyers to find success against this Blue Jackets team.

There was a single game at the beginning of this season that showcased every positive aspect of the Flyers and why this season was going to have a positive outcome. That game was Oct. 26 at the Wells Fargo Center. Both teams were toe to toe for the first two periods of play, but as the final 20 minutes were on the clock, you saw a surge that proved two things almost immediately. The first being the Flyers were no longer a team that sat back on their skates and accepted defeat — it’s a storyline that seemed to appear often in a few previous seasons. The second was that this team meant business.

Right out of the gate, the Flyers had some ground to make up and were soon down 4-2 just a little over two minutes into the third period. It was their response that sparked conversations about this new-look Flyers team. They scored five unanswered goals — because tying the game and forcing overtime wasn’t enough, one insurance goal wasn’t enough padding, they wanted to destroy them. A statement was made that night and it carried throughout the remainder of the season and times these two teams saw each other.

Having key players lead the way in divisional matchups is always crucial, but to have others find success as well is a recipe for a complete game. 1189951 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins got on the scoreboard at 9:55 of the second. Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson pinched in deep on the left wing to hassle Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher into a turnover within Montreal’s zone. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel claimed the puck on Empty Thoughts: Simpler could be better for the Penguins the left half wall and centered to forward Sidney Crosby in the left circle.

Crosby hurried a wrister that hit off the end boards. The rebound deflected to the right half wall where Penguins defenseman Justin SETH RORABAUGH Schultz jumped on it and swatted a slap-pass to the slot. Guentzel tried Sunday, August 2, 2020 5:45 a.m. to deflect the puck on net but ended up directing it to Crosby, positioned the right of the cage. Crosby then shuffled the puck into the crease where Price inadvertently kicked it into the cage with his left skate. Guentzel and Schultz netted assists. Observations from the Penguins’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens. The contest was tied, 2-2, thanks to a power-play goal at the 12:34 mark The Penguins often speak of “keeping things simple” or “simplifying our of the second. From above the left circle, Penguins forward Jared game” when they deal with an impediment out of their control. They could McCann lifted a hard wrister towards the cage which struck Penguins be facing a stagnant defensive team or sloppy ice or a world-wide forward Patric Hornqvist, positioned above the crease, in the mid-section. pandemic and they’ll cite the practicality of being simple. The puck plopped onto the ice just beyond the outer edges of the blue Yet, they often don’t adopt that approach, or at least in a way visible to paint. Penguins forward Bryan Rust surged past Lehkonen and jabbed a the naked eye. backhander past Price’s glove hand for the score. Hornqvist and McCann had assists. Such was the case with their malfunctioning power play in Game 1 of their qualifying round game against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday. Things got weird starting in the third period.

The first power-play unit largely tried to dazzle its way against a stout First, there was the previously mentioned five-on-three power-play penalty killing unit on a rough ice surface. The result was a mostly opportunity which began at 19:02 of the third on mostly fresh ice. The wretched performance by that group. Penguins managed to attempt five shots but only two of them got on net.

In contrast, the second until actually kept things basic and blasted shots After killing off a delay of game minor to McCann at 16:18, the Penguins from all over, hoping for a rebound or fortunate bounce. That approach got another power play after Byron was called for interference at 13:54. yielded the Penguins’ only goal on the power play in the second period. They generated one shot on net on three attempts but gave up two short- handed shots against. Part of keeping things simple involves getting in front of the goaltender. The Penguins’ top unit largely failed to do that effectively against Late in regulation, they had a chance to win it when forward Conor Montreal’s Carey Price who was able to gobble up nine of the 10 power- Sheary was awarded a penalty shot at the 16:57 mark. Sheary took a play shots he faced thanks to mostly clear views of the shooting lanes. fairly straight-forward approach to the net. As Price challenged him, That total included the two shots the Penguins generated during a five- Sheary whipped a wrister wide to the left of the cage. on-three sequence which lasted 1:32 in the second period. The Penguins had another power-play opportunity 3:09 into overtime. “We just have to execute better,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve got to With parts of the top unit on the ice during the prior shift, the second unit try to get some shots. But the one area I think where we could have took the ice and just blasted a handful of shots, hoping for a rebound or improved throughout the course of our whole overall game, the power fortunate bounce. That approach offered promise but not the point that it play included, is just more of a net presence, making it hard on Price to could convert. see the puck. We had opportunity to get to the net, take away his At 6:46 of overtime, Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin was awarded a sightlines and we didn’t do as good a job of that tonight.” penalty shot of his own. He went wide to the right and as he approached The Penguins are the superior squad in this matchup. The Canadiens the crease, he attempted a backhander but fanned and completely failed were the 24th-best team in the NHL during the regular season. So to get a shot off. clearly, this was a disappointing result. The Canadiens claimed victory at 13:57 of overtime. Pushing play up the Yet, it wasn’t due to a lack of opportunity. The Penguins had plenty of right wing, Gallagher tried to center a pass but had it blocked by chances to win this, particularly in the third and overtime periods. There backchecking Penguins forward Brandon Tanev. The deflect sat free in is a reason for optimism in that. the right circle where Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry jumped on it and wired a wrister past Murray’s blocker on the far side. Assists went to But given the brevity of a best-of-five game series, there are limited Gallagher and center Philip Danault. chances to find a course correction. Statistically speaking “We understand the power play has to be better and we’re working through this process here,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, it had an • The Penguins led in shots, 41-35. opportunity to be the difference tonight and it wasn’t. We’ll go back to • Gallagher led the game with nine shots. work (Sunday). • Forward Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins with eight shots. What happened • Letang and Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber each led the game The Canadiens appeared to be at their best early as they took the with an identical 31:35 of ice time on 34 shifts. game’s first lead 11:27 into regulation. Chasing down a puck in the Penguins’ left corner, Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen backhanded a • The Penguins had a 34-33 edge in faceoffs (51 percent). pass to the left point for defenseman Brett Kulak who swatted a one- timer into a phalanx of bodies positioned above the crease. In the slot, • Crosby was 20 for 36 (56 percent). Canadiens forward Paul Byron deflected the puck with his forehand into • Danault was 12 for 23 (52 percent). the chest of Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi. As Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson shoved Kotkaniemi into the cage, the puck • Canadiens defenseman Xavier Ouellet led the game with seven glanced off Kotkaniemi’s left arm and slid into the net behind goaltender blocked shots. Matt Murray’s right skate. Assists went to Byron and Kulak. • Letang led the Penguins with five blocked shots. It became a 2-0 game at 6:53 into the second period. Thanks to an ill- executed pinch by Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, Canadiens Randomly speaking forward Nick Suzuki was able to create a two-on-one rush with forward • The ice was clearly a factor. This was the third game of the day on this Joel Armia. As Suzuki gained the offensive zone on the left wing, surface in the heat of August. That’s not exactly a surprise. But it’s clearly Penguins defenseman Kris Letang took away the pass and yielded a something that works more in favor of the Canadiens than the Penguins. shooting lane to Suzuki who roasted Murray’s glove hand on the far side That’s not to say the ice was the reason the Canadiens won. But it’s an with a wrister from the left circle to the far side. There were no assists. environment that suits them better. • The officials called this game tight. And there were some other games • The Penguins’ only successful postseason penalty shot in franchise which were called tight as well throughout the day. There seemed to be a history remains a goal by forward Jaromir Jagr against New York strict standard, particularly for stick-related infractions like hooks. It’ll be Rangers goaltender in Game 5 of the 1992 Patrick interesting to see if the NHL’s higher ups suggest any changes to the on- Division final. ice officials. The Penguins claimed a 3-2 road victory. • The Canadiens’ best players weren’t exactly the reason they won this game. Yes, Price played a good game. And there were contributions • Drouin’s attempt was the fourth overtime penalty shot in NHL history. All from guys like Gallagher and Danault. But it wasn’t like Price completely have been unsuccessful and three have involved the Penguins. stole the game or defenseman Shea Weber, their captain, broke the First was Capitals forward Joe Juneau who was denied by Penguins space-time continuum with comet of a slap shot. The Canadiens played goaltender Ken Wregget during the second overtime period of a Game 4 mostly within their limits. of a 1996 Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

• It’s hard to say the Canadiens played a smart game given that they took You may recall that game more vividly for a goal by forward Petr Nedved so many penalties. which gave the Penguins a 3-2 road win in four overtimes.

• Murray was adequate. He got toasted on the Suzuki goal. But beyond (Note: Juneau’s attempt was also the last penalty shot of any time in a that, he was strong enough to win. postseason game against the Penguins. They have never allowed a • Johnson had a rough one. On the Kotkaniemi goal, he collided with postseason penalty shot goal on three attempts.) Penguins forward Zach-Aston-Reese than slammed Kotkaniemi into the The second was by former Penguins forward Aleksey Morozov in net, aiding the goal. Then he got toasted by Drouin and hooked him, overtime Game 1 of a 1998 Eastern Conference quarterfinal series resulting in the failed penalty shot. against the Montreal Canadiens. He was denied by goaltender Andy • It’s easy to say “put in Juuso Riikola” to replace Johnson on the left side Moog. of the third defensive pairing. There’s validity to that idea. But the The Canadiens would claim a 3-2 road win in that contest. coaching staff rarely displayed much trust in Riikola during the regular season for reasons which aren’t clear. And given that Riikola missed Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov also had an unsuccessful much of training camp as a precaution against potential secondary attempt during Game 5 of a first round series against the New York exposure to coronavirus, it’s not likely that trust has grown given his Islanders during the 2016 playoffs. limited practice time the past three weeks. • The Penguins’ last postseason overtime loss was a 4-3 road defeat at • While there were some ugly hits and post-whistle scrums in many other the hands of the Islanders in Game 1 of a first-round last April. Forward games on the first day of the postseason, relatively little of that was on Josh Bailey scored the winning goal. display in this contest. Sure, there were some frantic battles on the • Reaching back to Game 5 of a second round series against the boards or near the cage, but nothing which cross a line in terms of being Washington Capitals in 2018, the Penguins have lost seven consecutive venomous. It was just two teams playing hard. postseason games. • The Penguins tried a considerably different look with their first power- • Oh, yeah. The Penguins and Canadiens (and eight other teams) each play unit, namely bringing in Jason Zucker, primarily down the slot. played a game in August for the first time. Malkin actually worked a bunch on the left side while Crosby got some miles in the right circle. As Guentzel manned the net front, Letang Publicly speaking worked the point on the first unit early on but eventually gave way to Schultz. • Schultz remains resolute about the power play:

Clearly, whatever benefits the team hoped for with those alterations were “I’ll have to take a look at it but we had some good looks, some good not realized. chances. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement. I think we can do a better job of moving, supporting each other, outworking the • The futility of the Penguins’ unsuccessful power play is amplified when (Canadiens’ penalty kill). But I think we’ll be fine.” you consider Danault, one of the NHL’s best defensive forwards, was in the penalty box three times, including on the two-man advantage in the • Sullivan expanded about his team’s need to get traffic to the Montreal third period. net:

Historically speaking “We generated a fair amount of scoring chances, first and foremost. So it’s not that there wasn’t opportunity. There was lots. Areas were we can • The last playoff game to feature multiple penalty shots was Game 1 of make it harder on Montreal is if we get to the net more consistently and the 1923 Stanley Cup Final between the NHL’s original take the goalie’s sightlines away. Make it harder on him to find the puck and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League and maybe create some rebound opportunities. We had our moments (WCHL). when we were at the net but we can get better at that.”

(Note: In that era, the Cup was contested between the NHL’s champion • Sullivan was succinct when asked to assess Murray’s game: and champions from the Pacific Coast Hockey Association as well as the WCHL.) “I thought he was solid.”

Ottawa forwards Cy Denneny and Punch Broadbent were denied on • Murray spoke about the Canadiens’ approach: shots in the first period while Edmonton forward Duke Keats was “They’re a pretty straight-forward team. They got pucks to the net and unsuccessful in the third period. that’s what happened on the first goal. A shot was coming in. It took a The Senators won the game, 2-1, in overtime then claimed the best-of- deflection. It bounced up in the air. I kind of lost it in all the bodies. I three series, 2-0. guess it ended up going in off one of their guys. That’s the playoffs too in general. That’s the kind of goals you get more and more in the playoffs. • Nitzy’s Hockey Den wrote up a pretty thorough review of that game Traffic, bodies going to the net. That’s something we have to be prepared from nearly 100 years ago. for.”

• Oddly enough, that was the last Stanley Cup Final contested entirely in • Schultz was asked about the ice conditions as well as the fake crowd a neutral site (Vancouver) and it took place in the aftermath of the so- noise pumped into the arena: called “Spanish Flu” pandemic of 1918 and 1919. “Like expected, the ice was chippy, especially in the overtime. But both • Sheary attempted the seventh postseason penalty shot in franchise teams have to play on it. We expected that. The crowd noise, I didn’t history and the first since forward Chris Conner was unsuccessful in really notice it when you’re in the heat of the game. It wasn’t too much. It Game 6 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against Tampa Bay was good out there.” Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson. • Petry was also asked about the ice: Tampa Bay won that game at home, 4-2. “They improved from our exhibition game. There is times where the puck is jumping a little bit. But I thought (the conditions) were good and they improved, especially with three games today. They’re doing a good job to maintain the ice and trying to get it to the best possible (state).”

• Suzuki spoke to the importance of the victory considering the series is only a best-of-five:

“It gives us a lot of confidence. A lot of people didn’t see us as contenders. So we want to show that we can compete with anyone. This is a good first step but we know (the Penguins) are going to bring their A- game the next game and we need to be ready for that.”

• Petry lauded Price:

“He made some really big saves and gave us that calming influence that (Price) is all about. He was calm and collected back there. Especially when a team is on the forecheck and controlling the play a little bit, when you have that calming influence from him back there, it, I think, settles everybody down.”

• Canadiens coach Claude Julien summed up the dynamic of his mostly younger, untested roster going against the vaunted Penguins quite well:

“We’re playing an experienced team. They’ve won (Stanley Cup titles). They know how to win. And we have what we have. And the only chance we have is that we play on our toes and not on our heels. Go out there, having some confidence, play hard. We’ll put you out there because we have confidence in you. Now, you’ve just got to go out there and show it. That was the message from us as a coaching staff. But also there’s a message coming from their teammates. Their teammates are supporting them and giving them the confidence that they need. I think they feel pretty good about where they are right now and our group. I hope they can continue to play that way because they were key to our victory tonight.”

• Petry on the penalty kill:

“That was big. A big key to our game is the penalty kill. We obviously want to limit the number of chances they get on the power play. We found a way to kill those off. Moving forward, we’ve just got to be a little bit more disciplined with our sticks and make sure we don’t give them those opportunities. They’re a talented group over there. The more chances that we give them, the more trouble I think we’re going to get into.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189952 Pittsburgh Penguins Scotiabank Arena. I was waiting for the Penguins fake crowd noise to start booing the power play as we hear at PPG Paints Arena all the time.

It would’ve been justified for doing so. Tim Benz: Penguins better finish or they’ll be finished a lot quicker than I know the man-up unit scored once. But that was the second group. To we thought the point, it wasn’t the prettiest goal in the world. Simply Bryan Rust shoving one in with Patrick Hornqvist providing rare net presence in front of Price. TIM BENZ “We understand that the power play has to be better,” Sullivan said. Sunday, August 2, 2020 2:55 a.m. “We’re working through this process. It had an opportunity to be the difference tonight, and it wasn’t.”

The Canadiens forcecheck more intently, they trap better, and their For a team that is supposed to have a lot of finishers, the Penguins goaltender is better. But, in theory, the Penguins are supposed to be haven’t finished much of anything during the playoffs lately. better. Because they have more good players. More skilled ones anyway. And if that trend doesn’t change fast, they’ll be finished in the reformatted Players with more perceived raw scoring talent. 2020 NHL postseason a lot quicker than the hockey world anticipated. But as the numbers indicate, they are not proving that in recent The Penguins lost Saturday 3-2 in overtime of Game 1 of their postseasons. Over the last 11 playoff games, the Penguins have netted a preliminary round series against the Montreal Canadiens. This game putrid 22 goals. marks the 11th postseason contest in a row where the Penguins have The Penguins need to win 19 of these games if they are to be Stanley failed to break three goals in a game. Cup champions. Unless they bust out for a big offensive performance They’ve lost their last seven postseason contests. soon, they’ll be finished within the first five of them.

The Penguins haven’t scored more than three goals in a playoff game Again, not exactly the kind of “finish” the Pens are trying to find. since their 8-5 win to eliminate the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the first round back in 2018. Tribune Review LOADED: 08.02.2020 Creating chances wasn’t the problem Saturday. The Penguins unleashed 41 shots on Montreal goaltender Carey Price. Many of them were easily seen by the star netminder, though. Rarely were his sightlines compromised, nor was he bumped around by traffic from Penguins forwards.

“The one area where we could’ve improved throughout our overall game is just more of a net presence, making it hard on Price to see the puck,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought we had opportunities to get to the net and take away his sightlines. And we didn’t do that tonight.”

How else did the Penguins’ failure to finish chances manifest? Well, let us count the ways.

• Conor Sheary missed the net on a penalty shot.

• The Penguins were just 1 for 7 on the power play.

• The Penguins blew a 5-on-3 power play in the third period.

• The Penguins assailed Price in the opening moments of the first period without a score, totaling 14 of the first 17 shots on goal.

• According to naturalstattrick.com, the Penguins had a 29-12 advantage in shot attempts in the first period. Yet after the first 20 minutes, they were still trailing 1-0.

Sheary may have been the greatest offender, looking skyward in frustration after numerous missed scoring chances. Meanwhile Sidney Crosby’s other linemate — Jake Guentzel — spent most of the night scraping himself off the ice after being shoved off the puck — and his skates — by the Canadiens throughout the game.

I had to laugh at a comment from NBC’s color analyst Mike Milbury, who blamed Pittsburgh’s failed 5-on-3 on a lack of extended practice time coming off the pandemic shutdown.

C’mon, Mike. I know you are a former coach and practice is everything to you. But if you are the Pens in that situation, you have five. They have three. And your five are allegedly All-Stars.

So … just score. Especially since you don’t have that practice time. Hence, don’t worry about drawing up anything fancy. Grip it. Rip it. Get in on the net. Crash the rebound. And score.

I mean, it’s a third-period 5-on-3 in the playoffs for crying out loud. How often do those opportunities come along? And what coaching acumen really needs to be nuanced into the process to make something like that effective?

Finish. That’s what this team is supposed to be good at doing.

The power play all night for that matter. Blah! This contest was presented as a “home game” for the Penguins in the permanent neutral site of 1189953 Pittsburgh Penguins In the third period, the Penguins had three power-play opportunities, including that ill-fated two-man advantage.

“We could have probably moved the puck a little bit quicker,” said Rust, Penguins’ power play struggles in Game 1 overtime loss to Canadiens who largely manned the left circle on the sequence. “Anytime you can zip it around a little bit, it gets that penalty kill moving. I thought we did a pretty good job of trying to get some shots to the net and getting some puck retrievals. But obviously when the puck doesn’t go into the net, SETH RORABAUGH there’s obviously places to get better.” Saturday, August 1, 2020 11:36 p.m. Penalty shots would be an area in immediate upgrade for both squads. Penguins forward Conor Sheary fired a wrister wide with a penalty shot late in regulation at 16:57 of the third period. He was outdone by These aren’t the Montreal Canadiens who have plaques hanging on Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin who failed to even get a shot off with walls a few blocks away in the Hockey Hall of Fame. a backhand attempt at 6:46 of overtime.

There’s not a Maurice Richard or Jean Beliveau on this roster. Despite the setback, the Penguins seemed satisfied with their effort, particularly in that they had ample chances to win this game, including a There isn’t even a or Mike Cammalleri, members of power-play chance in overtime. Canadiens teams who sparked upsets of superior Penguins teams in previous postseason matchups a handful of generations ago. But they also acknowledge the need for considerable refinement with their malfunctioning power play. No, these Montreal Canadiens, who the Penguins squared off with in Game 1 of a qualifying round series in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on “We had some good looks, some good chances,” Schultz said. Saturday were the 24th-best team in the NHL during the regular season. “Obviously, there’s always room for improvement. I think we can do a They are not to be feared. better job of moving, supporting each other, outworking the (Canadiens’ penalty kill). But I think we’ll be fine.” But don’t dare disrespect them.

The Penguins received a blunt refresher of that requirement as they lost in overtime 3-2 to open the best-of-five series. Tribune Review LOADED: 08.02.2020 Montreal claimed victory at 13 minutes, 57 seconds of overtime. After a pass attempt by Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher from the right wing was blocked by Penguins forward Brandon Tanev, Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry jumped on the rebound in the right circle and wired a wrister past goaltender Matt Murray’s blocker on the far side.

“I don’t think there’s a single person in our organization that takes the Canadiens lightly,” coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday, via video conference from Toronto. “We understand how good a team they are. We have a lot of respect for Montreal and we know we have to be at our best in order to have success.”

One area of the Penguins game which was hardly at its peak was the power play. It went 1 for 7, including a five-on-three sequence which generated two shots on five attempts during a span of 1:32 in the third period.

“We just have to execute better,” Sullivan said of his sputtering power play following the loss. “We’ve got to try to get some shots. But the one area I think where we could have improved throughout the course of our whole overall game, the power play included, is just more of a net presence, making it hard on (Canadiens goaltender Carey) Price to see the puck. We had opportunity to get to the net, take away his sight lines and we didn’t do as good a job of that tonight.”

The Canadiens were up to the task early. After weathering a strong opening surge by the Penguins, Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi crashed the crease and scored an ugly goal that deflected off his left arm 11:27 into regulation.

It became a 2-0 contest at 6:53 of the second period after Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki converted a two-on-one rush by wiring a wrister from the left circle to the far side past the glove hand of Matt Murray, who finished with 32 saves.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard just over three minutes later at the 9:55 mark. Collecting a loose puck on the offensive zone’s right half wall, Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz chopped a slap-pass to the slot. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel attempted to re-direct it on net but ended up pushing the puck to forward Sidney Crosby, positioned to the right of the cage. Crosby shuffled the puck into the crease where it deflected off of Price’s left skate and into the net.

The lone power-play goal of the contest was scored by the Penguins’ second unit at 12:34 of the second. Forward Jared McCann blasted a slapper from the right circle which struck forward Patric Hornqvist, positioned above the crease, in the midsection. The puck plopped onto the ice just beyond the limits of the blue paint. Forward Bryan Rust surged past Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen and lifted a gentle wrister past Price’s glove. 1189954 Pittsburgh Penguins In the third period, the Penguins had three power-play opportunities, including that ill-fated two-man advantage.

“We could have probably moved the puck a little bit quicker,” said Rust, Penguins’ power play struggles in Game 1 overtime loss to Canadiens who largely manned the left circle on the sequence. “Anytime you can zip it around a little bit, it gets that penalty kill moving. I thought we did a pretty good job of trying to get some shots to the net and getting some puck retrievals. But obviously when the puck doesn’t go into the net, SETH RORABAUGH there’s obviously places to get better.” Saturday, August 1, 2020 11:36 p.m. Penalty shots would be an area in immediate upgrade for both squads. Penguins forward Conor Sheary fired a wrister wide with a penalty shot late in regulation at 16:57 of the third period. He was outdone by These aren’t the Montreal Canadiens who have plaques hanging on Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin who failed to even get a shot off with walls a few blocks away in the Hockey Hall of Fame. a backhand attempt at 6:46 of overtime.

There’s not a Maurice Richard or Jean Beliveau on this roster. Despite the setback, the Penguins seemed satisfied with their effort, particularly in that they had ample chances to win this game, including a There isn’t even a Vincent Damphousse or Mike Cammalleri, members of power-play chance in overtime. Canadiens teams who sparked upsets of superior Penguins teams in previous postseason matchups a handful of generations ago. But they also acknowledge the need for considerable refinement with their malfunctioning power play. No, these Montreal Canadiens, who the Penguins squared off with in Game 1 of a qualifying round series in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on “We had some good looks, some good chances,” Schultz said. Saturday were the 24th-best team in the NHL during the regular season. “Obviously, there’s always room for improvement. I think we can do a They are not to be feared. better job of moving, supporting each other, outworking the (Canadiens’ penalty kill). But I think we’ll be fine.” But don’t dare disrespect them. Follow the Penguins all season long. The Penguins received a blunt refresher of that requirement as they lost in overtime 3-2 to open the best-of-five series.

Montreal claimed victory at 13 minutes, 57 seconds of overtime. After a Tribune Review LOADED: 08.02.2020 pass attempt by Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher from the right wing was blocked by Penguins forward Brandon Tanev, Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry jumped on the rebound in the right circle and wired a wrister past goaltender Matt Murray’s blocker on the far side.

“I don’t think there’s a single person in our organization that takes the Canadiens lightly,” coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday, via video conference from Toronto. “We understand how good a team they are. We have a lot of respect for Montreal and we know we have to be at our best in order to have success.”

One area of the Penguins game which was hardly at its peak was the power play. It went 1 for 7, including a five-on-three sequence which generated two shots on five attempts during a span of 1:32 in the third period.

“We just have to execute better,” Sullivan said of his sputtering power play following the loss. “We’ve got to try to get some shots. But the one area I think where we could have improved throughout the course of our whole overall game, the power play included, is just more of a net presence, making it hard on (Canadiens goaltender Carey) Price to see the puck. We had opportunity to get to the net, take away his sight lines and we didn’t do as good a job of that tonight.”

The Canadiens were up to the task early. After weathering a strong opening surge by the Penguins, Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi crashed the crease and scored an ugly goal that deflected off his left arm 11:27 into regulation.

It became a 2-0 contest at 6:53 of the second period after Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki converted a two-on-one rush by wiring a wrister from the left circle to the far side past the glove hand of Matt Murray, who finished with 32 saves.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard just over three minutes later at the 9:55 mark. Collecting a loose puck on the offensive zone’s right half wall, Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz chopped a slap-pass to the slot. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel attempted to re-direct it on net but ended up pushing the puck to forward Sidney Crosby, positioned to the right of the cage. Crosby shuffled the puck into the crease where it deflected off of Price’s left skate and into the net.

The lone power-play goal of the contest was scored by the Penguins’ second unit at 12:34 of the second. Forward Jared McCann blasted a slapper from the right circle which struck forward Patric Hornqvist, positioned above the crease, in the midsection. The puck plopped onto the ice just beyond the limits of the blue paint. Forward Bryan Rust surged past Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen and lifted a gentle wrister past Price’s glove. 1189955 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins to start Matt Murray in Game 1 against Canadiens

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, August 1, 2020 1:10 p.m.

The Penguins will start goaltender Matt Murray in Game 1 of their qualifying round game against the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, according to coach Mike Sullivan.

A vital member of the Penguins’ last two Stanley Cup championship teams in 2016 and 2017, Murray has considerably more playoff experience than fellow goaltender Tristan Jarry.

In 48 career playoff games, Murray has a 28-19 record along with a 2.16 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and six shutouts.

Jarry’s NHL postseason resume has been limited to dressing as a backup for a handful of games.

“We believe we have two great goalies,” Sullivan said via video conference from Toronto. “And both of these guys are going to give us a chance to win. Matt has obviously shown an ability to be at his best when the stakes are high. That certainly should provide some confidence for him going into a playoff environment like this. But we’re fortunate to have the guys that we have. Matt has certainly shown an ability to be at his best this time of year. We’ll take each game as it comes, but we feel good about the goaltending tandem we have.”

In 38 games during the regular season, Murray had a 20-11-5 record along with a 2.87 goals-against average, an .899 save percentage and one .

Jarry, who was selected to January’s All-Star Game event, appeared in 33 games during the regular season and had a 20-12-1 record along with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and three shutouts.

• Goaltender Carey Price is scheduled to start in net for the Canadiens. In 58 games during the regular season, Price had a 27-25-6 record along with a 2.79 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and four shutouts.

• As the fifth seed in this tournament, the Penguins will be designated as the home team for Games 1, 2 and 5 (if necessary) against the Canadiens. As such, they will have the final changes before faceoffs in those games.

• This will be the Penguins first postseason game in Scotiabank Arena since they played the Maple Leafs in the 1999 Eastern Conference semifinal round.

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Tribune Review LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189956 Pittsburgh Penguins “We need to get to the net more consistently and take the goalie’s sight lines away. We had moments where we were in front of the net, but we can get better at that.” — Mike Sullivan.

Stick taps, chirps and observations from Penguins-Canadiens Game 1 “Luckily, it’s not a single-elimination tournament. We’ve got to heed the lessons. We did some really good things.” — Bryan Rust

News, notes and observations: MIKE DEFABO Jake Guentzel, middle, is six years younger than Gabe (left) and eight Pittsburgh Post-Gazette years younger than Ryan (right). But he always wanted to keep up with his older brothers. AUG 2, 2020 12:17 AM Montreal’s recipe for success: The first 12 minutes summed up the way

Montreal needs to win this series. Price showed why he was voted the In a game that featured two penalty shots, an overtime period and a league’s best goalie in the NHLPA player poll. Then, a fluky goal gave standout performance by Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, the Montreal a 1-0 lead. Penguins dropped Game 1 of their best-of-five qualifying-round series, 3- New-look power play: Mike Sullivan hinted this past week that the 2. Penguins would roll out a new personnel grouping on the power play. It was over when: With just over six minutes left in overtime, Montreal Jason Zucker was the surprise. He joined the top unit in the high slot. defenseman Jeff Petry scooped a loose puck, side stepped Brandon The other four were Jake Guentzel in front of the net, Evgeni Malkin in Tanev’s block attempt and ripped a shot past Matt Murray. the left circle, Kris Letang at the point and Crosby below the goal line.

Turning point: The Penguins led considerably in shot attempts but trailed Trust Rust? After scoring the lone power play goal, Rust earned the 2-0 on the scoreboard midway through the second period. It looked like promotion to the top unit for the 5-on-3. Does he stay there? Price would steal Game 1, but then Sidney Crosby tossed a puck on net ’Solid’: Asked to evaluate Murray’s performance, Sullivan summed it up from below the goal line and in. It didn’t change the result, but it changed succinctly. It was a short, but accurate description. the momentum.

Coming out ready: Forget the scoreboard for a minute. The Penguins dominated the early part of the game, controlling territory and generating Post Gazette LOADED: 08.02.2020 a number of quality scoring chances. “The puck just didn’t go in the net for us,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We could have been up a couple of goals couple of goals in the first period. It didn’t happen that way. But that’s hockey.”

Murray’s short-handed save: With the Penguins trailing 2-1 and the momentum on Montreal’s side in the second period, the top power-play unit gave up an odd-man rush. Murray stepped out of his crease and made a critical pad save that preserved the one-goal game.

The second power play unit: The first group has the star power, but the second unit had the right idea. Jared McCann smoked a puck into Patric Hornqvist’s gut. Bryan Rust found the loose puck and cleaned up the trash. It wasn’t pretty, but it counted.

The Penguins’ response: The Penguins bombarded Price with shots, yet found themselves down 2-0 in the second. The veteran group didn’t panic and fought back to force overtime. It feels like a moral victory now, but in a loss it was a bright spot.

March Madness vibe: The NHL did this right. With five games spread out over the course of the day, hockey fans had a good excuse to root for rain and spend 12 hours on their couch. It was glorious.

Chirps:

Jack Johnson’s first-period sequence: Johnson can be a social media scapegoat, but the criticism was pretty well-earned on Montreal’s first goal Saturday. First, Johnson ran into Zach Aston-Reese to take his own man out of the play. Then, as he scrambled back into position, Johnson knocked Jesperi Kotkaniemi — and the puck — into the net. In overtime, Johnson’s hold gave Jonathan Drouin a penalty shot that rolled off his stick.

Dumoulin’s pinch: The Canadiens scored their second goal of the game when Nick Suzuki beat Murray’s glove hand. But the much bigger issue was the odd-man rush that started when defenseman Brian Dumounlin left the blue line and made a weak attempt at a bouncing puck.

Squandered 5-on-3: Not even a minute into the third, the Canadiens gifted the Penguins a golden opportunity with a two-man advantage. After scoring earlier, Rust joined the out-of-sync top unit. Still, they couldn’t capitalize on a chance that would have changed the complexion of the third period — and the game. In total, the Penguins went just 1-for- 7 with the man-advantage.

Sheary’s penalty shot: With 3:03 left in the third, Conor Sheary had a chance to play the hero. He ran out of room and ended up missing the net entirely.

Thoughts from the Twitter machine:

They said it: 1189957 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh’s busted power play was a concern entering the playoffs after that unit ranked 16th during the regular season. It still looked out of sorts during their postseason training camp. And the Penguins did not get all that much going on three chances in Tuesday’s tune-up against the Wasted power plays cost the Penguins as Canadiens take Game 1 in Philadelphia Flyers. Toronto After that exhibition loss, the coach conceded that they had “a ways to go to get it firing on all cylinders.” He hinted he would unveil a new look Saturday. MATT VENSEL It was the promotion of Zucker, whose only practice reps on the top Pittsburgh Post-Gazette power play in camp came while Crosby and Hornqvist were sidelined. In AUG 1, 2020 11:52 PM addition to his wheels, the Penguins like his hockey sense and shot release. So, looking to create more player movement and shot attempts, they turned to the newish guy.

The early deficit was erased, order had been restored and the Penguins Their first opportunity showed promise. Rust and the second unit scored were now getting their chance to squish the pesky Montreal Canadiens on the second. But things unraveled from there, as is often the case into the pavement and not let them into a playoff series they probably when the collective confidence of this top unit dips. Sticks get squeezed shouldn’t even be in. and minds cloudy.

All their stars were rested. The ice at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena wasn’t After the second intermission, Zucker and Rust flip-flopped for the most getting any smoother. Mike Sullivan, sensing the magnitude of the part. moment with his squad getting a 5-on-3 early in the third period, used his timeout to strategize. Sullivan has suggested that he doesn’t want to overwork Rust, a top-six winger and regular penalty-killer. But he might be the best option they’ve But with two Canadiens social distancing in the penalty box for 92 got for the left circle. Rust is tenacious, right-handed and has a newfound seconds, the Penguins mustered just five long-range rockets from Evgeni nose for the net. Malkin with Jake Guentzel, all 180 pounds of him, parked just outside Carey Price’s crease. Rust had a good look at a second goal during that 5-on-3. But a pass skipped over his stick. The ice was clearly chippy after two games were Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi scores on Matt Murray as Jack played earlier in the day at Scotiabank Arena, the lone rink in the Eastern Johnson defends. Conference playoff hub.

Unable to put their foot down despite getting seven power plays, “When the puck doesn’t go into the net, there’s obviously places to get including one early in overtime, the Penguins watched Jeff Petry walk in better,” said Rust, who scored nine of his 27 goals this season on the from the point late Saturday night, beat Matt Murray and steal a 3-2 win power play. for the Canadiens. Rust felt the Penguins could have moved the puck a little bit quicker on The Penguins went just 1-for-7 with their power play Saturday in Game 1 the 5-on-3. But instead, the power play was mostly Malkin bombing away of their best-of-five qualifying-round series at Toronto’s Scotiabank from the point in the hopes of generating something off of a rebound if his Arena. shot didn’t go in.

“Obviously, it had an opportunity to be the difference tonight. And it Malkin let five shots go. Two missed and Shea Weber ate another. With wasn’t,” Sullivan, calm but clearly frustrated, said. “We’ll go back to work Guentzel assuming the net-front role, Price coolly handled the two that [Sunday].” got through.

The Penguins were without question the superior team at 5-on-5. The Before the end of regulation, the Penguins squandered another power Canadiens got the fluky first goal when Jack Johnson checked an play and a penalty shot with 3:03 left. Price kept the Canadiens alive by opponent and the puck into his net. Nick Suzuki pushed the lead to 2-0 in stopping Conor Sheary on a breakaway then held his ground on the the second period. But the Penguins didn’t panic and stuck to their penalty shot as Sheary misfired. patient game, tying it up six minutes later. Murray also faced one of those. Jonathan Drouin flubbed his try in OT, From that point forward, the Penguins got five cracks on the power play. not even attempting a shot. Murray made a huge save on Drouin just Sullivan tried just about everything to get it going, with one notable before that. exception. Per SportsNet, it was the first time since 1923, when the Ottawa The Penguins began the night with Jason Zucker on their top unit. They Senators played the Edmonton Eskimos, that there were two penalty alternated point men. They had players switch spots. They asked Malkin shots in a playoff game. to move to the left circle, eliminating the threat of his wicked one-timers. They gave Bryan Rust a shot on that failed 5-on-3. In OT, they started off With 6:03 left in overtime, Petry whizzed the winner past Murray’s with the second unit. blocker.

“We had some good looks, some good chances. Obviously, there’s Game 2 of the qualifying-round series is scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday. always room for improvement,” Justin Schultz said. “I think we can do a If the Penguins keep playing like they did at 5-on-5, they should be fine better job of moving, supporting each other, outworking their PK. But I against a Canadiens team that went just 31-31-9 during the regular think we’ll be fine.” season. But if they are unable to turn this short series around, that 5-on-3 Their lone power-play goal came on a busted play with the second unit will haunt them. on the ice. Jared McCann tested the durability of Patric Hornqvist’s most treasured piece of equipment with a long-distance wrist shot. The puck appeared to carom off Hornqvist’s cup to Rust, who shoveled a Post Gazette LOADED: 08.02.2020 backhander between Price’s pads.

Maybe more Hornqvist near the paint would have helped the Penguins do more with their power plays. But he mysteriously remained on the second unit.

What made that decision even more confounding was that Sullivan pointed to a lack of a “net presence” as the primary reason they didn’t get more pucks past Price.

“I thought we had opportunities to get to the net and take away his sightlines,” he said of the former MVP. “And we didn’t do as good a job at that tonight.” 1189958 Pittsburgh Penguins

And the Penguins' starting goalie for Game 1 vs. Montreal is...

MIKE DEFABO

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

AUG 1, 2020 12:52 PM

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan raised two banners thanks to his ability to keep his finger on the pulse of his goaltenders and pull the right strings — and the goalie — at the right moment.

Now, if the Penguins are going to drink from the Stanley Cup for the third time in five years, Sullivan will once again have to make some tough goaltending decisions.

OK. Get to the point, right? Who is starting Game 1?

“We believe we have two great goalies,” Sullivan said. “Both of these guys are going to give us a chance to win.”

With two Stanley Cups on his resume, Murray has accomplished more before the age of 26 than some do in their entire careers. The Penguins know when the lights are the brightest, Murray isn’t the type of person to let the pressure get to him. History says that it’s actually the opposite.

“Matt has obviously shown an ability to be at his best when the stakes are high,” Sullivan said. “That certainly should provide some confidence for him going into a playoff environment like this.”

But the only reason this is even a discussion right now is that Murray’s stats haven’t been the same since Marc-Andre Fleury left. This year, he posted a career low in save percentage (.899) and had his second-lowest goals-against average (2.87) despite the fact that he may have been playing behind the best defensive team since he came to Pittsburgh as a 21-year-old in 2015-16.

Meanwhile, Jarry may have been the club’s best player through November and December. At one point, he led the NHL in goals-against average and save percentage on the way to earning his first career All- Star nod.

Among goalies with at least 25 games played this year, Jarry ranks seventh in save percentage (.921) and eighth in goals-against average (2.43). Since January, however, Jarry came back to Earth and Murray steadied his play. In 2020, Jarry posted a 7-7-1 record with a .901 save percentage. Murray went 9-5-1 with a .905 save percentage over the same stretch.

'Speed is the ultimate competitive advantage' for Penguins in Cup chase

“We’ll take each game as it comes,” Sullivan said. “But we feel good about the goaltending tandem that we have.”

Post Gazette LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189959 Pittsburgh Penguins At the other end, the Canadiens wouldn’t have been blamed if they felt overwhelmed over the first half of the first period, especially with the Penguins holding a 10-1 edge in shots on goal through the first seven minutes of play. We have what we have: Claude Julien’s favourite line takes on new meaning “We really liked the way we were playing,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of his team’s start. “We felt like we had possession time, we were controlling territory, we generated a fair amount of scoring chances. The puck just didn’t go in the net for us. We could’ve been up a couple goals By Arpon Basu in the first period. Didn’t happen that way. But that’s hockey.”

That’s hockey, yes, But that’s also Carey Price at his best. And that’s It has been a line Claude Julien has loved to use whenever he’s been why he was immediately cited as the reason this is an unfair scenario for asked about this Canadiens matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. the Penguins, who were basically guaranteed a playoff spot this season but now have to face this. It is a line that could be looked at as conceding defeat, as a ready-made excuse for a coach who has to make the best of a flawed lineup going up “If it’s not for Carey Price in the first period — or the first five to 10 against the Stanley Cup pedigree of the Penguins. minutes where they really came out hard at us and got some speed through the neutral zone, had some great opportunities from the slot area Julien said the five words again after a Game 1 win in overtime Saturday — Carey was huge throughout that whole first period,” Julien said. “He night, one capped by a Jeff Petry goal in the extra frame, but those words gave us a chance to come back and kind of adjust ourselves there for the take on a bit of a different meaning now. second and the rest of the game. He made some big saves throughout the whole game, but the first period is where he allowed us to stay in the “It’s what we said right from the get-go,” Julien said, “we’re playing an game and gave us a chance to win this.” experienced team, they’ve won Stanley Cups, they know how to win, and we have what we have.” This is what Julien has, a potential game-changer in net. And if this is the Price he will have throughout the series, suddenly what Julien has isn’t We have what we have. so bad. Before Game 1, that line seemed like a white flag. Like Julien was saying The exuberance of youth he was going to do the best with what he was given. That if he had to treat rookie Nick Suzuki like a second-line centre and make his primary Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s first shift came roughly 90 seconds into the game. matchup Evgeni Malkin, then that’s what he would have to do. If he had He was flying. It was probably the only shift in the first seven minutes to plug Jesperi Kotkaniemi into a third-line role, then that’s what he would where the Canadiens appeared to have some life. It was a sign of things have to do. If he had to ride his top three defencemen for more than 25 to come. minutes a game because he has no depth at that position, he would do that. If he had to roll four lines to try to win the game through attrition, Just before that shift, Suzuki’s line with Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia even in overtime, he would do that. was getting buried by Malkin’s line, and Jason Zucker missed a wide- open net, albeit from a very difficult angle. That was also a sign of things Julien did all those things. He went with what he has. And what he has to come, because as well as Suzuki played, the Canadiens managed was good enough. only two shot attempts in the 5:37 he and Malkin were on the ice together at five-on-five. Much of what Julien has was seen as weaknesses, reasons the Canadiens had no chance to beat the Penguins in a short series. That is Still, Julien has used the “we have what we have” line most when often when he used that line, to say, basically, what choice do I have? Is discussing how he would use Suzuki, and even though he had his hands it ideal to have Suzuki matched up with Malkin? Of course not. Is it ideal full against Malkin, the Canadiens rookie was incredible. to have Brett Kulak play more than 20 minutes because he’s Petry’s partner? Of course not. Kotkaniemi opened the scoring with a dirty goal, paying the price in front of the net to bank the puck behind Murray off a rebound. Suzuki scored Except Suzuki shined. As did Kulak. And then there’s that goalie. the next goal, yes, but his biggest impact came when Ben Chiarot inexplicably cross-checked Crosby in the face with Phillip Danault Here is what Julien has, and why what he has allowed the Canadiens to already in the box in the first minute of the third period, giving the take an improbable 1-0 lead in this best-of-five series. Penguins a five-on-three power play for 1:32. Suzuki was sent out on the A goalie who is a difference-maker ice with Petry and Shea Weber, won the initial faceoff clean only to have Weber’s clearing attempt hit a linesman and go out of play, forcing The overwhelming narrative when the playoff format and matchups were another faceoff in the Canadiens’ zone. Suzuki lost that one but was a announced was that the Penguins were getting the shaft because they vision of calm on that penalty kill, never over-committing, staying in his have to face Carey Price in a short series. Price hasn’t been that great, lane, his stick in the right spot, looking nothing like a rookie. they said. Price can’t do it alone, they said. Ultimately, Suzuki managed to get his stick on a pass late in the five-on- All those things are true, but Price made the narrative a reality Saturday three, deflecting the puck into the corner. He followed it, pressured the night. Penguins puck carrier, and when it popped free he was the one who The Penguins came out firing, and the Canadiens came out clearly cleared the zone, allowing the Canadiens to survive. nervous. But this is where Price’s strength shines. And that strength is an “I was pretty confident going in,” Suzuki said. “I’ve got two solid ability to calm the nerves of his teammates. defenders that are with me, and we talked a lot about their power play “I mean, he made some really big saves and it gave us that that calming and what we’re going to try to do against them. So I was confident going influence that Price is all about,” Petry said. “He’s calm and collected in, it was just nice to get the confidence from the coach to trust me in that back there, especially when a team is in on the forecheck and controlling situation.” the play a little bit, you have that calming influence from him back there. I But Julien rightly pointed out that of his two 20-year-old centres who were think it settles everybody down.” making their NHL playoff debuts, it was Kotkaniemi whom Julien would When you look at this individual matchup, the two goalies had opposite have been justified doubting a bit more, simply because we hadn’t seen effects on their teammates. Matt Murray wasn’t necessarily allowing bad him play effectively on a consistent basis all season except when he was goals, but he wasn’t calming nerves, either. He was accentuating nerves. playing with the Laval Rocket in the AHL.

The Penguins had to clear a rebound from a dangerous area on nearly “We know Suzuki better, but in Kotkaniemi’s case it had been a while every shot Murray faced. The second goal he allowed to Suzuki was off a since we hadn’t seen him play with us,” Julien said. “He came back nice shot, yes, but it’s a shot you would expect a top-notch goaltender to strong, and that’s the type of game we’ll need from him on a regular stop. A save at that point in the game would have helped the Penguins’ basis.” psyche. They didn’t get that relief. Experience is great in the playoffs and shouldn’t be discounted. But young players being challenged to rise to the occasion against a proven team like the Penguins has a certain value as well. These are highly motivated players at the very beginning of their NHL careers who want to show what kind of players they can become in this league.

The opportunity Suzuki and Kotkaniemi have before them is rare. They are lucky to have it. And they could have wilted when faced with it for the first time.

They didn’t.

A first line that is just as excellent as before

Aside from Danault uncharacteristically going to the penalty box three times, including once in overtime, his line with Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher was as great as it usually is. At five-on-five with Danault and Crosby on the ice, the Canadiens matched the Penguins in shot attempts and were close on high-danger scoring chances.

Gallagher had nine shots on goal in the game, after putting the same number on goal in the Canadiens’ exhibition game. The line itself provided nice breaks in Penguins pressure throughout the game, changing momentum with strong shifts in the Pittsburgh zone and producing scoring chances at timely moments.

As a line, Danault, Tatar and Gallagher were the only unit on the team to finish with positive shot-attempt and shot-on-goal differentials when they were on the ice at five-on-five. This is perhaps the most important thing Julien has — besides his goalie — and they delivered.

This game was perhaps a lesson to stop focusing on what Julien doesn’t have.

It was still easy to see in the game. Though Julien stuck to the idea of rolling four lines and keeping Max Domi with Dale Weise and Jordan Weal, it was obvious Domi is lost with those two because they were a detriment to him. When Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet were on the ice together on defence, it was a terrible adventure for the Canadiens. Crosby and Malkin had various moments in the game where it was obvious the Canadiens have no one to match them.

But still, what became clear in this Game 1 win was what Julien has, as we’ve attempted to demonstrate. As a result, here’s what else Julien has: a Game 1 win, home-ice advantage and a need to simply go .500 over the next four games to get into the playoffs.

But Julien also has one more thing that he shares with Canadiens fans who want to see their team win instead of having a one-in-eight chance of drafting Alexis Lafrenière.

He has hope.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189960 Pittsburgh Penguins blocked in overtime. Sheary had a good training camp and was something of a presence against the Canadiens. I actually thought he was one of their better forwards.

Yohe: 10 observations on the Penguins’ Game 1 loss to Montreal He won’t be on that line for long, however, if he’s not going to finish some chances.

4. Some players who I never criticize weren’t very good. By Josh Yohe Brian Dumoulin is one of the most steady defensemen and, while he hardly played a bad game, he made a couple of mistakes that were pretty uncharacteristic. It’s often his defense partner, Letang, who plays a Jeff Petry scored in overtime to give Montreal a 3-2 victory in a very high-risk game and is sometimes burned by such decisions. Instead, I peculiar Game 1 of the Eastern Conference qualifying-round series thought Letang played a fairly safe game and was in control for much of against the Penguins in Toronto on Saturday. the evening. Dumoulin, however, never looked like himself and made a There’s plenty to break down from a game that had two dramatic penalty couple of very poor decisions. shots, one inept power play and one sensational goaltending I also thought Jake Guentzel was pretty quiet. He wasn’t bad and picked performance. up a helper on Crosby’s goal. But he was pretty unimposing and received Are the Penguins in trouble? Or is this merely a blip on the radar? quite the beating in front of the Montreal net for much of the evening.

Let’s take a look. 5. The third line was a disaster. We didn’t know what to expect from the third unit, which features Jared McCann, Hornqvist and Patrick Marleau. 1. The Penguins’ top power play was simply awful all evening. It was They were on the ice for a goal against, they produced only one even- horrendous against Philadelphia in the preseason game earlier in the strength shot between them, and they were on their heels much of the week, too. In fact, it was awful in training camp and, during the regular night. season, it underachieved quite notably. It is a huge, huge problem. McCann really had a rough night. I didn’t like his decisions with the puck. The Penguins had a 92-second two-man advantage with a fresh sheet of He didn’t register a shot on goal and took a penalty. Hornqvist and ice early in the third period while the score was tied. They have to score Marleau looked somewhat slow and never really came close to mustering there. They just do. Not only did they not score, but they also didn’t a scoring opportunity. It was only one game, but that line was really generate much in the way of a great look during that time. They had a unimpressive. If Sullivan is going to break up a line anytime soon, I’d bet couple of good ones, but no great ones. That’s unacceptable for a on it being that one. I just didn’t see any chemistry or speed from that number of reasons. The Penguins are loaded with talent, the ice was unit. good and they had just called a timeout to draw up something of a plan. 6. Let’s give Price some credit. He stopped 39 of 41 shots, and while he And poof. Nothing. didn’t have to make a number of spectacular saves, the numbers speak for themselves. He was at his best in the first 10 minutes, when the The Penguins, despite all of their considerable talent, have never been Penguins bombarded the Canadiens. There is a perception from many very good with the two-man advantage during the past 15 years. It cost that Price isn’t the goaltender he once was as many will point to his them Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit in 2008. It’s cost declining numbers in recent seasons. I’ve never been one to buy that them a number of other games, too. theory. His numbers have dropped because his team hasn’t been very To me, it’s pretty simple. I hate to dumb things down to hockey cliche good the past couple of seasons. Goalies are human and eventually, overload, but the five-on-three isn’t that complicated. Get open looks. they’ll cave a bit when their team is below average. While Montreal Pounce on rebounds. You have two more players than the other team. remains below average, Price is fresh and has nothing to lose in this Outnumber them down low. That’s it. series. He had a sense of confidence about him in the early moments and it carried on throughout the night. You could see immediately that he The Penguins simply refuse to do that and their best players are their was sharp. Will he be good enough to win two more games against the biggest offenders. They are obsessed with making perfect plays in those Penguins? I doubt it, but it’s possible and his physical skills look as sharp situations, and they usually don’t work. Evgeni Malkin had a wide-open as ever to me. look from the high slot and instead threw a pass. It’s just not sensible, and as good as Carey Price was, I don’t think he’s in the Penguins’ 7. Matt Murray wasn’t bad and the Penguins didn’t lose because of him. heads. I just think the Penguins’ heads get a little too big when they have But I didn’t particularly care for Montreal’s second goal, which was a two-man advantage. There are 15 years of evidence to back that up. scored by Nick Suzuki. Yes, it was a two-on-one. Dumoulin got trapped at the Canadiens’ blue line and Marleau was slow to cover for him. 2. Speaking of the power play, it’s pretty clear coach Mike Sullivan is Murray wasn’t responsible for any of that and, yes, Suzuki’s shot was a baffled. Try to keep up with me: He had Jared McCann on the power play well-placed rocket to the top-right corner. Still, Letang played the odd- for most of training camp. McCann was replaced by Patric Hornqvist man rush perfectly, giving Murray ample time to prepare himself for the when he returned to practice. Kris Letang was then replaced by Justin shot. He had a great look at the shot and simply didn’t come close to Schultz when the Penguins played their preseason game against making the save. The glove needs to be better. Philadelphia. Against Montreal, Letang was back on the top unit instead of Schultz. Also, Jason Zucker replaced Hornqvist in a particularly That said, I thought Murray was quite strong the rest of the game. He strange move. made a couple of wonderful saves in the second period while the Penguins were making their comeback bid. He faced a penalty shot in Halfway through the game, Bryan Rust replaced Zucker. overtime against Jonathan Drouin, but the forward was victim to bad ice Do you know what that means? Sullivan and Mark Recchi have and was never able to release a shot. Ultimately, Murray was fine. He absolutely no idea how to solve what ails the power play at the moment wasn’t better than Price, though. and that is a big, big problem. 8. Malkin registered eight shots on goal. In theory, that’s wonderful.

My advice? Get Hornqvist in front of the net as soon as possible. It’s In reality, he didn’t play well. Malkin, who enjoyed a marvelous training what he does better than just about anyone. Go back to what works. It’s camp, has looked utterly out of sorts in both games played in Toronto. I understandable that Sullivan was experimenting with different power-play don’t know why. But something has been utterly off with Malkin. looks in training camp, and I understand the Penguins haven’t had many people healthy at the same time this season. But it’s just peculiar seeing That needs to change in a hurry. He was a turnover machine at times them so unsure of themselves with the man advantage. And it haunted against the Canadiens, passed up a couple of good looks and just didn’t them against the Canadiens. look like himself.

Yes, the second unit scored a goal. But the top unit cost them the game. Malkin and Crosby were responsible for consecutive misplays that led to odd-man rushes on the power play in the second period. The Penguins’ 3. Conor Sheary didn’t play poorly, but he needs to bury some of his best players can’t be making those kinds of mistakes. chances if he’s going to stay on Sidney Crosby’s line. Sheary missed the net on a penalty shot late in the third period and had a golden opportunity Crosby scored a goal and had one magical shift in overtime. He played better than Malkin. But both can be a lot better than they were on Saturday.

9. Looking for encouraging news? John Marino may have been the best player. He was outstanding on almost every shift. Marino just keeps getting better and better and the Penguins should feel comfortable every time he’s on the ice.

Just another solid performance from the rookie.

10. It’s not panic time, but if the Penguins lose Game 2, it most certainly will be.

The Penguins are the better team, yes. We already knew that. However, Game 1 taught us that Montreal is going to play hard, that Price is sharp and that the Penguins’ power play looks lost. That’s a dangerous combination.

And here’s another thing to consider: The Penguins were working out in groups weeks before Montreal started in June. They’ve had much, much better attendance in their workouts throughout the summer. You’d think the Penguins would be in considerably better condition than the Canadiens and would thus wear them down.

Instead, Montreal was the better team in overtime.

What does it mean? Probably not much. If the Penguins win Game 2, I believe they’ll still win this series. But that impressive-looking training camp isn’t such a big deal now, because the Penguins now have to win three of their next four games to continue their season. And they still have a goaltending debate that is worthy and serious questions about their power play and third line.

That, to be sure, represents far more drama than what they were hoping for after one game. Sure, it was only one game, but the Penguins didn’t exactly end the regular season on a positive note and should have been better than they were in Game 1.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189961 Pittsburgh Penguins I spent a lot of years watching a lot of Hurricanes games, so I’ve long had an idea of how good John Forslund is, but man, hearing him on NBC was still a legitimate treat. Great voice, great calls, minimal weirdness in a weird situation — welcome stuff across the board. Brian Boucher talked There’s a recipe to beat the Penguins, and the Canadiens had it more from between the boards than Mike Milbury, the ostensible lead analyst. That was also welcomed for a lot of reasons. An underrated

highlight of the night, to that end, was Milbury saying Malkin wasn’t By Sean Gentille noticeable a moment or two after NBC ran a graphic showing that he had six shots. That sort of thing is easier to laugh at when the other two guys on the broadcast are good.

You could always guess, if you’d paid attention, what a Penguins loss in In any case, if this is the standard setup for the Toronto bubble games? their series against the Canadiens would look like: bad bounces, bumpy Not bad at all. The question now is how many the Penguins end up goaltending and a couple of unforced errors, probably on the bottom playing. defensive pairing.

Well, here we are. Montreal won Game 1, 3-2 in overtime, and you won’t believe how it pulled it off. For the Canadiens, this was how it had to The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 work. For the Penguins, it felt closer to the sum of all fears. I checked to see if “Jaroslav Halak” and “2010” were trending on Twitter in Pittsburgh after the first period. Somehow, neither was. You could feel the psychic scars, though — and you could feel the similarities.

Carey Price was Carey Price; when the game was still scoreless after the Penguins’ 10-minute flurry to start the first period, it seemed clear that we were getting 2015-era Price. He finished with 39 saves.

It wasn’t just him, though — the goalie is always the linchpin, for worse or for better, but Game 1 was a cake, and there were plenty of ingredients.

Offensively, a 1-for-7 night on the power play will rarely work. Same goes for a wasted 1:32 of five-on-three time. Same goes for Conor Sheary’s penalty shot, which wasn’t a shot at all.

Matt Murray settled down, to an extent, but he never looked comfortable, and never less so than on the Canadiens’ second goal. It was a bad pinch by Brian Dumoulin, but Murray, beaten glove side by Nick Suzuki, didn’t come close to bailing him out. There were a lot of rebounds kicked into the slot and a few moments when he looked handcuffed. If there’s confidence in him at this point, it’s not based on the way he’s played in 2020.

Before that was a goal on a deflection by Jesperi Kotkaniemi. There was chaos in front of Murray, largely because Jack Johnson whiffed on an attempted hit on Kotkaniemi along the boards, allowing Kotkaniemi to skate past him and set up in front. Johnson scrambled to try to hit Kotkaniemi again in front of Murray; by then, Paul Byron’s shot was in the air.

Petry’s winner started as a three-on-five by the Canadiens. By the time he scored, Johnson and Justin Schultz were below the goal line at the left circle. Both of ’em. That was … something.

And again, we knew this was possible, or that it should’ve been. Murray had an .899 regular season. The Johnson-Schultz pairing, at its best, is a cross-your-fingers proposition. At its worst, it loses playoff series. The power play was below average with a lot of moving parts. Puck luck exists. Price is still Price. The Canadiens are a good five-on-five team. The Penguins can survive those chickens coming to roost for a game or two — but not three.

McCan’t

Tough to imagine a less relevant game for the third line. It was easy to forget that Patrick Marleau, Jared McCann and Patric Hornqvist existed at all, especially when they seemed to be losing offensive zone starts to the Teddy Blueger line. That happened in overtime. A glimpse at how rough their night was: In regulation, McCann was on the ice for 13 Montreal shot attempts and six by his own team. The only other forwards with a shot-attempt percentage under 50 were his linemates. There’s no simple fix there — there’s no point in touching the fourth line, and the Crosby/Malkin lines generally earned more time together, but it’s also a five-game series. It wraps up, really, a lot of the problems the Penguins are facing; overreacting is always bad, but the format adds a level of urgency.

Crosby rules

It wasn’t “Marc Staal in 2014” caliber, but Crosby took a cheap shot from Ben Chiarot in the third period. One more way this felt like a game from what seemed like a bygone era: Guys have generally stopped trying to decapitate Crosby as a matter of strategy. Not Chiarot, though.

Broadcast bits 1189962 Pittsburgh Penguins He can keep games close. He is a very good goalie. He has experience, too. Don’t forget. But goalies can only do so much to help a team win a series.

Legendary coach Scotty Bowman talks Penguins vs. Canadiens (now Price can’t score for the Canadiens. Is that what you’re saying? and then) There is that. But there’s also … Montreal has a good, young team, but scoring has not been easy. Who knows if that will carry over? With all these teams having been away for so many months, I don’t see what By Rob Rossi happened in the season being something to go off like you normally would. That’s true with Pittsburgh as well. Aug 1, 2020 Pittsburgh will have (Jake) Guentzel?

Yes, Jake Guentzel is going to play. The Penguins had only four games Scotty Bowman never figured he had seen it all. But that doesn’t mean with him, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup during the he knows what to expect when the puck drops on the Stanley Cup season. playoffs. Well, those three players have history together. I would feel comfortable “It’s a puzzle,” Bowman said from his residence in western New York. knowing what to expect from those players. But that is what I mean about “It’s always a puzzle. But this puzzle is one nobody has tried to put not being able to take much, if anything, from the season. Pittsburgh together before. There is nothing to go off, so who’s to know what will should be a much better team with the best players healthy. make a difference? I don’t.” Do you feel, given the circumstances, this postseason is set up for the And if Bowman doesn’t have at least an inkling of what might tilt the best team to win the Cup? postseason in the favor of one of the 24 participating teams, it’s safe to say nobody does. Nobody has earned more wins in the regular season or Maybe not. But only because nobody can say for sure who the best team postseason, and his nine Stanley Cup victories are the standard for is now because it’s been so long between the season and the playoffs. If hockey coaches. you started every season with the playoffs, I don’t know if everybody would agree the best team won. Bowman coached two of the great dynasties of the NHL’s past half- century with Montreal in the 1970s and Detroit in the mid-1990s and early Have you had the best team and not won? 2000s. In between, he stepped in for the late Bob Johnston to steer Pittsburgh’s Cup defense in 1992, and the next season, the record- I don’t think it’s right to say the team that wins the championship isn’t the setting Penguins failed to join the Canadiens and the New York Islanders best team. When you win as many games as you need to in the playoffs of the early 1980s as the only franchises to win three consecutive to win the Stanley Cup, you’re a great team. Nobody can take anything championships in the expansion era. away from a Cup winner.

With the Penguins and Canadiens meeting for only the third time in the That seems fair. But, at least in Pittsburgh, you had a historic team that postseason, their legendary former coach looked ahead and back with didn’t win the Cup. And in Montreal, you had arguably the greatest The Athletic. dynasty in NHL history. So, what do you think was the difference?

The Canadiens are the most storied franchise in hockey. You’ve coached There has never been more parity than now. But even in the time for and against them in the playoffs. What’s the biggest difference? between when I was in Montreal and Pittsburgh, and that was only about a decade, the parity became a factor. Well, there is nothing that compares to the Montreal crowd. Even when (the Canadiens) moved out of the old Forum, those fans still make it very But the Canadiens in the 1970s and the Penguins in 1993 were loaded, difficult for visiting teams. at least by the standard of when they played, were they not?

Do you think the Canadiens would fare better against the Penguins if two In Montreal, the players were all drafted. In Pittsburgh, you really have to of the games were in Montreal? give (former Penguins general manager) Craig Patrick credit for making trades to bring in players around Mario (Lemieux). Craig made some I can’t tell you what to expect. This is not something I ever would have great trades in 1991 and 1992, but it was harder than to keep a team imagined — playoff games at a neutral area without fans. I do expect it to together than it was when I was in Montreal. make a difference, not having fans and the energy they bring. But I can’t say if that will hurt Montreal more than Pittsburgh or if it will matter for I don’t mean it to sound the wrong way, but in Montreal, when I was either team. I do think it’s going to be a more difficult adjustment for all there, we usually had the best players. You still have to go out and win. the teams, but they’re just like the rest of us; you won’t know until you But we had the best players. know. You had some great ones in Pittsburgh, no? You are familiar with shorter series. The qualifying round is best-of-five. Well, Mario is the best player I’ve ever coached. He’s the greatest player How would change your approach compared to a best-of-seven? I’ve ever seen. He was never healthy and he was way ahead of I don’t think the approach changes. Of course, if you lose that first game, everybody else when I was in Pittsburgh. To this day, I still think what he you are really up against it. You sometimes hear that teams feel one did in the 1992 playoffs — you have to remember he played the last two another out in the first two or three games. I never saw it that way. But if series with one healthy hand — is the greatest playoff performance ever. you do believe in that, you’ll only get two periods in a best-of-five, Nobody was ever better than Mario was for us in 1992. because winning that first game is a lot more important. I don’t care who Which of your seasons in Pittsburgh was better? you are; needing to beat a good team three times in four games after only playing one game is going to be very difficult. If I was coaching one The one that won the Stanley Cup. But I always tell people that was Bob of these teams, Game 1 would be more important to me than I might let Johnston’s team. It really was. I was just filling in for him. the players know. It could be everything. In Pittsburgh, you had one season in which you closed the playoffs with Do you see the Penguins or Canadiens holding a significant advantage? 11 consecutive wins and another when you won 17 consecutive games in the regular season on the way to a Presidents’ Trophy. In Montreal, Pittsburgh has more experience. There’s no question about that. When you coached a team that won the Cup five times in seven seasons … you have players that have been there, been through tough series, that’s a bit of an edge. Then again, quite a few of the players haven’t been Do you want to know who would win? together much because of the injuries during the season. I don’t know if you can say this Pittsburgh team has been together enough to have the Yes, please. playoff experience of some of their best players matter that much. Do you know how many games we lost those years in Montreal? I can There is a working theory that Carey Price can steal the series. tell you. We lost 11, 8, 10 and then 17 in those years we won four in a row. The year we lost 17, you would have thought the world was ending. So, if it was you coaching the Canadiens against you coaching the Penguins, it would be the Canadiens that won?

One game?

Let’s go with a Game 7.

Where?

The Montreal Forum. Like you said, the Canadiens rarely lost. They probably would have earned the home ice.

(Laughs) In this scenario, I’m coaching against myself. I’m not sure if I’d know what to do. You’re asking a lot.

That would be as unprecedented as playoffs games without fans.

I guess it would.

In Montreal, we had three defensemen who ended up going into the Hall of Fame, we had a goalie who went into the Hall of Fame, and we had a lot of great offensive players. Like I said, we had the best team back then. We also were a team that could win games many ways. I think we would be tough to beat.

It sounds like there’s a “but” in there …

There is. But in Pittsburgh, we had a goalie who I think doesn’t get enough credit in (Tom) Barrasso. He is the best puck-moving goalie I’ve seen. Teams didn’t want to put the puck deep because Barrasso would move it up to our forwards so quickly. And in Pittsburgh, there were a lot of great forwards. I mean, (Jaromir) Jagr was just coming into his own, but by the middle of those playoffs, he might have been the second-best player in the league behind Mario.

For the Penguins, would you have tried to get Lemieux away from any particular defense pairing you had with the Canadiens?

Get Mario away from a defense pairing — are you kidding me? I would be trying to get him on the ice every shift. In a Game 7, if I had Mario, I would want him out there as much as he could handle it. And on the other side, I would probably be trying to get my best offensive players away from him. They would never have the puck if he was on the ice.

The idea of an in-his-prime Lemieux leading the loaded Penguins against that dynasty with the Canadiens for a Game 7 in Montreal — that sure would be something. Even in an empty arena. But you have to feel that one team would win, don’t you?

I have never really thought about it before now. I always wanted my teams to score the first goal. It’s a simple strategy, but if you get the first goal in a playoff game, you really put the opponent in a tough spot.

I think I’d really want that first goal in this game we’re talking about. I know when we had it when I was in Montreal, we didn’t lose many games. But we never had to play against a team that had a player like Mario. He made it so that no lead ever felt safe.

I’ll say the team that scored first would probably win. I just don’t know which team that would have been.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189963 Pittsburgh Penguins The last column in that chart shows total ice time (TOI) played at 5 on 5 by Hornqvist. It does not show his average power-play ice time each of his first four seasons (215:52) or his 966 postseason minutes over that span. Penguins’ player grades: Patric Hornqvist Why call attention to TOI at all? Well, Hornqvist logged over 1,452 minutes for the Penguins from 2014-18. Only Crosby and Malkin played more. By Rob Rossi Bottom line: Hornqvist played a lot of hard hockey — and he played it Aug 1, 2020 very well — prior to the past couple of seasons. It should surprise nobody who has witnessed power forwards hit walls in the past that Hornqvist seemed to follow that trend toward the end of the 2017-18 season, or After a long layoff because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Penguins are that his 2018-19 was the worst of his Penguins’ tenure. finally ready to begin the Stanley Cup playoffs. They’ll do so against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto. Which is exactly the way everybody had There was never a reason to doubt if Hornqvist, a pro’s pro when it predicted it would go many months ago. Before Game 1 of a best-of-5 comes to readying himself for the physical and mental grind of an NHL series, The Athletic wraps its of grades for players with Patric Hornqvist. season, had the will to return to form in 2019-20. But history suggests a rugged winger who would turn 33 midseason might not be able to find He wasn’t quite finished. Sure looked like he was struggling toward that that form regularly. finish line, though. And when the Penguins rolled lines for the first time during training camp, Patric Hornqvist’s placement — on the right side of It’s not that Hornqvist is old. Rather, his late mid-to-late prime coincided the third line — appeared to confirm that coaches just might have agreed with the most taxing stretch of a carer that had arrived at its 12th season. with onlookers that a fierce warrior of a winger was not anything close to What was Patric Hornqvist at this point? This was the question last what he had once been. September. So, let’s think back upon what Hornqvist was up until two years ago. Heading into August — you know, that traditional month on the hockey Hornqvist was a special, impactful forward. What he lacked as a skater, calendar — the answer was not obvious. By some measures (GF%), he he more than made up for by bringing a physicality, tenacity and — no was better this past season than at any point with the Penguins. By use in sugarcoating it — high-dosage prickishness. others, (SF% and FF%) his decline carried into a third season.

He was, and remains, what elder hockey fans might fondly recall as a He was still prone to missing a lot of games; he actually played in a lower throwback to days when wingers went to the so-called dirty areas and percentage of games in 2019-20 (75.4 percent) than over the past two wielded sticks as weapons as much as tools. And a player with such combined seasons (84.8 percent). At least when he did play this past qualities has especially won fans in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins are season, the Penguins were way on the plus-side of scoring at 5 on 5 into their fourth decade of trying to supplement all-time scorers with while he was on the ice. complementary teammates who, ideally, would be similar to Hornqvist. That’s not nothing, especially for a bottom-six forward, which is what Except, players like Hornqvist are as difficult to find as their success is Hornqvist appears to have become. And that is probably because easy to oversimplify. Hornqvist is not the possession driver he was during his best seasons in Pittsburgh. It’s a nice thought that every forward could treat every shift like a battlefield charge, plant himself near the net, absorb punishment and Still, at 5 on 5, Hornqvist produced the second-best marks of his create havoc for opposing defensemen and goaltenders. Penguins tenure in expected goals (3.73) and high-danger scoring chances (16.98) per 60 minutes. It’s also a flawed thought. Not as good as he once was, but as good once as he ever was? Not At the height of his prowess, Kevin Stevens didn’t regularly score 40 quite just yet. goals because he was big and powerful and particularly adept at giving as good as he got. He was a powerful skater with wonderful hand-eye But Hornqvist was, in some ways, closer to his best self this past season coordination. Like Rick Tocchet, later his teammate with the Penguins than he had been since the 2017 postseason. Given the uncertainty that and also a winger underappreciated by historians, Stevens saw the ice surrounded him coming into 2019-20, he had to be pleased with how the and thought the game at an elite level. season went for him.

If wingers such as Stevens and Tocchet — the latter should be in the Not surprised. But pleased. Hockey Hall of Fame, the former was on that track at one point — were plentiful, every club would have several. Truth is, no club can ever have enough guys like them because they often personify the steely will a The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 championship club needs to develop.

Hornqvist is not on the level of either a Tocchet or peak-Stevens.

Neither was Chris Kunitz.

Do the Penguins win any of their past two titles without either Hornqvist or Kunitz? Can’t say for sure.

And with Kunitz’s departure after the 2017 Stanley Cup run, only Hornqvist remained as that emotional catalyst willing to play as dirty as the areas in which he worked. To extend their run atop the NHL, the Penguins probably needed more from Hornqvist after than during his initial three seasons in Pittsburgh.

Tough ask of a player with his style. Three seasons of high-end production for a true power forward — at least as true as one can be in the modern NHL — probably break the body as would a decade for players that skate past and around the action instead of into it.

The chart below breaks down Hornqvist at 5 on 5 in his six regular seasons with the Penguins. As recorded by the Natural Stat Trick website, the categories show the Penguins’ percentage of goals- and shots-for when Hornqvist was on the ice (GF%, SF%) and their percentage of unblocked shot attempts when Hornqvist was on the ice (FF%). 1189964 Pittsburgh Penguins The two Penguins wins were intimately tied to Crosby, who got four points in one of the wins and three in the other. In all four games, Crosby had eight points while Malkin, even though he collected five points in six games, wasn’t quite as dominant. How Phillip Danault’s line has fared against Pittsburgh’s two-headed monster What portion of the players’ production can be reflected in the defensive work of the Danault line? We thought it would be worthwhile to isolate that line’s work in all six games to come to a conclusion.

By Marc Antoine Godin Oct. 6, 2018, in Pittsburgh

Aug 1, 2020 Canadiens 5, Penguins 1

The Canadiens were playing their second game of the season in Pittsburgh and they would see the Penguins again very soon in Montreal Do the Canadiens have what it takes to battle the two-headed monster? a week later. It has been one of the main questions surrounding their play-in series At the time, the Canadiens’ line combinations were not yet solidified. The against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over the past two seasons, or ever TDG line played the first game of the season together, but that night in since Phillip Danault, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar (we’ll call Pittsburgh, we saw Artturi Lehkonen play a few shifts with Danault and them the TDG line) have made up the Canadiens’ top line, people have Gallagher while Tatar sometimes played with Max Domi. waited to see the line self destruct against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Except, as we will soon demonstrate, Claude Julien has no When Gallagher opened the scoring midway through the first, the TDG reason to hesitate sending Danault out against the beast. line was playing only its second shift together.

Julien has fielded roughly 1,000 questions during training camp on home- The line put pressure on Malkin, who was at the end of a shift, and he ice advantage and having the last change against the Penguins. Looking somewhat lazily lobbed the puck into the neutral zone toward at the past two seasons shows that the Canadiens have had far more defenceman Jack Johnson, who was eager to get back on the attack. success against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. It’s not even close. They That Johnson turned it over while Malkin and Phil Kessel were headed were 2-1-0 in Pittsburgh and 1-1-1 at home, but the share of high-danger off for a change was a good turn of events for the Canadiens. chances is pretty telling, as is the wildly varying performance of the special teams. Tatar’s shot was deflected by Olli Maatta and Gallagher jumped on the fortunate bounce. Canadiens vs Penguins last two seasons The three forwards have spent almost the entirety of the past two Home seasons proving how their combined traits make them a line that is at once highly efficient and vastly underrated. But in their first games 6 together last season, they weren’t exactly a dominant line, as this 11 sequence by Crosby’s line, which did everything but score, demonstrated. 7.7 Later in the game, Pittsburgh’s big guns went to work against the TDG 77.8 line again, most notably the scoring chance for the Malkin line.

35 We saw all sorts of early-season adjustments in this game, such as Gallagher facing a line of Carl Hagelin, Malkin and Phil Kessel most 30 often, Tatar facing Jake Guentzel, Crosby and Patric Hornqvist and 47.80% Danault facing a mix of the two lines.

Away But when playing together, the TDG line gave a preview of what was to come. It wasn’t regularly buried, and when it was, the damage was 10 limited.

6 “They had some tough nights where I had to switch them up, but I think 28.6 you see three players who combine forces to make up a good line,” Julien said recently. “When you see what they’ve accomplished the last 85.7 two seasons, they’ve been our most productive and most used line. We know a guy like Gallagher is never afraid to go to the net, that’s his 30 strength. Tatar has an excellent shot and Phillip is a two-way centre. I’m 28 never afraid to send them out against the other team’s best line. They take pride in that.” 56.50% Gallagher was asked about the journey his line has taken from those first Crosby missed two of those six games, the first two this season, as he games to now. recovered from a core muscle injury, but he missed one in Pittsburgh and another in Montreal. “The more time you spend together, the more you’re able to talk and work things out,” he said. “We’re at a point now, I know what both those Here’s how the Canadiens did in the other four games with Crosby in guys are thinking on the ice, they know what I’m thinking and they know uniform, going 2-2-0 in those games: how I’m going to react. And if something happens on the ice that we’re not all that happy about, you talk about it and you correct it. In the four games Crosby played “It’s at the point where it’s kind of finer details. As a line, we have a pretty 10 good understanding of our job every night and we take a lot of pride in 13 that.”

13.3 Oct. 13, 2018, in Montreal

72.7 Canadiens 4, Penguins 3 (SO)

35 After giving up a number of quality scoring chances against Anze Kopitar’s line in their home opener, the Danault line faced the Penguins 26 for the second time in a week and was given the mandate to face the line of Guentzel, Crosby and Derick Brassard. 53.20% In the first period, Danault jumped on the ice to replace Tomas Plekanec at almost the same time as Crosby and just as the Penguins opened the scoring. Danault attacked the puck carrier a bit too aggressively and it of a potential matchup against a line with Jonathan Drouin, Nick Suzuki opened a door for the Penguins. That said, at the time Dominik Simon and Joel Armia that is worth keeping in mind. Basically, the defensive released his shot, there were five red shirts surrounding two Penguins challenges in facing Crosby and Malkin are similar, but facing an easier players. No matter who is on the ice, if players manage the puck and defensive opponent when Montreal has the puck could make that a space that poorly, they’re asking for trouble. better matchup for Suzuki’s line.

Crosby had barely touched the ice before getting a freebie of a plus-1. We wrap up our look at this game with Crosby beating Danault on a third- period draw in the Canadiens’ end, leading to a great chance for Crosby, A few minutes later, the TDG line was unable to establish itself in the who already had a goal and three assists in the game. offensive zone because Crosby’s line cut off all of its passing lanes. Pay particular attention to Crosby’s defensive positioning in the next clip. The At five-on-five, Crosby’s line scored once against the Danault line in 7:07 pressure he put on Gallagher forced a rushed pass to Noah Juulsen, a and twice against the Canadiens’ other lines in 4:44. pass Crosby nearly picked off. Juulsen was forced to take the pass on his backhand, whereas if it were on his forehand, he might have been Dec. 10, 2019, in Pittsburgh able to shoot the puck on net or at least get it deep into the zone. But on Canadiens 4, Penguins 1 his backhand, he had little choice but to send it back to Gallagher, and Crosby knew it. Crosby missed the first two games against the Canadiens this season with a core muscle injury. That meant that for as difficult as it would be The Danault line didn’t have a great first period, but it came out strong in for Julien to get Danault’s line out against Malkin on the road, the the second. Danault won the opening faceoff against Crosby and then challenge was not as insurmountable as normal. took a route through the neutral zone that appeared to catch Crosby off guard, creating a lot of space for the Canadiens. Gallagher went to Malkin and Danault took the opening faceoff, suggesting Sullivan wasn’t support the puck — a fundamental strength of the line — to ensure a going to bother trying to keep Malkin away from Danault and that he successful zone entry with possession. It resulted in a bit of a lucky goal would instead focus on imposing his own game plan. That Guentzel for Tatar 11 seconds into the period, his first in a Canadiens uniform. scored on the Malkin line’s second shift validated Sullivan’s bench management. Tatar added a power-play goal later and ended the night with a “Game of Thrones” cape draped over his shoulders. In the first period, with the Canadiens setting up in the offensive zone, they were briefly in an umbrella setup. If they managed to maintain The TDG line struck again later in the second thanks to strong board play possession, it was clearly a play meant to get Shea Weber a one-timer from Danault and Tatar against Crosby and Johnson, allowing the from the left circle on the opposite side of the ice from the puck. Except a Canadiens to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone. As soon as it got needlessly risky pass from Danault to Ben Chiarot at the top of the to the point, Gallagher drove the net, ready for a rebound. umbrella created a turnover that turned into a two-on-one breakaway for “When you see them together and the puck is in a corner, you don’t see Guentzel and Bryan Rust. any of them look over their shoulder to say, ‘That’s your job to get it in the That first period, when the Penguins held a slight edge in the flow of play, corner.’ The closest one to the puck goes in and the next guy supports,” wasn’t great for Danault’s line. He had another turnover along the way Julien said. “They have good chemistry and a good understanding of that could have been very dangerous. what we want from them, but also a good understanding of how we succeed. That’s what makes them a consistent line.” It was mainly over the first two periods when Danault’s line was matched against Malkin, and even though Malkin’s line had the edge in five-on-five Overall, it was a good night for the Danault line against the Penguins’ big shot attempts, the TDG line was able to orchestrate some chances. guns. But no one will ever prevent Crosby’s line from being menacing, Whether that was by maintaining offensive zone pressure as Gallagher and it takes five players to mitigate the threat. Crosby is also not alone, went to work … because Guentzel is also a constant threat on his wing. … or by taking advantage of the long change in the second period … Danault lost a faceoff in the defensive zone to Brassard, and Guentzel was able to tip a shot from the point, forcing Antti Niemi to make a tough … or by using speed to the outside. save. But an ill-advised clearing attempt by Mike Reilly gave Guentzel In the third period, once the Canadiens had a 3-1 lead, Sullivan got another opportunity for free. Malkin away from Danault and sent him out against Domi’s line more March 2, 2019, in Montreal often, and sometimes against the fourth line. The Danault line was the Canadiens’ only one that kept its head above water in shot attempts, Penguins 5, Canadiens 1 something that can be explained somewhat by score effects as the Late in the season, with the Canadiens still looking like a team heading to Penguins attacked in the third to try to get back in the game. the playoffs, they had a two-point lead on the Penguins, whom they had One interesting note: Gallagher’s and Tatar’s production were unaffected already beaten twice. The Penguins were not in playoff position, but a this season whether they played at home or on the road, and Danault win in Montreal would allow them to leapfrog the Canadiens in the was actually more productive on the road. He had five goals and 21 standings. It was an important game, and a certain someone took points with a plus-3 in 37 home games and had eight goals and 26 points charge. with a plus-15 in 34 road games.

Like the previous matchup in Montreal, Danault’s line had the assignment Tatar and Gallagher sealed the game in the third with a power-play goal of facing Crosby. In the first minute, Jordie Benn opened the door and and another into an empty net. On Tatar’s goal, Danault was in the slot Crosby walked right through it. and took a pass from Suzuki but had his shot blocked by John Marino. In the second period, after the Canadiens were already down 3-0, it was The Penguins had an opportunity to get the puck and clear it, but a Brett Kulak’s and Christian Folin’s turns to be schooled by Crosby and second effort from Danault allowed him to secure possession. Somewhat Guentzel. of a scramble ensued and Gallagher was able to find Tatar for the goal.

Why mention that if the Danault line wasn’t even on the ice? Because it The Danault and Malkin lines more or less cancelled out each other, so it was the second time in the game Guentzel scored off a Canadiens icing. was mission accomplished for the Canadiens on that night. It was, Lesson: Teams can chase matchups all they want, especially at home, however, strange to see the Canadiens’ other lines have the edge on but inopportune icings with the wrong players on the ice can undo the Malkin’s in high-danger scoring chances. best-laid plans. The Penguins will surely pounce on them. We often say that when Crosby is out, Malkin elevates his game. It On the next shift, however, Sullivan sent Malkin over the boards and wasn’t the case that night. Julien responded with Danault, who promptly got the Canadiens on the Jan. 4 in Montreal board. As we’ve seen many times, the combination of a second effort from Danault to protect the puck and Gallagher being in the right spot is a Penguins 3, Canadiens 2 (OT) good formula for a scoring chance. This was the game in which, a few days after Julien spoke glowingly Of note on that sequence is Malkin’s defensive coverage on Gallagher, about him, Suzuki made a very bad line change in overtime to allow the or lack thereof. Malkin is not Crosby in his own end, which is one aspect Penguins to win on an odd-man rush. The game was at the Bell Centre, where the Canadiens had one of the But less than a minute later, as the Canadiens were celebrating Tatar’s NHL’s worst home records this season. But Crosby was still out, so goal, Danault was still tired on the bench while Domi was fresh and Julien was able to match Danault against Malkin for nearly 10 minutes at ready. So Julien sent Domi out against Crosby despite the faceoff being five-on-five. The Canadiens’ first line bent but did not break, but Malkin in the Canadiens’ end with less than a minute left in the period. was able to take advantage of the other six minutes he played at even strength against the other lines. He put up only one assist, just like the Could he have turned to Danault again? Perhaps. But it might not have previous game, but he was a constant threat. made a difference.

Gallagher missed the game while recovering from a concussion and his Looking at the metrics, Crosby didn’t appear to have a great game. He absence was felt. He was replaced on the top line by Nick Cousins, a was in the red in terms of on-ice shot attempts, shots on goal and scoring clear downgrade. As a result, that line was not able to dominate chances, particularly against the Danault line. But he still created three possession like it normally does and had to rely on Carey Price to bail it plays that wound up in the Canadiens’ net, which supersedes every other out. possible statistic.

Malkin was missing Guentzel on his wing, so it was Dominik Kahun who “You can be winning your matchup 98 percent of the game,” former played with Malkin and Rust. As was the case in the first game between Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges said about facing Crosby in the the teams this season, possession numbers favoured the Penguins, who 2010 playoffs. “The 2 percent that you don’t? That you make a mistake again controlled the flow of play in the first and third periods while the and fall asleep or you’re not ready? He has two points and at the end of Canadiens largely carried the second. the day they win 3-2, he got the game-winning goal and an assist, and they say, ‘Sidney Crosby does it again.’” The Danault line did not allow a goal — Rust’s tying goal in the third was scored against Nate Thompson’s line — and Danault also won 11 of his That’s exactly what happened on this night. 18 faceoffs against Malkin. But he was still unable to be a dual-threat as It wasn’t always pretty, but over the past two seasons, the Danault line Danault described his own play recently. has held its own against Crosby and Malkin, which is an accomplishment Over the past two years, Danault has filled the same role Tomas unto itself. Even if we’re talking about lines and not individual matchups, Plekanec did for years in Montreal. Plekanec was often accused of being we still isolated Danault’s work in those six games. unable to elevate his game in the playoffs, and he would sometimes reply Any centre who was on the ice for the same number of goals for and that his defensive responsibilities made it difficult for him to produce. against at five-on-five over four or six games against Crosby and Malkin “There’s nothing I can do about that. I think I did my job very well,” can pat himself on the back. That must be somewhat reassuring to Plekanec said in fall 2010, a few months after the Canadiens’ run to the Julien. Now, all he has to do is find a way to fill the minutes when Crosby conference final. “My role is to be a two-way player, and people who say or Malkin are on the ice but the Danault line is on the bench. I need to get points need to realize I’m the guy who plays on both sides The numbers suggest Domi was not as bad defensively as one might of the ice.” expect, but his offensive numbers suffered as a result.

It will be interesting to see if Danault will suffer the same fate in the Since Julien is using Domi in a fourth-line role, Suzuki seems to be the qualifying round against Pittsburgh. His is clearly Julien’s most guy who will get the minutes Danault can’t fill. Julien is not ready to call responsible line, but it will have pressure to score. the 20-year-old rookie the next Patrice Bergeron, but he said Suzuki has In January, just after a Canadiens penalty, Tatar had one of his most his confidence. dangerous shifts playing with Domi, who was one of Montreal’s most “He’s a really smart player,” Julien said. “And he reads the play well, from dangerous players in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. what I’ve seen. For the most part, he’s very good at supporting in areas If Domi can play like that in the qualifying round, it would take some of that he needs to support in the D zone. He’s also very smart if he needs that offensive pressure off the top line. to do an interchange with one of his teammates. He sees that right away. Feb. 14 in Pittsburgh All that to say that he reads a play real well, not only offensively but defensively. So, because of that, he’s become a pretty reliable defensive Penguins 4, Canadiens 1 player as well.”

This might be the most revealing game on our list because not only was But will it be enough? it the most recent, both lineups also looked close to what we’ll see in this series. Crosby was finally in uniform, Jason Zucker had just joined the Penguins and the Canadiens had Gallagher, Armia and Drouin in The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 uniform. The game was also in Pittsburgh, giving the Penguins the same line-matching advantage they will have in the first two games of the series (and in Game 5, if it gets that far).

But the Canadiens’ lines — aside from Danault’s — look nothing like they did that night when Julien had Drouin-Domi-Cousins, Ilya Kovalchuk- Suzuki-Armia and Lehkonen-Thompson-Jake Evans. Each of those lines had one player traded away at the deadline. The departures of Thompson and Ilya Kovalchuk in particular cost the Canadiens a lot of experience.

Making up for lost time, Crosby took over in the second period. He set up Kris Letang for a power-play goal to get Pittsburgh on the board, and Crosby took advantage of an extended shift by Tatar and Gallagher after a Canadiens power play and a mistake by Victor Mete to set up a goal by Zucker to make it 2-0.

Another Zucker goal toward the end of the second made it 3-1 Pittsburgh but, 22 seconds later, a penalty by Hornqvist opened the door for the Canadiens to get back in the game. In six games over two years, the Canadiens’ power play has scored only three goals against the Penguins, and all of them have been scored by Tatar.

Except with 54 seconds left in the second, Crosby won a faceoff against Domi and Zucker scored again at 19:42.

That is a good illustration of Julien’s dilemma in game planning against the Penguins’ two-headed monster. After a Canadiens power play, as he often does, Julien sent Danault on the ice to face Malkin, and Lehkonen drew the penalty on Hornqvist. 1189965 San Jose Sharks

Sharks' Evander Kane felt like he couldn't be himself while with Jets

By Brian Witt

August 01, 2020 3:00 PM

Sharks winger Evander Kane has been one of the most outspoken individuals in recent months in discussing the systemic racism that has plagued not only the country, but specifically the sport he has played his entire life.

He recently was named co-head of the newly-formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, whose mission is to "eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey," and appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area's "Race in America: A Candid Conversation," in which he called for athletes to use their platforms for the greater good and not "stick to sports."

In a league that has extremely little minority representation, Kane is one of the relatively few current NHL players who can directly speak to the prevalence of systemic racism within the sport of hockey. As he explained on a recent episode of the NHL's "Soul on Ice" podcast with Kwame Damon Mason, he was exposed to it from the very beginning.

"I think it's engrained in you at a really young age," Kane told Mason. "Hockey is such a team sport, and you learn that when you first put your skates on and are a member of your first team. It's all about the team first, and those types of things are preached. And that's one of the great parts about hockey, is it is a team sport, and you understand that's what you sign up for.

"At the same time, the messaging -- especially in Canada -- that goes along with that is kind of conforming to what everybody else is doing. Individuality and personality is looked at -- especially as a minority player -- in a negative light. It's looked at as an issue. There's some sort of internal, maybe subconscious bias that not only players have, but parents, coaches, etc., and it's unfortunate."

Kane broke into the NHL with the after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. But when the Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg and became the Jets in his third NHL season, he encountered an environment similar to the one he described.

"I came into the league with a lot of personality," Kane continued. "Always been a great teammate coming through Junior and so on and so forth. I get to Atlanta, things are fine, things are good, I have my first couple of years in the NHL. And then we get to Winnipeg and it's crazy to me, because for the first time, I felt like I couldn't be myself. I became paranoid with everything I said or did, and really to me, it kind of pushed me into a corner where I felt I couldn't do or say what I wanted to do as a grown man at that point."

Kane was traded from Winnipeg to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, and -- almost exactly three years later -- was traded from Buffalo to San Jose. Ultimately, he ended up in a situation where he doesn't feel his individuality is restricted or seen as a negative.

"Now, I've definitely grown out of that -- that's expired," Kane added. "And I'm part of an organization and group of guys that really push those individual qualities and the uniqueness of individuals. And I think you look at any team, any great team, any team that has won the Cup -- you look at St. Louis last year -- I'm sure that they weren't 20 of the exact same people. They had different personalities, different players, different skillsets that came together as a team to make themselves great. And I think that's how you build great teams."

The Sharks clearly must improve on the ice to be considered a great team again, but due to the presence of players like Kane and others, it would appear they have one of the necessary ingredients -- in his estimation -- to do so.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189966 St Louis Blues through the third period in a 4-3 Canucks OT win. Was he surprised to get the penalty?

“Yeah. Big time,” Berube said said. “Whatever. That’s my fault.” In case you've forgotten: A refresher course on the regular season The injury

With the Los Angeles Kings in town Oct. 24, Vladimir Tarasenko was Jim Thomas skating as well as he had all season. Just over six minutes remained in the first period, when he tried to get loose for a breakaway. The Kings’ Sean Walker caught him and spun him around, making contact with Tarasenko’s left shoulder. It didn’t look like much, but it was the same EDMONTON, Alberta — In a land far away and long ago, regular-season shoulder that needed surgery after the 2017-18 season. hockey was played. It was a time of heroes and villains. Triumph and tragedy. Promise and then plague. Tarasenko was done for the night and didn’t accompany the team on a weekend trip to Boston and Detroit. The bad news came after they More than an entire offseason has passed since the Blues last played returned. He needed another shoulder surgery and would be sidelined at hockey. But then came that exhibition encounter Wednesday against least five months. You could almost hear the collective groan: ”There Chicago. And now, let the Pandemic Playoffs begin. goes the Cup.” Their postseason starts with Sunday’s 5:30 p.m. (St. Louis time) round- Since the start of the 2014-15 season, only Alex Ovechkin (245) and robin game against the Colorado Avalanche, as they attempt once more John Tavares (186) had scored more regular-season goals than to drink from Lord Stanley’s Cup — pandemic willing. Tarasenko (185). Over that same stretch, only five NHL players had It’s been a while. Remember the regular season? The thrills and chills, more game-winning goals than Tarasenko’s 31. the unexpected and the unthinkable. Of course you don’t. Not much of it “Vladimir Tarasenko’s a special player and we all know that,” Berube anyway. said. “He’s a great goal scorer. You can’t just go make somebody a great The Blues earned their way to a top-four playoff seed and a ticket to the goal scorer. It’s a team thing and we all gotta just keep doing our jobs NHL’s Round of 16 later in August. They had the best regular-season and it’ll take care of itself.” record (42-19-10) in the Western Conference and the second-best in the It did. Even though the regular season ended 11 games early due to the entire league. coronavirus, a dozen Blues either exceeded or matched their goal totals How did they get here? Before moving on to the conclusion of the most from the Stanley Cup year. The team average of 3.14 goals per game unlikely season in hockey history, here’s a look back. A refresher course, was their highest for a season since 1994-95. if you will. Hot: David Perron, aka Mr. Overtime, scored his fifth game-winning goal First came the ring presentation dinner at the Missouri History Museum, and his third overtime goal of the season in a 3-2 win Nov. 9 at Calgary. two days before the opener. The Stanley Cup rings were elaborate and He became the first player in franchise history to score three OT goals in massive. the first 20 games of a season.

“It’s like it was a trophy in itself,” center Ryan O’Reilly said. Not: A healthy scratch in eight of the previous nine games, Robby Fabbri was traded to Detroit for Jacob de la Rose, learning he’d been dealt as For the first time since 1962-63, the winner of the two previous Stanley the Blues finished off a 5-2 Nov. 6 win in Edmonton. Cups met to open the season, with the Washington Capitals at the Enterprise Center on Oct. 2. The Blues raised the banner and then nearly Milestones: In a 4-1 victory Dec. 23 over the Kings, Schwartz’s 11th goal raised the roof with two goals in the opening eight minutes, but the matched his total of the entire 2018-19 season. Schenn scored twice, Capitals rallied for a 3-2 overtime win. giving him 17 goals and matching his total for ‘18-19 campaign.

Following a 3-2 victory Oct. 7 over the Maples Leafs, the Blues stayed Remember This? There was Thunder from down Under in a 5-2 victory over to present one of those championship rings to the Hockey Hall of over Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, when Aussie Nathan Walker scored his first Fame in Toronto. It was the first time an entire team and its owner had Blues goal and just the second of his NHL career. Fans were ready, been there to present a ring. waving an Australian flag at Enterprise.

“Your goal as a player is to win, and then there’s lots of things that come The calendar year ended with a clunker, a 3-1 loss to Arizona on New with it that are nice — I guess mementos and things to remember it by,” Year’s Eve, snapping an eight-game winning streak. There was more of defenseman Jay Bouwmeester said. the same in the new year. The Blues were OK in January (4-2-2) heading into the All-Star break, then stumbled coming out of it, going 2-6-2 into That was one of those times. Another of those days came Oct. 15. After mid-February. a tough 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, the Blues had completed a four-game trip but had one more stop on the way back to St. There were some excruciating losses along the way. Like a 7-3 Louis: the Rose Garden for a White House ceremony with President shellacking Jan. 2 in Colorado, in which Jordan Binnington gave up all Donald J. Trump. seven goals — a career high — before being pulled. Sixteen days later, back at the Pepsi Center against Colorado, Binnington was pulled again The surprise zinger of the day came when the normally media-shy Jaden after allowing four goals on just 11 shots in a 5-3 loss. Schwartz invited the president to some golf. More road frustration came in Vegas. Just two days after the 7-3 fiasco in “If you want to take us on sometime, let us know,” he said. Denver, the Blues squandered a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 overtime loss. A Feb. 13 return trip to Nevada brought a similar result — a 6-5 OT loss in which Later Schwartz confessed: “I was nervous. I kind of blacked out. I don’t the Blues got four goals from Zach Sanford but couldn’t hold leads of 4-2 really remember what I said.” and 5-4. The Golden Knights had four power-play goals. Hot: One game into the regular season, Brayden Schenn signed an Binnington went through the first slump of his young NHL career. The eight-year, $52 million contract extension. He then scored goals in five second Vegas game made it eight straight games in which he’d allowed consecutive games — a career best — and in eight of his next nine three or more goals. Over a 14-game stretch, starting with a 5-4 win over contests. Winnipeg on Dec. 27, he had a 3.42 goals-against average and a save Not: In their first seven games, the Blues squandered two-goal leads percentage of just .883. three times and lost all three in overtime or shootout. Hot: Tyler Bozak scored his second game-winner in three games in a 4-1 Milestone: In that win in Toronto, Alex Pietrangelo scored the 23rd game- Jan. 13 victory over Anaheim, giving him six goals in his last 9 contests. winning goal of his career, a franchise record for a Blues defenseman. Not: Since returning from their Christmas break, through the Feb. 13 loss Remember This? Craig Berube received a bench penalty for arguing with to Vegas, the Blues were tied with lowly Ottawa — yes, Ottawa — for the officials about a goalie interference call against Robert Thomas. The worst defense in the league with a 3.53 team GAA. resulting 5-on-3 power play led to a game-tying Vancouver goal midway Milestone: Alexander Steen played his 1,000th NHL regular-season game Feb. 1, and it came in his hometown of Winnipeg. He was recognized by the public address announcer, there was a video tribute, and a third-period standing ovation from the fans in Bell MTS Place.

Remember This? Berube has a strong distaste for run-and-gun hockey, and this was true even after Perron’s shootout winner in a 5-4 track meet Jan. 28 in Calgary. The Blues trailed 2-1, 4-3, lost a goal on an offside challenge, and survived a penalty in OT.

“I can’t stand that hockey,” Berube said the next day. “I mean, I know a lot of people like it, but I can’t stand it. So I’m not gonna sit here and try to tell you that I like that type of hockey. I don’t. It’s not our game.”

After the events of Feb. 11 and March 11, the Honda Center will never look the same for the Blues.

On Feb. 11, the first game of the Dads’ Trip, Bouwmeester collapsed on the bench after completing a shift in the first period.

The sight of Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn frantically calling for help is lodged indelibly in the minds of those on the scene. Paramedics, trainers and medical officials ran over to the veteran defenseman and probably saved his life. After Bouwmeester was rushed to the hospital, dads wearing their son’s jerseys — including Bouwmeester’s father, Dan — waited for news outside the visitors locker room.

The next day, general manager Doug Armstrong called it “shocking” and “sobering.” Bouwmeester was OK. He underwent a procedure to monitor and control his heartbeat, but his season was done — and perhaps his career.

There was an uneasiness when the Blues returned March 11 for the makeup game in Anaheim as memories resurfaced of that night in February. But by the end of this night — a 4-2 Blues victory — there was a new concern.

During the game, news broke that a Utah Jazz basketball player had tested positive for COVID-19. The next day, on the team charter back to St. Louis, the NHL “paused” its season indefinitely due to the pandemic.

Hot: A 2-0 victory March 8 in Chicago gave the Blues a series sweep over their Central Division rivals for the first time in franchise history. Two of the four victories were shutouts with Jake Allen in goal.

Not: A 2-1 loss at Nashville on Feb. 16 gave the Predators a sweep of the season series. The Blues had only one measly point — via shootout loss the day after Thanksgiving — to show for four games.

Milestone: Two goals by Ivan Barbashev and a 17-save shutout for Binnington gave the Blues their 12th consecutive victory over New Jersey, matching a franchise record against any opponent. (The Devils avenged that 3-0 defeat and snapped the streak with a 4-2 win in Jersey 2½ weeks later.)

Remember This? Binnington righted the ship down the stretch. Over his final nine starts, he had a 1.79 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Included were back-to-back shutouts Feb. 18 against New Jersey and Feb. 20 against Arizona.

“Just a couple wins,” Binnington shrugged after the Arizona game. “We have to keep building, stay with it. It’s getting to the fun time of the year.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189967 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues vs. Avalanche

Jim Thomas

With 92 points during the regular season, on a record of 42-20-8, Colorado tied Tampa Bay for the third-most points in the league behind Boston (100) and St. Louis (94). It’s the third consecutive postseason berth for the high-powered Avs, who finished fourth in goals per game (3.37) and tied for most 5-on-5 goals (162).

Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon finished fifth in league scoring with 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists) becoming the first player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring four consecutive seasons. MacKinnon led the league in shots on goal, with 318.

Coach Jared Bednar did not disclose his starting goalie Saturday, but Philipp Grubauer started all four regular-season contests against St. Louis, and was 2-2 with a 3.26 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage. Defenseman Sam Girard, who led the Avalanche in ice time (21:19), will be back in the lineup after sitting out their 3-2 exhibition victory Wednesday over Minnesota.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189968 St Louis Blues into games, and this would be a great chance to get Robert Bortuzzo some game action. And after Sunday, the Blues don’t play again until Thursday.

Opening game of postseason is Blues chance to find themselves One of the things that stood out about the first day of NHL action was that there were plenty of penalties. The Rangers-Carolina game had 16 minor penalties and the Chicago-Edmonton game had 10.

Tom Timmermann “After this long break,” Tarasenko said, “usually teams need some time to get back to their rhythm and that’s why so many penalties happen.

Whoever gets to it first and starts playing more disciplined is going to win After a very long wait, an offseason-plus in effect, the Blues play a game the Cup.” that means something for the first time since March 11 on Sunday when “I think all playoffs start off that way,” Berube said, “with a lot of penalties. they face Colorado in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I think it’s just a mindset for me. You have to be disciplined, you’ve got to So, Vladimir Tarasenko, are you excited to finally be getting back to real work hard, you’ve got to skate, you’ve got to keep your stick down. If you action? don’t keep your stick down they’re going to call that stuff. It’s just about “I’m more excited to go to my room right now,” he said Saturday. good positioning, work habits, good sticks and doing the right things. You can’t take lazy penalties, and that’s the ones that kill you. In reality, he probably meant that his room was more appealing than answering questions from reporters, but in any case, it seems the Blues “We’re going to be a physical team out there, and you’re probably going know that the issue on Sunday is more about how they play than how to get some calls against you for being physical at times, but more often they do. There may be minimal difference between being the No. 1 seed than not they’re not going to call that stuff, they’re going to allow you to and the No. 4 seed in the West. play physical, they want physical hockey. But it’s when you use your sticks (you get called) and a lot of times that’s caused by not working “Big games are always fun, even if we don’t have fans here,” Tarasenko hard enough and not being in the right position.” said. “If you want to win the Cup you’re going to face some of those teams in the future and the way you play with them is a confidence builder for us and for them. … We don’t expect there to be easy games St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020 preparing for the first round. We’re going to play hard and try to find our game, especially after that last game with Chicago.”

“For us,” forward David Perron said, “we focus on us for the most part right now. It’s not like we’re up against Colorado for seven games right now.”

If the Blues have a score to settle, it’s with themselves after their 4-0 exhibition loss Wednesday to Chicago, which, if nothing else, gave coach Craig Berube plenty of topics to work on in practice on Friday and Saturday.

“You guys haven’t seen the last few practices,” Perron said. “Guys have been pretty intense out there.”

The last two meetings between the teams were wins for the Avalanche with the Blues giving up 12 goals combined.

“We let those games get away from us,” Berube said. “We were too loose defensively on (Nathan) MacKinnon. He hurt us in both games. I think the games we won earlier on in the year and going back to last year, we were a lot tighter on him and did a much better job. We didn’t kill penalties in those games very well. If I look back at the games we won earlier in the season, we did a great job against their power play. We’ve got to definitely play this team tight. They’ve got some great speed and high-end skill over there. They play a fast game. So we’re going to need to be really good without the puck. Defensively, make sure we’re checking, make sure we’re getting in the way of McKinnon and (Mikko) Rantanen. As much as we can we want to possess the puck and keep it from them.”

“We weren’t expecting to be great in that first game,” Perron said, “but we expect to be a lot better tomorrow.”

Tarasenko returned to practice on Saturday after taking a maintenance day on Friday. The Blues exhibition game was his first game action in nine months after having shoulder surgery.

“Everything’s fine,” Tarasenko said. “It’s a little weird when you don’t play for that long. We didn’t play the way we wanted to play (against Chicago), but I feel fine and hopefully I’m going to be like this in the future.”

Berube said that everyone practiced and should be available for the game, though it sounded like defenseman Vince Dunn, who missed most of the St. Louis portion of training camp and didn’t play on Wednesday, probably isn’t going to see action.

“He’s fine,” Berube said. “Obviously he’s missed quite a bit of time. He’s not where we need him to be or where he wants to be. He’s looked pretty good so far and getting better and better each day, so he’s good to go though if we need him so we’ll see what happens.”

With 10 defensemen in camp, it seems unlikely the Blues would need him, especially since Berube wants to get as many players as possible 1189969 St Louis Blues So that’s it for the Chronicles. Thanks for reading. Loved the feedback. On Sunday morning I’ll see what that statue’s all about outside my room window.

JT's Quarantine Chronicles: Service with a smile Later, I'll walk over to Rogers Place to watch the Blues play Stan Kroenke’s Colorado Avalanche.

Jim Thomas St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020

EDMONTON, Alberta _ Two weeks ago tonight I slept at an airport, waylaid by a clogged customs area in Toronto. The next day, I was welcomed to Edmonton by a balky cabbie _ balky about returning the cellphone I left in his cab without getting some money.

Early that first week, my attempt to order pizza was stymied when the delivery driver had a flat. Never had that happen before. I have yet to have pizza here.

So it was a rough start.

But rest assured, things got better during my 14-day coronavirus quarantine as a U.S. citizen entering Canada. There were plenty of highlights, and they started with Sabi at the hotel front desk.

I’m convinced the “S” in Sabi stands for service, because he’s Mr. Hospitality when it comes to the hospitality industry. Sabi gave me the lay of the land when I arrived July 18. Before I headed to my room to begin quarantine, he helped me find the cabbie and get him back with my cell.

I spoke to him several times on the phone over the two weeks, as he helped with food and supply deliveries. With Sabi usually tied to the front desk, I only saw him once more (dropping off food) over quarantine. I look forward to seeing him more often starting Sunday as my quarantine ends.

And then there’s Joumana, the hotel general manager. She called my second day here, welcoming me, taking note of when my quarantine would start and end, and filling me in on this and that. About a week in, she called and asked if I needed anything from the grocery store; she would go out and grab me some things.

I was flabbergasted by the gesture, but told her I was good. She sent up bottled water and packs of instant coffee later that day _ my two main essentials _ plus a couple of (free) candy bars. How about that?

Early in the second week, she called to inform me that the fire alarm had gone off. I had the TV turned up and had heard nothing.

Joumana told me to stay put. If I needed to leave _ you know, for an actual fire _ she’d give me a call. It turned out to be a false alarm.

And then there was Karlo. My man, Karlo.

Part of the hotel’s engineer and maintenance staff, he was always busy _ fixing this, fixing that, painting a ceiling, dropping off food. He worked the night shift, so more often than not he was the one bringing dinner.

He’d knock, place the food on the floor. I’d open the door, he’d be about 10 feet back with the edges of a smile showing from his mask. By the final days of quarantine, we’d engage in a little small talk with each delivery _ always masked up and socially distanced.

When he delivered a turkey wrap, homemade granola bar, banana and two Diet Pepsi’s for dinner Saturday night, he asked: “Your quarantine’s over tomorrow, isn’t it?”

I was impressed that he knew. I look forward to seeing him in the hotel, headed to his next fix-it project over the coming weeks, as the Blues navigate through the Stanley Cup playoffs.

UPDATES

With quarantine over Sunday, the Burger Standings are final: Gold _ Local Omnivore; Silver _ Public Eatery; Bronze _ A&W.

I wonder if I consumed more tuna on wheat sandwiches or more of the hotel’s homemade granola bars over the course of quarantine. I should’ve kept score. It would've been close.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the strong water pressure in my hotel room shower. Anyone who’s ever stayed in a hotel knows this is key. 1189970 St Louis Blues “It’s like being a child again, but this time knowing enough to do it the way you should have done it before,” he told me. Trying hard, but not caring so much about how good you are, he said. Appreciating the moment. And the camaraderie. McClellan: Through highs and lows, hockey endures In 2011, Lori died. Victor was devastated, but what got him through, he said, were his hockey friends.

Bill McClellan Last February, Victor was diagnosed with a form of leukemia. He had to quit playing hockey. He was in a BJC Rehab facility in September when

hockey buddy Shep Hyken came to his room with a milkshake. “Anybody Victor Cohen was not much of an athlete when he was a child. He wasn’t got a cup?” Shep asked loudly. big, and he wasn’t fast. He was not enthused about sports until he went That was the signal for his hockey buddies to march into the room with to a hockey game in the St. Louis Blues inaugural season of 1967. He the Stanley Cup. was in sixth grade. Tom Stillman, owner of the Blues, played SHL hockey for a while. Chris He watched the players race around the ice, and he was smitten. Zimmerman, CEO of the Blues, was, and is, a regular. “Hook, line and sinker,” he said. What a memory. Victor smiles when he tells the story. The good thing about wanting to play hockey in St. Louis in 1967 was The cancer has progressed. The treatments have stopped. The Saturday there wasn’t a lot of competition. The athletic guys were playing other Hockey League continues. more popular sports. The bad thing was there wasn’t much opportunity. Just a few clubs. Victor joined a club in Clayton. He was on the B team, the so-called “scrub team.” St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.02.2020 Determined to improve, Victor attended a summer camp the Blues sponsored at the Winterland Ice Rink on St. Charles Rock Road. He also subscribed to Hockey News. But his improvement was not rapid. He did not make the A team for three years.

A couple of years later, when he was a senior at Clayton High School, the school made hockey a club sport. Of course, Victor joined. He was not the star, but he was a solid player. That was the highlight of his high school experience. He was not considered a popular kid.

He blossomed in college at St. Louis University. He made friends. He did well in classes. The only part of his life that didn’t work out well was hockey. The school had a Division 1 program — he had no chance to make that team — and a club team. He tried out for the club team and did not make it.

He graduated in 1978 with a degree in accounting, but he was a salesman at heart. As a senior in high school, he sold Fuller Brush products door to door. His first job out of college was selling cleaning products to businesses. He made cold calls. He’d wear a coat and tie and just walk into a place, introduce himself and announce that he had a very good degreaser at a reasonable price. He did it for four months.

“It was the most thankless job you could imagine,” he said.

He felt better about his prospects when he lined up a job selling matchbook advertising. It seemed more professional, something more worthy of a college graduate. Again, though, cold calls. He would give a business the opportunity to advertise on a matchbook. A lot of saloons liked the idea.

Eventually, though, he got into real estate. He had found his niche.

In 1992, he married Lori Kuhl. She was an art director for an ad agency and a fine arts graduate of Washington University. Victor and Lori had a daughter, Grace. Life seemed complete.

But there was still hockey. Victor had played a few times in his post- college years, but nothing steady. He figured if he wanted to resume playing, he would have to get guys together himself. So he called some old hockey friends. And they called friends. Pretty soon, they had the 20 or so guys necessary for a real game. They started playing on Thursday nights at the outdoor rink at Shaw Park.

Then every Saturday morning. The Saturday Hockey League. They had jerseys — SHL. They referred to Victor as “Commissioner.”

Years went by. Guys dropped and new guys came in. Age and skill levels varied. For a while, there was a father-son combination — Charlie and Kurt Labelle. One year, former Blues player Paul Cavalinni played. But most of the fellows were former high school or college players. Victor was a defenseman, a solid player.

They played early in the morning. On days when it was snowing, it was magical.

Actually, it was always magical for Victor. 1189971 Tampa Bay Lightning “The Hockey Diversity Alliance and NHL want kids to feel safe, comfortable and free-minded everytime they enter an arena. I stand in front of you today, on behalf of those groups,and promise you that we will fight against injustice and fight for what is right.” Lightning’s Kevin Shattenkirk stands with Hockey Diversity Alliance against racism Dumba took a knee for the Star Spangled Banner. Everyone else stood around the center circle. Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, both of whom are Black, each put a hand on Dumba’s shoulder. By Diana C. Nearhos Previously, each of the 12 exhibition games started with the players Published Yesterday standing arm-in-arm alternating by team, as a show of unity during the Updated Yesterday national anthem.

Some fans drew a comparison from that to other sports in which players have taken a knee. #Kneel4hockey trended on Twitter on Friday as fans The Hockey Diversity Alliance wants to “change hockey culture,” and posted photos of themselves in jerseys and team T-shirts saying Kevin Shattenkirk is on board. The Lightning defenseman appeared in a variations of, “If the NHL won’t, I will.” one-minute video the organization shared featuring people throughout the sport calling for racism to be addressed.

The video features the NFL’s Patrick Mahomes and George Kittle, in Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.02.2020 addition to NHL stars like Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Sportsnet’s Chris Simpson.

Each person has a line of the bigger message: “I support the Hockey Diversity Alliance. I stand with Akim Aliu and Evander Kane to fight racism in hockey and in society. There’s no place for racism in our sport. Let’s all do our part because sport has the power to change in our fight for equality, because representation matters.”

Sharks winger Evander Kane and Akim Aliu, who shared his experiences with racism in the minor leagues earlier this year, started the group in June “to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey,” according to hockeydiversityalliance.org.

Shattenkirk said he has made a lot of friends of color through hockey and wants them to know he stands behind them.

“When you hear stories, I think about what they’ve gone through, certainly there are stories that I didn’t experience coming up through my hockey career,” he said. “I wouldn’t want any other child to have to go through that.”

To Shattenkirk, this game has helped mold who he is as a man, and he doesn’t want anyone to have negative experiences around that. He sees the HDA’s efforts to “bleed out anyone who has those sort of racial tendencies” and support grassroots efforts in marginalized communities as a start.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but they’re doing a great job,” he said, “and it’s definitely something that I’m standing behind and hoping to be involved with going forward.”

Before the Avalanche and Wild’s exhibition game, Colorado’s Nazem Kadri stood with teammate Pierre-Edouard Bellemare as well as the Wild’s Matt Dumba and Jordan Greenway (Kadri and Dumba are founding members of HDA). They had arms on each other’s shoulders, with space between them and the next players.

Kadri said after the exhibition game that he’d like to see more support from the league. Kane said the same to TSN’s Frank Seravalli

“No matter what they do or say, it’s all going to fall on deaf ears with me and every other person in the HDA,” Kane said in a story published Thursday, “because the league has made no effort to support its own Black players.”

The league announced it will kick off a #WeSkateFor initiative to “support, celebrate and honor community heroes, front-line and healthcare workers, and racial justice activists through various local and national programs and activities.”

Kane told TSN the campaign misses the mark by piling everything in together when the HDA is trying to focus on racism. According to Seravalli, discussions between the HDA and NHL continued and they came up with something before the Blackhawks and Oilers in Edmonton.

Dumba stepped out to center ice, surrounded by players from both teams, and spoke on racism in society and in hockey.

“Racism is a man-made creation and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity,” Dumba said. “Racism is everywhere. Racism is everywhere — and we need to fight against it. 1189972 Tampa Bay Lightning Yanni Gourde and Carter Verhaeghe taking on Ondrej Palat and Erik Cernak in doubles tennis. In Shattenkirk’s Instagram story, he and Alex Killorn appeared to be winners on the pickleball court. Shattenkirk held up a finger with the caption, “Not even close.” ‘Never used FaceTime more in my life’: How the Lightning dads communicate home Others threw a football around at BMO Field, home of Toronto FC. Players and staff can use the nearby field to watch games on the JumboTron or play soccer, football or spike ball.

By Joe Smith “There’s been some good options for guys to kind of get some active recovery in and get their mind away from hockey,” McDonagh said. Aug 1, 2020 McDonagh said he tries to check in with Falan and his 1-year-old son,

Murphy, via FaceTime when he gets up in the morning. The family is one Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn had countless mini-stick hockey hour behind in Minnesota. games during the pause with his 3-year-old son, Kingston, who would “That kind of helps that I’m already up and at ’em and they’re just getting pretend his father was “Vasy,” goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. going,” McDonagh said. “You can catch them waking up.” Fellow defenseman Ryan McDonagh started each morning with a walk The kids can call at the darnedest times, too. Cooper was in the middle around his Davis neighborhood with his 3-year-old daughter, of a Zoom media call last week when Jonny called from hockey school. Falan, and her scooter. “What are you doing?” he asked. Captain Steven Stamkos cherished the extra time he got with his 1-year- Though, to be fair, Jonny might have asked the best question, and got old son, Carter, to read bedtime stories or teach him how to putt. the best answer, from Cooper from all of camp: “How do you think you’re They got to be full-time fathers during the league shutdown. But now, and going to do in the playoffs?” for potentially the next two months, the main way Tampa Bay’s dozen (Maybe we’ll get Jonny to ask the head coach about injuries). dads are connecting with their families is through FaceTime and photos. It can be challenging with time zone differences — Schenn’s family is in “FaceTime is key, there’s no question,” Cooper said. “It would definitely British Columbia, three hours behind the team in the Toronto bubble — be tough without it.” and heartbreaking. After scoring a goal in Wednesday’s 5-0 exhibition win over Florida, “(Kingston) calls me every day and asks me if I’m coming home Schenn got on FaceTime with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia. tomorrow,” Schenn said. “Thank God for technology. I’ve never used Kingston got on the phone and started chatting. Their next mini-stick FaceTime more in my life.” game on the carpet in the bedroom of their family home may be a couple of months away, but it didn’t stop Kingston from asking his father a very That players had to leave families for an extended period was one of the important question. toughest and most talked about parts of the return-to-play plan, so much so that there was a tentative agreement that families may be able to join “Did you protect ‘Vasy?'” teams that make the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton. Nearly half of the Lightning players have kids, with Stamkos, Kevin Shattenkirk and Blake Coleman all celebrating their first Father’s The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Day in June. Most left their families in their offseason homes to report for Phase 3 training camp — McDonagh’s stayed in Minnesota, Schenn’s in British Columbia, Zach Bogosian’s in Buffalo — but backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney said he brought his to Tampa to “squeeze” every last second in.

“You just don’t know when you’ll get to see them again,” McElhinney said.

The Lightning provided a personal touch in having digital photo frames on the nightstands in every player’s room in Hotel X when they arrived in Toronto on Sunday night. There were rotating photos of the players’ kids, dogs and other family members. The frames are programmed so players’ families can email photos directly to them, allowing them to change each day. Shattenkirk, whose son, Connor, is 1, said his brothers found some “old-school” photos that made him laugh. Coleman thought his phone got hacked when he first saw pics of his wife, Jordan, and 5-month-old daughter, Charlie. (The team’s other “touches” were more Lightning- related, down to Lightning toothbrushes being put in their bathrooms.) Schenn gets to see photos of Kingston and baby Weston, who was born during the shutdown in April.

Schenn and other players try to use FaceTime to call their kids before or after practice and before they go to bed at night. Coach Jon Cooper, who left his wife, Jess, twin daughters and 9-year-old son, Jonny, in their offseason Idaho home, ran into one technical issue with his boy, who is at Wayne Gretzky’s hockey school in Coeur d’Alene.

“He dropped his phone in the lake,” Cooper said, laughing. “So it’s hard to FaceTime him right now. He’s got to be around mom when that goes down. We’ll be on multiple times during the day. I’ve taken FaceTime calls in funny places. It’s great, though. You’re watching them grow in front of your eyes. I haven’t seen them since July 3. It’s almost a month now. You miss them terribly.

“The girls watched our exhibition on Wednesday and called me after that. But they are here in spirit and hopefully, at some point, if we’re fortunate enough to move on, they’ll catch up with us in Edmonton.”

The Lightning have tried to keep busy in their first week in their “bubble,” including Thursday’s off day. Many hit the tennis and squash courts, with 1189973 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs ready to show off the defensive project they worked on at summer camp

By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

Sat., Aug. 1, 2020

If you tune into Game 1 of the Maple Leafs-Blue Jackets playoff series Sunday night and see Toronto playing a defence-first type game, don’t adjust your screen.

The Leafs, the No. 1 team in the NHL in holding onto the puck in the offensive zone, are promising to be a newly packaged, defensive-minded team in their fourth consecutive season in the playoffs.

It’s not a total new look. It’s more of a series of tweaks and structural adjustments to get the Leafs playing as a five-man group in their own zone, and to get the puck out of their end before tenacious checking teams like Columbus can get a foothold on their cycle game.

“From my experience last year (in the Leafs’ first-round exit against Boston), it’s a massive defensive game that stems forward into offence,” Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott said Saturday, a day before the opening game of the best-of-five play-in series against Columbus.

“That’s what we’ve been focused on (in practices). Going against a team like Columbus, we know what they like to do and we have to shut that down. They will put pucks behind us and push hard after them. We have to get out of our zone with the first two touches. We know what they will bring and we have to be ready.”

Toronto, even during the second phase of the NHL’s return-to-play plan, when only a handful of players were allowed on the ice at the same time, has been saying its own-zone play will be different. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has had time to look not only at the Leafs’ inconsistent defensive play this season but the club’s playoff performance in the past three post- seasons — all first-round exits. He’s made adjustments and drilled home a defensive mind set with his roster.

But will the Leafs be a different team? They have talked about improving their play in their own zone since they exited in the first round against Washington three seasons ago.

“It’s been a big part of the effort the players put forth from day one (of summer practices),” Keefe said. “We’re going to play meaningful games right out of the gate now, and we’re excited to put this into action. There’s been a lot of details and structure put in … and I fully expect our players to do well with it.

“But we can’t forget who we are as a team. If we are not sharp offensively, if we don’t score, it’s going to be tough.”

Keefe unveiled his game roster Saturday, and it featured rookie Nick Robertson on the third line with Alex Kerfoot and Kasperi Kapanen. Andreas Johnsson, who was expected to return for February knee surgery in late August, had his second full workout with the team and could be ahead of schedule.

For now, the Leafs plan to have a new defensive identity.

“That (defence) can turn into a full team thing quick,” Dermott said. “There has to be lots of support from everyone on the ice, and just taking pride in our defensive game before jumping into offence.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189974 Toronto Maple Leafs goaltenders without a single NHL post-season game of experience — until the last minute.

“I don’t profess to know or want to know about goalies. I just want them Frederik Andersen is the Maple Leaf with the most to prove in the to stop the puck,” Tortorella said in the lead-up to the series. “We’re playoffs going to wing it.”

If they’re going to wing it, they’d be wise to do it cautiously. To some eyes the unprecedented circumstances seem to be a recipe for potential By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist misfortune.

Sat., Aug. 1, 2020 “Goalie coaches in the NHL right now will be mindful of one thing: You can’t hurt your guy,” McKichan said. “You’ve got to be very careful.

Because it’s early season and they’re susceptible to injury.” When the Maple Leafs open this pandemic-era Stanley Cup tournament How susceptible? in Toronto on Sunday, there will be plenty about the surroundings they won’t recognize. “Very susceptible,” McKichan said. “For sure, in the first round, you will see some prime-time (goaltenders) go down with hips, groins, glute There will be no adoring fans in the stands, no pesky media cluttering up muscles. It’s not for lack of preparation and it’s not because they don’t the dressing room. But as for that other staple of life in the centre of the have the best trainers in the world. It’s just when you go from zero to 100 hockey universe — that bit of mental baggage known as pressure — it with everything on the line, and you’re reaching and stretching, it’s not will be omnipresent, as ever. When you play for a franchise that hasn’t practice anymore. And that’s when you rip stuff.” won a playoff series since 2004, you come to expect as much. When you’re a core piece of a Shana-plan that’s more than six years old and Andersen, though he has battled his share of injuries during his time in yet to deliver a payoff of competitive consequence, you come to Toronto, has ranked among the most durable netminders in the league understand you’ve got something to prove, the sooner the better. over the past handful of years. If disaster strikes, it might not be a comfort to Leaf fans that Toronto backup Jack Campbell owns precisely John Tavares, who was handed the captaincy this season despite as much playoff experience as Columbus’s pair of possibilities. Then previously being a part of one career NHL playoff-series victory, would again, when the circumstance is so thoroughly unprecedented, a case presumably like to make the case he is a better leader than his sparse can be made that every athlete is in some ways unproven. resumé suggests. Leading scorer Auston Matthews will have a chance to lay out an argument that he’s the best goal scorer on the planet, even if “The best team is not going to win the Stanley Cup this year,” McKichan he missed out on a truncated bid for the Rocket Richard Trophy by a said. “The team that’s going to win the Stanley Cup is the one that single tally. Mitch Marner will be on a mission to show that his blasé doesn’t get COVID, doesn’t get hurt, and their goalie gets hot for about a performance in the 2019 first round was a blip, not a pattern. William month or two. That’s who’s going to win the Cup.” Nylander, he of the three goals in 20 career playoff games, would surely like you to believe he is better than those numbers. In other words, for Andersen, the task is simple: Avoid the looming spectre of the Leafs pondering a change of direction in goal, avoid injury, But there isn’t a Maple Leaf with more riding on the result of the best-of- and avoid losing three of Toronto’s first five games. And ALSO: Do your five play-in series with the Columbus Blue Jackets than Frederik best to avoid the deleterious effects of the pressure. Everyone who has Andersen. ever worn a Maple Leafs sweater has carried around their share of the stuff. Distant though the history, it’s important to remember that plenty of With the NHL suddenly stuck in a flat-cap era — with Andersen heading those guys found a way to win all the same. into the final year of a contract that pays him an average of $5 million (U.S.) a year — the Leafs will soon be staring down a tricky decision in goal. If Andersen, who will turn 31 in October, doesn’t finally cement himself as an indispensable part of a winning playoff team, it might make Toronto Star LOADED: 08.02.2020 sense for the club to consider going cheaper.

Heading into his fourth playoff series as Toronto’s No. 1 netminder, Andersen is still searching for a signature victory, this while dragging around a .421 playoff winning percentage that doesn’t exactly say “franchise cornerstone.”

Which isn’t to say Andersen has been anything but a consummate professional since he arrived in Toronto in 2016. He’s been nothing short of the hardest-working goaltender in the league as a Maple Leaf. No NHL netminder has been asked to endure more starts or stop more shots than Andersen has weathered in Toronto. He’s been a workhorse, and a skilful one.

For all that, there’s been something missing. So now would be a good time for Andersen to steal a series — or, at the very least, give Toronto’s potent offence a viable chance to win this series against John Tortorella’s uber-disciplined forecheckers from Columbus.

At least one expert observer believes Andersen looks poised to be impressive.

“Andersen has been a little bit of a slow starter at times. But from what I saw in the exhibition game (a win over Montreal), I think he’ll be good to go right out of the box,” said Steve McKichan, the former Maple Leafs goaltending coach. “There’s a calmness and a poise in his game you notice. He’s not fighting pucks like he sometimes does.”

That’s an observation built on a small sample size, of course. But such is the nature of the current moment. Goaltending always has the potential to be any given team’s playoff trump card. Now, thanks to a four-month hiatus and a training camp capped by a single exhibition game, it’s a tough-to-predict post-season wild card. Heading into Saturday’s action, a handful of the NHL’s 24 tournament teams hadn’t even decided on their opening game starters. Tortorella, the Columbus coach, had vowed to leave his choice between Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins — both 1189975 Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs are built around the speed and skill of players like Mitch Marner.

By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

Sat., Aug. 1, 2020

The Maple Leafs are the betting favourites in their play-in series with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But, according to sportsclubstats.com, 15 of the 24 teams in the NHL playoffs have a higher percentage of winning the Stanley Cup than Toronto.

The Leafs chances’ are rated at just 1.5 per cent.

But here are four reasons why the Leafs might win the Cup — and why we think they at least deserve to be among the top-10 teams — and two reasons why they might not:

Speed plus youth plus experience: The Leafs are as fast as any club in the league. Toronto is also the fifth-youngest team, with an average age of 26.1 years, which could be an advantage in a short, intense run of games to the Cup. And most of that roster has been together through three playoffs, all first-round exits. Even Columbus coach John Tortorella is dressing his best-skating lineup against the Leafs. These playoffs are expected to be played at a high pace. The Leafs are as well-equipped there as any team.

The calm of Frederik Andersen: The goaltender has had but one exhibition game to prepare for these playoffs, but he looked calm and in full control. That’s Andersen at his best: When he is seeing shots, tracking them, and moving fluidly to stop them, without panic, he’s tough to beat. Andersen had a disappointing .909 save percentage this season, so he has something to prove. And he is often stellar when a challenge is set before him.

The stamp of Sheldon Keefe: Keefe had his first opportunity to run a Leafs camp as the team prepared for these playoffs. And four months of thinking and a couple of weeks of practices to tailor this roster, he has the team looking better defensively, and even more protective of the puck when they have it on offence. His team is deep offensively, especially with the return of Ilya Mikheyev, but he’s also driven home the need for more cohesive play as a five-man unit. His stamp is on this team. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

The surprise scorer: Nick Robertson, who spent the season in junior, has proven he has the speed, the shot and the puck-pursuit skills to help the Leafs. Keefe and GM Kyle Dubas will not necessarily follow the traditional thinking that a raw rookie like Robertson should not have a part in a playoff run.

Why the Leafs might not win

Defence: Is this a group that has grown from past experience, and from the tweaks that Keefe and his staff have made in summer camp? Or is it another version of past blue lines that crumbled under pressure and struggled against the forecheck and the cycle. Morgan Rielly looks great after a so-so regular season. But there is pressure on Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin to be the shutdown pair throughout the playoffs.

Toughness: Can the Leafs overcome a lack of physicality with their speed? It’s an annual comparison, and they’ve come up short against the grinding, punishing Bruins the last two seasons. Teams will try to lean on the Leafs in their own zone. According to Sportlogiq, they gave up the most goals in the NHL off the cycle this season. Toronto believes its speed can prevent or reduce pressure in its own zone. This will be another test for the style that Dubas and Keefe have embraced.

Toronto Star LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189976 Toronto Maple Leafs We’ve seen the Leafs flash that this season, in spurts. The challenge will be sustaining it over a five-game series, and potentially, for rounds beyond that.

The Maple Leafs say they’re a stronger group. Now’s the time to prove it. The Leafs were legitimate underdogs against Washington and Boston (twice) and, it seems only fair to point out, pushed those teams to the near brink, only to fall short each time. Losing Kadri twice to suspension hurt their chances. Uneven play from Frederik Andersen did too. Special By Jonas Siegel teams proved disastrous. Rigidity from behind the bench didn’t help, Aug 2, 2020 either.

It can, and should, be different this time. For starters, this will be the first time in the Matthews era that the Leafs will be favoured in a series. In the minutes after what would become the second-to-last game of their regular season, the Maple Leafs felt like they were in a crisis — again. The 22-year-old Matthews entered new airspace this season, scoring 47 goals along with improved defensive play. Nylander popped 30 goals for They had just dropped a game in Anaheim to one of the league’s worst the first time and has looked far more engaged. Marner and Tavares had teams, scoring only once after getting shut out by the Kings, another so-so seasons by their standards, but have shown the ability to tantalize cellar dweller, a day earlier. Over three games in sunny California in the in tandem and when apart. Depth, if not improved, is comparable to last first week of March, the Leafs had managed to score three goals and net year, with Nick Robertson, Ilya Mikheyev, Alex Kerfoot, Jason Spezza a single point. and Kyle Clifford sliding in for Patrick Marleau, Connor Brown, Trevor Moore and Kadri up front. On the backend, Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie, and It felt like a storm was raging — again. Justin Holl have taken over for Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey and Jake “As a team, we’re trying to stay calm,” a visibly frustrated Mitch Marner Gardiner. Frederik Andersen has a chance to redeem himself following a said following the 2-1 loss to the Ducks. “People are just gonna start and checkered regular season. get on us. We’re a unit in here. We’re a team. We know what to say to Sheldon Keefe has unleashed a variety of combinations during his short each other to get ourselves going.” but flexible run as Leafs coach, overseeing improvement on the power “We’re all in this together,” added Auston Matthews, echoing his play and penalty kill. teammate a few moments later. “We play through the good and the bad Talent-wise, it’s no contest in this series. But as the Jackets showed last and the adversity. Obviously, in the position that we’re in, there’s lots of spring in their stunning upset over Tampa Bay, talent alone won’t decide critics and lots of stuff that comes with it. But I think in this room we’re the series. Beating Columbus would go a long way to reaffirming belief in headstrong and it doesn’t matter what’s gonna get thrown our way; we’re the Leafs’ ultimate potential, Kyle Dubas’ philosophy of favouring skill gonna come out of it stronger.” and speed above all else, and to some extent, the decision earlier this Now is the time to prove it. year to replace Babcock with Keefe.

Beginning with the Blue Jackets in the qualifying round, it’s time for the It would even erase the stench of a smelly regular season. Leafs to take a step, a real step, to show why fans, media, league-wide A series loss, on the other hand, would be a serious disappointment and, skeptics, opponents, and even management, from Brendan Shanahan arguably, a step backward for the franchise. It would mean another year and Kyle Dubas on down, should believe in their ability to win a Stanley of stunted progress, with the Leafs nowhere closer to their goal than Cup. Maybe not this year, but sometime in the not-so-distant future. before, more than six years since Shanahan took over as team president. A reason to believe, beyond just talent, is what the Leafs have been Should one five-game series have that much power? Given all the missing. To this point, it’s been all upside, with diminishing returns. ugliness of the regular season, I would argue it should.

With Matthews, Marner, and William Nylander still rookies, the Leafs You can cut the Leafs some slack if you want to because of the unusual produced 95 points and nearly upset the Presidents’ Trophy winners from conditions the series will be played under due to the pandemic: the Washington in 2017. They followed that up with a franchise-record 49 bubble, the fan-less arena, the five-game sprint, and the randomness it wins and 105 points a year later, then dropped a painful Game 7 to might cause — but it’s not like the Blue Jackets (and every other team) Boston. It was a slight step backward, or maybe just sideways, with 46 aren’t dealing with those same elements. wins and 100 points in 2018 and then another Game 7 loss to the Bruins. A series loss might not even signal a fatal flaw (yet) within the This season, the Leafs were on pace for only 42 victories and 95 points construction of the roster, though it likely would confirm apparent before the pause. It was a mostly turbulent year, with a coach firing and shortcomings — on defence, perhaps in goal, and maybe a need for a an embarrassing loss to an EBUG. Now they have to claw past the grit- little extra bite. and-grind Blue Jackets in a short best-of-five series just to get a chance As Dubas pointed out at one point during the pause, the Leafs’ core to tackle one of Boston, Tampa, Philadelphia, or Washington in the first remains in place beyond this season. And so while the need to win it all round. now isn’t critical, the Leafs GM would surely like to see some progress In some ways, now is when the real scrutiny of this version of the Leafs toward that goal. Consider what Dubas had to say about his team a year should begin. This is the first year that the club truly belongs to the young ago following a 100-point season and another first-round loss to Boston. core of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, as well as John Tavares, “It’s tough to say that it was tangible progress,” he offered. Morgan Rielly, and Jake Muzzin. The old guard of Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, James van Riemsdyk, and Tyler Bozak is gone. So is Mike If anything, the Leafs task only gets harder from here. The cap will Babcock. You can feel it at practice in the way they lead drills, set the remain flat for the foreseeable future, which means the current roster will tone, and keep the on-ice chatter going. see changes after the season, regardless of how the series plays out.

You can feel it off the ice in their willingness to speak frankly on the Matthews and Nylander are under contract for another four seasons after team’s performance. “I think we’re kind of one foot in the door, one foot this one. Tavares and Marner are up a year after that. The Leafs captain out, as far as the way we want to play,” Matthews, an alternate captain will turn 30 on Sept. 20. Muzzin will be 32 by the time next year’s playoffs for the first time this season, said after the loss to the Ducks. “And I think roll around. we just all need to be 100 percent in.” Opportunity dries up quicker than you might think. What better time to prove they’re “100 percent in,” and ready to join true Cup contenders status? We’ve seen similarly styled teams — speedy, skilled groups such as the Penguins and Lightning — achieve success in the playoffs, but none Columbus presents a perfect challenge, a stylistic opposite to the Leafs have been constructed quite like the Leafs, with Matthews, Marner, in their dependency on defence, guts, and work ethic. Getting past them Nylander and Tavares collectively taking up $40 million-plus of cap will require a smart, focused, and patient effort from Toronto— the same space. kind that would be needed to take out a team like the Bruins or Lightning in the next round. In all likelihood, this won’t be the year, regardless of what happens in the series, that Dubas contemplates removing one of those core-four pillars in the name of cap flexibility. But it could prove to be the year that he starts to at least wonder whether it really can work, especially now that he has his hand-picked coach behind the bench.

Do the Leafs just need to grow through all this organically?

It was Alex Ovechkin of all people who openly wondered about that. It’s Ovechkin’s pre-Stanley Cup squads — teams with splashy offensive talent that couldn’t get it done in the playoffs, to whom the Leafs are often compared.

But do the Leafs want to wait a decade like Ovechkin’s Capitals did? They might not even get that chance.

There’s no time to waste.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189977 Toronto Maple Leafs Perry Pearn, Senators assistant coach, 1996-2004: The thing that we felt was our strength was the tempo of our game. So to play a matchup game, you slow down your tempo. So that was always a bit of a struggle for us to figure out: Are we going to try to match up and keep people like ‘We don’t lose to those guys’: Tales from the early 2000s Battle of Thomas down? Or are we going to try and keep our tempo? Obviously, Ontario our game plan didn’t work out as well as it should have.

In the conference semi-finals, the Leafs lost a six-game series to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. The Leafs managed By Joshua Kloke just six shots on goal in New Jersey’s series-clinching, 3-0 win in Game Aug 1, 2020 6.

The 2000-01 regular season was a different story for both Toronto and Ottawa. The Senators, the third-highest scoring team in hockey that year, In April of 2000, while a member of the Montreal Canadiens, Shayne registered 109 points en route to the Northeast Division title and the Corson watched in envy the first-ever Stanley Cup playoff series between Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. The Leafs, despite having added the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. Friends on both teams Shayne Corson and Gary Roberts the previous summer, only managed would later tell him the intensity was unusually high throughout the series to qualify for the playoffs in the final days of the season. The Leafs between the two provincial rivals. finished with 90 points, good enough for the No. 7 seed and a rematch with the now heavily-favoured Senators, who had outscored them 20-10 In the spring of 2001, after signing a free-agent deal with the Leafs the in sweeping the regular-season series, 5-0. previous summer, Corson got a first-hand taste of the animosity when the two clubs met again in the first round, in the second of what would be McCauley: During the regular season playing that team was a nightmare. four playoff series between them over a five-year span. Game 1 was a tight affair. It was also the first Stanley Cup playoff game “We just didn’t like each other at all,” said Corson. for young Leafs defenceman Bryan McCabe.

With the Maple Leafs set to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday Bryan McCabe, Leafs defenceman, 2000-08: I had 17 cups of coffee. I in Game 1 of their play-in series, The Athletic took a look back at the last was so jacked up and excited and nervous. I had butterflies in my time Toronto won a playoff series, what made the Battle of Ontario so stomach. special, and why the often underdog Maple Leafs always came out on top. Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph would make 36 saves to steal Game 1 in Ottawa, 1-0 in OT. Captain Mats Sundin scored for Toronto. After finishing the regular season as Northeast Division champions and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and having been to the McCabe: I went to jump into the pile. My stick hit Mats right in the face Eastern Conference Final the previous spring, the Maple Leafs were between the eyes. He was bleeding everywhere. slight favourites entering their 2000 first-round series against Ottawa. Joseph’s performance in Game 1 was the start of one of the most The Senators finished the season five points back of the Leafs, good for dominant single series performances by a Leafs goaltender in franchise sixth in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa won the regular-season series, history. He would shut out the Senators again in Game 2, this time 3-1-1. making 37 saves in a 3-0 win. The surprising Leafs were suddenly Jonas Hoglund, Maple Leafs forward, 1999-2003: We had a team dinner heading back to Toronto up 2-0 in the series, thanks to Joseph. on King Street before the first round, and (then Leafs forward Steve Rob Zamuner, Senators forward, 1999-2001: Our goalie coach held a Thomas) stood up in front of the whole team and said, ‘We have a half-hour pre-scout meeting on Joseph. He was showing all these saves, chance to do something great here.’ and he’s like, ‘Well, you can’t beat him here. You can’t beat them here. We believed in ourselves. He said, ‘If we win the Stanley Cup here in You can’t beat them here.’ I remember distinctly after that meeting a Toronto, we will be Gods forever. We will never be forgotten.’ bunch of us being like, kind of half sarcastically, ‘Well, are we gonna score?’ It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Having been to three conference finals in his career, but never a Stanley Cup Final, the then 35-year-old Thomas knew his opportunities to win a Pearn: If you start talking about it too much, then the sticks get squeezed Cup were dwindling. even tighter. When you’re playing a really good goalie who has had playoff success, you start trying to make the perfect shot instead of just Hoglund: Every year we had a guy stepping up and that year it was taking the shot you should. And that split second that you wait gives a Stumpy (Steve Thomas). He did it all that series (vs. Ottawa). really good goalie the time he needs to be in the exact right position.

In Game 2, Thomas scored twice at home in a 5-1 Leafs victory to help Jason York, Senators defenceman, 1996-2001: I think (Joseph) might give the Leafs a 2-0 series lead. The Senators would even the series at have gotten in our heads. Dominik Hasek was kind of like that. As a two following a pair of one-goal wins in Ottawa. When the series shifted shooter, you think you have to be perfect. back to Toronto for Game 5, Thomas scored both Leafs goals in a 2-1 overtime win. McCabe: (Joseph) never seemed to let the nerves get to him. It seemed like the same person whether it was Game 26 or Game 7 of a playoff Alyn McCauley, Leafs forward, 1997-2003: (Thomas) had a shoulder round. injury and he would have (his shoulder) injected before every game. He could barely lift his arm and then he’d get this cortisone shot, or whatever The Leafs would win Game 3, 3-2 in overtime, this time thanks to an it was, and then you’d see him run into guys. And as a young player you unlikely hero: defenceman Cory Cross with his first-ever playoff goal. think you know what it takes, but you really don’t. I realized that, ‘Hey, Cross: After the goal, I got clotheslined by Bryan McCabe while we were I’ve got a lot of growing and hunger to gain before I can get there.’ You celebrating. I was at the bottom of the dogpile. I just turtled underneath kind of view it as a young player that like, ‘I’m gonna get to the finals. I’m everybody. After I got up, I could finally show some emotion. When I going to have a couple of kicks at the Stanley Cup.’ And in reality, that’s went back out for the three stars of the game, I felt like I should’ve taken far from the truth. a victory lap. Darcy Tucker, Leafs forward, 2000-2008: Stumpy (Thomas) wanted to Tucker: When Crosser scored that goal, we started to feel really good win a Stanley Cup more than any guy I’d ever played with. about ourselves. Thomas would add his sixth goal of the series in Game 6 as the Leafs Cross: The next day I was walking down Avenue Road by my house and beat the Senators 4-2 to close out the series. some guy is hanging out his car, yelling my name. It was cool to be the Cory Cross, Leafs defenceman, 1999-2002: We all knew how to play in King of Toronto for a day I guess, eh? the playoffs. And Ottawa didn’t. All of Ottawa’s guys were guys playing in One of the keys to Toronto’s success through the first three games was the playoffs for the first time. We just knew we could wear them down Corson, who coach Pat Quinn had instructed to shadow Senators star with our physicality. centre Alexei Yashin. The 27-year-old Russian had scored 40-goals during the regular season. But with Corson on his tail, Yashin managed overtime resolved nothing. Less than five minutes into triple-OT, after the just one assist through the first three games of the series. Leafs won a face-off in the Ottawa zone, the puck found its way onto the stick of Gary Roberts with a clear path to an unprepared Senators goalie Cross: Pat said that was all Corson was to do: just skate around with Patrick Lalime. Yashin and stay on him like glue. He never got a sniff that whole series. Tucker: If Roberts doesn’t score that goal in triple OT, I don’t believe we Shayne Corson, Leafs forward, 2000-03: I took it as a compliment and as win the series. a challenge. I was near the end of my career. Your roles change as you get older. Anytime your coach comes to you and asks you to play a From that point on, Roberts, paired with McCauley on the Leafs top line different role, you have to buy-in to that role. with Sundin out, emerged into an offensive force for Toronto, leading the team with five goals and 10 points in the series. York: You could tell (Yashin) was frustrated. It was pretty tough to win when your best players aren’t your best players. Corson: Robs is Robs. He’s going to come to the rink and give you everything he has. He’s going to go 120 percent. He doesn’t know any Pearn: (Yashin) was very confident. A buy-in to changing on the fly and different. trying to get away from Corson wasn’t something I don’t think was in his DNA at that time and that he really believed in. He’d been successful his Valk: Ottawa never had a Gary Roberts. He didn’t even know who he whole career to that point. Trying to convince him that in the playoffs, you was playing with from shift-to-shift. It didn’t matter. have to do things a bit differently, and in fairness to him he’s a very confident guy, it would be hard sell. I don’t think we did as good a job Hoglund: Especially when the playoffs started we really got on the Gary trying to get him away from Corson as we might have been able to. Roberts train with the nutrition and cool down after practices and working out before the practices. I think (Roberts’ focus on nutrition) works. Corson: That’s one thing about that (Leafs) team: everyone was willing to Maybe not for everybody, but you really have to believe it to have it work. do whatever they were asked to do to win. And he tried to get people on different supplements, vitamins and all that. He came in with shakes in the morning. He stood by the blender and McCauley: When we got to the playoffs, it just seemed like we really handed out shakes to everybody that wanted one. focused in on what the job was. It didn’t matter who scored or the significance of your role or ice time. It was just: this is what we need to do McCabe: I definitely reaped the benefits of Gary Roberts’ tutelage. to win. Corson and Tucker and Travis Green were excellent at buying Previous to getting traded there, I thought I was working hard and doing into the team and shutting down their team’s top unit. They also had a the right things off the ice, but I wasn’t even close. little bit of nasty in them. And that was one thing that Ottawa just didn’t seem to have. Cross: When Gary got a hold of (McCabe), he wasn’t in the gym too much. But it was so easy to see the transformation that Bryan made and The Leafs would complete the sweep with a 3-1 win at home in Game 4. what a long career he had because of how he just followed what Joseph finished the series with a .975 save percentage. It was just the (Roberts) was doing. third, and most-recent, seven-game series sweep in Leafs history. In Game 4, with the Leafs now down 2-1 in the series, McCauley, who Zamuner: I think we were more talented than (Toronto). But they had had zero points in 15 playoff games prior to 2002, scored both goals in a experience and grit and they knew how to win. They just played us better 2-1 win. in the trenches. McCauley: The previous playoffs I was just kind of a penalty killer mainly McCauley: I would go outside after games and see people in a traffic on the fourth line. But I was like, ‘You know what? I’ve seen all these jam, but nobody cared. They’re all honking their horns and high-fiving teams where guys step up, they score goals and they contribute even each other. There’s this chaos on the streets, but everybody’s jubilant just a few points here and there.’ So I just tried to be ready. and enjoying themselves. Somebody would spot me out of a car and a few people would come running over to high five, get a couple of Nathan Dempsey, Leafs defenceman, 1996-2002: Being a Black Ace, we pictures, or whatever it may be. saw the dedication of the group. I’ve never played on a team that had that kind of group in the way they cared about each other. They were It was a fun moment. willing to take on roles that maybe they felt they weren’t supposed to be given. You had guys understand that you have to go out of your comfort McCabe: Every year we played them, on paper, they were most likely the zone a little bit to be successful. favourite. But we were their kryptonite. McCauley: I played in Ottawa for four years in junior and my hometown is In 2002, for the third spring running, the Leafs and Senators met in the Gananoque, which is now one hour and 15 minutes from (Canadian Tire Stanley Cup playoffs, but this time in Round 2. Centre). There were a number of family friends that were in the arena. Just six points separated the two clubs during the regular season, with The local area code in Gananoque was 382. A busload of locals came up the Leafs finishing fourth in the conference with 100 points, and the from Gananoque and two guys spray-painted “Fear 382,” implying that Senators seventh with 94. Once again, the Senators had won the they should fear me on the ice, even though that wasn’t my game. regular-season series (4-1), but there were still questions about whether The series returned to Toronto for Game 5, and what would become one the offensively-gifted Senators could beat the veteran, gritty Leafs in a of the most infamous moments in Leafs playoff history. With just over two playoff series. minutes remaining and the score tied 2-2, Tucker went to the boards to Pearn: As a coaching staff you can’t help but think ‘OK, some of our chase after a loose puck. With his back turned to the play, Senators players have heard this.’ How much they believe it, that’s another centre Daniel Alfredsson levelled Tucker, sending him into the boards, question, but we’re not getting away from it. We know that we’re under shoulder-first. the gun in terms of you know what the media is saying about us playing The play continued without a penalty and Alfredsson scored what would against Toronto. I think that was always a factor. be the eventual game-winner.

The Leafs entered the series after prevailing in an intense, physical Tucker: The goal hurt more than my shoulder. seven-game series against the New York Islanders in Round 1. Cross called the Islanders series a “kill or be killed series.” Many Leafs were Valk: Good on Alfredsson, because it was the first time they showed injured for the start of the Ottawa series, including Sundin, who had some pushback. And Tucker is the type of guy who would do that for us. fractured his wrist. The Senators came flying out of the gates in Game 1 with a convincing 5-0 win in Toronto, setting up a pivotal Game 2 on a Hoglund: The worst thing you can do in the playoffs is to focus on the Saturday night. wrong things. You want to focus on what you can control. You can’t control what the media says. You can’t control what the refs are doing. Garry Valk, Leafs forward, 1998-2002: If Ottawa weren’t going to beat us When stuff like this happens, it’s good that you have experience in the that year, they were never going to beat us. team because if you’re a young, inexperienced team, you can let the wrong things go to your head. Tucker: In that series, the Battle of Ontario really became a battle for the first time. Valk: But once again, we’re not going to retaliate. We’re better than them. It’s the Ottawa Senators. We kind of looked down on them. We were the The Leafs entered the first intermission of Game 2 with a 2-0 lead. But at Toronto Maple Leafs. We don’t lose to those guys. the end of regulation, the two teams were tied 2-2. Two periods of Tucker: Pat (Quinn) came in before his press conference to check and Many Leafs of the late ’90s and early 2000s teams believe the 2002 club see if I was OK. I was about to go to the hospital. Pat, besides Thomas, was the best equipped to win a Stanley Cup. But despite the return of was the guy who I wished could win a Stanley Cup. I felt just as sick for Mats Sundin for the series, the Leafs would fall to the Carolina him as I did for anyone else. Once he found out the news that I probably Hurricanes in the East Final in six games. wouldn’t be able to come back for the rest of the playoffs, even though I did come back for the Carolina series, he could see the disappointment Corson: I feel, to this day, that if we didn’t run into injuries, we would’ve in my face. I could feel the disappointment in his voice. had a good chance of winning it all.

As a result, more players received unexpected opportunities, such as Hoglund: Maybe one thing that could have halted us a little bit, we started Dempsey, who had played just three regular-season games with the to believe too much. We looked too far ahead of ourselves. Leafs, having spent the majority of his season with the St. John’s Maple Tucker: That’s the one thing that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth: that Leafs. you won’t get your family name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Joe Bowen, Maple Leafs radio play-by-play voice: All of the guys from Two years later, the two teams — separated by a single point during the the AHL team that had been filling in, we were all in the hotel lobby with regular season — would meet for the fourth and most recent time. The them. (Dempsey) said to me, ‘Do you get your name on the Stanley Cup Leafs, who were now featuring Battle of Ontario debutants such as Joe if you don’t play in the Final?’ They had guys playing so well that had so Nieuwendyk, Ron Francis, and , had finished the regular little NHL experience. season with 103 points, good enough for the No. 4 seed in the East.

Dempsey: (Sundin) and all the veterans would always take the time to But no player had altered the Leafs more in the previous two seasons come say hello. And then when we got into the lineup, that put us at than goaltender Ed Belfour, who had signed with the team in the summer ease. of 2002.

The series shifted to Ottawa for Game 6. With the Leafs facing The Leafs had won the regular-season series, 4-1-1. elimination, the Senators jumped out to an early two-goal lead in the third period. Bowen: (Joseph and Belfour were) totally opposite. Curtis was always outgoing. He didn’t mind chatting on game day. He always had a smile Valk: We just had a strut. We weren’t going to be denied. It didn’t matter on his face. Eddie arrived with a sour scorn on his mug. You didn’t go what the score in the game was, or in the series. We didn’t fear Ottawa near him. and they probably had a better team than us on paper. We just weren’t intimidated by them. The strut came from Pat Quinn and his experience. After losing Game 1, a spectacular Belfour shut out the Senators in Games 2 and 3, and then again in Game 5. The Leafs now had a chance Power-play goals from McCabe and Roberts allowed the Leafs to tie the to close out the series in Ottawa in Game 6. game at two before the end of the first. An Alex Mogilny goal at 4:28 of the third snapped a 3-3 tie. From there, the battered and tired Leafs McCabe: Eddie wanted fresh orange juice between every period sitting in would hang on for 4-3 win. In the Leafs dressing room as the final his locker. He had a routine and he had to stick to his routine. We’re in seconds ticked off the clock, Tucker and Sundin were listening to Ottawa (for Game 6). Matt Nichol had went to Whole Foods during the Bowen’s now iconic radio call. day to get the orange juice (but) he ran out of (it) because we went to overtime. He didn’t plan for double overtime, so he had to go to the Tucker: Ottawa was putting everything they had at us. When (Bowen) concessions. (He gets) a can of Five Alive and he poured it for Eddie, yelled out ‘Bless you boys,’ that will always stick in my mind. I was in the hoping he wouldn’t notice. Eddie had like one sip of the juice going into locker room and jumping up and down with Mats. We were in awe of the the second overtime and threw it on the ground and snapped and was performance as a group. like ‘What is this crap?’ He was a funny guy, but I’ll tell you what, he was Bowen: I have no idea why I said it. I don’t write things down to rehearse so competitive. I don’t think I’ve ever played with a guy that wanted to win to say, ‘Oh, I hope I can work this in somewhere.’ But it was like the last more than him. stand. It was a team that was beaten up, bruised, outgunned, The Leafs would lose Game 6 when Mike Fisher scored 1:47 into double outmanned, and yet here they were hanging on by their thumbs, doing overtime, setting up another Game 7 in Toronto. everything that they could to preserve a one-goal lead. It was heroic. I don’t know why I blurted that out. But I do know when I got back to Ahead of Game 7, the Leafs were calm. Their poise came from the top Toronto, (then Leafs president) Ken Dryden had resurrected it, and it was and Quinn’s even-keeled approach. played to the house for the next game, and it got quite a response there Valk: Ottawa had a bit more of a fiery coach. I just sensed that we had a too. I was so proud of them for what they were doing in order to fend off, calm about us. And they had a panic about them. really, a better hockey team. Tucker: (Quinn) usually wasn’t really vocal after the game. During the Corson: That’s something as a team we talked about before that series game, that was a different story. But after the game, he just got his cigar started: We wanted to take a deep run and try to win a Stanley Cup and lit, had a glass of red wine, and started worrying about the next game. to do that, you had to sacrifice your body. And everybody was willing to do that. McCabe: Pat might not have been the best technical coach that ever lived. But he was a great human being. He was a player’s coach and he Bowen didn’t know it at the time, but his three sons might have was a motivator. Some of the speeches he would give before a playoff contributed to the win in their own way. game, the hairs on the back of your neck would stand up. He was very Bowen: We’d driven down for the game in Ottawa, my three oldest boys, well-spoken and he had a presence obviously being a big man. (Quinn) Liam, Derek, and Shawn. In the game, the Leafs are trailing. Shawn goes had a lot of stories that were related to books and wars. He knew when to the washroom and the Leafs score. When he came back, they told him to use it, and his timing and his delivery… and the urgency in his voice to go back to the washroom again. And he did. And they scored again. and the presence he had, it just really made the group believe in each other. So now they won’t let him in to watch the game. Valk: (Quinn) wasn’t more about systems. He was more about heart. They send him back to start the third period and the Leafs score the winning goal. Everybody’s celebrating and Shawn hasn’t seen all three of York: Pat Quinn was always so good with the media and playing the goals. Everybody has their own little superstitions. gamesmanship. Our team was quieter and had a “turn the other cheek” mentality. They were more brash. Both teams didn’t like each other, Back in Toronto, a confident Leafs squad easily dispatched Ottawa 3-0 in that’s for sure. He was doing things to create a distraction. But it’s funny Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference final for the second time behind the scenes. We would just laugh and say, ‘Here he goes again.’ in four years. Cross: I always thought we should’ve been a little more structured in our Valk: Would it have meant a lot for us to beat them? One hundred game. You look at a team like New Jersey, the trap they played, the percent. But it almost felt like it (would have) meant more to them. Kind of structure they had. Pat was more of a ‘Drop the puck, just go and play.’ I like the younger brother trying to beat up the older brother, right? It was didn’t appreciate that until I got into coaching and it sunk in: This is why like Ottawa couldn’t win the ugly ones. They had to be perfect to beat us. he let us play like this. This is a fun way to play. It was about reading, reacting, and using skill to win games. Tucker: I remember bringing my sons to the rink and Pat would sit on the couch with my sons, watching cartoons of all things. He was such a good man to people around our group.

Valk: We don’t win those series without Pat Quinn. We don’t.

Game 7 in 2004 is perhaps best remembered for Nieuwendyk’s two goals on shots, both from near-identical spots on the ice, on Lalime.

Pearn: I don’t think (Nieuwendyk) is shooting it thinking it’s going in. But if you take that shot, it can. That was one of those things in the Toronto series sometimes that maybe we didn’t do enough of, is taking those shots.

McCabe: I can’t say we’re expecting that, to get a gift from God.

Tucker: Joe had a muffin shot with that old, wooden stick. I don’t know how they were going in.

Pearn: You look back and you think, ‘With really elite goaltending, would we have done a little bit better?’ And that’s just a question. Maybe we wouldn’t have. But you at least ask yourself that question.

The Leafs would win Game 7 by a 4-1 score. They then fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the Eastern Conference semi-final. The following season would be cancelled due to the lockout. The Leafs wouldn’t return to the playoffs again until 2013.

The 2004 series win over Ottawa remains the last playoff series win for the Leafs. Regardless of how deep into the playoffs the Leafs advance this year, the teams that prevailed in the Battle of Ontario in the early 2000s will remain among the most adored in club history.

Jason Spezza, Senators forward, 2002-14: (The rivalry) was something we had a lot of fun with, to be honest. The two Ontario teams, and the battles, the Toronto fans being in our arena, I caught the tail end of Toronto beating Ottawa in the playoff series, but after that, we had a bit of our way with the Leafs in the regular season.

Pearn: Those Toronto series were kind of the start of the Melnyk era in Ottawa. I just remember the reaction of (former Senators owner) Rod Bryden after we lost (in 2001). It was a cold day and we’re getting on the plane and Rod was on the tarmac standing in the cold and he shook every player’s hand, every coach and manager’s hand as they got on the plane. And I guess what I’m trying to say is that wasn’t the reaction of the owner in the (2004) series.

Tucker: I came home after a game and there were 10 people waiting on my front lawn chanting ‘Go Leafs Go.’ It was a crazy time to be a Leaf, but also a fan of the Maple Leafs. I don’t think many people remember those aspects of that time, but we players do, for sure. Playoff time is a different animal than the regular season.

McCabe: (It was) a group of guys that legitimately cared about one another and had the same goals in mind. Everyone was pulling on the rope the same way. All the egos were left at the door. I truly believe that even in this day and age that there has to be that camaraderie and chemistry and culture. You don’t have to love everyone in the locker room and be best friends with them. But you have to appreciate and respect what they bring to the table. That’s why we had success.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189978 Toronto Maple Leafs And unlike in the past, the head coach is flexible. Mirtle: What’s different? They don’t have to play Boston! Maybe at all,

given they could get them as one of four teams in Round 1. That’s huge, Mirtle and Siegel: Final thoughts on Leafs vs. Blue Jackets before we get because there’s a mental block there as well as a stylistic matchup that going doesn’t favour the Leafs.

I do think there were signs, too, that under Keefe the Leafs were turning a corner. Their results, on paper, when you take out the Hutchinson By James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel disaster, were very good. Even with Hutchinson, they had the eighth-best record in the NHL over those 47 games. Aug 1, 2020 36 They did that in a funky fashion, with the hot start under the new coach

and then that new malaise they settled into in January and February. But, The playoffs — finally! yeah, there were signs there. I also think Jonas that so many injuries made it hard to truly know what the Leafs could do under Keefe. Rielly, OK, so maybe these aren’t the playoffs we all expected — what with the Muzzin and Mikheyev all missing that much time is a pretty substantial whole qualifying round — but they will provide a summation to a strange loss to a team that wasn’t loaded with high-end defencemen or scoring Maple Leafs season. Either a rosier finish of some kind, say by at least forwards beyond the Big Four. getting past the Blue Jackets, or more disappointment. Siegel: True enough. (Though Mike Babcock didn’t get that same leeway This series is fascinating from a Leafs perspective for all kinds of early in the year even though Hyman, Travis Dermott, Marner, and reasons. Tavares all missed real time with injuries. But that’s another debate for a different day.) Let’s discuss. This is essentially the only time all season that the Leafs have been Siegel: James, one thing I think we often overlook when we look back on (almost) entirely healthy, with only Andreas Johnsson on the shelf until the Leafs’ three straight first-round exits is this: They were the underdogs the start of the real second round (if they get that far). Add Nick each and every time. Washington was the Presidents’ Trophy winner in Robertson into the mix and the Leafs look reasonably deep, up front 2017; Boston had 112 points in 2018 (fourth-most) and 107 a year later anyway, with the usual questions still kicking around on defence. (tied for second). The Leafs weren’t supposed to win any of those three series. And yet, every game with the Capitals was decided by a goal As Dubas said the other day, the talent is there. But just like any good (four in OT), and both Bruins series went to seven games. recipe, James, the ingredients don’t much matter if you don’t stick to the Disappointments for the Leafs? Yes. But not total misfires. All that said, instructions (aka follow the game plan). this time around feels different: They should beat the Blue Jackets. We’ve seen in past playoffs that it’s in there; Game 5 against the Bruins Mirtle: I’m not sure there’s a question in there, Jonas! last year was the model for that.

Here’s the funny thing — if this team had missed the playoffs this year, it I wonder what kind of influence Keefe will have on this series. I’m curious would have been a huge mess. The market was preparing for that back to see how all the flexibility and creativity plays out. For example, if it in February and the heat on GM Kyle Dubas and the players was going doesn’t work with Cody Ceci in Game 1 (assuming he’s in there), does to be over the top. the Leafs coach switch it up and promote Dermott to play with Rielly in Game 2? What this shutdown — and the weird circumstances — have done is mitigate that quite a bit. Fans will obviously be disappointed if they lose Mirtle: Honestly, this is why I wished they’d tried a few of these things here, but the whole thing feels like kind of a crapshoot. And the Leafs during the season. Now you’re sitting here, contemplating playing two odds of playing in Round 1 were significantly lowered by the league and guys together who didn’t all season, going into a do-or-die best-of-five this format more than anything they did. play-in series? Including one young defenceman on his off side in the top four? Yes, they absolutely should beat Columbus. But if they don’t? I don’t get the sense it’ll be made out to be a huge organizational failure. Unless If we had seen it work during the year, I’d be all for it. But right now they go down in three games or something. there’s a lot of uncertainty about whether or not it’ll work. Dermott had some good stretches this season, but he was playing LD with Holl for the Siegel: Oh, I don’t know about that my friend. This team is in Stanley Cup most part when that happened. mode right now. Any failure to make gains on that goal would be just that, a failure, especially after all those regular-season woes. I think Keefe’s creativity is going to be huge because Columbus is going to frustrate the hell out of this team. Their neutral zone is one of the But let’s not go there. What fuels your belief that this year will be toughest to navigate in the league and we’ve seen the Leafs’ younger different? players wilt against that kind of opposition in the past. Do you think they’ll Here’s what comes to mind for me: be able to better overcome that adversity now? And, if so, why?

Auston Matthews is a different player than he was a year ago, a more Siegel: With the way the season has gone, who can say? threatening two-way force. (And he was pretty good before obviously, Playing a patient game is hard. It takes real focus. We’ve seen the Leafs beating the Bruins for five goals in the 2019 playoffs.) summon that focus only fleetingly. William Nylander and Zach Hyman both made real strides, Nylander With the way they hog the puck in the offensive zone under Keefe, especially as a scorer and shooter. He was out of sorts last year at this maybe they can wear the Jackets down. And with two devastating duos time, as I’m sure you’ll recall. on multiple lines — Matthews and Nylander, Marner and Tavares, or Mitch Marner is another year older and has found a fit with Matthews that vice-versa — Columbus doesn’t have much margin for error. may prove useful. What happens if Robertson and that third line really takes off? Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin were, for the most part, a capable shutdown I don’t know if you’re being fair with the Dermott point. Rielly missed 23 pair, the kind the Leafs lacked in previous seasons. games with injury, and when he was healthy, you praised Keefe for trying Ilya Mikheyev already looks like a legit top-six forward after only 39 NHL Tyson Barrie in that place. Dermott had an uneven season until late in games. He should thrive in playoff hockey. the year, too. I guess what they should have been contemplating was this: Could Rielly and Barrie really be an effective second pair in a playoff The Leafs scored in bunches after Sheldon Keefe took over — tops in series? And if not, what then? the league, in fact. On another front, I’m especially curious to see what Nylander looks like in The special teams both improved. these playoffs. He obviously had a terrific regular season. Do the Leafs The blue line is finally healthy. get the engaged version of him more often than not? For me, the telltale sign has always been his level of fight getting the puck back. When it’s For that matter, how the Leafs perform defensively as a whole will merit there, he’s a menace. When it’s not, it’s a casual blow-by. close scrutiny.

Who are you anxious to see? Let’s close with this: The Leafs will win this series if …?

Mirtle: I feel like I’ve been saying try Dermott on the right side for three Mirtle: If Andersen is competent and the big guns deliver some offence. I years so … that’s where the frustration comes in. And it’s coming out of think that’s what it’s going to take. the blue now? After years of Hainsey-Zaitsev-Polak-Ozhiganov-Ceci as your RD? The Leafs have the talent edge here. In a way, this is the perfect test for them, given the kinds of things they struggle with — and struggle to do — Nylander is a good choice. He hasn’t really been dominant in the playoffs are inherent in the way Columbus plays. The Blue Jackets leave in the past and seems to get neutralized by teams like Columbus absolutely everything on the ice most nights; no one would say that about sometimes. His season was obviously fantastic, so if he can deliver this Leafs team. anything close to that, it’ll be a game-changer. For them to get where they want to go, they have to start embodying that I’m really intrigued by the Mikheyev-Tavares-Marner line. They looked a lot more. Here’s their big chance to do that. great in camp, and if Mikheyev is the real deal, that’s an element Keefe really didn’t have at his disposal much of the time he was coach. I’m taking the Leafs in five here, as I think they’ll make it more interesting than they have to. That type of skilled, speedy counterattack is what the Leafs are going to need against the Blue Jackets and they seem the best-positioned trio to Throwing it back to you: The Leafs will lose this series if …? deliver it. Siegel: If they can’t summon the focus and patience to navigate around I’m also very curious to see how the Leafs power play does against the Jackets. If they don’t defend. If Andersen wobbles in big moments. If Columbus. Their favourite option (with good reason) is that big Matthews all that firepower you talk about is stymied. shot from the right circle, but I can’t see the Blue Jackets giving that a Which team shows up though: Jekyll (good) or Hyde (bad)? clean look. How does Toronto adjust? Can they still convert at a better than 25 percent rate? Especially when they may not get a lot of power- Time to watch and find out. play opportunities, given how disciplined the Blue Jackets are.

Siegel: That was one of the sneaky subplots of the season: the power The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 play started great under Keefe but faded as things rolled along. From Jan. 1 onward, the unit ranked 14th overall with a 21.7 percent success rate. The underlying numbers weren’t great either. Oddly enough, given what happened last year, the Leafs felt predictable there again — lining up for the Matthews shot above all else.

(One thing I’m still not totally on board with is Barrie replacing Rielly on PP1. I’d argue that Rielly is a better decision-maker and passer, and I’m not convinced the threat of Barrie’s shot is all that, well, threatening.)

Also increasingly mediocre (with better advanced stats): the penalty kill.

I like the idea of bringing more Alex Kerfoot into the mix there, though the Leafs PK probably won’t factor as much (or shouldn’t) into this series, what with the Blue Jackets meh power play.

We talked about him a bunch on the podcast, but this feels like a make- or-break series for Frederik Andersen. Or is that too strong?

Mirtle: One caveat on the PK first: I think it could be a factor if it can generate some offence, which is possible when you’ve got players like Marner, Kapanen and Mikheyev flying around out there.

I don’t think that’s too strong on Andersen. He needs to show something. If he’s awful, I wouldn’t bring him back next year. Time for a new look in goal.

At some point, you need your starter to be a difference maker, especially on a team built like this, with an offence-heavy bent. What’s the point in paying Andersen $5-million for average-ish performance and never stepping up large in the key moments? You might as well go with Campbell and another up and comer in a tandem arrangement. Or make a play for someone like Lehner.

I’m not giving up on Andersen entirely — he has an opportunity here to prove people like me wrong. But I’ve slowly become a doubter the longer the Leafs goalie struggles have gone on this season. And he’s not getting any younger.

In a way, this series offers a nice counter-example to the way the Leafs are doing things in goal. Columbus’ tandem makes a combined $2 million! And Toronto has no clear edge in goal going in. The position is just so unpredictable.

Siegel: Great point. The only reason to pay $5 million for a goalie is to actually get $5 million’s worth in performance.

You touched on the defence a little bit earlier. One name we haven’t discussed much is Holl. It’s remarkable how important he’s become in a such a short (OK, not that short now with the long pause) period of time. He was scratched on opening night. Now, he’s on the No. 1 pair. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles that responsibility in his first NHL post- season. 1189979 Vegas Golden Knights In theory, the team that emerges from the round robin with the No. 1 seed has the easiest path to the Stanley Cup Final. Logic also then dictates the team that finishes fourth in the round robin would have the most difficult road. Clearing up the confusion about the NHL’s round-robin games Do the stats count?

Yes, all games from the round robin and qualifying round count toward By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal the 2020 postseason statistics.

That means if goalie Marc-Andre Fleury pitches a shutout during the round robin, it would be the 16th of his career in the playoffs and move Raise your hand if you think the NHL postseason format is more him into a tie with Curtis Joseph for third all time. confusing than driving through those multi-lane roundabouts in Summerlin. What happens after the round robin is completed?

It’s OK, you’re not alone. The four teams that participated in the round robin will meet the four winners from the qualifying round in a best-of-seven series in the The coronavirus pandemic forced the league to get creative in order to conference quarterfinals. award the Stanley Cup, and it can be difficult to discern between two portions of the playoffs being contested simultaneously. The top seed in the round robin plays the lowest seed to emerge from the qualifying round, the No. 2 seed gets the next-lowest seed and so forth. For instance, the Golden Knights face Dallas at 3:30 p.m. Monday in a That means the Knights must wait to find out who their opponent will be round-robin game at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. But there are in the next round. also games that are part of the qualifying round. This all seems confusing now, but once the round robin is done, it will all Mind blown, right? be familiar again. Promise. Don’t worry. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.02.2020 questions leading up to the Knights’ first game in the postseason:

What’s the difference between round-robin and qualifying games?

The round robin involves the top four teams from each conference when the regular season was paused March 12. They were seeded one through four based on their final points percentage and given a bye — a free pass — to the conference quarterfinals.

The qualifying round features the eight remaining teams in each conference. They must still qualify for the quarterfinal round and are playing in a best-of-five series. Like the NCAA basketball tournament, the fifth seed plays No. 12, the sixth seed faces No. 11, the No. 7 seed meets No. 10 and No. 8 draws No. 9.

The series winner advances to face a team from the round robin (we’ll get to that) and the loser heads home with a shot at the No. 1 overall draft pick (don’t ask).

What’s the point of these round-robin games then?

Remember all those years Peyton Manning and the Colts had a first- round bye and then tanked in the NFL playoffs because they weren’t sharp? It’s sort of like that.

The Knights and other teams didn’t want to enter their playoff series off a five-month break and face a team fresh from the qualifying round that was already up to game speed.

The compromise from the NHL and the players’ union was for the top four teams to tune up by playing each other.

What’s the format for the round robin?

In the Western Conference, the Knights, Colorado, Dallas and St. Louis will play each other one time. The games will be just like the regular season, with two points awarded to the winner and one point for an overtime or shootout loss.

If overtime is needed, there will be five minutes of 3-on-3 followed by a shootout.

The team with the most standings points after three games will be rewarded with the No. 1 seed. The second-place finisher is the No. 2 seed, and so forth. If there is a tie in the standings, regular-season points percentage is used to break the deadlock.

Are the Knights eliminated if they lose in the round robin?

Nope. Remember, they’ve already qualified for the next round. These games are designed to prepare for their opening series.

What’s at stake in the round robin?

As part of the return-to-play agreement, the ensuing rounds of the NHL postseason will be reseeded, meaning the top seed has the advantage of playing the lowest remaining seed in every subsequent round. 1189980 Vegas Golden Knights — Coach Pete DeBoer said left wing Max Pacioretty, who is nursing an undisclosed minor injury, still has yet to join the Knights in Edmonton, Alberta.

Ryan Reaves wanted unity for Golden Knights demonstration — Dallas Stars leading scorer Tyler Seguin, who did not play in his team’s exhibition game, is expected to appear in Monday’s round-robin game against the Knights, coach Rick Bowness said.

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.02.2020

It was important to Ryan Reaves that the Golden Knights presented a unified front in their demonstration for racial equality Thursday.

Reaves took the lead in planning the gesture, which involved the team locking arms during the national anthem before its exhibition game against the Arizona Coyotes. He said he wanted to do something that was comfortable for every player.

The team posted a photo on Twitter of Reaves standing next to teammates William Carrier and Alex Tuch with the caption “We are united in the fight for racial equality.”

We are united in the fight for racial equality. pic.twitter.com/Qb18KBfZ1i

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 31, 2020

Other teams had similar demonstrations during their exhibitions. A few teams alternated players across both blue lines, rather than having one team stand on each. The Winnipeg Jets and the Vancouver Canucks stood around the center faceoff circle.

The Knights decided to stand together and had the Coyotes stand just behind them.

“We wanted to lock arms as a team,” Reaves said. “I thought bringing Arizona kind of closer to us shows that solidarity.”

The Coyotes became involved when Arizona coach Rick Tocchet called coach Pete DeBoer asking if they could do something together.

Reaves said taking a knee during the anthem was “discussed,” but ultimately the Knights went in a different direction.

“For a lot of guys, kneeling isn’t the way they would want to show support,” Reaves said. “I know that if I said I wanted everybody to kneel (that) somebody, at least one guy, was going to feel uncomfortable. I didn’t want that. This was the best way to be able to include everybody in it.”

The NHL has only had one player kneel for the anthem, and it happened Saturday. Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, one of the founding members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, did so after making a heartfelt, nationally televised speech on NBC before a Chicago Blackhawks- Edmonton Oilers game.

The NHL tweeted his speech with the caption: “When an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out. #WeSkateFor Black Lives.”

When an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out. #WeSkateFor Black Lives. pic.twitter.com/mgmMgRM8vI

— NHL (@NHL) August 1, 2020

“I know first-hand, as a minority playing the great game of hockey, the unexplainable and difficult challenges that come with it,” Dumba said. “Black lives matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.”

Bubble fun

The Knights held a team barbecue during their day off Friday. The club played some games outside, including cornhole, and forward Nick Cousins said one rookie stood out for the wrong reasons.

“My partner was Nic Hague and he was brutal, so we got to work on that,” Cousins said.

The Knights retreated to their lounge at the JW Marriott afterward, and some players finished the night playing cards.

“Just one last time to have a couple drinks and let loose before we really get into the nitty gritty here,” Reaves said.

Injury updates 1189981 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights plan to bring playoff mentality to seeding games

By Justin Emerson (contact)

Sizing up the competition: A refresher on teams Vegas could face in Western Conference playoffs

Welcome back: Golden Knights return to action with 4-1 win against Arizona

The Golden Knights will take the ice Monday against the Stars for a game unlike any other they have seen in the postseason.

It’s the first of three round-robin games for seeding in the NHL reboot, meaning a win could put the Golden Knights on an easier path to the .

But a defeat wouldn’t hurt their chances of a deep run, as Vegas is already guaranteed a spot in the conference quarterfinals based on wining the Pacific Division in the pandemic-shortened regular season.

That means there are two paths the Golden Knights could take: Use the games as a tuneup, or treat them with the urgency of a playoff game. The Golden Knights’ players say they are choosing the latter.

“These games are crucial,” forward Nick Cousins said. “We want to give ourselves the best chance possible and we want that top seed. I feel like they’re going to be really competitive.”

Vegas will have three round-robin games, also taking on St. Louis on Thursday and Colorado on Saturday. Whichever team accumulates the most points (based off regular-season rules) grabs the top seed, presenting a terrific opportunity for a Vegas team that finished six points behind top-seeded St. Louis.

The Golden Knights have played once game since arriving in the Edmonton bubble, a 4-1 win over the Coyotes in an exhibition on Thursday. The Golden Knights were pleased with their performance then, not just in the final score but in the way they played to get there.

“The first exhibition game, we treated it like a playoff game,” forward Ryan Reaves said. “We discussed that before and everybody was on the same page and it looks like that’s kind of everybody’s mentality around the league, just looking at other games.”

The Golden Knights earned the right to play in this round-robin, a playoff soft open while other teams fight in an elimination series to qualify. It allows Vegas the luxury of taking chances and not forcing it into hard decisions just yet.

For instance, coach Peter DeBoer said he hasn’t figured out how he will answer the goalie question. He started Marc-Andre Fleury on Thursday, and intimated Robin Lehner will get two of the round-robin games. He won’t have to pick a goalie for an elimination series until the first round begins Aug. 11.

It also gives the Golden Knights time to get their roster to full strength.

Winger Max Pacioretty is still not with the team, which would be problematic if Vegas was playing elimination games this week. Defenseman Nate Schmidt appears to be fine after leaving Thursday’s game with what DeBoer called a cramp, but if he has a setback, the Golden Knights won’t feel compelled to play him like they might in a playoff game.

The Golden Knights are ready to go whether they’re playing elimination games right away or not. It’s how they’ve treated camp since the beginning and it’s how they’re coming at the Stars tomorrow afternoon.

“It counts now,” DeBoer said. “You want the easiest path you can get and the easiest path would be getting the first seed.”

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189982 Vegas Golden Knights

Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba Gives Anti-Racism Speech, Takes Knee During National Anthem Before NHL Western Conference Game

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

It begins with the first player kneeling.

In the National Hockey League’s case, it was Minnesota Wild player Matt Dumba, a Black defenseman who gave an anti-racism speech before the Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks game before the NHL Western Conference Qualifiers game Saturday.

Dumba took a knee for the national anthem — a sight you don’t see in the NHL unlike the NBA restart games where nearly all players take a knee during the anthem.

Former Golden Knights goalie Malcolm Subban, now with the Blackhawks, stood on Dumba’s right side and placed his lefthand on Dumba’s right shoulder while the Wild player took a knee on a red carpet at center ice. Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse, also a Black player, stood on Dumba’s other side.

A video showed social justice and racial justice leaders from the 12 cities represented in the Western Conference postseason playoffs.

Take a look at Dumba’s speech.

There are about 45 Black players in the 31-team league NHL. The league’s message was “#WeSkateFor Black Lives.

Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater — Matt Dumba, Aug. 1, 2020

The NHL is made up of mostly white players, while the NBA consists of mostly Black players who wore anti-racism slogans on the back of their basketball jerseys. Nearly all the NBA players took a knee during the anthem, while none of the Oilers and Blackhawks players took a knee.

Here are the NBA players taking a knee during the anthem Friday.

LVSportsBiz.com talked with several Golden Knights fans who disagreed with racial equality issues being addressed at the NHL games. Others support the racial equality presence.

The Knights play the first of three round-robin games Monday when they take on the Dallas Stars to determine seeding in the Western Conference playoffs.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189983 Vegas Golden Knights Lashbrook said a development group continues to have talks with the city of Las Vegas about rebuilding a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, including the Cashman Center site where the Lights plan. The talks include building a new Lights soccer stadium for MLS play. If there is a COVID-19 and Sports: Las Vegas Aviators Prez Logan Says 2 Marlins deal, Lashbrook would sell the Lights to the development group. Players ‘Caused All This Grief’ For MLB’s Miami Marlins LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 08.02.2020

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

The COVID-19 outbreak at the Miami Marlins was caused by two players who did not comply with coronavirus protocols, leading to 18 Marlin players testing positive for the novel coronavirus that now threatens to wipe out Major League Baseball’s 60-game season.

Las Vegas Aviators President Don Logan, appearing on a local Las Vegas PBS TV public affairs show, said a former Aviators trainer now working with the Marlins informed him that “a couple of players went out” and “caused all this grief.”

Las Vegas Aviators President Don Logan in April 2019.

Logan appeared this week on a PBS show called Nevada Week along with Vegas Golden Knights Chief Marketing Officer Brian Killingsorth and Las Vegas Lights FC team owner Brett Lashbrook.

The trio discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on their sports organizations and on the sports industry. The novel coronavirus has claimed the lives of 152,000 Americans.

The pandemic grounded the Minor League Baseball season in 2020, but Logan said 74 percent of Aviators season ticket holders renewed their ticket deals for 2021. Logan, a longtime minor league baseball executive in Las Vegas, called the pandemic “a sniper out there, you just don’t see it.” The Aviators are the former Las Vegas 51s and are the Triple A affiliate of the MLB .

“As long as we’re affiliated with the A’s, we’ll be competitive,” Logan said of the Aviators team that is owned by Summerlin master developer Howard Hughes Corporation.

As long as we’re affiliated with the A’s, we’ll be competitive — Aviators President Don Logan

MLB is not using the bubble environment, where strict protocols are in place to isolate players and limited staffers in controlled hotel, building, walkway and venue settings.

But the National Hockey League is deploying two bubble communities in Edmonton for the Western Conference and Toronto for the Eastern Conference. Killingsworth said on the PBS show that the safety protocols in the hub cities provide a “better chance of success.” He also mentioned Golden Knights President of Hockey Operations George McPhee mentioned the NHL bubble is “really tight.”

Here’s an NHL video showing its bubble setting in Edmonton, where the Golden Knights play the Dallas Stars Monday in the first of three round- robin games to determine playoff seeding.

Killingsworth said the Golden Knights’ new minor league affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League, is in good shape with 10,000 season ticket deposits. The AHL Silver Knights will play in an arena in Henderson that will be rebuilt from the Henderson Pavilion off Green Valley Parkway. While the $84 million Henderson Events Center project is being developed in Henderson, the Silver Knights will play at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

The Lights play in the 35-team United Soccer League, the Triple A pro soccer in the U.S. one tier below . The USL is not using a bubble approach. Instead, the league has been split into eight geographic areas where teams will play each other within each region of the country. For example, the Las Vegas Lights will stick to playing USL teams like those in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. The Lights play their USL rivals from Reno later today at Cashman Field in downtown Las Vegas.

The cost for a USL bubble was too expensive, Lashbrook said.

We are learning in real time. I’m cautiously optimistic. I can’t sit here and say there’s no risk — Lights owner Brett Lashbrook 1189984 Washington Capitals

John Carlson practices but Todd Reirden is unsure if he will play against the Lightning

By J.J. Regan August 01, 2020 3:27 PM

After Friday's day off, the Capitals were back at practice on Saturday and John Carlson was with them, taking part in practice for the first time since Wednesday's exhibition game.

Carlson did not play the final 10 minutes of the exhibition after getting tangled up behind the goal line and falling to the ice. Both head coach Todd Reirden and general manager Brian MacLellan downplayed the severity of the injury and his return Saturday seems to confirm their optimism.

"John did practice with us today, as were all of the other players, and we'll continue to see how he does going forward here," Reirden said.

Despite his return to practice, however, Reirden stopped short of saying he would be able to play in the team's first round-robin game on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"We're going to do what's right for us and for the player for the long haul here," Reirden said. "Obviously as long as he continues to progress then we'll anxiously want him in our lineup as quickly as possible, but at the same time we've got to make sure we're doing the right thing for our team and for our player."

It certainly sounds as if Reirden's hesitation is more about being cautious rather than a sign of any significant issue. As the round-robin is just for seeding and not part of a playoff series, clearly the team does not want to force Carlson back into the lineup if they don't need to.

If Carlson does miss Monday's game it will be the first game he has missed in the 2019-20 season. Considering how hard it has been finding a right defenseman just play on the second pair behind Carlson, Carlson's absence would be a huge hole in the lineup.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189985 Washington Capitals

How a flat cap and Seattle will affect the future of the Capitals

By J.J. Regan August 01, 2020 8:10 AM

In case you haven't noticed, 2020 has been a weird year and it's not going to get any less weird. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan is facing an uncertain offseason unlike any he has experienced in the past. It's not just because it is going to happen in the fall and not the summer, it's about changes that will make all of the careful planning and projecting that goes into maintaining a roster go right out the window.

The major obstacle facing the Caps is a flat salary cap for next season and most likely beyond. Washington is a cap team meaning they spend close to the cap ceiling. MacLellan had to get creative at times over the season to keep the team under the cap. Now, because of lost revenue, the NHL will have a flat cap for next season meaning it will remain the same and not receive the projected increase. That's a huge issue for a team like Washington which needed all the cap relief it could get.

"It's difficult," MacLellan said Friday. "We've been a cap team. We did our projections last season and it was going to be anywhere from $83 to $88 million and it comes in at $81.5. Even last season when it came in a little under what we projected it to be, you have to make some difficult decisions based on that."

Players like Braden Holtby, Brenden Dillon and Jonas Siegenthaler are all on the final year of their contracts and will be looking for raises. Considering the team just barely had enough cap space this year, there's no extra money to give raises to three free agents. Washington also has a number of veterans on long-term contracts. Long term contracts are beneficial because, as time goes on and the cap steadily grows, the percentage of a player's cap hit decreases. With a flat cap, that obviously won't happen.

MacLellan also has to keep an eye on the future as Alex Ovechkin, Jakub Vrana and Ilya Samsonov are also entering the final year of their contracts in the 2020-21 season. It is very likely that the cap will remain flat beyond the next season so the team can't max out this year without keeping enough money open for a new deal for those three players.

As if that wasn't enough, the 2021 expansion draft also looms large.

The Seattle Kraken will enter the league in the 2021-22 season and the expansion draft will be held at the end of next season. Every team is going to lose one player to Seattle. Any player that MacLellan may want to sign or re-sign is another player he has to think about whether to protect in the draft or leave exposed and possibly lose.

"We’re going to lose a player," MacLellan said. "There’s no way around it. You can only protect so many players and defensemen, you can only protect three. Any indication [from] the last time's expansion draft, there were a lot of defensemen chosen. So I think it affects your decision- making process, but you've got to do what’s best for your team -- that you feel, or we feel, that's best for our team."

Every team will be able to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie. MacLellan specifically referenced the defensemen because the team will have a lot of good players on the blue line that they will not be able to protect.

Should the team re-sign Dillon -- and there seems to be mutual interest between the player and the team -- then Dillon, John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, Michal Kempny and Nick Jensen will all still be under contract by the time of the expansion draft. You can add Siegenthaler to that list as well as he is an RFA and almost certainly will be re-signed. Plus, if the team wants to pick up a right-shot defenseman for the second pair in the offseason, that's another body, far more than the team can protect.

"It's a hard thing to manage," MacLellan said, "But we'll do the best we can."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189986 Winnipeg Jets he had 14 goals in a playoff run, 11 on the road, I mean that’s the type of guy Mark Scheifele is," said Wheeler.

"There’s nobody, well, we did the history and there’s nobody that’s done Jets lose Scheifele, drop 4-1 to Flames in best-of-five series that ever. That’s a big piece of what we do."

The scrap seemed to briefly ignite Winnipeg, which opened the scoring 31 seconds later. Adam Lowry made a great backhanded, no-look pass Mike McIntyre from behind the Flames net to find linemate Andrew Copp, who fired a wrist shot past Calgary goaltender Cam Talbot.

Unfortunately for the Jets, that would end up being the lone highlight of EDMONTON — The Winnipeg Jets are furious with Calgary Flames star the night. The Flames took over the game, peppering Connor Hellebuyck Matthew Tkachuk, accusing him of deliberately targeting and injuring No. with eight straight shots following an early 7-1 deficit in that department 1 centre Mark Scheifele in Saturday’s 4-1 loss that kicked off their to end the opening frame. qualifying round series. Calgary really poured it on in the second period, outshooting the Jets 18- "It was intentional. It was a filthy, dirty kick to the back of the leg. You 6 and outscoring them 3-0. First up was Johnny Gaudreau, who showed can’t see it on the program feed, but take the blue-line feed and you some slick hands in corralling a loose puck and beating Hellebuyck at zoom in. He went after the back of the leg. He could have cut his 7:06 of the middle frame, with his team on a power play courtesy of a Achilles. He could have ended the man’s career. It’s an absolutely filthy, Nathan Beaulieu slashing infraction. disgusting hit," Jets coach Paul Maurice said in a post-game tirade at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Flames took their first lead at 12:51, taking advantage of an ugly Jets power play which coughed up the puck in the neutral zone, giving "I don’t expect the referees to find that one. That one happens, they Tobias Rieder a shorthanded breakaway. He made no mistake in scoring wouldn’t be looking at it. You’ve got to look at it after. And it’s grotesque." what proved to be the game-winner. Scheifele suffered what appears to be a serious injury just a few minutes With Cody Eakin in the box for interfering with Tkachuk later in the into the game, leaving the Jets with a gaping hole in their lineup and a period, Mikael Backlund was left all alone in the slot and took a feed from noticeable sag in their play. Andrew Mangiapane, beating Hellebuyck for a 3-1 lead. The Jets looked Tkachuk, who drilled Scheifele with a bit of a late hit on the opening shift, absolutely lifeless. quickly established himself as Public Enemy No. 1 after another early Special teams are usually key in playoffs, and the Flames clearly won the run-in. Replays showed Tkachuk’s skate appear to make contact with the battle Saturday. The Jets went a dreadful 0-for-7 with the man back of Scheifele’s leg as they got twisted up, with Scheifele crumpling advantage, while Calgary went 2-for-4 plus a shorthanded goal. awkwardly to the ice and writhing in pain. Mangiapane sealed the victory with an empty-netter late in the third. With no fans in the empty arena, media could hear everything being said on the ice, including a discussion about whether Scheifele needed a Having their backs against the wall is nothing new for Winnipeg. From stretcher and/or ambulance. The Jets were irate, with Maurice screaming Dustin Byfuglien’s bombshell retirement on the eve of training camp, "He kicked his (expletive) legs out" to officials on the ice, who called no Bryan Little’s season-ending injury due to friendly fire from Nikolaj Ehlers, penalty. Scheifele was eventually helped off, putting no weight on his left Mason Appleton breaking his foot prior to the Heritage Classic while leg. He did not return. warming up with the pigskin on the field at Mosaic Stadium, Mark Letestu’s life-threatening heart condition to a variety of other unexpected Maurice said Scheifele will see a specialist on Sunday but offered up no events, the Jets have had numerous challenges this year. other details. As for Tkachuk, he told reporters it was all an unfortunate accident. "I think that’s been our calling card all year, being able to handle adversity right from the first day of training camp. If you even want to go "I felt terrible from the result of it. He was turning away and I just went in. back into the summer a little bit. We’ve handled it as well as we can all My left skate had a little bit of the speed wobbles. I was kind of moving year in terms of on-ice performance. But we’ve handled it mentally even and moving probably too fast for myself and was going down. My leg just better I think," said Copp. collided with, it looked it jammed him up. His body was going one way, but the way I hit him, his leg stayed that one way," said Tkachuk. "It’s going to be another hurdle for us but like I said we’ve been doing it all year. If we miss any of those guys, it’s going to be a collective effort "I feel terrible. He's a top player in the NHL and somebody I've come to for sure but we’ve handled circumstances all year and we’re going to rely know that past few summers, a couple summers ago training with Gary on that next-man-up mentality and that team play we’re capable of Roberts. Such a great guy and just a top player in the league. It's not playing." good for the game when somebody like that isn't in the game. It was very unfortunate and unlucky." Speaking of Byfuglien, there’s no question the Jets could have used No. 33 in a game like this. Winnipeg was unable to match Calgary’s Unfortunately for the Jets, losing Scheifele wasn’t the only blow. Sniper physicality on the night, routinely out-muscled by the bigger, stronger Patrik Laine left the game late in the third period suffering an apparent Flames who took plenty of runs at the Jets, along with lots of liberties. wrist injury. He was slashed by Mark Giordano, which Maurice said wasn’t the cause of the pain, and is also slated to see a specialist on They won’t have much time to lick their wounds and try to re-group, with Sunday. Game 2 set for Monday afternoon and Game 3 early Tuesday evening. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, would be held Thursday and Saturday. The Jets are no strangers to adversity, having faced plenty already in this most unusual NHL season. Now their long-awaited return-to-play may be Maurice had to get the line blender out all night in Scheifele’s absence, a short one if they can’t find a way to overcome yet another series of with Wheeler moving back to centre the top line, Jack Roslovic moving obstacles suddenly standing in their way. up to the second line, and Mason Appleton bumped up to the third line. None of the combinations provided much in the way of offence. According to the NHL. 82 per cent of teams that win the opening game of a best-of-five going on to a series victory. And of those 18 per cent who The Jets ended up with just 17 shots on Ward, while Hellebuyck was the find a way to come back, likely very few of them do so missing one, or much busier goaltender facing 31 pucks. possibly two, of their biggest offensive weapons,. ‘We have a game we can play and think we can play well and be a good Jets captain Blake Wheeler tried to exact some revenge a couple hockey team when we play it. The positive is we didn’t just come out and minutes after Scheifele left the game, dropping the gloves with Tkachuk. get beat 4-1 on our A game. Our power play is a momentum builder for He ended up taking a hard right to the face as they tumbled to the ice. us over the course of the year, and our penalty kill has been since January. Neither of those special teams did what they needed to do for "Arguably your top player, your top offensive player, and logs so many us to win. So the positives are we can be a better hockey team," said minutes and especially down the middle, such a huge piece of what we Maurice. do and what we need to do. No matter what, you can’t replicate what he brings to our lineup so we talked before this game, a couple of years ago Jansen Harkins would be the likely player to draw in for Scheifele, as he actually took the warm-up on Saturday with Nikolaj Ehlers dealing with some type of injury. Ultimately, Ehlers was able to play, and Harkins was scratched. If Laine was also a no-go, Gabriel Bourque is likely the next man up. The Jets also have rookie David Gustafsson, and depth players in Letestu and Logan Shaw on their post-season roster.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 08.02.2020 1189987 Winnipeg Jets before the injury and Elias Lindholm levelled both Josh Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo with one body check.

Still, through all of that and the injury, the Jets had a 7-1 lead in shots on Jets hit with triple whammy in playoff opener as they lose to Flames, lose goal at one point. But over the course of the rest of the game, they were Scheifele and Laine to injury outshot 32-11.

“We struggled, there’s no doubt about it,” Maurice said. “I thought we were fine for a while but we got onto the special teams, where Mark is Ted Wyman such a key piece. We’ve spent years in that setup and we’ve certainly worked on it for the last three weeks. We struggled, special teams

especially. “ EDMONTON — As if 2020 has not been bad enough, the Winnipeg Jets Losing Scheifele is a devastating blow for the Jets and if Laine is out as suffered a massive triple blow Saturday as they opened the pandemic- well, they are going to be down two of their top four scorers this season. delayed NHL playoffs at Rogers Place. Scheifele is their No. 1 centre and focal point of their power play. In his The Jets lost Game 1 of their best-of-five qualifying round series against absence, Wheeler moved to centre and may have to stay there the Calgary Flames 4-1 and they also lost two of their top scorers to indefinitely. It’s possible rookie winger Jansen Harkins will come into the injuries that will require them to see medical specialists Sunday morning. lineup for the next game with Scheifele out. Or, if they need a centre, it Leading scorer and 2018 playoff hero Mark Scheifele went down with could be rookie David Gustafsson. what looks like a serious injury after taking Matthew Tkachuk’s skate to Or both. the back of his left leg just five minutes into the game, and sniper Patrik Laine left with a hand injury in the third period. Laine left shortly after taking a slash from Flames defenceman Mark Giordano, but Maurice said that was not the source of his injury. Jets coach Paul Maurice was incensed about Tkachuk’s involvement in Scheifele’s injury, even though there was no penalty on the play, and did The game was played in an empty arena as the Jets and Flames are part not mince words after the game. of the secure zone in Edmonton that is home to the Western Conference playoffs. “It was intentional,” Maurice said. “It was a filthy, dirty kick to the back of the leg. You can’t see it on the program feed, but take the blue-line feed The playoffs are being conducted after a four-and-a-half month layoff due and you zoom in. He went after the back of the leg. He could have cut to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jets last game before Saturday night (Scheifele’s) Achilles. He could have ended the man’s career. It’s an was on March 11. absolutely filthy, disgusting hit.” History suggests it will be very hard for the Jets to come back to win the Scheifele immediately fell to the ice and was writhing in pain after series now. More than 81% of best-of-five series in NHL history have crashing into the boards. A referee or trainer immediately yelled to see if been won by the team that takes Game 1. he needed a stretcher or an ambulance. It appeared those were not needed but he had to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel and did “I think that’s been our calling card all year, being able to handle not return. adversity right from the first day of training camp,” Copp said. “If you even want to go back into the summer a little bit. We’ve handled it as well “I’m back-checking on him and it’s such an accident,” Tkachuk said. “I felt as we can all year in terms of on-ice performance. But we’ve handled it terrible from the result of it. He was turning away and I just went in. My mentally even better I think. It’s going to be another hurdle for us but like left skate had a little bit of the speed wobbles. I was kind of moving and I said we’ve been doing it all year. If we miss any of those guys, it’s going moving probably too fast for myself and was going down. My leg just to be a collective effort for sure but we’ve handled circumstances all year collided with (his), it looked it jammed him up. His body was going one and we’re going to rely on that next-man-up mentality and that team play way, but the way I hit him, his leg stayed that one way.” we’re capable of playing.”

There were many expletives audible from the Jets bench before play The Jets will have a chance to get even when they take on the Flames ensued and captain Blake Wheeler engaged Tkachuk in a fight on the Monday afternoon at Rogers Place (1:30 p.m., CT). next shift. Game 3 goes Tuesday at 5:45 p.m., CT. Although the Jets showed some life after that and even got the first goal of the game from winger Andrew Copp, who took a terrific centring feed Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.02.2020 from centre Adam Lowry and blasted a shot past Flames starting goalie Cam Talbot, the injury clearly took the wind out of their sails.

The Flames scored three times in the second period, getting power play goals from Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund and a shorthanded breakaway goal from Tobias Reider, and then added an empty netter from Andrew Mangiapane late in the third to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

It was a horrible night for the Jets’ special teams units. Winnipeg went 0- for-7 on the power play, allowed two goals on four Calgary power plays and gave up a shorthanded goal. Winnipeg managed a dismal four shots on goal on seven power play opportunities.

“The last couple (of power plays) we didn’t have Scheifele or Laine,” Wheeler said. “That’s 80-100 goals in a season that you’re losing from your lineup. That’s directly why you have a good power play — you have guys that can shoot the puck like that.

“But on top of that, the guys that are out there, we’ve got a lot better than what we put forward tonight. We didn’t win hardly any battles and it’s an area … it’s an easy fix, just simplify some things and win a couple of battles and we’ll get the power play back on track. We’ve got a lot of confidence in our power play.”

The Flames scored three goals on 33 shots against Jets Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck, while Cam Talbot earned the win by making 17 saves.

The Flames clearly wanted to come out and establish a physical presence early in the game. Tkachuk hit Scheifele hard a few minutes 1189988 Winnipeg Jets

Jets Scheifele leaves with leg injury early in first playoff game

Ted Wyman

Winnipeg Jets star centre Mark Scheifele suffered a left leg injury less than five minutes into the team’s first NHL playoff game Saturday night and had to be helped to the dressing room.

Scheifele was hurt after crashing into the boards while being chased by Matthew Tkachuk of the Flames.

It appeared Tkachuk’s skate either locked with Scheifele’s or the blade caught him in the back of the leg.

Players on the Jets bench had angry words for the Calgary bench and Jets captain Blake Wheeler fought Tkachuk on the next shift.

Scheifele did not return to the game, which was ongoing at press time.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.02.2020 1189989 Winnipeg Jets Its message has been dwarfed by other sports, where all athletes and coaches have been kneeling in silent protest either before or during anthems, a la Colin Kaepernick.

Jets and Flames finally do battle on memorable day for the hockey world Dumba plays on a team based in the Twin Cities, where this groundswell started, and what he said was genuine and meaningful, promising true improvements to diversity in the NHL and in the game of hockey. It also shows the NHL is taking seriously the Hockey Diversity Alliance — led by Ted Wyman former Jets winger Evander Kane and Akim Aliu — just a couple months after it was established.

EDMONTON — By the time the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames took So much had happened on Saturday by the time the Jets and Flames the ice at cavernous, eerily empty Rogers Place Saturday night, there even skated onto the ice, but when they did, it was momentous. had already been four NHL playoff games contested on the strangest of It was the first time teams from the two cities met in a playoff game since mid-summer days the hockey world has ever known. 1987. It was a day of playoff games like no other, the beginning of a qualifying It was the beginning of the only all-Canadian series in this qualifying round that has never before been conducted, the first set of best-of-five round and the first in the NHL since Montreal and Ottawa met in 2015. series’ to be held in the NHL since 1987. It came after an unprecedented two-week summer training camp that To put that into perspective, Jets 33-year-old captain Blake Wheeler was featured as many virus tests as physical ones. It came 140 days after the the only Winnipeg player in Saturday’s night’s game who was even born Jets and Flames were supposed to meet in a regular season game in when a best-of-five was last played. Calgary on March 14. It was next on their schedules when the season But the number of games in this qualifying round was nowhere near the was paused by the NHL. weirdest aspect of the first day of NHL playoff games. Because of the This is a series that would normally be a cause for frenzy in both COVID-19 pandemic, the games are being played within a secure zone Winnipeg and Calgary, where fans dream of the chance to celebrate in in the hub city of Edmonton, with no fans in the stands. the streets after playoff wins and only dare to dream about winning the For a game that normally conducts its playoff games with up to 15,000- Stanley Cup. 20,000 fans in the stands and thousands more congregating outside the Instead fans were relegated to watching on their TVs, many of them arena to be a part of it all, it was a bizarre setting. doing so in their cottages or campers after coming in from time at the Even when the Edmonton Oilers were taking on the Chicago Blackhawks beach, the golf course or on the water as they celebrated the August long on Saturday afternoon, the streets around Rogers Place were mostly weekend. deserted. Instead of late-night fireworks and bonfires, they were inside, watching Only a handful of Oilers jerseys could be seen here or there. A small hockey, seeing visions of their team going on a long playoff run. number of fans were gathered at Mercer Tavern, across the street from They were perhaps aware of the importance of Game 1 — 81% of teams the arena, where TVs were set up throughout the bar and on the outdoor that win Game 1 in a best-of-five go on to win the series — or perhaps patio. they were simply thrilled to have meaningful hockey back, no matter the Over at Joey Belltower, it was dead quiet in the lead up to, and during, time of year. the game. It’s a day many of us will remember — for so many reasons — for years “It’s weird because it’s so close to where the game is being played and to come. you can usually feel that energy when the hockey games are on and you Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.02.2020 can see all the people around,” said Rowan Walsh, a bartender at Joey.

“There’s a disconnect in it now because it’s so isolated. I live just down the street so I walk past the bubble to get to work every day and it’s very strange. You can hear all the stuff that’s going on inside there. You can hear people playing basketball and having a good time, but you can’t see anything.”

While the Jets-Flames game was still being decided at press time Saturday, the final result was almost secondary to the history of it all.

Six months ago, could anyone have ever imagined we’d witness something like this?

Not just the empty building, the neutral site games and the bubble, but even the pre-game message that addressed the second-biggest story of 2020, the social inequality suffered by minorities in America and across the world.

Before the Oilers-Hawks game, Matt Dumba, a Filipino-Canadian from Calgary and a Minnesota Wild defenceman, made an impassioned speech on behalf of the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance, condemning racism and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

He was clearly nervous, clearly feeling the moment as he stood at centre ice, with players from both teams in a circle around him. He knelt for the American national anthem — becoming the first NHL player to do so — with Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse and Blackhawks backup goalie Malcolm Subban, both Black, holding their hands on his shoulder.

It was a powerful moment that summed up so much about what 2020 has been about and how much has changed, for better or for worse, since the NHL shut down in March.

In light of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May and the protest movement that has arisen since, the NHL has made contrived, largely symbolic attempts to speak out for social justice as these games get under way. 1189990 Vancouver Canucks The Canucks were a top-10 team in shooting percentage at even strength this season, scoring on 10.4 per cent of their shots. But Minnesota was actually a hair better at 10.5 per cent.

Patrick Johnston: Toffoli hopes to give Canucks an offensive edge in The Canucks have really made their offensive hay on the power play this showdown with Wild season. They finished the regular season with the league’s fourth-best power play, scoring on 24.2 per cent of their man-advantage situations.

Despite their even-strength defensive prowess, the Wild have one of the Patrick Johnston league’s weaker penalty killing units, killing just 77.2 per cent of their penalties.

8.07 Tyler Toffoli was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks to help create offence and grind out wins. His presence should make life tougher for the The Wild gave away the fewest high-danger chances of any team in the Minnesota Wild in the NHL playoffs qualifying series. league, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, just 8.07 per 60 even-strength minutes, nearly one fewer than the Columbus Blue Jackets and the On paper the Canucks have the better power play and the better goalie. Boston Bruins, the next-stingiest teams in the NHL. Will that be enough against the defensively-stout Wild? We'll find out starting on Sunday They make it really difficult to get to the net.

The equation to understanding how the Vancouver Canucks-Minnesota The Canucks get about 10.9 chances from in tight per game, which is Wild qualifying round series might play out in Edmonton is pretty simple: roughly league average. They’re going to be under pressure to get to the one team is very, very good at defending and the other has very, very net. good goaltending. “At this time of the year a lot of goals are scored from around the paint This best-of-five NHL matchup — which starts Sunday night at Rogers and we’re going to have to find a way to get there,” head coach Travis Place — will hinge on how hard a time the Canucks have in getting to the Green said. Minnesota net and how on top of his game netminder Jacob Markstrom proves to be. +20.2

3.04 According to Clear Sight Analytics, Jacob Markstrom prevented 20 more goals than you would expect given the quality of scoring chances he How big an addition to the Canucks’ lineup was Tyler Toffoli in his 10- faced this season. That was second in the NHL, a hair behind Vezina game stint post-trade deadline and pre-COVID-19 pause? Trophy-favourite Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets (he prevented 20.7 more goals more than expected). According to the expected-goal metric — a measure of how many goals the Canucks were likely to score with him on the ice per 60 minutes — For all the warts the Canucks have in their in-zone defending, Markstrom Toffoli was the Canucks’ most effective offensive player. has repeatedly bailed his teammates out this season.

During his short stint with Vancouver, the Canucks were expected to .932 score 3.04 goals every 60 minutes given the types of shots they were taking with him on the ice. That’s good, since three goals in an NHL Markstrom had a white-hot start to the season, posting an outstanding game usually equals a win. .932 save percentage through the regular season’s first five games. Some goalies start the season really well and that might be something to Toffoli has made the Canucks’ first line — alongside J.T. Miller and Elias consider in projecting how this qualifying series could go. Pettersson — even better than it already was. With Toffoli, Pettersson and Miller improved their shot-attempts-for rate by five more shots per 60 Of course the Canucks lost the first two games on the year, but they minutes and decreased their shots-attempts-against rate by three. turned around and won the next three.

“Just try and be more determined. Obviously their job is to box you out,” Go figure. Toffoli said of the success he’s had in his career in getting to the prime ICE CHIPS — The Canucks may not be playing the Oilers, but they’ve scoring areas near the net. “There’s little techniques, but whoever wants never won a playoff game in Edmonton. The last time they played a post- it more is going to get there.” season game in Edmonton was May 8, 1992, a 3-2 loss to the Oilers at The veteran winger has been everything the Canucks hoped he be when Northlands Coliseum. Adrian Plavsic and Dave Babych scored the goals. they acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings. … Green said Friday he anticipated having all his players healthy and available for selection on Sunday. 37.6 Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.02.2020 The Canucks’ fourth line has one job: survive.

The Canucks are only taking 37.6 per cent of the shot attempts when fourth-line centre Jay Beagle is on the ice. That’s the lowest percentage on the Canucks. He’s not in there to contribute offensively, but you can’t play defence forever.

At some point you are going to surrender goals when the opposition is getting that many cracks at your net.

The thing about Beagle is he was the low-man on the Capitals’ shot- attempts list in 2018, when Washington won the Stanley Cup. At least with the Caps he was middle of the pack in terms of the quality of shots the team was yielding with him on the ice.

In Vancouver, the only forward doing worse in stopping quality shots is Beagle’s regular left-winger, Tyler Motte.

162

The Canucks have a reputation for being a high-flying offence, but the truth is when it comes to five-on-five play, they’re a middling group. They scored 162 goals this season at even strength, which actually is fewer than the 169 the Wild scored.

10.4 1189991 Websites Hurricanes veteran Justin Williams complained after the game that Carolina was the designated home team and had to hear the Rangers’ goal song a couple of times, which is yet another weird feature of these neutral-site games. The Athletic / Mirtle: What it was like being in the empty arena for Game 1 of the NHL playoffs (That became more of an issue later in the day in Edmonton when the Oilers were subjected to the Blackhawks’ “Chelsea Dagger” seven times.)

By James Mirtle Aug 1, 2020 Other than the sounds and the empty space, what stood out about being at Scotiabank Arena — a place where I’ve watched hundreds of games

going back to the 2004 playoffs — was the scale of what the NHL has “Oh, wait, someone’s here.” tried to do here.

I seem to have startled the staff at the media entrance when I arrive, 30 Visually, the massive stage behind the players’ benches and the video minutes before game time. This was the start of the NHL playoffs, with screens that have been installed are incredibly impressive. I initially the New York Rangers taking on the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 in thought that the NHL was using some of the elaborate set pieces that Toronto, and the entire city block was a ghost town. concerts and other shows use at Toronto’s arena, but an MLSE spokesman explained that the league had all of this custom-built over the No fans. No signage. past six weeks just for this purpose.

Nothing except a large fence and a few security guards. It looks seamless with the rest of the arena, however.

I have my temperature checked on my forehead, get my bag looked at Steve Mayer, the NHL’s chief content officer and senior executive vice and go through a metal detector at the door. I’m handed a media pass president of events and entertainment, was responsible for the design, and instructed to get on the elevator to go to the third floor. along with Gary Wichansky from Hotopp, a Seattle-based company that specializes in large-scale set design. Maximum three occupants at a time. Which won’t be a problem today. Hotopp has built sets for places like Sea World. It has also partnered with Once I get to Level 3, it’s clear why the staff wasn’t overwhelmed with the NHL on the Winter Classic and other marquee league events in visitors. With the game almost set to start, there are only 10 media recent years. Things that look great on a huge scale are its business. members spread out among the entire upper bowl of Scotiabank Arena. And the company motto is “Anything is possible,” which probably came in The third level of the building is almost empty, save for one person handy with this project. manning a lonely concession stand just for us. This was an entirely foreign project compared with what they’d attempted My section is 313, in one end zone behind Henrik Lundqvist. I have it in the past. And a challenge. entirely to myself. The biggest problem was the timeline, as the league hadn’t even settled The media guidelines for these games are strict. Outlets are only able to on which cities it was going to until very late in the process. Seeing it in send one staffer per game. And with the quarantine rules at the border, person, I was stunned they were able to custom build all of what’s there very few reporters have made the trip from the U.S. for a game like this, that quickly. between two American teams. Instead of filling the seats with a bunch of fake fans or stuffed animals or In the lower bowl, however, there is a little bit more activity. Some of the whatever, they put a lot of time into doing something very interesting suites have team personnel in them, who are watching the game intently. visually. I’m not sure it fully translates on TV, but in person, it stands out Players who are healthy scratches or injured sit in the red seats to watch as a product of remarkable engineering. their teams. A group of about 10 per side is spread out among entire “It was an incredible technical feat that we figured it out,” Wichansky says sections. on this explanatory video. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who was declared “unfit to play” The enormous scale of the operation wasn’t just limited to the game before the game, is among them. He wears a mask with team colors and operations and visuals. When you’re in the building, the other thing that his number, like most of his sidelined teammates. stands out is how complex and unwieldy the bubble itself is. SHOULD HELP GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA ON WHAT SHESTERKIN'S There are a lot of people who are working at these games. They all get 'UNFIT TO PLAY' STATUS IS.. PIC.TWITTER.COM/LFRIO8IYQO tested in the main lobby of Scotiabank Arena every day, and many put in — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) AUGUST 1, 2020 long hours — from 11 a.m. until nearly midnight — making sure the games get played. In all, aside from the players and other team personnel on the two benches, I estimate there are probably 150 people visible in the Here’s a look at the makeshift testing “labs,” which are being facilitated building’s main section, scattered around in various sections. This by LifeLabs, a massive Canadian medical testing company. It is the includes camera operators, medical personnel, timekeepers, snow company the Leafs used for testing all through Phases 2 and 3 and now shovelers and Zamboni drivers. is handling the thousands of NHL tests required every week.

The pregame is as violently loud as a regular NHL game, with a series of That bank of black areas on the right there are curtains that have been additional video screens and the jumbotron blasting the nothingness with put up to give those receiving COVID-19 tests some privacy. sound and lights and Images. I know one key for the Leafs and the league was that LifeLabs would not This was the Hurricanes’ player intro, as ported over from a regular home be drawing supplies or tests from the health care system. game down in Raleigh. “Great care was taken to ensure that no resources will be taken away During play, however, the arena falls almost silent, with the only natural from the general public in our testing,” a Leafs spokesman said last sounds those from the pond: skates and sticks and yells from players week. and coaches. And that’s just one example of an area of the arena being repurposed. Well, that, and the fake EA Sports crowd noise that the league began The teams playing were also using the stands beside the bench for their pumping into the building with this game. medical personnel and backup goaltenders, among others.

This is what it all sounded like, early in the contest. I also noticed that the NHL staffers in the penalty boxes and timekeeper’s bench were filling the area behind them with supplies like towels and And this is what it sounded like in the lead-up to Rangers defenceman Gatorade, something that would obviously never happen during a regular Marc Staal scoring a short-handed goal, late in the third period. game. Note that you can hear the Rangers players cheering, from the far end of the arena where I was sitting, before the goal horn goes off. In the intermissions, the penalty box and players’ benches are also thoroughly cleaned and sterilized by a team of workers in masks and gowns.

Another thing that was unmistakable as I walked around the arena: The Leafs (and Raptors) left this building very quickly back in March. Not very many people had been back to the facility to clear it out for these games.

The various concession stands, for example, were still full of food and beverages, including this beer, which might not remain minty fresh until the next time fans are in the arena.

Whenever that might be.

I settled for a $4 can of ice tea from the concession stand.

After the game, the few media in attendance went to an empty restaurant on the third-level concourse that had been converted to a makeshift press conference area. Media members (all six of us) were able to stand in front of a camera and ask Jaccob Slavin, Justin Williams, Sebastian Aho and Rod Brind’Amour questions.

Other questions came from reporters, like our very own Sara Civian, via Zoom video software.

By the time it all wrapped up, there was less than an hour until the Panthers and Islanders would be playing in the day’s next game. As I was going to the elevator to leave, Scott Wheeler, another of our reporters, was on his way to Section 313 to watch the remaining games.

“This is pretty weird,” I said as we talked about the differences from the exhibition games, which didn’t have the fake crowd noise pumped in, among other changes.

As I was leaving, I noticed the players from one of the teams or some league staff leaving in this bus, which was coming out of Maple Leaf Square.

This entire area in downtown Toronto is normally filled with fans during Leafs and Raptors games in the playoffs, but that won’t be possible this year given it is included in the NHL’s bubble at least until the end of Round 2.

I know we have all had a lot of strange experiences during the past five months since the pandemic began in North America. But for me personally, this is probably near the top of the list. Covering hockey games is our normal, and to do it under these circumstances was a very odd feeling.

But I came away from Scotiabank Arena with an appreciation for how hard it was for the league to get to this point, and how much is at stake if the bubble doesn’t hold.

Millions of dollars in planning and resources have been invested, with many, many moving parts.

After Day 1, it appears to be working as intended. Everyone involved has fingers crossed they make to the finish line in October.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189992 Websites Seeing it, however, made Trina tell her husband that Mathew just became the first NHL player to do something that has been witnessed in professional leagues throughout the continent.

The Athletic / Clark: NHL addresses racism with Mathew Dumba’s What Dumba did and said can be viewed through two spectrums. One is moment, but is it enough? that this is a major step forward for the NHL considering the league’s history on addressing subjects like race and racism. The other, however, is while acknowledging the gravity of Saturday, we don’t know whether or not the NHL can show it is really and truly ready to make a stand like By Ryan S. Clark Aug 1, 2020 Major League Baseball, MLS, NASCAR, the NBA and the NWSL have done over the past several weeks.

Charlie Dumba will always remember those games in different rinks Let’s start here. Race has long been an uncomfortable subject in the throughout suburban Calgary when he was coaching his two sons’ teams NHL. It is why in some part the famed “Saturday Night Live” sketch with and he required a word with an official. Chance The Rapper playing a Black hockey reporter was comical. It goes back to the fact that hockey is a predominately White sport that has He told those officials that they needed to keep their ears open for what not come remotely close to looking like the rest of North American was being said. Charlie let them know that he and his players were society in the same manner as the NBA and NFL, where there is a larger hearing racial epithets being used by their opponents during games. This concentration of minorities who are either broadcasters, coaches, front is what he did as a coach to fight racism. As a parent, he was a White office executives, owners, players or spectators. man married to a Filipino woman who had to tell his sons – Kyle and Mathew – to turn the other cheek. The NHL has attempted to address these issues with mantras and programs like “Hockey Is For Everyone” or the “You Can Play” initiative. For now. Furthermore, this is a league that has shown it can tackle serious social subjects. The NHL and the entire sport itself have worked to own the “I once told Kyle to turn the other cheek because we are not fighting this conversation on mental health with Bell Let’s Talk in an effort to fight the today,” Charlie recalled. “But some day, we’re going to. One day we stigma commonly associated with mental illness. It is a league that has might change the whole thing.” made a gradual effort to have programs like Pride Nights throughout its This is why Friday resonated so much with Charlie and Trina Dumba. various markets that allow LGBTQ+ fans to feel included. The same Mathew, a star defenseman with the Minnesota Wild, called home to tell applies to the incremental approach toward having more women in the his parents he was delivering a speech Saturday on behalf of the Hockey game. Strides have been made in the fact that there are women in high- Diversity Alliance to tell the game they loved that racism needs to stop. ranking positions throughout various levels of their team’s respective That young children should not have to experience what he and Kyle did front offices. Or how there are women who serve in different when they were boys. That maybe this inspires a new generation. broadcasting roles ranging from anchor to color analysts to directors to producers to sideline reporters with the premise that there are still not Hearing this left Charlie and Trina choked up. It left them at a loss of enough women and there needs to be more. words. But above all, it left them proud. The only thing they could say – beyond how much they love their child – is they were worried his speech Attempting to fully understand why the NHL has not taken that same might be too much to remember without writing it all down. Mathew directive with race and racism is a question many have asked over the assured his parents that he would be OK when the time came to speak to past several years with the idea those beliefs have intensified because a much larger audience. there is an international conversation about those subjects currently happening. Maybe the league showing it wants to work with the HDA is And that is exactly what happened Saturday. Charlie and Trina, along just that. Perhaps it is possible that seeing several White players like with the rest of the planet, watched their son give what might become a Sidney Crosby, Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Tyler foundational speech regarding how the NHL and hockey as a whole can Seguin and Jonathan Toews speaking about race proves the league is be better when it comes to racism. For 2½ minutes, Dumba spoke while ready to talk. Mathieu Schneider, one of the few Jewish players during standing at center ice next to players from the Chicago Blackhawks and his time in the NHL, said the NHLPA is working as an organization to Edmonton Oilers inside of an otherwise empty Rogers Place where his make sure “young kids coming into our game should not have to words and their meaning echoed throughout an arena and the entire experience racism or bigotry.” sport. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hired and promoted Kim Davis, a Black Dumba wore a black HDA hoodie. Blackhawks goaltender Malcolm woman, to be the league’s executive vice president for social impact, Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who are both Black, growth initiatives and legislative affairs. She has worked to create more stood next to Dumba for the entirety of his address. He was measured awareness around race and racism while also working with figures like when talking about how “the world woke up to the existence of Arizona Coyotes team president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez, toward systematic racism” and how it impacted society. There was the clear building partnerships with different organizations in an attempt to hire acknowledgement of how there are some who feel they have heard more diverse job candidates. enough about a concept they think has received too much attention. Providing Dumba the platform to speak where he said the phrase “Black “But let me assure you, it has not,” Dumba said. “Racism is a man-made Lives Matter” could be enough to generate the idea there are reasons to creation and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. be optimistic. Racism is everywhere and we need to fight against it.” But the fact it was Dumba who said “Black Lives Matter” – and not the That is where he spoke about what comes with being an ethnic minority NHL itself leading up to his speech – plays into why there is doubt about who has faced these challenges. About why the HDA and the NHL are whether the NHL is in the strongest possible position to show it is working together to hopefully cease the cycle of racism at some point in committed to fighting racism. the future. Here is the thing that makes discussing race and racism potentially “I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans complicated. It is being able to distinguish the difference between nuance because Black Lives Matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a and nit-picking. What is fair game versus finding something that may or great game,” Dumba said. “But it could be a whole lot greater and it starts may not be there. For this is the situation the NHL has placed itself in by with all of us.” waiting too long to address racism. Any move it makes will be met with Players from both teams loudly tapped their sticks barely seconds after skepticism from a sizable number of people compared to other leagues Dumba finished speaking. Immediately, the national anthems of the that immediately took a stance and accepted whatever consequences it United States and Canada were played over the arena’s public address would face from fans. system. Dumba knelt for the “Star-Spangled Banner” while Nurse and Take the moments building up to Dumba’s speech and how it all played Subban placed their hands on his shoulders. All three men stood for “O out from start to finish. Canada” before Dumba left the ice before the game started. American audiences watching NBC heard about COVID-19 and the Charlie said he and Trina did not know their son was going to kneel. challenges it presented leading up to the Blackhawks-Oilers game. There was nothing that acknowledged the international discussion about race and racism and the fact it has become the most controversial subject in “Who knows if this will break the mold for every Hispanic, Asian and hockey. If anything, NBC spent more time discussing how long it would Black player to break through to decide that if someone like Matt and the take a hockey puck to melt through a block of ice. Canadian viewers, rest of the HDA can do it, then they can do it,” Charlie said. “They might however, saw a nearly five-minute introduction on Sportsnet where the think, ‘If they did it, we can too.’ I think that’s the thing. All people and all network played “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley as a soundtrack to a kids are looking (for) is hope. Giving them that hope and making them discussion about racism. It started with playing Nelson Mandela’s feel like they are included and that they have the same chances as address from when he was released from prison. It continued by blending everyone else would be the greatest thing ever.” photos and videos with statements that were given by HDA members such as Akim Aliu, Trevor Daley, Evander Kane, Dumba, Wayne The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 Simmonds and Joel Ward. Those players all shared personal stories that were followed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Danny Green, along with McDavid and Ovechkin all saying they support the HDA.

It is asking those questions about Dumba’s moment itself. Was it better to have Nurse and Subban around Dumba because it potentially presents a more powerful moment to see solidarity among minorities? Or would it have been better to have White players in that space as a visual show of support. Then again, one could argue having White players there might not have had the same impact compared to just minorities having everyone’s attention. But, if White players are truly on board with this movement, should one of them have been alongside Dumba to make their feelings visibly clear?

Even the timing of it all came into question. Why did the league choose a marquee matchup between the Blackhawks and Oilers in prime viewing hours when the game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers did not have a moment recognizing the fight to end racism? Attention was shown in a later game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It just remains to be seen if the league will continue doing this throughout the postseason.

The dynamic involving the Blackhawks and Oilers is something worth examining. One is a team that has come under fire for its name as many deem it to be disrespectful Native American imagery. The other is a team in the Oilers that has long been associated with players of color like Anson Carter, Grant Fuhr and Mike Grier. Currently, the Oilers have five minorities on their roster in Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Jujhar Khaira, Nurse and Kailer Yamamoto.

Another avenue in how this moment was measured was social media. The NHL tweeted the video of Dumba’s speech with the text, “When an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out. #WeSkateFor Black Lives.” Some will say the tweet was enough. That the league fulfilled its obligation to talk about racism. Others will debate how this is still an organization that could still not state “Black Lives Matter” in that moment. Especially when the NHL was called out for a since-deleted video praising White player Seguin for attending a protest filled as social media users pointed out it had not done the same for players of color who have fought for the cause and dealt with racism their entire lives.

WHEN AN ISSUE IS BIGGER THAN THE GAME, WE MUST SPEAK OUT. #WESKATEFOR BLACK LIVES. PIC.TWITTER.COM/MGMMGRM8VI

— NHL (@NHL) AUGUST 1, 2020

Other leagues, by comparison, do not have to face these questions or they face fewer of them because they actually have addressed the issue at hand while openly saying “Black Lives Matter.” The threat of losing fans is a reality every league must consider when taking a stance. But how many of them are also thinking about the fact that they might gain new fans who support them for speaking out against racism? Gaining few fans, especially those who are minorities, could serve the NHL in the coming decades considering White Americans are projected to be nation’s the minority population by 2045. That might be 25 years away but making an effort to show it understands the importance of addressing and fighting racism might help a league that is already at a financial disadvantage compared to college basketball, college football, MLB, the NBA and NFL.

Knowing whether the NHL can be a league and hockey can be a sport that appeals to everyone will arguably be the largest challenge facing the sport in the wake of Dumba’s statement.

People like Charlie and Trina Dumba believe that can be the case. Trina said that “hockey connects good people” and that she feels there are more good people than bad ones in the world. Charlie’s hope is for hockey and society to look back at 2020 and realize that is when a change was starting to be made because there were those who wanted to take a stand. 1189993 Websites He did so in between commercial breaks featuring the NBA’s Black Lives Matter advertisement.

He appeared to do so in the midst of the Bruins players releasing a The Athletic / ‘Actions speak louder’: Black voices have sent the NHL a statement on racism, too. united message Bruins teammate Brad Marchand wrote a vulgar, since-deleted, reply to Boston Globe reporter Matt Porter, who’d highlighted the Rask hat with a tweet. By Scott Wheeler Aug 1, 2020 A day later, when Marchand was made available during the Bruins’ daily Zoom call with the media, he was asked about the hat and his tweet. He chose to double down. Saroya Tinker had waited, all week, to see what the NHL would do with its new stage — and all of the lights and theatrics that came with it — on “It’s OK for him to support a friend and wear a hat. It doesn’t change the the one thing that matters more to her than anything else: Black lives. fact that we all stand united against trying to end racism and being a part of that solution. And Tuuks is a part of that. He’s onboard just like all of As one day spilled into the next and the NHL’s exhibition scheduled us. I responded to (Porter) because I felt like we want to be a part of the progressed, she grew more and more disappointed. Tinker, a Black solution. We feel like Tuukka has a big platform and for (Porter) to bring professional hockey player in the NWHL, has been a vocal member of negative attention to him, that can deter Tuuks from wanting to be a part hockey’s Black community since May, and before, when she told her of this. If you silence Tuuks and you silence his followers, then that’s part story on Twitter. And this was the NHL’s opportunity to speak to her and of the problem and we need people to be willing to speak up and want to the sport’s Black community. be part of the solution and continue the conversation,” Marchand said. “I was definitely excited to see how it unfolded but I think how it has “The reason I deleted my tweet was not because I regretted tweeting it, unfolded has been incredibly disappointing,” she said Friday, after the it’s because I didn’t want to bring any attention to (Porter). I don’t regret conclusion of the NHL’s 12-game exhibition schedule. “I think that they’ve the way that I responded. We stand with Tuukka and we stand together been hesitant to do things just because they want to maintain their fan as a group here to end racism and that’s that.” base. But in terms of Black Lives Matter, their fan base is incredibly toxic. It has been disappointing, to say the least.” As Marchand said it, he sat to the left of Patrice Bergeron, who at the beginning of June pledged to donate $25,000 to both the Boston chapter She’d been in contact with Kim Davis, the woman tasked with leading the of the NAACP and the Centre Multiethnique de Quebec. NHL’s new diversity and inclusion efforts. But after a week of waiting, she insisted it wasn’t enough, and hoped that there was more coming. She “We want to continue the conversation. Ultimately, we are against any knew, too, that her sport wasn’t always welcoming to her, nor to the form of racism whether it’s in hockey or in life. We’re trying to listen, Black community. And she worried her sport still hadn’t received the we’re trying educate ourselves and this is another way for us,” Bergeron message. said, echoing his teammate. “We’ve had some great conversations over the last few days about it so it’s continuing that and hopefully “It isn’t enough,” Tinker said. “From what I’ve heard being in contact with encouraging other people to do the same thing.” Kim Davis, they do have plans in place and it will just be interesting to see how they unfold. Whether or not it will be enough is definitely a By Thursday, when Rask spoke after the Bruins’ exhibition game, he question that’s still up in the air. It’s exciting to see that they are making started by saying the interview was pre-recorded and the broadcast an effort but they still need to know that they can do better. They can do made it out to be live. better.” “I just put a hat on in the morning. It was not a statement. I definitely have On Saturday, those plans began to unfold when Minnesota Wild no respect for what’s going on in the world right now and I stand with defenseman Matt Dumba delivered a speech — and took the NHL’s first everybody against racism. It was not a statement. I didn’t mean to offend knee during the playing of the national anthems — before Edmonton’s anybody,” Rask said. opening game between the Oilers and Blackhawks. At the start of the NHL’s return to play, the Penguins and Flyers had But was it, as Tinker wondered, enough? stood side-by-side on the blue lines. When it was over, the game’s biggest star was brief in his remarks. To answer that question is to understand the tumultuous week that preceded it and the feelings of those, like Tinker, who’ve waited for their “A lot has happened since we played our last game,” Sidney Crosby said. sport to respond. “And we felt, both teams, that it was important to show unity given what’s gone on and just wanted to be part of the solution moving forward.” “During this pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred. The world woke up to the existence of systematic racism and Asked what kind of impact both teams were hoping to have by standing how deeply rooted it is within society. For those unaffected by systemic at the blue line, Flyers coach Alain Vigneault deferred judgment to racism, or unaware, I’m sure that some of you believe that this topic has others. garnered too much attention during the last couple of months,” Dumba said, wearing a sweater for the newly-formed Hockey Diversity Alliance. “Hard for me to say. More for other people to say,” Vigneault said. “I think all we were trying to do tonight as players and coaches was show our “But let me assure you, it has not. Racism is a man-made creation and all support and that was one small way that I thought everybody could do it it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. Racism is everywhere and show it.” and we need to fight against it. On behalf of the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, we vow and promise to stand up to injustice and fight In both hub city arenas, Black Lives Matter messaging was notably for what is right. I know first-hand, as a minority playing the great game of absent during the exhibition games. It didn’t appear on the boards, or the hockey, the unexplainable and difficult challenges that come with it.” jumbotrons, or in any of the pre-game ceremonies.

As he said it, he paused intermittently to collect himself. “END RACISM” With attention drawn to the anthems, opposing teams continued to elect shone brightly across the Rogers Place jumbotrons. to stand side-by-side in a show of “solidarity.”

“Black Lives Matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters,” he finished. “Hockey By Thursday, Eric Trump, the President’s son, had tweeted out a video of is a great game but it could be a whole lot greater and it all starts with the Rangers and Islanders standing at the blue lines, appearing to us.” applaud their decision not to kneel. The tweet read: “Thank you @NHL #Standing.” Early on in the NHL’s return to play, messaging on the Black Lives Matter movement appeared mixed from both the players and the league. Several players, however, had begun using their platform — and that new stage — to speak out in their own way. The exhibition schedule was barely an hour old when Tuukka Rask appeared on the NHL’s first national broadcast wearing a Boston Police Dumba, Nazem Kadri, Jordan Greenway, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare hat. stood shoulder to shoulder ahead of their exhibition game between the Wild and the Avalanche. Dumba and Kadri, two members of the newly- formed HDA, kept that conversation going post-game, too. “I think us standing together showed our strength in numbers in this fight Execute educational programming to increase awareness of racism in in racism, especially in our community in Minnesota with people who’ve hockey. lived through tragedy these last couple of months – and people who are still in tragedy across the States,” Dumba said. “(Kadri and I) have done Fund impactful social justice initiatives. a lot of work and we’ve shared that with both of our teams with The alliance also mapped out where they plan on throwing their support, everything we’re doing with HDA. To have us four standing up there as financially and otherwise, with the largest emphasis being placed on four players of colour in the game, I hope that showed some strength.” grassroots programming.

Kadri was unequivocal. He stood with his three colleagues of colour In an interview with TSN’s Frank Seravelli, Kane had aligned with Kadri against racism and injustice but it that wasn’t and isn’t enough. to express his disappointment and anger with the league’s early efforts. He wanted to see more from the NHL. The league, he said, was trying to tie in other issues with theirs, turning the focus to COVID and frontline workers, instead of racism, which they’d “I think it’s an important thing to come together and unify as players. asked them to address in specific terms. From a player standpoint, I think we all stick together. Hockey’s a great game, we’re all trying to make it better. We’re trying to make the game “The NHL can put ‘Black Lives Matter’ all over the rink, shout ‘Black Lives more diverse and the diversity in the game doesn’t happen with racism Matter’ from the mountains,” Kane said. “No matter what they do or say, still going on,” Kadri said. “As players, we’ve addressed that. From a it’s all going to fall on deaf ears with me and every other person in the league standpoint, I think we’d maybe like to see a little more HDA because the league has made no effort to support its own Black acknowledgement and having them address the situation and know that players.” they stand with their players.” On Friday, as part of the league’s outreach efforts, the NHL published an Tinker continued her efforts, too, speaking out as an advocate for the essay by pending Minnesota Wild free agent JT Brown. In it, Brown sport’s Black women. When the HDA launched without women on its detailed why he chose to raise his fist in protest during the national board, Tinker criticized their own diversity problem, too. anthem in October 2017.

“I think that (the HDA) would be more well-received if they were providing Steve Mayer, the brains behind the events side of the NHL’s return, that platform for women in the sport to speak. I think that there are promised to formally unveil their #WeSkateFor and #ISkateFor initiative definitely ways that they can improve and the things that they need to on Saturday. When the league unveiled that messaging to media before improve on. It’ll be important for us Black women in the sport to vocalize the resumption of play, they revealed teams could choose their own those opinions and be heard,” Tinker said. messaging, and that not all teams had to use the league’s #WeSkateFor Equality branding on the helmet decals they would use. The Flyers, the In recent weeks, Tinker has been in contact with the alliance’s co-head, NHL’s media packaging highlighted, would use “#WeSkateFor Brotherly Evander Kane. Her conversations with Kane have become more Love,” while the Wild would use “#WeSkateFor The State of Hockey,” transparent and welcoming of late, she said. The rest of the sport hasn’t and Vegas would use, well, “#WeSkateFor Vegas.” always given her the same respect or welcome. Stewart hopes he and other Black leaders in hockey can send their own “I have been engulfed in hockey culture my whole life. I’m used to getting message. the comments. I think that just proves how toxic the hockey culture is,” she said. “My brother and I escaped extreme poverty. If we can do it, everyone else can do it. But there is a system in place that restricts specific She’s not alone, either. Progress has been slow on the ice and off of it, in demographics that makes it really, really hard to play. If a player sees me the sport’s media world. on TV, that may motivate them. Maybe if they want to be a referee, there’s Jay Sharrers. Maybe if they want to be a host they see David On Tuesday, as part of Sportsnet’s exhibition broadcast, former NHL Amber. Maybe if they want to be a player they see Wayne Simmonds,” player Anthony Stewart made his debut to a national audience as part of Stewart said. the broadcast team for the Leafs-Canadiens game. Stewart, whose brother Chris is a member of the HDA, wants real-world action from the “But these players weren’t placed there, they earned it. They had to take hockey community, not gestures. That, he says, is the only way forward the harder route to get there. I want the younger generation to know that for real progress. it takes — regardless of your race, colour, creed — extreme hard work. I don’t want this movement to say ‘Yeah, well, somebody’s just going to “Everybody wants change and we want it now but this is something that’s hand me something.’” going to take time. To change systemic racism is not going to happen overnight. I love the hashtags, I love everyone speaking out now, but On Saturday, the HDA appeared prominently in a vignette that aired what is everyone doing when they log offline?” Stewart said. during Sportsnet’s first national broadcast, signalling further progress from their efforts. “I have this platform now with Sportsnet but I’m making my change by giving back to underprivileged youth and the next generation of hockey “WE HAVE THE BEST GAME IN THE WORLD, BUT WE ALSO HAVE players. I’m coming out of pocket for a lot of expenses, a lot of THE GAME THAT’S GOT THE MOST POTENTIAL TO GROW.” – equipment, a lot of ice time and elite training. That’s how I’m making a @DREAMER_ALIU78 #BLACKLIVESMATTER | #ISUPPORTHDA difference. It’s tough because I’m just one. It’s one thing to say from the PIC.TWITTER.COM/XLOKUWTUFB outside ‘we want change.’ Well how? How are we going to do that? That’s where the focus needs to be.” — SPORTSNET (@SPORTSNET) AUGUST 1, 2020

Two days before puck drop, the HDA launched its website and a “They got together and said ‘Hey, we know we just have to get together promotional video, to highlight its own plans. and we’ll figure out the dotting the tees and crossing the I’s later.’ They’re slowly but surely now getting more organized. Hopefully they can get a ⁣ partnership with the NHL and really make change. But for me it starts from the ground, it starts from the grassroots,” Stewart said. “In 10 years, STAND WITH US ⁣#ISUPPORTHDA ⁣ hopefully I’ve put 10 kids in the NHL, or in business, or on scholarships. GO TO OUR WEBSITE HTTPS://T.CO/FUZAAGODTH I’m on my way to doing that.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/JVHCMWP9HM Before Dumba took his knee and delivered his speech, the new opening — AKIM ALIU (@DREAMER_ALIU78) JULY 30, 2020 day efforts the NHL had hinted at remained unclear. The puck dropped on the Stanley Cup qualifying round in Toronto before Edmonton. In Among the alliance’s early initiatives is the HDA Pledge, which will Toronto, there were three new features at Scotiabank Arena that hadn’t require partnered organizations, the NHL included, commit to: been there during the exhibition games.

Create policy and rule changes that make the culture of the game more “END RACISM” also briefly displayed on the arena’s giant screens inclusive. behind the two benches, the newly-formed Hockey Diversity Alliance’s logo directly below it as a sign of their hard work. Establish specific targets for hiring, promoting and partnering with Black individuals and businesses. “#WeSkateFor BlackLives” read a pair of banners draped behind each team’s net — and on several smaller monitors throughout the empty stands.

Two league-produced Black Lives Matter videos played at regular intervals, featuring voices like and P.K. Subban, and promised to continue to highlight social justice leaders.

But then the anthems were played and the Hurricanes and Rangers players lined up like any other game. Four hours later, the Panthers and the Islanders did the same. The goalies were in their nets, beneath bright spotlights. Each team’s five starters stood on their defensive zone blue line as their teammates did the same on the benches. When the anthems finished, a welcome back video played from a handful of celebrity friends, the puck dropped, and hockey was played.

In the era of COVID, the league’s return had been a success. The hockey played without a problem. The league kept testing its players and the players kept coming up negative.

But there was another, before Dumba’s speech, that hadn’t followed as tidy a path for the league. And in that era, the Black Lives Matter era, the era that has followed the killing of the George Floyd — and all of the division that has been sewn since — many in hockey’s Black community began to feel like their moment wasn’t the priority, like the NHL had fallen short.

When the Oilers game was over, and defenseman Darnell Nurse got to say his piece about the moment he shared with Dumba and Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and the league’s role in it, he made it clear that he didn’t want their moment to be the end of the conversation.

“It was good that the message was heard and needs to continue to be spread. But actions speak louder than words,” Nurse said.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 1189994 Websites Spott admits that his first reaction was a shallow one. The play happened to his right, he saw Liambas charge into Fanelli, and he remembers thinking “This should be a five-minute major.”

The Athletic / The Comeback, No. 39: How one prospect’s return from When Fanelli didn’t pop back up, that quickly changed and, for the first the brink gripped Canada time in his career, Spott felt compelled to leave the bench to help his player. The first thing he saw was white foam in Fanelli’s mouth. The second thing he saw, as he turned away, were his players huddled together on one knee at centre ice. Scott Wheeler Aug 1, 2020 “We had no idea which way it was going to go. This was basically a car

accident. The last thing on our mind at that point was hockey, it was the Editor’s note: This story is part of a series counting down the 40 greatest health of this young man and making sure that he was going to survive,” comebacks in sports. said Spott, now an assistant coach with the Vegas Golden Knights. “That’s the biggest thing about junior hockey is you’re a surrogate parent When Ben Fanelli finally woke up, he saw two faces. To his left was the to these young men. The hardest part for me during that process, outside familiar face of his mom, Sue. To his right, the unfamiliar face of a doctor. of seeing the hit, was looking Sue Fanelli in the eye that summer previously when we were signing Ben and assuring her that her son His mom was the first to speak. would be in good hands. That’s a tough pill to swallow.” “Ben, do you know why you’re here?” she said. Dan Lebold, Kitchener’s long-time trainer, was tending to another player His first instinct was to move his limbs. Then he panicked. Where am I? when he heard “a thud.” What happened? When he got to the scene and saw Fanelli unconscious and lying in his Tears followed. He knew he was in a hospital bed but had no idea how own blood, he had two urges. The first was to lay down beside him he got there. And he was scared, more scared than he’d ever been in his because he couldn’t handle it. The second and more powerful urge was life. to use all of his training to save the kid’s life.

Dr. Rocco Arthur De Villiers, the hospital’s veteran neurosurgeon, was Though Fanelli’s teeth were clenched and he was seizing, Lebold could second to speak. see that he was still breathing out of his nose. Lebold’s only focus, while others rushed in to help, was to keep Fanelli’s airways open. Two or De Villiers told Fanelli that in a game at The Aud, home of the Ontario three times, Fanelli jolted out of the seizure and pushed back against Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, the teenaged prospect was hit him, lifting his unconscious body off the ice before slowly relaxing into behind his net. His helmet cracked and fell off, and his head hit the metal Lebold’s arms. stanchion that holds the glass in place. “It was a nasty scene,” Lebold said. “You know how they talk about the De Villiers told him that sports were going to be out of the question for strength of someone who’s not in control? I don’t think I could have the rest of his life, that school would be out of the question for at least pushed him down.” two years, and that if he ever returned to his academics that he would need an aide. Today, Lebold describes those scary minutes as an out-of-body experience. Then he told him that his skull had fractured, that he had two subdural hematomas and an epidural hematoma (meaning his brain was bleeding “It’s amazing how quiet 6,000 people could be. It could’ve been one internally in two places and on the surface in another), and that he was person or 60,000. All we were focused on was Ben,” Lebold said. likely going to be a different person than he was in the first 16 years of Because the hit happened at the Zamboni door, getting Fanelli off of the his life. ice and into the ambulance happened relatively quickly. More than a decade later, that memory, immediately after he’d been As they wheeled him off, one voice pierced the silence. roused from a medically induced coma, is one of only three that Fanelli has from his seven days in intensive care. “All I could hear was Sue just screaming ‘No! No!’ That will always be etched in my mind. I didn’t look her in the face, but I just knew it was But while most else that week has turned to black, he’ll never forget the Sue,” Lebold said. two years that followed, as he rebuilt his mind and body, and worked his way back from one of hockey’s indelible moments — from the Sue never really liked hockey. She hates the violence of it. That night, impossible. she was seated at the far end of the rink behind the opposing team’s net. When Fanelli went down, it took her a second to realize it was him. Then The hit occurred on Oct. 30, 2009, but the memories stop a night earlier. she was out of her seat and running across her row to figure out how she On Oct. 29, Fanelli remembers his parents being in Brampton, Ont., to could get down to the ice. Because her son was new to the team, she see him play on the road because it wasn’t far from Oakville, his was also new to the building. hometown. He remembers playing poorly in the first period alongside “That’s my son down there, I have to get down there!” she remembers future first-round NHL draft pick Ryan Murphy — and being told by head yelling at the ushers as they tried to stop her. coach Steve Spott during the intermission that there was a scout from Canada’s under-17 team in the stands who probably wasn’t impressed. When she got to the ice and they wouldn’t allow her on, all she could see But it all goes dark after he handed out meals to the team on the bus ride was the blood pooling below Fanelli’s head. home as part of his rookie duties that night. “It was the most terrifying night of my life,” Sue said. “I can honestly say He knows he would have arrived home to his billet parents, David and your knees shake when you’re scared. I was having trouble standing just Wendy Brum, that he would have woken up the next day and gone to because I was so afraid. I thought he was dead.” school, that he would have arrived at the rink and gone through his warmup, that he played the first period the following night, and that 20- The Brums drove Sue and Fanelli’s dad, Frank, to the nearby Grand year-old Erie Otters forward Mike Liambas smashed into him and River Hospital. Lebold rode in the front seat of the ambulance. changed his life. Doctors were already waiting for Fanelli when he arrived and Lebold Did he see Liambas coming? worked to help them cut off his hockey equipment before joining Sue and Frank in the waiting room. “I have no idea,” Fanelli said. Within an hour after the hit, doctors told them that Fanelli was in such Everyone else who was there would rather forget that night. Fanelli bad shape that he couldn’t stay. He would have to be airlifted by wishes he could remember it. Part of his story is gone, told to him by helicopter to Hamilton General Hospital. Sue began shrieking, begging others. them not to take him, and hyperventilating.

“They just kept telling me to breathe,” she said. Together, Sue, Frank and Lebold drove down to Hamilton. That night, “Ben, I’m going to go start the van and pull it up front so that when you Sue and Frank tried to sleep in the waiting room outside the ICU while get the good news, you’ll be able to jump in,” he told his son. they awaited an update. When she was finally let in to see him, her legs felt like lead. And the good news came. Minutes later, De Villiers told Fanelli he couldn’t explain how his brain had begun to heal like it did but that he “I was so afraid of what I was going to see with him all tubed up,” she could go home. said. “That was the biggest relief of my whole life,” Fanelli said. “They put me His right eye, which now boasts a scar, was swollen shut and purple. in the wheelchair and wheeled me downstairs and there’s my dad, side When Sue tried to touch him and talk to him, nurses told her not to door of the van open, waiting right in front of the hospital doors for me.” because it would start brain activity and they needed to keep him calm. Leaving the hospital was just the beginning. Once Sue was done, Lebold was allowed in. To this day, Lebold can’t let go of his quiet moment with Fanelli in that room. Back at home, Fanelli was still required to stay on the anti-seizure medication he was administered throughout his time in the hospital. He “He’s on life support at that point. Forget hockey or functioning,” Lebold battled headaches. He was sensitive to light and had to wear sunglasses. said. “Three hours ago, he was a strong young player playing hockey He couldn’t use his cellphone or watch television. He lacked energy, and now he’s being held up by pumps and tubes. It was like ‘Is this real? personality and emotion. He limped for months. He struggled with short Please be a bad dream.’” and long-term memory loss.

After leaving Sue and Frank to be with their son, Lebold decided to go Sue made sure he slept in the same bed as she did. back to The Aud. He’s still not sure why but he was drawn to just sit in Fanelli’s stall, at 3 a.m., and cry. “He would sleep so soundly that I would literally put my fingers across him to see if he was still breathing,” Sue said. “He would go ‘I’m “It finally caught up to me. I just prayed for Ben to survive. And the next breathing’ and I would go ‘Just checking!’” few days was touch and go and his teammates were beside themselves because he was potentially not going to be there,” Lebold said. Doctors started him on a simple routine: Sleep, walk around the block, do some kind of low-stimulation cognitive exercise (he elected for word It was four days before they pulled Fanelli out of the sedation and he searches), rinse, repeat. woke up. Thankful to be alive, those milestones thrilled him. They were harder on By then, before De Villiers could break the news to him, he had already Sue, who worried he was going to fall and hit his head every time he was led the evening news in Canada. At the hospital, staff had to work to up. keep the media out and keep updates on his status private. Just seven games into his OHL career, Fanelli’s name was the talk of the hockey “Walking terrified me,” she said. world. Liambas had been suspended for the remainder of the season in a Once he was allowed to wean off of the anti-seizure medications, things precedent-setting decision that ended his junior career. began to change. His ego came back. His energy returned. He wanted to Though Fanelli knew who his parents were, he was groggy and push the envelope. Though it felt like progress was slow at the time, he confused. now realizes things were actually moving fairly quickly.

Doctors would regularly conference with Sue and Frank as his status Much of his recovery was rudimentary. In 2009, head trauma still wasn’t fluctuated. Yes surgery. No surgery. Another MRI. Yes surgery again. No at the forefront of hockey. Sidney Crosby had not yet been hit by David surgery again. Steckel.

A week earlier, Fanelli’s hockey story was the classic one. By 15, he’d “It was still ‘Go to your room for five or six days in the dark and come out been told by everyone in his life that he could be the one kid from his when you’re ready,'” Fanelli said. town to make it to the NHL someday. After the Rangers drafted him, he He turned to Google for his treatment and tried everything from taking expected to play three or four years in Kitchener before turning pro, just vitamins to balancing exercises. One way or another, his brain and body like most top prospects did. began to heal.

His first few weeks in junior hockey had felt like a whole new world. He’d Two months after the injury, Fanelli returned to the hospital for another nearly burnt his billet house down after leaving dinner in the oven while at round of cognitive tests and his results weren’t far off from those of most hot yoga with the team. He got into his first car accident racing home healthy teenagers. from that same hot yoga class. He was learning life lessons from billets who’d housed NHL stars like Mike Richards and Derek Roy. His new “The administrator said my reading was a little slow and my mom chimed family dynamic resembled his own, with his new mom running the ship in and said, ‘You know what, his reading has always been slow so don’t and his new dad becoming his buddy. He’d had his “welcome to the OHL worry about that’ and I was like, ‘Oh, thanks mom,'” he said, laughing. “I moment” when he’d lined up against future NHL star Matt Duchene on was so blessed and lucky to still have that.” the first shift of his first exhibition game. By Christmas, though, he’d hit a low point. While he was feeling better in His biggest fear in life had always been what he would do if he didn’t a clinical sense, he didn’t know how he could get back to a normal life. have hockey. In the hospital, that didn’t even cross his mind. In the After entering the hospital at 175 pounds, he’d fallen to 140 pounds. In moments where he faded in and out of consciousness, all he could think an effort to help him, Sue suggested he move back to Kitchener in about was life, death and survival. January.

By his seventh day in hospital, De Villiers had promised him one last To this day, Fanelli calls the decision to go back to live with his billets MRI. If the bleeding had absorbed into his body adequately, he may be maybe the biggest of his recovery. able to go home. If it hadn’t, they wouldn’t wait any longer for brain “I was told I wouldn’t return to school for two years and here I am moving surgery. back with the team and hopping back into school,” Fanelli said. While they awaited the results, nurses began gluing beads to his head to At home, he felt alone. In Kitchener, he felt alive again. map out where they were going to operate. His teachers at Eastwood Collegiate in Kitchener provided free tutoring to “At that point, I don’t even know how to articulate it. I was spacey, I was help him catch up. scared as could be, my whole body felt cold, and then you’re thinking about someone cutting into your head. In that moment, I feel like I At the rink, he walked back into a dressing room where Lebold had kept couldn’t have been any more present and I may never be again,” Fanelli his stall full of his equipment, nameplate and all, ever since he’d left. said. “My mom and I are sitting there, tears in our eyes in this hospital bed thinking they’ve already made their decision.” “Leaving his gear up gave us hope that Ben would survive and have a good quality of life at some level. Putting his gear away would have been Before De Villiers returned, Frank tried to wish some good news into like closing the book on it and we were far away from that,” Lebold said. existence. “We didn’t even know if he would be a functioning human being. Every week brought new hope.” When Fanelli talks about his conversation in Spott’s office on that first Sweden to support him. Today, a picture with Armstrong, his idol, sits in day back, when his teammates didn’t even know he was there yet, he his living room. chokes up. He comes back to that decision, in that press box, often. “(Spott) said to me ‘Fanells, you’re going to be a part of this team for as long as you signed your contract and that means four years. You’re going “That one night where I could have said ‘Hey Spotter, I’m going to mail it to be a part of this team in whatever capacity you want,'” Fanelli said. in, I’m wasting my time, there’s no chance,’ I just shifted the focus for whatever reason and said I was still going to stay involved and support “All of a sudden I have an identity. I have responsibility and the team but I was going to take control of what I could,” Fanelli. “That accountability, which is absolutely massive for an athlete. And (Spott) did ride was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I figured I’d just figure it that for me right away. At the time I didn’t really realize that. We’ve all out. (It) was impossible but it was to meet Lance Armstrong so I did it.” heard that athletes are just numbers and when one gets hurt, they bring in the next healthy horse. I had a coaching staff that I didn’t think would Meeting Armstrong and completing the ride reinvigorated him, giving him support me and yet they really did, even though I wasn’t helping them hope for his planned two-year checkup with doctors for another MRI. win games. It was selfless of them.” “For whatever reason, I believed that that new MRI would show that I’m For Spott, that first meeting was just about making sure he could help lift healed and ready to play, which was ridiculous,” Fanelli said. Fanelli out of that low point. And sure enough, that checkup would change his life, this time for the “There was zero chance in my mind that he would ever play again,” Spott better. Back at the hospital, doctors turned two computer monitors said. “We just wanted to amalgamate him back into the team, more than around, an image of his first scan from two years earlier to the left of his anything for his well-being.” new one.

Meanwhile, though Fanelli thought he’d created some powerful “You didn’t need a neuroscience background to realize there was relationships with his teammates in the weeks before the hit, describing something seriously wrong with the first image and then you looked at himself as a hooligan in the dressing room, he was worried about how he the other one and it was gone,” Fanelli said. “It was like something I’d would fit back in if he wasn’t on the ice. dreamt of happening. It was almost like I had to pinch myself like ‘wait a minute, what happened?’ Even the doctor couldn’t explain it. I was going Quickly, those fears faded. to be able to maybe play again.”

Fanelli refers to Buffalo Sabres star Jeff Skinner, then Kitchener’s top For Sue, as much as the news was a relief for her son’s health, knowing scorer, as an “unbelievable person.” Skinner sent him a two-page that he might want to get back on the ice was her “biggest nightmare.” handwritten letter that was at his house when he got home. He says She broke down into tears. teammates like Murphy, future NHLer Ben Thomson, current NHL official (then the team’s captain) and Colorado Avalanche captain “There was my poor mother, the most important person in my life crying,” Gabriel Landeskog were there “all the time.” Even as the Rangers went Fanelli said. “I was making the most important person in my life on a deep playoff run that season, Bruins first-round pick John Moore still uncomfortable, yet it was something that I wanted more than anything.’ made a habit of picking Fanelli up from his billet house to take him to For a long time, Sue tried to talk him out of getting back on the ice. church. “I didn’t grow up with money and my mom said ‘I’ll buy you a brand new “Here are guys trying to get drafted to the NHL and yet after games, Mercedes Benz if you don’t go back to play,’” Fanelli said. “If she had it when their phones are blowing up and they’re studs, they’re taking the her way I never would have gone back.” time to check in with me and ‘How are you doing Fanells, I know this isn’t easy,'” Fanelli said. “It was unheard of what these guys were willing to do Fanelli helped convince her by getting into the best shape of his life — for me.” and as heavy as 215 pounds.

For a long time, that made a difference. Eventually, though, the Early on, returning to the ice meant throwing on sweats and a helmet excitement of his initial return to the team began to fade and his mental before practice. In time, that turned into participating in the first five health suffered. Days became months, months became a year and then minutes of practice with full equipment, for a couple of easy drills. two. “It wasn’t hard to pick the one guy on the ice with a silver cage flying One Friday night at The Aud during his second year back with the team, around at 100 miles an hour because he’s so happy to be out there,” while the Rangers played the Saginaw Spirit, he decided he’d had Fanelli said. enough. Enough of sitting alone in the press box, collecting stats and Because his story had become such a focal point for the league, each filling water bottles. Enough of hearing newscasters, sportscasters and step of his return needed clearance from commissioner David Branch. doctors say he’d never play hockey again. Nearly two years after the injury, when he was finally allowed to practice “I was pissed off, I was frustrated, it was a negative headspace. I was in full, Landeskog checked him up against the glass immediately after he just sitting up there with nothing to distract me and here I am watching stepped onto the ice, wanting to make sure he wasn’t going to hesitate my best buddies, again, for the second year in a row, play in front of for the first bit of contact. 6,000 of the best hockey fans I’ve ever seen,” Fanelli said, calling that night the darkest of his recovery. From that point on, there was no turning back.

After the game, Fanelli went to Spott’s office to tell him he couldn’t watch Fanelli had two OHL debuts. The first was in the fall of 2009, a couple of anymore and to ask if, after joining the team for their pregame routines, weeks before the hit. The second was in the fall of 2011, when he led the he could go do his own thing. evening news in Canada once more, this time in triumph.

That thing became swimming. To this day, he wishes he could better explain what the night of his return was really like. The fans, he says, cheered for way too long. “It sounds ridiculous and embarrassing but that started me on one of the most powerful years of my life. On Friday nights I would go to the YMCA “It was a moment where if felt like everything paused. I just couldn’t hear with the other 80-year-old women doing their swimming lengths and I anything. I skated out onto the ice and everyone in the building was on would swim right beside them. I could throw my underwater headphones their feet. Even when I hear my teammates talk about it or coaches talk in and I could just be by myself and I wouldn’t hear anything else and I about it, I think they honestly do a better job of describing the moment could just let that negative energy dissipate,” Fanelli said. because they were thinking rationally,” Fanelli said.

In time, that gave him his first identity outside of hockey. He began to “It was two years of unknown, two years of hanging onto hope, that 1 challenge himself in the pool. He searched out other interests, including percent, and then you’re in the moment and from what everyone said, the neuroscience, philanthropy and public speaking. Swimming turned into doctors, the newscasters, the sportscasters, even people in my life, this running. Running turned into cycling. He convinced his mom, with wasn’t supposed to happen and it’s happening. There was too much clearance from doctors, to try a duathlon. Then a triathlon. Then, when going on, too much emotion, too much thinking. My brain just shut down.” Lance Armstrong came to town for a 150 kilometre charity bike ride, he talked his way into participating. At the ride, Landeskog flew in from Spott describes the atmosphere in The Aud during Fanelli’s return as akin to a championship game. “I went from the worst night of my career to one of the best in his return,” Sandy Hook school massacre and started the Choose Love Movement, a Spott said. “It changes your focus as a coach when you go through foundation for social and emotional learning. He uses lessons learned something like that. There are certain moments in a coach’s career that from them in his own messaging on behaviour and mindset whenever he he remembers and that is one for me that I’ll never, ever forget because does a talk. of the journey that that young man took to get back.” “All I knew was I wanted to give back to people for a living and put food Lebold has to pause repeatedly to cry, unable to choke the words out, on my table and I’m still in the midst of navigating that now, I’m not some when he looks back on that night. philanthropist guru,” Fanelli said.

“It’s tough to talk about,” Lebold said through tears. “It was an answer to (Courtesy Ben Fanelli) a prayer. You assumed it would never happen. It shouldn’t move me this often but boy, you go back to it and it’s not hard.” His relationship with Spott has moved beyond the coach-player dynamic.

When the puck dropped, Spott began to worry. “I think there will be a bond between he and I for life,” Spott said. “He’s a remarkable, remarkable young man and a second son.” “I was really, really nervous. I might as well have been sitting beside his mom and dad that night because that was my focus, was watching him These days, as Lebold makes his way on and off of the ice through that every time he was on the ice to make sure he was OK,” Spott said. “The same zamboni entrance, he often pauses at the stanchion to reflect, to end result of that game did not matter. It was his night and it was remember that thud. Lebold has been known to drop everything or hang important for him and his family to see him reach the top of the up the phone when he hears Fanelli’s laugh around The Aud. mountain.” “When you see Ben walk in with that smile and that love for life,” Lebold High above the ice, Sue and Frank were given seats in the press box so said, pausing again to cry, “you could bottle that and sell that and give that they could watch it all unfold in privacy. Sue couldn’t talk and sobbed that to people who are really down. He’s an inspiration to me. There’s a throughout the game. reason he’s still alive. We can’t hug each other these days but I’d hug him right now. Every time I see him, I go back to the ice or the hospital In the games that followed, Sue couldn’t bring herself to watch him play. scene and I just thank God that he’s in a good position at this point.” She would pace around the outside of The Aud. Slowly, she worked up the courage to pace around the concourse and sneak peaks. When she The feeling is mutual. finally got back into her usual seats, she would count down the seconds “The paramedics who were there that night have told me that the way until the games were over. (Lebold) acted is probably the reason I’m doing as well as I’m doing,” “It took me a long time to be able to get in that arena and watch again,” Fanelli said. “Every time we see each other even to this day, it’s like we Sue said. “And he wasn’t a kid who spent much time in the penalty box have to hold our tears back because we’re just so happy and thankful for but I knew that was two minutes where he was safe.” each other.”

But she’ll never forget the support her son got from the sport. They Fanelli is still friends with Landeskog and many of his other former received letters and messages from around the world. The night Fanelli teammates. Some of them recently got together to support a charity got injured, the second text she received was from Cari MacLean, the event for cystic fibrosis. wife of ’s Ron, telling her that she’d seen the Next year, he’ll be joining the Rangers as a player mentor. worst of hockey that night but that she would see the best of it in every day after. Throughout Fanelli’s recovery, MacLean and “I hope that somehow we’re able to get across to them how important this provided regular updates on his health during Coach’s Corner. person is and how much he has to give with his second chance,” Lebold said. “I believe that man can achieve whatever he wants to achieve.” Fanelli went on to play three full seasons with the Rangers. In that third season, he was named the team’s captain. Whenever Fanelli does public speaking, there are two frequently asked questions. He expects his Rangers mentees will ask the same. The biggest ovations always belonged to Fanelli, right until the very end. The first normally centres around his miraculous recovery. “That Kitchener crowd can make me cry in seconds,” Sue said. “I would walk through the arena and people would go ‘Hi Mrs. Fanelli, how are “People will say ‘Oh, your comeback was incredible, you overcame so you?’ and moms would come up to me, complete strangers, and give me much and put so much work in’ and yes, but I was put in an environment a hug. When he scored his first goal, the mom down the row passed me where I was destined for success. And that’s why the relationships with some tissue. It was such an emotional experience.” those people will last forever,” Fanelli said. “I just had so much support around me. I don’t think I can hammer it home any more.” In the final game of his junior hockey career, his teammates surrounded him at centre ice so that he could salute the crowd — and they could The second usually asks whether he would choose to go through it all salute him. again if he could go back.

He never did have that pro career. His answer is yes.

Since finishing his junior career, Fanelli has pursued other passions, The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020 including a bachelor’s degree at Wilfred Laurier University and a master’s in psychology at the University of Waterloo, where he also worked as an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team. He tried to start a cleaning business, a fitness program, and a coffee shop. He participated in several neurological studies. Those researchers told him that he was lucky he had De Villiers that night.

“The fact that they waited to see if the bleeds would somewhat absorb back into my body takes a lot of patience and trust and experience. If it was a younger neurosurgeon there, they might have been more gung-ho and hopped into it right away,” Fanelli said. “And having the brain surgery would have set me on a completely different trajectory in life. That’s pretty crazy to reflect on.”

His calling has become Heroic Minds, the namesake of his public speaking business and podcast.

The podcast is a series of conversations with researchers, doctors, and athletes who’ve overcome tragedy, from hockey players like Marc Savard and Theo Fleury to some of Fanelli’s other heroes, such as U.S. Marine Kirstie Ennis, who lost her leg in Afghanistan and is now trying to summit the world’s largest peaks, or Scarlett Lewis, who lost her son in the 1189995 Websites and shot, and despite being 5-foot-9, wins his fair share of battles with his hustle. Robertson’s skating is average at best though, with an awkward stride that in combination with his size is why he went in the second round. As an 18-year-old with his size and skating, Robertson’s The Athletic / Pronman: NHL prospects to watch in the 2020 postseason expectations should be very reasonable for these NHL playoffs (an ask I realize is insane when I say it out loud about an OHL kid playing for the

Leafs coming off the season he had). I think the pace adjustment is going By Corey Pronman Aug 1, 2020 to be a real challenge for him. I think he could provide some offense in a sheltered role and be a power play option, but the Leafs are very deep up front.

With a second training camp this season, there was a second opportunity Jack Studnicka, C, Boston for young players to make teams or reaffirm what their clubs saw in them. Today I will discuss prospects who seem set to play in the 2020 NHL With Ondrej Kase’s status unclear, Studnicka has emerged as an option playoffs. There will likely be more players who play that aren’t listed here to play for the Bruins in the postseason. His rookie pro season in the AHL once injuries kick in, with this column being more of a focus on opening showed he is ready for such a challenge. Studnicka was one of the best rosters. forwards in the AHL as a 20-year-old. He is a highly skilled forward. He can be a dangerous playmaker off the flank, and also makes a lot of I consulted several NHL scouts on the players discussed in this column, plays between the dots. He competes off the puck and will provide two- but the opinions are ultimately my own. way value for the Bruins. Studnicka’s foot-speed is average, which will be his main obstacle for the NHL level, but I think he does so much well and Liam Foudy, LW, Columbus has shown he can excel against men, that he could provide real value When NHL scouts discuss whether a player’s game will translate from right away. junior to the pros, the most important attribute they usually look for is the Zach Whitecloud, D, Vegas speed of that player’s game. In that sense, Foudy will not have any issues, as he’ll be able to step into an NHL game tomorrow and pressure Whitecloud played up with Vegas for the last month or so of the season defenders with his skating. He had his clear best offensive season in his and looks set to start on the third pair. He’s a player scouts are divided OHL career, but the main question scouts have is whether his game is on. Some see an intelligent, mobile defenseman who can help at both going to translate into significant offense. In general, the feeling on Foudy ends. Others are skeptical of his puck game and vision, and see him as a has been trending more toward optimism in the past 18 months as he’s placeholder type until Vegas can find better options. He did fine in the continued to develop his playmaking, though I do think a top-six forward NHL in a sheltered role, and if Vegas uses him similarly in the projection remains a tad ambitious. I think he’ll be able to help the Blue postseason, he can probably keep his head above water. But I could see Jackets right away, using his great speed and compete to create havoc him getting pushed if he gets too many shifts versus quality forwards. and make enough plays to keep possession ticking in the positive direction. The Athletic LOADED: 08.02.2020

Julien Gauthier, RW, New York Rangers

Gauthier was traded from Carolina to the Rangers at the trade deadline and immediately plugged into the tail-end of the lineup, averaging 8:39 of ice time to end the season. He has the size, skating and skill to play in the big leagues. NHL scouts express concern over his decision-making and playmaking, but he could provide value skating up and down the wing and creating havoc with speed and power. I think there is real offense in his game and the ability to put up points in the NHL, but he likely won’t be put in a position in this postseason to see what he can do in a scoring role.

Morgan Geekie, C, Carolina

Geekie had another great season in the AHL, including a successful brief call-up to Carolina where he looked like he belonged in two games. The 22-year-old who was drafted as a re-entry prospect has a shot to play games this postseason. Geekie is intriguing as a forward with size, very good vision and finishing ability. He can play a skill or power game effectively. He works hard to win pucks. These are all things that will endear him to coaches. He has a clunky skating stride, though, and it will be a big jump for him to go from the AHL pace to an NHL postseason pace, which makes me skeptical he’ll play any kind of significant role, but he has all the other attributes you’d want to get it done.

Jeremy Lauzon, D, Boston

Lauzon came up toward the last few months of the season and held his own in a third-pairing role, which is how he projects to open the postseason in the Boston lineup. NHL scouts praise his mobility and physical play. “He’s pure grit,” said one scout about Lauzon. I have questions on how well he moves the puck and his overall skill level. I know enough NHL scouts who think those aspects are good enough (albeit not strengths) to be a useful everyday NHL player, and some who agree with me on those fronts. He’s looked capable in the NHL ,and in a PK/third-pair minutes role, he could provide value to the Bruins.

Nick Robertson, LW, Toronto

The most interesting young player entering an NHL lineup this postseason is 18-year-old Robertson, who the Leafs picked in the second round in 2019. Robertson scored 55 goals in 46 OHL games, was solid at the world juniors for Team USA and has seen his stock as a prospect rise significantly in the period of a year. Robertson brings a lot of high-end qualities to the table. His puck skills, vision, shot and compete level are all excellent. He can break open a shift with his skill 1189996 Websites Compounding matters was the fact Jets winger Patrik Laine left the game in the third period and didn’t return with a suspected hand injury after delivering a hit on Flames captain Mark Giordano.

Sportsnet.ca / In turbulent Jets season, Game 1 injuries could be Scheifele’s expected absence could serve as the latest rallying cry for the toughest test yet Jets during a season that has been filled with them.

Whether it was Dustin Byfuglien’s unexpected and sudden skate into the sunset after requesting a personal leave of absence on the day before Ken Wiebe August 2, 2020, 2:53 AM training camp, a car crash involving Sami Niku and Kristian Vesalainen on the way to the rink on the first day of camp or veteran centre Bryan

Little suffering a serious injury when he was hit in the ear with a slapshot EDMONTON — Paul Maurice was adamant he saw a needless, dirty from a teammate, the Jets have endured more than their share of play that resulted in an injury to one of his most important players. turbulent times.

Falling in Game 1 in a short series is never optimal, but the more Can they find a way to pick themselves up off the mat one more time in pressing matter for the Winnipeg Jets is the suspected loss of top centre what could be their toughest test yet? Mark Scheifele, who departed the game with what looked to be a serious “I think that’s been our calling card all year, being able to handle injury to his left leg. adversity right from the first day of training camp,” said Jets forward Scheifele was along the boards with the puck in the offensive zone when Andrew Copp, who scored the game’s opening goal after a slick feed he was gently pushed from behind by Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. from Adam Lowry. “If you even want to go back into the summer a little bit. We’ve handled it as well as we can all year in terms of on-ice As Tkachuk finished his check, it appeared as though his skate made performance. But we’ve handled it mentally even better. It’s going to be contact with the back of Scheifele’s leg. another hurdle for us, but like I said we’ve been doing it all year.

Scheifele’s leg then went awkwardly into the boards at a bad angle and it “If we miss any of those guys, it’s going to be a collective effort for sure was immediately apparent the injury was serious — with Scheifele but we’ve handled circumstances all year and we’re going to rely on that writhing in pain on the ice. next-man-up mentality and that team play we’re capable of playing.”

Scheifele, who was limited to just three shifts, couldn’t put any weight on In the short term, the Jets survived the opening period and actually took his left leg and had to be helped off the ice and down the tunnel. a 1-0 lead when Copp — who is Scheifele’s roommate — scored on a one-timer from the slot. The head coach of the Jets voiced his displeasure in real time and he didn’t back down one bit when asked about the play in question following But the tables quickly turned, as the Jets were unable to generate any the game. sustained offence after that point and then were soundly outperformed on special teams, as the Flames scored twice on the power play and added “It was intentional. It was a filthy, dirty kick to the back of the leg,” a shorthanded marker from Tobias Rieder. Maurice said after his team dropped the series opener 4-1. “You can’t see it on the program feed, but take the blue line feed and you zoom in. The Jets hung around and had plenty of opportunities to cut into the two- He went after the back of the leg. He could have cut his Achilles. He goal deficit, but went 0-for-7 with the man-advantage, while struggling could have ended the man’s career. It’s an absolutely filthy, disgusting with both their puck movement and entries as they managed only five hit. shots on goal.

“I was about as clear as a man can be about what I saw.” “We didn’t win hardly any battles and it’s an area… it’s an easy fix,” said Wheeler. “Just simplify some things and win a couple of battles and we’ll There was plenty of chatter going into the series about the impact get the power play back on track. We’ve got a lot of confidence in our Tkachuk could have and the overriding feeling was that he was going to power play.” introduce himself to Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and live in and around the blue paint of his crease. With Game 2 set for Monday afternoon, restoring that confidence will be critical, especially with the status of two key members in question. Tkachuk didn’t get into the kitchen of Hellebuyck, though he drew the ire of the Jets shortly after the series began. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 During the stoppage in play as Scheifele was attended to, Maurice could clearly be heard barking profanities at the officials and the Flames.

There was no call on the play and to his credit, Tkachuk answered the bell and dropped the gloves with Jets captain Blake Wheeler on the ensuing shift after a discussion at the faceoff circle.

The loss of Scheifele for an extended period of time could be a crippling blow for the Jets, since the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft is a proven playoff performer who has 16 goals and 26 points in 28 playoff games.

Scheifele logs the most minutes of any Jets forward and is also a weapon on the power play as the trigger man in the slot.

“We don’t know the severity of it. We don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s kind of a rhetorical question in a way,” said Wheeler, who spent the final two periods at centre on the top line. “Arguably your top player, your top offensive player, and logs so many minutes and especially down the middle, such a huge piece of what we do and what we need to do.

“No matter what, you can’t replicate what he brings to our lineup so we talked before this game, a couple of years ago he had 14 goals in a playoff run, 11 on the road, I mean that’s the type of guy Mark Scheifele is. There’s nobody, well, we did the history and there’s nobody that’s done that ever. That’s a big piece of what we do.”

From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet NOW. 1189997 Websites sophomore season that ended after he suffered a spleen injury in his 12th game as a member of the minor-league affiliate Laval Rocket.

The kid from Pori, Finland wasn’t expected to factor into Montreal’s Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens show anything is possible in Game 1 win over lineup for this series. But the four-and-a-half-month pause due to the Penguins novel coronavirus gave Kotkaniemi new life, and his showing in Montreal’s 13-game training camp gave him confidence.

If you want a sample of confidence, look at what Suzuki offered in this Eric Engels | August 2, 2020, 12:07 AM game. The kid from London, Ont., played half of his even-strength minutes against Crosby and Malkin. He helped kill the majority of the 5-

on-3 advantage the Penguins had in the third period, and he engineered TORONTO — If it’s the unexpected you crave, you’ve come to the right Montreal’s best opportunities on their two power plays of the game. place. Not bad, considering Suzuki started off nervous. Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs (play-ins), where anything is But he settled in quickly and found his best self for the rest of the night. possible. Where games are played in August, in just two arenas, and with no fans in attendance. Where the 24th seed in an unprecedented 24- “As a line, we had a rough start. We were trapped in the d-zone a lot,” team tournament can beat the seventh seed. Suzuki said. “But the coaching staff was really on us before the game even started, yesterday, just talking [about how] we’ve got to be ready, Where a kid, whose season was supposed to end prematurely in the [that] our time will come as a line. If it’s not in the first period, we’ve just American Hockey League, can score the all-important first goal of the got to keep working. We have enough skill on that line to generate game and his 20-year-old rookie teammate can score the second one. offence.” Where two of the greatest players of all-time can be held largely in check. And where a goaltender can somehow play above even the loftiest of The message Julien and his associates fed to the rest of the team clearly expectations. resonated, too. Especially ahead of overtime.

Because all of that can happen, the Montreal Canadiens are up 1-0 in “I said to the guys, ‘If we’re afraid to lose, we’ll lose. If we’re determined their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. to win, we’ll find a way to win,’” Julien explained. “That’s what we did.”

They won 3-2 in overtime, just like you predicted. Right? The Canadiens never would’ve done it had it not been for what Price offered. Buoyed by Carey Price’s heroics through the first six minutes of the game — he turned aside 10 Penguins shots before his teammates got The 32-year-old was otherworldly, turning aside 18 shots in the first their legs underneath them — the Canadiens found a way to get a 1-0 period and 21 more before all was said and done. lead. “Carey was huge throughout that whole first period and gave us a chance It was a mess of a goal, with a puck syphoned back to the point — while to come back and kind of adjust ourselves for the second and the rest of two Penguins collided with each other in the slot — before it plinko’d its the game,” said Julien. “He made some big saves throughout the whole way off Paul Byron’s stick then Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s body and past Matt game, but the first period is where he allowed us to stay in the game and Murray. You know, the kind of goal you always see at playoff time. A gave us a chance to win this.” lucky, sneaky, greasy goal. The Penguins clawed back from down 2-0 with goals from Crosby and Maybe one day Kotkaniemi will tell his children he roofed a one-timer for Bryan Rust in the second period. They threatened to blow the game wide his first-ever playoff marker. open on the power play, where they had seven opportunities on the night — including that 5-on-3 in the third. Conor Sheary had a penalty shot Nick Suzuki won’t have to lie about his. Late in the seventh minute of the with 3:03 remaining in the frame. second period he pickpocketed Brian Dumoulin, charged down his off- wing and ripped a laser of a wrist shot over Murray’s glove hand. But the Canadiens dodged those bullets and found a way to fire off some shots of their own. Thirty-four of them, in fact, before the final one left Jeff When Canadiens coach Claude Julien was asked earlier on Saturday Petry’s stick and beat Murray with 6:03 remaining in the first overtime. about Suzuki’s calm personality and how it might reassure him enough to use him in a matchup against goliaths like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni It felt like a bad omen for the Canadiens when Jonathan Drouin bobbled Malkin, he spelled out the inconvenient truth of this situation for his his own penalty shot in the seventh minute of the extra frame, Canadiens. stickhandling his way into a whiff on the puck.

“It’s not a knock on anybody when I say this, but we don’t have a choice,” But it didn’t matter in the end. Julien said. “We have a young team.” The Canadiens flipped the script, stunned the Penguins — and just about And the Penguins? everyone else. Because it’s the Stanley Cup Playoffs, breeding ground for the unexpected to come to life. They’ve won three Stanley Cups in the last 11 years and have over 1,400 games of playoff experience between them. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 But somehow that didn’t stop Kotkaniemi, Suzuki and this unheralded Canadiens team from making this much more of a series than anyone thought it would be.

“Well, you know it’s what we said that right from the get go: we’re playing an experienced team, they’ve won Stanley Cups, they know how to win, and we have what we have and the only chance we have is that we play on our toes and not on our heels and go out there, have some confidence [and] play hard,” said Julien. “We’ll put you out there because we have confidence and you just got to go out there and show it. I think that was the message from us as a coaching staff [to Kotkaniemi and Suzuki], but also there’s also a message coming from your teammates, and their teammates are supporting them and giving them the confidence that they need. So I think they feel pretty good about where they are right now in our group and I hope that they can continue to play that way because they were definitely keys to our victory tonight.”

Kotkaniemi, who debuted as the NHL’s youngest player in 2018-19, just months after being drafted third overall, had a torturous, injury-riddled 1189998 Websites “To say we are disappointed with the way we started would be an understatement,” Tippett said. “Give Chicago some credit — they played well. But some of the errors and the way we went about things … we were a way better team in the regular season. You get behind early, you Sportsnet.ca / Oilers 'just weren't ready' in lopsided opening loss to start to cheat, you don’t look like a good team. That’s where we were Blackhawks tonight.”

Across Northern Alberta, people had set up TVs on their decks, at their lakes and at the campground. This was a long-awaited playoff opener for Mark Spector | August 1, 2020, 7:25 PM an Oilers team universally favoured to dispatch the Blackhawks, and when McDavid wired home a powerplay wrist shot on the Oilers’ second shot on goal, it looked like success would come easily. EDMONTON — “We just weren’t ready.” Alas, that’s how the orange team played the rest of the game, while On a three-point night, that point was Connor McDavid‘s most salient. Chicago methodically reclaimed their game — boosted when Smith gave Dylan Strome the puck for the 1-1 goal. It started with their head coach, Dave Tippett, who started the wrong netminder, filtered down to McDavid, who was schooled at five-on-five by Any Oilers momentum died on the spot, and with no home crowd to help the great Jonathan Toews, and went right to the vaunted penalty kill, them along, strains of Chelsea Dagger would ring through the Oilers’ which got stung for three Chicago Blackhawks goals. heads the rest of the afternoon.

The grand total was a 6-4 shellacking, two of the Edmonton Oilers‘ goals Said McDavid: “It wasn’t good from the start.” coming in garbage time to disguise what a lopsided Qualifying Round opener this truly was. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020

“Not good enough all around. Pretty easy,” said McDavid, who would not hear of the fifth seed Oilers perhaps thinking the 12th seed Blackhawks would be easy pickings. “We definitely didn’t take them lightly. They’re battle tested. They came out and did exactly what we thought they would do. We just weren’t ready.”

Livestream the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, plus every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet NOW.

We can start in net, but the problem with laying this loss at the feet of a goalie is it somewhat relieves the Oilers’ skaters and coach of their share of the blame.

So let’s acknowledge that Edmonton starter Mike Smith, pulled after five goals and 26:32 of “action,” was poor. But it should also be said, three of five goals he allowed were nearly impossible to stop — and Tippett never should have started him anyhow.

Mikko Koskinen was better all training camp — in fact, he had better numbers all season — and had earned the start. Tippett’s allegiance to Smith, who he’s had in Dallas and Phoenix, clouded the coach’s vision.

“Smitty started the season 5-0, and we thought we wanted to start the post-season the same way,” said Tippett, who had his finger on the pulse of a 50/50 tandem all season. “We felt that other than the giveaway, he was left on his own out there.”

That much is true. But there were other questions to be asked after this thorough rout by Chicago.

What about McDavid, who had four points but was dominated at even strength by Toews? Or his No. 1 line, which defensively had a disastrous Qualifying Round opener for Edmonton.

Where was Zack Kassian, who can sway playoff games with his hits and physical play? Did he even play?

What about Edmonton’s penalty killing units, which brought the best percentage of all 24 teams into this post-season? They surrendered three powerplay goals, as rookie Domink Kubalik (two goals, five points) made his playoff debut a record-setter, scoring the most points in a playoff game in Chicago history, and the most by any NHL rookie in his playoff debut.

The Blackhawks’ powerplay unit entered the zone like a guy pulling his car leisurely into the garage.

“Once they got in they beat us every which way you can on the PK,” Darnell Nurse said. “There is a lot to learn from that game.”

What about the beefed up Bottom 6 that was supposed to give the Oilers an element they haven’t had in years: responsible play with a splash of offence?

No, only one team was ready for this playoff opener, and it was the Blackhawks, who won every battle from the goaltender to the centre ice dot. They schooled Edmonton big-time on Saturday. This game was not remotely close. 1189999 Websites That’s when Tkachuk decided he’d attempt to try ending the silliness immediately.

On the same ice at Rogers Place on which he did his part to end all the Sportsnet.ca / Maurice misguided in suggesting Tkachuk intentionally “turtle talk” surrounding his Battle of Alberta hijinks, he chose to shed the injured Scheifele gloves on Blake Wheeler’s next shift.

He followed up a brief conversation with Scheifele’s linemate by happily donning the mitts with the six-foot-five captain, whom Tkachuk promptly Eric Francis | August 2, 2020, 3:54 AM dropped with a solid right hand after a few exchanges.

Slow down video of the hit and pick any angle you want, any suggestion Tkachuk had any intent to do anything but finish his check is pure folly. EDMONTON — A dirty, filthy, disgusting hit. Yet the debate is sure to continue, especially if Scheifele does not. That’s how Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice interpreted an early hit by Matthew Tkachuk on Mark Scheifele that may very well preclude It wouldn’t be the last Jets star to depart the game, as Laine left midway the injured Jets star from returning this season. through the third after receiving a crosscheck from Mark Giordano who the Finn had buried seconds earlier. Strong, misguided words from a coach further steamed by the possibility he may also have lost the services of Patrik Laine moving forward. Although Jets winger Andrew Copp scored shortly after the Scheifele injury, the Flames rebounded from one of their typically slow starts to Fact is, the Zapruder film has nothing on the video capturing Tkachuk’s take over a game in which they had just one shot on goal the first 15 latest controversy. minutes. In a collision that has been — and will continue to be — slowed down As Laine filled in unsuccessfully on the top trio, the Flames got three and dissected frame-by-frame, the Calgary Flames winger knocked special teams goals in the second, kick-started by a Johnny Gaudreau Scheifele from the Jets’ 4-1 loss less than six minutes into the game. power play finish that ended his nine game playoff goalless streak. How someone can see the video and suggest it was targeted to hurt Tobias Rieder’s shorthanded breakaway conversion midway through the someone is an irresponsible way to try to rally the troops. second was followed by Mikael Backlund’s power play snipe, which was Then again, coaches always stick up for their players, especially when made possible by a Cody Eakin penalty drawn by Tkachuk. the Flames offender is such an easy target given his reputation for being Although on the ice for Andrew Mangiapane’s empty netter, Tkachuk was in the middle of such controversies. held off the scoresheet in a game that had his fingerprints all over it. The all-Canadian matchup wasted little time getting spicy when Without Scheifele the Jets power play was 0-for-7 with just five shots on Tkachuk’s neutral zone attempt to hit Scheifele into the boards saw his goal — all turned aside by not-so-surprising Flames starter Cam Talbot. skate catch the lower left leg of the Jets star as he twisted awkwardly to avoid upper body contact. The 33-year-old Talbot allowed a game-opening snipe by Andrew Copp shortly after the Tkachuk incident, but stood tall after that, stopping 17 Critics, like Maurice, will suggest he intended to use his skate to catch shots. Scheifele. The Flames took over in the second period in a game Rieder said the Realists will see a hard-nosed player who simply attempted to finish his lads worked hard to create their own energy on the bench in the absence check while his target turned and collided with the boards. of fans. “No absolutely not,” said Tkachuk, predictably, when asked if it was No one created more energy than Tkachuk, creating a buzz that will intentional in any way. reverberate through the NHL right through until Game 2 Monday “I’m backchecking on him, and it’s such an accident. I felt terrible. He was afternoon. turning away and my left skate had a little bit of the speed wobbles and I Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 was moving too fast for myself. My left skate just collided and it looked like it jammed him up. His body was going one way, but the way I hit him his leg stayed the one way.”

He showed instant concern on the ice while being chirped by Jets players, checking in with Scheifele as he was being helped off the ice by Nathan Beaulieu and a trainer.

“He’s a top player in the NHL and someone I’ve come to know the past few summers training with Gary Roberts — such a great guy,” said Tkachuk, who was not assessed a penalty on the play.

“It’s not good for the game when somebody like that is not in the game. It was very unfortunate and unlucky and such an accident and I feel terrible about it, but there’s really nothing that could have happened. I don’t feel good about it, but hope he’s okay.”

It’s understandable the coach was steamed following a 4-1 loss that may cost him two top players, but to suggest the split-second collision was targeted in some fashion is irresponsible and born purely out of frustration.

After being told of Maurice’s vitriolic comments, Flames coach Geoff Ward respectfully disagreed.

“What he’s saying, I didn’t see that,” said Ward.

“I just looked at the incident. To me it looked like Mark decided to turn up, Chucky was trying to turn with him and I think he lost his balance a little bit and I think he got caught in a compromised position.”

Scheifele immediately dropped to the ice after the collision, writhing in pain as Tkachuk turned to check on the fallen winger before gesturing to an irate Winnipeg bench he did nothing wrong. 1190000 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Bettman to rule on dispute between Coyotes, John Chayka

Sportsnet Staff | August 1, 2020, 11:25 PM

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will mediate a dispute between the Arizona Coyotes and former general manager John Chayka, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday Headlines. The commissioner is working on finding time in his schedule to hear the case.

On July 26, the Coyotes issued a statement saying that Chayka “quit” on the team and that the club was “disappointed” by his decision. In his own statement, provided to Azcoyotesinsider.com’s Craig Morgan, Chayka said he left the team due to a “situation created by ownership.”

Shortly after the split, Friedman reported that Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo had asked Bettman to adjudicate the divorce to clarify some contract issues between the two parties.

At issue appears to be whether the team allowed Chayka to pursue another opportunity. Friedman reports that aproximently one month before the split, another NHL team reached out to the Coyotes asking for permission to speak to Chayka about a job. The request was initially denied but later permitted, and an offer Chayka couldn’t refuse was made.

“The Coyotes were stunned and enormously disappointed,” Friedman wrote in July. “However — and this will be another key part of the dispute — they made it very clear the titles “general manager” and/or “president of hockey operations” could not be involved, to prove that Chayka was not making a lateral move. They are prepared to argue that is written into Chayka’s contract.”

No timeline for Bettman to make a ruling on the disupte has been given. was promoted to general manager after Chayka’s departure.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 1190001 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / NHL's hub cities getting positive reviews from players

Sportsnet Staff | August 1, 2020, 11:22 PM

When NHL players departed the homes they’d spent the last four-and-a- half months confined to by the COVID-19 pandemic, and ventured to the NHL’s hub sites in Toronto and Edmonton, the options for how to pass the time were restricted.

For five days, teams had to stay amongst themselves, dining together exclusively and being largely sequestered in their team rooms. But now that they’re immersed in bubble life and everyone’s been tested daily, they’ve been afforded more freedom — and they’ve taken full advantage of it.

“Now you might have a group of Blackhawks dining beside a group of Minnesota Wild. It’s taken on that peewee-tournament type of vibe,” Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston said during the first Hockey Night In Canada Headlines segment of the restarted season. “It’s taken on that peewee- tournament type of vibe. And I will say that, overwhelmingly, that’s been very positively received by the players.”

Given the remarkable circumstances under which players would be returning to play, the league made significant efforts to provide a wide variety of comforts.

There are restaurants in the secure zones — some of which were in place and others which the league set up with the help of local chefs — and a concierge system to allow deliveries of food, pharmaceutical needs and other items from outside the bubbles.

Each hub city also includes designated spaces for indoor and outdoor activities such as movie theaters, player lounges, patio decks and recreational spaces for other sports like soccer, basketball and tennis.

“I don’t think anyone truly knew what to expect, this is brand new territory for everyone,” Johnston said. “But the feeling, at least in the early days here, is the NHL outdid itself with what’s gone on in the bubble.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 1190002 Websites Rangers defenceman Marc Staal tallied a late shorthanded marker of his own.

(Fun fact: In arena, they blast the respective goal song for both teams, Sportsnet.ca / Hurricanes earn convincing win vs. Rangers as NHL home and away, after the lamp gets lit.) returns with a bang Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, the planned starter, was deemed “unfit to play” Friday night but was spotted watching the action inside the arena. His status for Game 2 remains unknown. Luke Fox August 1, 2020, 2:49 PM Lundqvist, operating in the busy end of the rink, said he felt he was moving well in the crease and was mentally prepared despite the unexpected call to action. TORONTO – Zero to 100 in under three minutes. “I approached this camp to be ready for anything,” the veteran goalie That’s how hard and fast meaningful hockey slammed the gas pedal said. Saturday afternoon, as the first hockey game of consequence rang in like Christmas morning after 144 Groundhog Days of sameness. Will Lundqvist get the call for Monday’s Game 2, though?

Carolina defenceman Brady Skjei lit up former teammate Jesper Fast, “We’ll see,” he said. Jaccob Slavin foiled surprise Rangers starter Henrik Lundqvist on the first shot of Return to Play, 38-year-old Justin Williams dropped the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.02.2020 gloves with Ryan Strome, and, in a snap, hockey was back.

Full speed ahead.

“There was a lot of pent-up energy,” said Williams, speaking for us all.

The passes might not have been midseason crisp, and the penalties were too plentiful, but rest assured, the Carolina Hurricanes’ decisive 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 had all the bite and vile of the do-or-die competition you remember. Even if the only fans allowed inside Scotiabank Arena were the ones pre-recorded by EA Sports and played over the clatter of graphite sticks and well-rested bodies.

“It was definitely a physical and emotional game, even without the crowd. These guys were into it,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You could definitely feel it out there.

The Hurricanes, who had failed to defeat the Blueshirts in four attempts during the regular season, came out ablaze, controlling play and confining New York to its own zone.

Skjei’s open-ice hit of Fast — who never returned to the game — set a tone that was never overturned for long.

And it was Fast’s man, Slavin, who slipped back door for the opening strike, taking advantage of a banged-up opponent.

“It has an emotional effect on your team,” Rangers coach David Quinn said of Fast’s early injury. “Not only do we lose our best player, a goal was scored because of it.”

A sweet tip by Sebastian Aho off an Andrei Svechnikov slap-pass increased the Canes’ lead to 2-0 in the second period.

“He’s an elite player,” Brind’Amour said of Aho, “and I think he wants his time.”

The Rangers’ top centre, Mika Zibanejad, brought the score to 2-1 with a power-play tip of his own, and New York gave themselves a shot heading into the final 20 minutes.

But when the officials generously dish out 21 minutes’ worth of penalties to each side, finding your 5-on-5 rhythm becomes an exercise in futility.

“I thought we battled; it just wasn’t enough,” said Quinn. “They set the pace and the tempo, and I thought it took us too long to respond to it…. We were too perimeter.”

Quinn believes Carolina drew inspiration from the lopsided season series.

“You lose to a team four times, you’re gonna be pissed off,” Quinn said. “Everybody’s pissed off to start a series, but they heightened theirs.”

Added Zibanejad: “I felt like they out-competed us, really.”

Yep.

The Canes out-shot New York 37-26 and out-chanced the visitors 33-20.

A third period shorthanded goal by Carolina’s Martin Necas proved to be the winner, and Brind’Amour admitted post-game he wasn’t certain Necas would be healthy enough to dress.

“Another one of these young kids who has a lot of talent,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s got that ability to be a difference-maker.” 1190003 Websites Korpisalo is 5-3-0 with a .914 save percentage in his career against the Leafs, including splitting two games against Toronto back in October. Merzlikins has never faced the Leafs.

TSN.CA / Sheldon Keefe, John Tortorella ready to ride Auston Matthews, "I know Elvis just from watching a couple of their games," winger Mitch Seth Jones in Game 1 Marner said. "I know when Korpisalo did go down he went in and was playing very well for their team and playing with a lot of confidence. For us, the mindset can't change playing either goalie. We know this team likes to get in a lot shot lanes so for forwards it's about trying to find Mark Masters spaces where we can help our D get a shot through to us for a tip, try to make quick plays to get people closer to the net."

The Maple Leafs practised at Ford Performance Centre on Saturday. The Jackets finished third this season in blocks per 60 minutes and, per Sportlogiq, led the NHL by blocking 32.3 per cent of opponents' shots. When the Leafs opened training camp 2.0 on July 13 there were questions about the conditioning of Auston Matthews, who had missed Tortorella refuses to reveal starter; Rielly says Andersen is fired up out on a couple weeks of ice time due to a positive COVID-19 test. Those Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella would not reveal who would be questions have been answered and Sheldon Keefe won't be worried starting in net for his team in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs on Sunday about monitoring the centre's minutes in Game 1 on Sunday night. but he did say he was comfortable with both of his goalies. Meanwhile, "Auston's fine in that regard," the Leafs coach said in a Zoom media Morgan Rielly believes Frederik Andersen is very motivated to prove that session. "I think he's right there with everyone else both on our team and he can deliver in the playoffs. I suspect around the league. He hasn't missed a beat since we've The top priority for the Leafs in training camp and the lead-up to this opened camp. He hasn't missed a rep. He hasn't missed a day. He's series has been improving their overall team defence. been doing all the work like everybody else. I believe he's ready and I'm not planning on holding back on him or any of our other guys." "As a group, we have to understand the importance of playing defence," said Rielly when asked for the key to beating the Jackets. "I think we do Matthews averaged 20 minutes and 58 seconds of ice time per game that when we have the puck and we're able to turn it up quickly and break after Keefe took over behind the bench in November. He played 18 out quickly. We know what they like to do and how they like to play so minutes and 26 seconds in Tuesday's exhibition game against the now it's on us to just go out and execute." Canadiens finishing with three shots and a minus-one rating. Preventing the Jackets, who led the NHL in even-strength goals (22) "I feel good," Matthews said. "Tuesday, physically, for me I felt good and created off the forecheck, from getting their cycle game going is crucial. that was probably the most important thing for me. Your touch and timing How do the Leafs defencemen do that? and feel and everything kind of comes back as you play more games, but I think physically I felt solid and throughout the week I've continued to feel "That question can turn into a full team thing pretty quick," said better and better throughout practices and hopefully [I can] start out on defenceman Travis Dermott. "It has a lot to do with everyone supporting the right foot tomorrow." each other, lots of communication and I think just taking pride in our defensive game before we jump into the offence." Matthews will likely see a lot of the Blue Jackets' top defence pair of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Jones hasn't played a meaningful game since Per Sportlogiq, no team in the NHL gave up more even strength goals fracturing his ankle way back on Feb. 8. John Tortorella was asked if (52) off cycles than the Leafs this year. But Marner is confident his team there was any reluctance to play him in the 30-minute range considering can reverse that trend thanks to the system tweaks instituted by Keefe the long layoff. during his first training camp at the helm.

"Nope," the Jackets coach said. "Jonesy can play forever so we'll see "We've had a lot of time to study it, go over it, talk to each other about it," how the game is laid out and how it's going." Marner said. "For us, I think it's just making sure five guys are around the net. We know this team really likes to generate a lot from below the goal Jones averaged 28 minutes and 32 seconds in last year's playoffs to lead line, giving it out in front to the slot, jamming pucks in so I think as a five- the league. man group on the ice we just got to make sure we're staying tight with 'He hasn't missed a beat': Matthews silences conditioning concerns each other, talking to each other and when we do get the chance to exit we do it cleanly. We don't want to be playing a chip and chase kind of All eyes will be on Auston Matthews as the Maple Leafs get set to take game against this team." on the Blue Jackets on Sunday, but with his conditioning apparently a non-issue, Matthews and his team believes he is ready to go. Mark Keefe applauded his players for "an enhanced level of focus" as they Masters has more. worked on improving defensively, but the coach is also being careful to ensure the group doesn't stray from its identity. Tortorella was less forthcoming when asked by The Athletic's Aaron Portzline if he's settled on a starter for Game 1. "We can't lose sight of who we are as a team and we need to be really good offensively here because we are playing against a team that makes "Yeah, but I'm not going to talk to you about it at this point," the coach it very tough on you defensively," Keefe said. "If we're not sharp and said with a grin. "Portzy, you know better." don't have a good plan offensively, it's going to be tough for us. We can be as good as we want defensively, but if we don't find ways to score it's How does he view the goaltending match-up in the series? going to be tough to win." "Very comfortable with our goaltending," Tortorella said. "I know nothing Rielly on key vs. CBJ: 'We have to understand the importance of playing about Andersen." defence' The truth is we all know a lot more about Frederik Andersen than we do Defensive consistency plagued the Maple Leafs prior to the NHL's the Columbus tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo, who stoppage but with no room for error in the playoffs, the team knows it will have never played in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Andersen, meanwhile, have to be sharp against the Blue Jackets if any success is to be had. has 48 playoff games on his resume although he hasn't won a series since 2015 when he reached the Western Conference Final as a member Nick Robertson skated on the third line again at practice and afterwards of the . Keefe confirmed the 18-year-old will make his NHL debut on Sunday night. “He's definitely a guy that really enjoys the process and he enjoys practising and trying to get better," observed defenceman Morgan Rielly. "I believe he's prepared and ready for it and that's why we're confident in "I think come playoff time all that stuff becomes that much more putting him in," said Keefe. "I talked to him today telling him the Montreal important. He wants to prove himself again. He's very motivated, that's game he played in exhibition was a good step for him to get some good who he is as a person, he wants to prove people wrong and be a big part experience but just reminding him it's going to be a lot harder starting of what we're doing. We're lucky to have him on this team and he brings tomorrow and he's got to be prepared for that. We're interested in seeing it every day so I would expect him to be ready." how he can handle it." Leafs Ice Chips: Keefe warns Robertson it’s about to get harder After Thursday’s game, Jackets winger Cam Atkinson was asked about the ice conditions at Scotiabank Arena. Nick Robertson remained on the Maple Leafs' third line in the team's final practice and he is set to make his NHL debut Sunday night in Game 1 "It was definitely a little choppy towards the middle and end of periods, against the Blue Jackets. However, any excitement should be met with but every team is going to be facing that so you can't really let that sink realistic expectations according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who has into your game and use it as an excuse," he said before adding, "if confidence in his young player. Mark Masters reports. anything it kind of benefits our style of play anyway."

The Jackets also have a player looking to make the jump from major Lines at Saturday’s Leafs practice, per team media relations: junior hockey to the Stanley Cup playoffs although London winger Liam Foudy has at least a couple NHL games of experience under his belt Nylander - Matthews - Hyman thanks to an emergency call-up in February. Mikheyev - Tavares - Marner

"Thing I like about Fouds is, he's not afraid," Tortorella said following Robertson - Kerfoot - Kapanen Thursday night's exhibition game. “He's not afraid to make a play. A very intelligent player." Clifford - Gauthier-Spezza

London Knights general manager Mark Hunter called this back in June. Johnsson - Engvall He saw Foudy, who turned 20 in February, take a leap forward at the Muzzin - Holl World Juniors where he was named one of Team Canada's top three players en route to a gold medal. Rielly - Ceci

"Some players take another step after a big tournament and find Dermott - Barrie confidence in themselves to put everything together and I think he calmed down and found calmness in his game," Hunter told TSN. "He let Sandin - Marincin his hands do more work with his legs and put it all together. First half, Andersen sometimes he was inconsistent, being too wild on the ice and then at the World Juniors he was excellent. He really took steps in that tournament Campbell and getting better and better every game and he came back afterwards in London and was excellent, maybe the best player in the OHL after the Lines at Saturday’s Jackets practice, per team media relations: World Juniors. So, he really came back confident and you couldn't get Foligno - Wennberg - Atkinson the puck away from him. He had confidence in his hands and legs at the same time. I sometimes think he loses some confidence with his hands Texier - Dubois - Bjorkstrand and where to go, well, he had it all figured out. He was excellent in the second half." Nyquist - Jenner - Foudy

Foudy has been skating on the third line alongside Gustav Nyquist and Robinson - Nash - Bemstrom Boone Jenner. Werenski - Jones

Talking to Mark Hunter on ... Gavrikov - Savard

* Underrated part of Lafreniere's game Murray - Kukan

* Drysdale may be NHL-ready now Harrington - Nutivaara

* Foudy's playoff potential for #CBJ Korpisalo / Merzlikins

* Brochu's breakthrough TSN.CA LOADED: 08.02.2020 * Tourigny's turn

* McMichael's big step after #AllCaps camp

1-on-1 with @LondonKnights GM https://t.co/Z5qLww7G8K

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) June 24, 2020

With the Leafs able to roll with Matthews and John Tavares down the middle, there's a lot of pressure on top Jackets centre Pierre-Luc Dubois to not only hold his own, but win the battle regardless of who he lines up against.

"We're going to need Luc to play his best hockey," said Jones on Thursday night following the win over Boston. "You see when he's physical, he's moving his feet, he's creating space with his big frame and you see tonight just his explosiveness when he has the puck on the rush. He's a game-changer and we're going to need him to be that way every single game, every single shift he's on the ice if we're going to have a good chance to win. He's going against Tavares, Matthews, guys like that, some of the best centres in the league, and when he plays his game he's right up there with those guys. The main thing is just he's got to be consistent with his game and he’ll be just fine."

Dubois led the Blue Jackets with 49 points in 70 games this season while Matthews led the Leafs with 80 and Tavares recorded 60 in 63 games.

"Luc is at his best when he sees somebody across the way that he has to be better than," Jackets captain Nick Foligno told TSN back in late May when the match-up was confirmed. "He likes that. He almost gets mad. He's like a racehorse that you're holding back sometimes. He wants those minutes and I appreciate that about him. It's just him learning how to use his body still and understanding how he can dominate games."

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 30, 2020 1190004 Websites good as we want defensively, but if we don't find ways to score, then it's going to be tough to win.”

More than anything though, Sunday will mark an opportunity for Toronto TSN.CA / Maple Leafs bringing 'enhanced focus' to defensive game to be in true competition again. After weeks of scrimmaging against one before facing Columbus in qualifiers another, and talking so much about Columbus, even Rielly couldn’t resist pointing out his answer on Saturday was “boring,” something that will change after Game 1. There will be an outcome to build off of. Keefe only hopes it’s a move in the right direction. Kristen Shilton “Our group has been really focused, particularly as we've gotten here into

the bubble and you narrow your focus a little bit more on your opponent,” TORONTO — The Maple Leafs will play their first meaningful hockey he said. “And there’s the fact that the real games are coming. So we've game in nearly five months on Sunday, when they open a best-of-five seen an enhanced level of focus and effort that way, and that’s been very qualifying-round playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. And positive for us. But we're just excited to play meaningful games here now. it's a night rookie Nick Robertson will be unlikely to ever forget, as the 18- It’s been a long road.” year-old projects to make his NHL debut for Toronto. TSN.CA LOADED: 08.02.2020 “I believe he's prepared and ready for it and that's why we're confident in putting him in,” head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on a Zoom call Saturday from the Eastern Conference hub at the Royal York Hotel. "I told him the Montreal game we played in exhibition [on Tuesday] was a good step for him to get some good experience, [while] just reminding him that it's going to be a lot harder starting tomorrow, and he's got to be prepared for that and we're anxious to see how he can handle it.”

Drafted in the second round, 53rd overall, by Toronto in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Robertson is coming off a sensational 55-goal season with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, and was the lone player without any professional experience invited by the Leafs to their Phase 2 voluntary workouts and Phase 3 training camp.

Keefe has had Robertson situated on the team’s third line with Kasperi Kapanen and Alexander Kerfoot for weeks, and in Tuesday’s preseason tilt Robertson notched one assist in 10:11 minutes of ice time. Still, Keefe had previously sidestepped confirming whether Robertson would play on Sunday, opting to leave his options open until the last minute.

Robertson himself didn’t speak with the media on Saturday, but reflected on his preseason performance in Wednesday’s availabilities, sharing that, “my confidence level is getting higher and higher each day. The exhibition game last night, it just proves to myself that I can keep up with [NHL players]. I've got a lot to learn but I definitely made an impact and I can learn a lot still and as time goes on, I'll definitely mature for sure.”

Now that the Leafs have seemingly settled on personnel for the play-in opener, attention turns entirely towards the Blue Jackets, and Toronto’s attempt at matching that team’s defensive acumen.

When the NHL’s regular season was shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, Columbus was giving up the third-fewest goals in the league at 2.61 per game, while the Leafs were allowing the sixth- most at 3.17.

Since Phase 2 workouts began in June, Keefe has been harping on his club about the importance of a defence-first mindset, and can see now how it’s begun to sink in.

“There's a lot of detail and structure that we've gone through, but really what we're just looking for is the mindset of putting in the effort and prioritizing [defence] as an important thing that we need to have to be able to give ourselves a chance to win,” Keefe said. “So that's really where our focus has been and I fully am expecting our players are going to perform in that manner.”

“I think as a group, we have to understand the importance of playing defence,” agreed Morgan Rielly. “I think we do that when we have the puck and are able to turn it up quickly and break out quickly and I think we know what they like to do and how they like to play so now it's on us to go out and execute. We feel comfortable with what we've established as game plans and obviously in Game 1 we're going to try to implement that.”

But defence will be only one pillar of Toronto's success. The Leafs’ bread and butter has long been their offensive prowess, evidenced by their averaging the third-most goals per game (3.39) before the NHL’s pause.

The trick now is balancing equal efforts on both sides of the puck.

“We can't lose sight of who we are as a team and we need to be really good offensively here because we are playing a team that makes it very hard on you defensively,” Keefe said. “So if we're not sharp and don't have a good plan offensively, it's going to be tough for us. We can be as 1190005 Websites earlier in the shift by Brady Skjei, to get the Canes on the board just 61 seconds in.

12:14 pm: They’re scraping blood off the ice less than three minutes in. TSN.CA / Game On: The NHL is back To quote Drake: That went zero to 100, real quick. Justin Williams and Ryan Strome dropped the gloves - with Strome requiring repairs in the dressing room after - leaving no doubt whether these players would be able to flip the switch and turn on the intensity given the unique Frank Seravalli environment. It kicked off a first period that reminded us of everything we missed over the last four and a half months.

Game On. 1:27 pm: The whistles aren’t rusty. It’s a power-play-a-palooza with 12 minor penalties between the Canes and Rangers in the first 32 minutes “It’s been a long four and a half months for a lot of people,” NBC’s Brian of action. Fun fact: NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom said the Boucher said, opening coverage from inside the NHL’s bubble in league considered going with an electronic whistle - which the NFL uses Toronto. - but there wasn’t enough testing done to implement it. Instead, the NHL’s officials are using Fox 40 pea-less whistles for the first time, which “But I needed this.” has a different ‘trill’ according to Walkom. It also may cut down on the Boucher isn’t alone. We all needed this. number of germs flying.

There is nothing that will feel normal about the NHL’s return-to-play in 1:32 pm: The glorious blast of the Madison Square Garden goal horn this most unusual sprint for Lord Stanley. From empty arenas with fake booms. The Rangers are on the board and their goal song blares, too. crowd noise to 24 teams playing playoff games to teams sequestered in Both the home and road teams have their unique goal horn and goal their hotel, all of it is strange - even for this reporter, who is used to criss- song queued up and ready to roll to add atmosphere for each game. crossing the continent to chronicle the four-round chase. 1:39 pm: First crack in the NHL’s blanket injury/illness policy. Cameras But Saturday is the first step in the NHL’s new normal. show Shesterkin sitting in the seats wearing a facial mask with No. 31 on it - giving a hint that Shesterkin is likely injured and not ill. That’s because Join me and watch along as we point out all of the quirks, quips and protocol calls for any player with a positive COVID-19 test to be quotes in a full-day of hockey sensory overload after 142 days without it. immediately isolated in the hotel.

Five games. Fourteen hours. Giddy up: 1:43 pm: We get a glimpse at the fan-produced pump-up videos that will 11:43 am: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joins Liam McHugh in the pipe through the arena. A storm of Canes fans were shown on the NBC studios in Connecticut. The first five days in the bubble produced no screens in the lower bowl above players cheering on their club on the positive COVID-19 tests with more than 1,500 personnel being tested power play. daily - but Bettman stresses: “It’s early.” 2:03 pm: Lunch time. What’s better than a buffalo chicken cheesesteak Bettman is asked whether the traditional end-of-series handshake line is and puck? With 16 minor penalties between Rangers-Canes, trying to acceptable. show a little more discipline with the side of fries.

“We may be looking at elbows and fist-bumping, leaving the gloves on,” 2:38 pm: Game 1 in the books. Canes jump out to a 1-0 lead in the best- Bettman said. “But again, having been in the bubble for as long as the of-five series with a 3-2 win over the Rangers. Critical contest. When the players have been in and having zero positive tests, I think puts us in a NHL played five-game series from 1980 through 1986, the team winning good position if the traditions and the moment overtake the social Game 1 took the series 81 per cent of the time. Rangers appeared distancing.” sluggish to open the series, Artemi Panarin wasn't his usual dominating and dynamic self. Lundqvist was solid and kept New York in it, but aside When asked about handing out the Stanley Cup in 75 days or so, from the win, Carolina might have also punctured King Henrik's aura of Bettman says he hasn’t given it much thought “because there is so much invincibility. Lundqvist was 3-0 against the Canes this season and had a road to cover between now and then.” 33-12-1 record in his career with a gaudy .934 save percentage.

“I’m hopeful that we get to that point, my guess is I’ll be booed a little bit 3:18 pm: Over to Edmonton. less than I normally am,” Bettman said, chuckling. “My guess is when we get to that point, it will be extraordinarily emotional for all of us who love With the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers circled around him, this game and all of us who are part of it, particularly for the players who Minnesota Wild defenceman and Hockey Diversity Alliance executive will have endured being away from family and friends for so long.” board member Matt Dumba stepped out to centre ice and shared perhaps the most impactful words ever by a hockey player. 11:57 am: First curveball of the day. The Rangers announced expected starter Igor Shesterkin is “unfit to play” just minutes before puck drop. As Here is his speech in its entirety: part of the protocol, teams are not permitted to say whether it’s for injury “I’d like to say thank you to all of the fans watching at home and all of the or illness, to protect player’s right to medical privacy. people that have made a positive difference in our world right now. We Shesterkin, 24, proved himself as the rightful heir to King Henrik appreciate you. Lundqvist’s throne with an impressive 12-game run (.934 save “I know none of us need to be reminded how our day-to-day lives have percentage) prior to the pandemic. been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, so I hope this Stanley Cup Instead, Lundqvist made his 127th consecutive playoff start for the playoffs can bring a little normality and peace of mind during all these Broadway Blues, keeping his streak in-tact. times of uncertainty.

12:07 pm: The hum of crowd noise is piped into the broadcast and “I’ll transition topics to a topic that is very important to me and my fellow building during the American and Canadian national anthems. (Yes, members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance and the NHL. During this playing in Toronto, they played O Canada during a game between two pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred. The world American clubs.) It’s almost overpowering, knowing that there are no woke up to the existence of systemic racism and how deeply rooted it is fans there, and sounds more like a baseball crowd on a warm summer within our society. night. “For those unaffected by systemic racism, or unaware, I’m sure that Unlike during the exhibition games, the Rangers and Hurricanes are not some of you believe that this topic has garnered too much attention standing together on the blue lines for the anthems. The NHL says it’s during the last couple months. But let me assure you, it has not. opening ceremony, in which they will unveil their #WeSkateFor initiative, “Racism is a man-made creation and all it does is deteriorate from our will come before the Edmonton-Chicago and Montreal-Pittsburgh games. collective prosperity. Racism is everywhere. Racism is everywhere - and 12:11 pm: That was Fast. Jaccob Slavin is the answer to the trivia we need to fight against it. question of who scored the first goal in the NHL’s restart - and it’s his first “On behalf of the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, we vow and career playoff goal, too. Slavin slipped by Jesper Fast, who was run over promise to stand up for injustice and fight for what is right. I know first- hand, as a minority playing the great game of hockey, the unexplainable 6:01 pm: Nearly three games down, two to go." two games to go. and difficult challenges that come with it. Yawnnnn. Sadly, already thinking about dinner. Maybe time to sneak in a little nap. Gotta pace myself. ALSO: what do tigers dream of when they “The Hockey Diversity Alliance and NHL want kids to feel safe, take a little tiger snooze? comfortable and free-minded every time they enter an arena. I stand in front of you today, on behalf of those groups, and promise you that we 6:53 pm: ZzzzzZzzzzzZzzzzZzzzz will fight against injustice and fight for what is right. 7:48 pm: Oh. Hey there. If the first three games were the appetizer, then “I hope that this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey the main course tonight is two of the juiciest series. Carey Price and the fans. Black Lives Matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great Habs against Crosby and the Pens? And a one-anthem prairie battle game, but it could be a whole lot greater, and it starts with all of us.” between the Jets and Flames? Game On.

Dumba then kneeled on the red carpet - wearing his HDA sweatshirt - for Speaking of appetizers and entrees ... what's for dinner? the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, while Black players Malcolm Subban and Darnell Nurse put their hands on his shoulder in a show of 8:19 pm: To kick off Pens-Habs in Toronto, the NHL unveiled its support. #WeSkateFor campaign for the Eastern Conference in primetime in both Canada and the United States. While no player came to the mic, the NHL Dumba became the first NHL player to kneel during a national anthem; played a video with narration. The message in its entirety: none of the players on either the Oilers or Blackhawks joined him in kneeling. Dumba, a Saskatchewan native who calls Calgary home, then “In hockey, we often let our effort, determination and passion to win do stood up for O Canada. the talking. But when an issue is bigger than the game, we must speak out - starting with three words we need to get comfortable saying: Black There was a significant amount of friction between the Hockey Diversity Lives Matter. Alliance and the NHL in the days leading up to Saturday’s opening ceremony, but the two sides were able to make meaningful progress in “The struggle for racial justice did not begin just a few months ago with their discussions and common ground, culminating in Dumba’s platform. the murder of George Floyd. But his death and response that followed A real sense of optimism emanates from the HDA in the early stages of brought the urgency of taking action into focus. We can’t lose this focus. their partnership with the NHL, but there is much work to be done. “Equality is the only way forward. As players, as fans and as active 3:31 pm: Connor McDavid. That’s it. That’s the message. citizens, we must confront these issues. We must be clear about what we skate for. #WeSkateFor Black Lives. And even in an empty arena, we 3:52 pm: There will be no shortage of second-guessing in Edmonton on never skate alone. Together, we must be part of the movement to end Sunday about Dave Tippett’s decision to start Mike Smith. Mikko racism, because what we skate for today will bring us a better tomorrow. Koskinen was unquestionably the Oilers’ better goalie over the last two And that’s why we skate for something more.” months of the season - and had better numbers over the entire season. 8:39 pm: What would the odds have been at the betting window for But Tippett has seen Smith’s playoff prowess in Phoenix. Everyone Jesperi Kotkaniemi to net the first goal of the series? 150-1? Cash your watched last season as Smith was excellent in a short series for Calgary. tickets. After a difficult second season that saw the No. 3 overall pick He didn’t get much support then from the Flames. from 2018 sent down to AHL Laval following a full NHL rookie campaign, the always cheery Finn was the recipient of a lucky bounce. Similarly, aside from a puck-handling miscue with Oscar Klefbom, the Oil didn’t produce a drop at even-strength in the first period - spotting the If the first half of the first period is any indication, the Habs - outshot 10-2 Hawks a 4-1 lead behind three points from Jonathan Toews. at the moment they broke the ice - are going to need a lot more bounces like that. Montreal seemed content to sit back and hang on. BTW: The 4:02 pm: Tippett reunites McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on a line to end the over/under for Price's saves in the game was set at 28. He has 12 in the first period. Desperate times, and all that. first 13 minutes.

4:31 pm: Death, taxes and the Oilers on the power play. The only 8:54 pm: Saturday is the first in a grand experiment by the NHL’s ice guarantees in life. This season, Edmonton had the NHL’s best single gurus. Three Stanley Cup playoff games in one day in August on the power play (29.5 per cent) in the NHL in the last 40 seasons. same ice surface. The NHL is confident with no fans and no doors 4:37 pm: Smith’s day is over after allowing five goals on 23 shots. This is opening to bring in the humidity and heat that they can manage it well by Koskinen’s first career Stanley Cup playoff appearance. The 32-year-old keeping the temperature low. Pens-Habs is the last matchup in a long Finn who wears No. 19 led SKA St. Petersburg to two Gagarin Cups in day. Reports from those rinkside say the ice is indeed choppy at the end the KHL. of periods - and may have played a small factor in helping the Islanders escape with a Game 1 win earlier in the day. 4:43 pm: Flip over to Islanders-Panthers underway in Toronto. Good to hear our pal Gord Miller’s voice calling the action for NBC. Just don’t tell 9:23 pm: Scratch that. The Habs seem to have found their legs - and him that. their confidence - after Kotkaniemi’s tally. Rookie Nick Suzuki added his first career playoff goal as well and the Habs have a 2-0 lead while 4:56 pm: Flipping back, Tyler Ennis heads to the dressing room after outshooting the Pens by an 11-8 margin. having his wrist sliced by Kirby Dach’s skate, adding injury to insult. There likely will be no word on the severity of Ennis’ injury because of the In March Madness, it always seemed to be the No. 12 seed with the NHL’s policy, but yet another reminder of the risk players assume. The opening day upset. Another one is brewing on Day 1 of the NHL’s Leafs’ Ilya Mikheyev will return on Sunday after having an artery and version. tendons in his wrist cut by a skate on back on Dec. 27 in New Jersey. 9:32 pm: A first for Sidney Crosby: a goal in his birth month for the kid 5:34 pm: Quality stat courtesy of Gordo, as Jean-Gabriel Pageau with the 8/7/87 birthday. Has any player since Wayne Gretzky scored increases the Isles’ lead to two goals. Only five players in Islanders more goals from behind the goal line than Crosby? His bank job off franchise history have scored in both their regular season and Price's leg was almost impressive as his slick stick lift of Xavier Ouellet to postseason debut with the team: Pageau, Billy Harris, , Pat make the play. Flatley and none other than . 10:28 pm: That overtime feeling is growing with the clock winding down. 5:39 pm: First bathroom break of the day. Kind of impressive. Pins and needles for the final 10 minutes with the score deadlocked. Oh, how we’ve missed that sensation. 5:53 pm: The No. 12 seed Blackhawks, a seller at the trade deadline, seal a convincing 6-4 win over the Oilers. It’s a loss that will send a 10:31 pm: Sushi has arrived. Tuna roll, hibachi rice and Thai tea - as if shiver through Edmonton. It’s one game, yes, but to borrow a phrase this day could've gotten any better. Finger on the trigger of the clicker, from the late, great Yogi Berra, it gets late early in a best-of-five series. ready to rotate to Jets-Flames, but not willing to miss10:46 pm: Two of the best words in the English language: Playoff Overtime. It will mark the The Oilers are two losses away from a 12.5 per cent shot at Alexis 10th period played on Scotiabank Arena ice on Saturday. a minute Lafreniere. between Pens-Habs.

Yep. Think about that for a second. 10:40 pm: How’s that for heart-pumping drama? Pittsburgh’s Conor Sheary awarded a penalty shot with 3:03 left in a tied game after Jeff Petry was caught flat-footed off the rush. Sheary carved his way in toward Carey Price but his shot missed the net. There have been just 11 goals in 47 penalty shot attempts this season.

10:46 pm: Two of the best words in the English language: Playoff Overtime. It will mark the 10th period played on Scotiabank Arena ice on Saturday.

10:48 pm: Oh boy. Mark Scheifele is writhing in pain on the ice after contact with Matthew Tkachuk. He couldn’t put weight on his left leg as he was helped to the dressing room.

10:52 pm: Hard not to immediately think of Matt Cooke and Erik Karlsson and the controversy that launched a forensic investigation in 2013. A quick Zapruder-like, frame-by-frame replay shows Tkachuk’s skate blade appears to make contact with Scheifele along the boards.

The sequence seems to be accidental in nature for Tkachuk, but there is no doubt this will magnified many times over. For the Jets, it certainly appeared to be a significant injury (Achilles?) for Scheifele, one of Paul Maurice’s key drivers.

10:55 pm: Tkachuk answers the bell and drops the gloves with Jets captain Blake Wheeler in response to his hit.

11:12 pm: Back over to Toronto. The Penguins failed to score on an overtime power play. Jonathan Drouin couldn’t corral the puck on a penalty shot attempt, the second player to skate in with the game on his stick in the last hour. EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING.

11:24 pm: The Department of Player Safety announces Chicago’s Drake Caggiula will have a hearing on Sunday for an illegal check to the head of Edmonton’s Tyler Ennis. Caggiula was not penalized on the play, but Ennis was issued a minor for delay of game as he shot the puck out of play with Caggiula bearing down.

11:25 pm: Jeff Petry wins it for Montreal. Two tickets to Upset City, please. The Penguins join the Oilers as the second No. 5 seed to fall to a No. 12 on Opening Day. Also fair to ponder what Alexis Lafreniere might look like in a Pens jersey - following in Crosby's footsteps from Rimouski to the Steel City. Hmmm.

11:51 pm: Go, Go, Go Johnny Go. The Flames’ goal song for Johnny Gaudreau - Chuck Berry’s 1959 classic Go Johnny Go [Johnny B. Goode] - is rocking. The Flames have solved Connor Hellebuyck for the first time. Better news for Calgary: it’s Gaudreau’s first playoff goal in 10 games after going scoreless in his two previous series.

12:06 am: Need to get up and take a lap. Couch sores setting in.

12:18 am: Second intermission thought - Watching the success of this wall-to-wall opening day, the NHL surely has to be thinking about a way to recreate a staggered day-long schedule when life returns to our new normal, no?

12:41 am: One game boiled down into a special teams story. The Flames scored three power play goals in one period for the first time in a playoff game since 1989 (!), while the Jets are 0-for-5 on the man-advantage - and haven’t created much in their four opportunities without Scheifele.

12:46 am: Patrik Laine heads down the tunnel to the Jets’ dressing room clutching his wrist after a cross-check from Mark Giordano. Gulp.

1:03 am: Andrew Mangiapane ices a Game 1 win for Calgary in the Battle of Atlanta relocations. The Flames nearly scored as many goals (four) as the Jets managed shots (five) in seven power plays. Now, the injuries to Laine and Scheifele loom large, as those two players accounted for a quarter of Winnipeg’s goals this season.

1:16 am: What a wild day - one of the most compelling opening days in playoff history. A Conn Smythe performance from Matt Dumba. Two stunning upsets. The first-ever NHL goals scored in August. A playoff debut record five-point day for Dominik Kubalik. The first playoff game to feature two penalty shots in 97 years. Overtime heroics from Jeff Petry. A reminder why players voted Carey Price as the NHL’s best goalie three years in a row. Fights, a possible suspension, gruesome skate-cut injuries - and maybe even some Tkachuk conspiracy theories.

Really, what else were you expecting in 2020?

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USA TODAY / Minnesota Wild's Matt Dumba kneels during anthem after giving anti-racism speech

Mike Brehm

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba's team wasn't even playing in the opening game of the NHL's Western Conference qualifying round.

But representing the Hockey Diversity Alliance, he was given the platform to deliver an impassioned speech against racism before the Edmonton- Chicago game and then knelt during the national anthem as fellow Black players Darnell Nurse and Malcolm Subban put their hands on his shoulder.

"During this pandemic, something unexpected but long overdue occurred," Dumba said as the words "End Racism" appeared on the scoreboard. "The world woke up to the existence of systematic racism and how deeply rooted it is within our society. For those unaffected by systematic racism or unaware, I’m sure that some of you believe that this topic has garnered too much attention during the last couple months. But let me assure you, it has not.

"Racism is a manmade creation, and all it does it is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it. On behalf of the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, we vow and promise to stand up for justice and fight for what is right."

Dumba, who's from Canada, plays in the metropolitan region where the death of George Floyd in police custody led to calls for reform. He has vowed to match up to $100,000 in donations to rebuild the area of Minneapolis destroyed by unrest after Floyd's death.

Dumba said he's personally aware of the challenges that minority players face in hockey and the goal of the alliance and the league is for "kids to feel safe, comfortable and free-minded every time they enter a new arena."

"I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans, because Black lives matter, Breonna Taylor’s life matters," he said. "Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater and it starts with all of us."

The speech drew praise from fellow Black player Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks.

"Incredibly proud of @matt_dumba with the courageous gesture and leadership," he tweeted. "A powerful message for the hockey community."

Said Nurse: "It was good that the message was heard and needs to be continued to be spread."

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USA TODAY / NHL back in action: Times, TV as 24-team Stanley Cup playoff tournament begins

Mike Brehm

The hardest trophy to win in professional sports just got a little harder.

Facing an unprecedented hiatus in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL revamped its traditional 16-team playoff format by adding eight teams and another round.

Usually there are four best-of-seven series, but now a team could play as many as 33 games before being awarded the Stanley Cup.

It all gets underway this weekend with five games Saturday and another five on Sunday. Games will be played in Toronto (Eastern Conference) and Edmonton (Western Conference).

Under the 24-team format, the top four teams in each conference will each play three games in a round robin to determine seeding while the remaining eight conference teams will play best-of-five series in a qualifying round to determine who advances. There is no bracket; teams will be reseeded after each round.

PREDICTIONS:How the qualifying round, Stanley Cup playoffs will unfold

BURNING QUESTIONS:Will the two-hub-city format actually work?

POWER RANKINGS:Sizing up the 24 teams left in the postseason field

But teams also catch a break because there will be no travel until the two remaining Eastern Conference teams fly to Edmonton for the conference final.

No fans are allowed in either building, meaning there is no home-ice advantage. Though players say it will be hard without fans providing energy, there is a side benefit: They won't have to shout and can hear each other better.

"Our zone exits, our breakouts, our communication will be a little easier without the crowd noise," Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen told reporters.

The weekend schedule (with time, TV; *-round robin)

SATURDAY

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, noon, NBCSN, streamed on NHL.TV

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, 3, NBC

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, 4, NBCSN, NHL.TV

Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 8, NBC

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, 10:30, NBCSN, NHL.TV

SUNDAY

Arizona Coyotes vs, Nashville Predators, 2, USA, NHL.TV

*-Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 3, NBC

*-St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN, NHL.TV

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 8, NHL Network

Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, 10:30, NBCSN, NHL.TV

FULL SCHEDULE:Dates, times for qualifying round, round-robin play

If all goes well, the tournament will run into early October, which would shatter the record for the latest a Stanley Cup has been awarded. The previous mark: June 24 in the 1995 (Game 4, Detroit at New Jersey) and 2013 (Game 6, Chicago at Boston) lockout seasons.

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